Richard Walker, Mexican/Yaqui, is a newspaper editor in Kitsap
County, Washington, and is a correspondent for Indian Country Today
Media Network. His poem "The Payment" pays tribute to Indigenous
culture, heritage and pride in current day Mexico and commemorates Cinco
de Mayo, which observes the Mexican army's victory over French forces
at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862.
The Payment http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2014/05/05/payment-poem-honor-cinco-de-mayo-154735
To those conquistadors
who came here and tried
to replace our culture
with their own:
This is what the world
shall know about you.
You were nothing but unwelcome
visitors here,
your names and language
were left here
like forgotten baggage.
Here’s what we have done:
We have kept your names
and language as payment
for the destruction you left
behind,
for lives lost,
for rape and enslavement,
for your gold lust.
No one will say now that
we are Hispanic or
Latino.
We are Indigenous People.
The names we carry and
the common language we speak
belong to us and we
are not giving them back.
They belong to the Indigenous now.
Our names are not Spanish
names. They are Mexican names.
The new language we speak
is not the Spanish language.
It is a Mexican language.
You did not erase our
Indigenous identities.
We still dance the fire dance.
We still dance the deer dance.
We remember and honor our ancestors.
You are gone, but
we are still here.
When people hear our names
and when people hear us speak,
they will say,
“Ah, there is one who carries
the blood,
A child of The Survivors.”
Our People live on
Rethinking Cinco de Mayo
http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Rethinking-Cinco-de-Mayo.html?soid=1101431245776&aid=j-PH4AnwqsY
Showing posts with label Enslavement. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Enslavement. Show all posts
Monday, May 5, 2014
Saturday, October 27, 2007
Historical Attempts at Genocide & Deculturalization - MOST COMPLETE LIST ON THIS SITE
Deculturalization and Genocide of NA's may be grouped into several categories:
ARTICLES
Counted Out of Existence
Schools Have Failed First Nations by Lying About History
How Many NA's were there?
Death by Disease
"The natives had no resistance to smallpox, influenza, or plague or even to mild (to us) diseases like measles. Entire populations were virtually wiped out, with some Atlantic coast tribes losing 90 percent of their adult members. Some historians go so far as to say European diseases reduced the pre-contact population of the New World as a whole by 90 percent or more. One says the population of central Mexico was reduced from 25 million in 1519 to 3 million by 1568 and only 750,000 by the early 1600s, 3 percent of the pre-conquest total."
Made Invisible so we don't even know about their influence and presence.
"The American Indian influence can be found in every part of America today. Indians can be found in our U. S. Government, local government, law enforcement, health care and our military. According to Jack D. Forbes, an emeritus professor of American Indian studies at the University of California-Davis, because of undercounts and other census quirks the total number of Indians in the United States today may be close to fifteen or even thirty million. In reference to the 2000 census data, Indians can be called America’s fastest-growing minority."
Was this really a barren wilderness?
No Way! Unfortunately, books"still stereotype Native Americans as roaming primitive hunting folk, unfortunate victims of progress" (132).
References
Loewen, J (1995). Lies my teacher told me. New York, NY: Touchstone.
O'Nell, T. D. (1996). Disciplined hearts: History, identity, and depression in an American Indian community. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.
- RELOCATION: Forcing removal of NA Nations from their traditional land on to reservations, such as, during the Trail of Tears or Long Walk of the Navajos
- GERM WARFARE: Delivering smallpox infested blankets into villages
- BOARDING SCHOOLS: Systematically destroying Native American cultural continuity
- UNDERESTIMATING: Not being accurate about how many NA's were in the Americas and therefore being inaccurate about how many were destroyed.
- ENSLAVEMENT: Many Nations were captured and enslaved, some NA's were forced to work on plantations, others were sent to the Caribbean and be re-routed through the Triangular Slave Trade industry of the time. Some of the Nations affected were: Arawak, Pequot, Apache, Navajo, Pawnee
- STEREOTYPING: Hollywood films, sports mascots, and many other racist images dehumanize Native Americans.
ARTICLES
Counted Out of Existence
Schools Have Failed First Nations by Lying About History
indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2014/03/07/schools-have-failed-first-nations-lying-about-history
Lies My Teacher Told Me
BELOW ARE SOME COMMON QUESTIONS - (a portion of the response/answer is reprinted below, click the link to be transferred to entire discussion or list of quotes about this topic)Lies My Teacher Told Me
How Many NA's were there?
Death by Disease
"The natives had no resistance to smallpox, influenza, or plague or even to mild (to us) diseases like measles. Entire populations were virtually wiped out, with some Atlantic coast tribes losing 90 percent of their adult members. Some historians go so far as to say European diseases reduced the pre-contact population of the New World as a whole by 90 percent or more. One says the population of central Mexico was reduced from 25 million in 1519 to 3 million by 1568 and only 750,000 by the early 1600s, 3 percent of the pre-conquest total."
Made Invisible so we don't even know about their influence and presence.
"The American Indian influence can be found in every part of America today. Indians can be found in our U. S. Government, local government, law enforcement, health care and our military. According to Jack D. Forbes, an emeritus professor of American Indian studies at the University of California-Davis, because of undercounts and other census quirks the total number of Indians in the United States today may be close to fifteen or even thirty million. In reference to the 2000 census data, Indians can be called America’s fastest-growing minority."
Was this really a barren wilderness?
No Way! Unfortunately, books"still stereotype Native Americans as roaming primitive hunting folk, unfortunate victims of progress" (132).
References
Loewen, J (1995). Lies my teacher told me. New York, NY: Touchstone.
O'Nell, T. D. (1996). Disciplined hearts: History, identity, and depression in an American Indian community. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.
Friday, October 26, 2007
Enslavement of Native Americans
Slavery (beginning with the Myth of Thanksgiving)
ARAWAK: On his first voyage, Columbus took 25 Arawaks back to Spain (only 8 arrived alive). On his 2nd voyage, he rounded up 1500 of “the best” and selected 500 for Spain (200 died en route) and 500 went to his men on the islands.
http://damongerardcorrie.blogspot.com/2016/01/the-unknown-native-americanamerindian.html?spref=fb&m=1
PEQUOT: Pequot War captives were sent to the Caribbean in 1637 to be enslaved on plantations.
SOUTHWEST: In the Southwest, Apache and Navajo were enslaved right up until the Civil War.
PLAINS: In the Plains, so many Pawnee were enslaved that the word “Pawnee” became synonymous with the word “slave.”
But we fought back
Loewen, J (1995). Lies my teacher told me. New York, NY: Touchstone.
O'Nell, T. D. (1996). Disciplined hearts: History, identity, and depression in an American Indian community. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.
REPARATIONS
ARAWAK: On his first voyage, Columbus took 25 Arawaks back to Spain (only 8 arrived alive). On his 2nd voyage, he rounded up 1500 of “the best” and selected 500 for Spain (200 died en route) and 500 went to his men on the islands.
http://damongerardcorrie.blogspot.com/2016/01/the-unknown-native-americanamerindian.html?spref=fb&m=1
PEQUOT: Pequot War captives were sent to the Caribbean in 1637 to be enslaved on plantations.
SOUTHWEST: In the Southwest, Apache and Navajo were enslaved right up until the Civil War.
PLAINS: In the Plains, so many Pawnee were enslaved that the word “Pawnee” became synonymous with the word “slave.”
But we fought back
- In 1516, more than 10,000 NA’s were imported from the Bahamas to the Caribbean (Haiti, Puerto Rico, Cuba). In 1519, the first large-scale slave revolt of NA’s and African Americans in Haiti began (and lasted for 10 years).
- In 1712, there was a slave rebellion in New York City (1 in 4 residents was a slave, and 1 in 4 of those was NA, the other 3 were African American)
6 Shocking Facts About Slavery, Natives and African Americans https://indiancountrytoday.com/archive/the-tragic-history-of-african-slaves-and-indians
References- The Term Negro May Have Been Meant For American Indians
- 1619 Might Not Be the Right Year
- 1600s Law Said the Closest Indians Were Guilty—of Murder
- Natives in Virginia Were Part African, Exported Cotton and Were Valued Members of Society
- Native Americans Contributed to Literary History
- Indians Got Poison Not Peace at 1623 Negotiations
Loewen, J (1995). Lies my teacher told me. New York, NY: Touchstone.
O'Nell, T. D. (1996). Disciplined hearts: History, identity, and depression in an American Indian community. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.
REPARATIONS
14 Caribbean nations sue Britain, Holland and France
for slavery reparations that could cost hundreds of billions of pounds
- Countries demanding
compensation for 'awful' legacy of Atlantic trade
- Have hired lawyers who won
pay-out for Kenyans tortured in the 1950s
- Britain compensated slave
owners £20m in 1834 - equal to £200bn today
- Idea of reparations in the
U.S. has often surfaced, but none has been paid
Around 175 years after
Britain freed its last slaves in the West Indies, an alliance of Caribbean
nations is demanding to be repaid for the 'awful', lingering legacy of the
Atlantic slave trade. Caricom, a group
of 12 former British colonies together with the former French colony Haiti and
the Dutch-held Suriname, believes the European governments should pay – and the
UK in particular.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Satire of Gettysburg Address by CFT
by Claudia A. Fox Tree and Cheyenne Fox Tree McGrath ©12/12/2005 Rewritten with *some* of the many missing truths regarding Native American added
In eighth grade, Cheyenne was given an assignment to rewrite the Gettysburg Address using contemporary language. Here is the original. Then, she asked me to type it, which I did with some more historical details. – THAT version may be read below. It was also an opportunity to discuss the literary device of satire:
Cheyenne’s changes are in capital letters, the rest are mine.
EIGHTY-SEVEN YEARS AGO, a mere pittance of time compared to how long Indigenous People have lived on these northern and southern continents of the western hemisphere, OUR white European male ANCESTORS CREATED THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA after accidentally and on purpose killing most of the Indigenous people, destroying their culture, and taking the land like it was a free for all because we could and we thought of them as “ignorant savages” anyway. We did this all while borrowing our Constitution from the Iroquois Confederacy’s “Great Law of Peace," but claiming it was from European sources, and, by the way, we ignored the rights of white European women, too, A NEW COUNTRY, while forgetting that it was an ancient land with civilization and government way beyond what had experienced, FORMED IN FREEDOM WITH THE IDEAL THAT ALL PEOPLE SHOULD BE CREATED EQUAL, at least the white European land-owning men who descended from those original murderers and land destroyers, because we still could not understood that it might be possible to live in harmony instead of hierarchy which some early arriving white Europeans and Blacks found out was really possible when they married Indigenous People. NOW, WE ARE INVOLVED IN a huge CIVIL WAR, but it’s not like we had not had hundred of wars on this same land with the Indigenous People who were trying to protect their land and way of life, FINDING OUT IF THE UNITED STATES, OR ANY COUNTRY SO BASED IN FREEDOM, meaning equal access for those with whiter, lighter skin and its accompanying power, CAN LAST. WE ARE MEETING HERE ON THE FIELD OF THAT CONFLICT, because if we actually did it where the bloodiest war on this continent happened (King Philip’s War) in Massachusetts, then everyone would get upset about its connection to the Thanksgiving holiday or enslavement of Pequot (the first Thanksgiving) or Wampanoag (after the death of Massasoit's son, Metacom, aka King Philip). WE HAVE COME TO SET ASIDE A PART OF THIS FIELD AS A CEMETERY FOR THE MEN WHO HAVE DIED, and all those Indigenous People can rot on the ground where *they* died and later we will have their bones dug up and put in a museum until there is a law (NAGPRA) which forces us return the bones and sacred artifacts to Native Nations, and that is only after they jump through our white dominant mainstream culture hoops to prove the bones are really from their Indigenous American ancestors, SO THAT THE REST OF US white European folks MAY LIVE, PROTECTING THE FREEDOM OF white European dominant mainstream folks to get all the “goodies” in AMERICA. IT MAKES SENSE THAT WE SHOULD DO SOMETHING but I can’t imagine what we could do that would not affect the privilege and advantage that we want to keep to ourselves, so I don’t think we’ll do much at all. BUT IN THE BIGGER PICTURE, WE CANNOT SET ASIDE, WE CANNOT MAKE THIS PLACE SACRED, WE CANNOT BLESS THIS LAND because we have already destroyed it way too much and won’t even keep our hands off the sacred parts we supposedly gave Indigenous People, like the Black Hills where we carved the heads of four Presidents. THE BRAVE white European MEN, and few people of color LIVING AND DEAD, WHO FOUGHT HERE, HAVE ALREADY MADE THIS LAND SPECIAL MUCH MORE THAN WE EVER COULD. THE WORLD WON’T REALLY REMEMBER MUCH OF WHAT I’M SAYING about the destruction of Indigenous culture because we’ll undertake a full scale cover-up and there won’t be enough white allies to tell us we’re “wrong” so we’re all set, BUT THE WORLD WILL REMEMBER WHAT THESE mostly white European SOLDIERS DID HERE and the rest of us white dominant mainstream European folks in this country will continue to have more access (and won’t even know that we did not earn it) than any people of color (who’ll we’ll keep saying need to “work harder”) for ever and ever, THE END.
In eighth grade, Cheyenne was given an assignment to rewrite the Gettysburg Address using contemporary language. Here is the original. Then, she asked me to type it, which I did with some more historical details. – THAT version may be read below. It was also an opportunity to discuss the literary device of satire:
sat•ire–noun
1. the use of irony, sarcasm, ridicule, or the like, in exposing, denouncing, or deriding vice, folly, etc.
2. a literary composition, in verse or prose, in which human folly and vice are held up to scorn, derision, or ridicule.
3. a literary genre comprising such compositions.
EIGHTY-SEVEN YEARS AGO, a mere pittance of time compared to how long Indigenous People have lived on these northern and southern continents of the western hemisphere, OUR white European male ANCESTORS CREATED THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA after accidentally and on purpose killing most of the Indigenous people, destroying their culture, and taking the land like it was a free for all because we could and we thought of them as “ignorant savages” anyway. We did this all while borrowing our Constitution from the Iroquois Confederacy’s “Great Law of Peace," but claiming it was from European sources, and, by the way, we ignored the rights of white European women, too, A NEW COUNTRY, while forgetting that it was an ancient land with civilization and government way beyond what had experienced, FORMED IN FREEDOM WITH THE IDEAL THAT ALL PEOPLE SHOULD BE CREATED EQUAL, at least the white European land-owning men who descended from those original murderers and land destroyers, because we still could not understood that it might be possible to live in harmony instead of hierarchy which some early arriving white Europeans and Blacks found out was really possible when they married Indigenous People. NOW, WE ARE INVOLVED IN a huge CIVIL WAR, but it’s not like we had not had hundred of wars on this same land with the Indigenous People who were trying to protect their land and way of life, FINDING OUT IF THE UNITED STATES, OR ANY COUNTRY SO BASED IN FREEDOM, meaning equal access for those with whiter, lighter skin and its accompanying power, CAN LAST. WE ARE MEETING HERE ON THE FIELD OF THAT CONFLICT, because if we actually did it where the bloodiest war on this continent happened (King Philip’s War) in Massachusetts, then everyone would get upset about its connection to the Thanksgiving holiday or enslavement of Pequot (the first Thanksgiving) or Wampanoag (after the death of Massasoit's son, Metacom, aka King Philip). WE HAVE COME TO SET ASIDE A PART OF THIS FIELD AS A CEMETERY FOR THE MEN WHO HAVE DIED, and all those Indigenous People can rot on the ground where *they* died and later we will have their bones dug up and put in a museum until there is a law (NAGPRA) which forces us return the bones and sacred artifacts to Native Nations, and that is only after they jump through our white dominant mainstream culture hoops to prove the bones are really from their Indigenous American ancestors, SO THAT THE REST OF US white European folks MAY LIVE, PROTECTING THE FREEDOM OF white European dominant mainstream folks to get all the “goodies” in AMERICA. IT MAKES SENSE THAT WE SHOULD DO SOMETHING but I can’t imagine what we could do that would not affect the privilege and advantage that we want to keep to ourselves, so I don’t think we’ll do much at all. BUT IN THE BIGGER PICTURE, WE CANNOT SET ASIDE, WE CANNOT MAKE THIS PLACE SACRED, WE CANNOT BLESS THIS LAND because we have already destroyed it way too much and won’t even keep our hands off the sacred parts we supposedly gave Indigenous People, like the Black Hills where we carved the heads of four Presidents. THE BRAVE white European MEN, and few people of color LIVING AND DEAD, WHO FOUGHT HERE, HAVE ALREADY MADE THIS LAND SPECIAL MUCH MORE THAN WE EVER COULD. THE WORLD WON’T REALLY REMEMBER MUCH OF WHAT I’M SAYING about the destruction of Indigenous culture because we’ll undertake a full scale cover-up and there won’t be enough white allies to tell us we’re “wrong” so we’re all set, BUT THE WORLD WILL REMEMBER WHAT THESE mostly white European SOLDIERS DID HERE and the rest of us white dominant mainstream European folks in this country will continue to have more access (and won’t even know that we did not earn it) than any people of color (who’ll we’ll keep saying need to “work harder”) for ever and ever, THE END.
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Expanding Perspectives by CFT
CURRICULUM
Teachers need to consider all the possible multiple perspectives and actively seek them out. Then make choices and think about why they want to include or exclude particular perspectives and what that means to the topic and to students.
When we teach about a cultural group who has been oppressed, it is important to show the “glory” of the culture; the amazing achievements of each group.
Oppression is not inevitable, there are “reasons” it existed, and the oppression created a lasting legacy, so it is important to show the resistance of the people and the allies who supported/helped them. The legacy of enslavement is one example.
It is also relevant to show *current* people and their resilience.
Be aware of stereotypes associated with some groups. Some ethnic groups, like Native Americas, are only seen in the past and need to be shown as a contemporary people.
Much of what is depicted represents the Euro-American moral and legal right to dominate a land and people. Don’t pass on misinformation and stereotypes.
Be historically accurate and culturally authentic.
Be aware of over-representation of the dominant European culture and actively include multiple perspectives.
Actively include the NA perspective, “Westward Expansion” could just as easily be “Eastward Invasion.”
Be aware of omissions, distortions, misinformation, stereotypes, absence of role models, and absence of contributions regarding Native People.
Teach students to be critical thinkers (analyze the stereotypes and myths in images, media, etc.)
Teach the Native perspective as a regular part of American History (not just at “Thanksgiving time”).
Represent past/present NA traditions and resistance with primary sources, authentic images, and respect.
Make sure sites, dates, actions, and statements about treaties are accurate.
Be respectful of sacred objects and ceremonies
Don’t trivialize - give proper religious or cultural significance to pipes, feathers, dances, ceremonies, etc.
Don’t combine many tribes into one - be aware of what Nation is being presented.
Many of us, but not all, have a community-orientation, see time as "relative", use story-telling to make personal and academic connections, learn by experience/participation and modeling, are keen observers, are spiritual, understand and learn from the natural world, and demonstrate knowledge through oral tradition.
Recognize that NA children may come to school with a prior knowledge of concepts such as “racism”, “prejudice” and “stereotype”. Use these “teachable moments” as ways to discuss racism, inaccuracies, ethnocentricity, historical bias, and prejudice.
Not everyone is a spokesperson all the time for all the people or necessarily even knows about their own culture (we also learn about ourselves in school, like many people in the dominant culture learn about themselves).
Be aware of controversies, like the “Pledge of Allegiance”. Acknowledge Native American traditions regarding respect for this country.
Be aware that art, spirit, and culture are inextricable intertwined.
LITERATURE/READING
When books don’t exist, it is our job as activists to find additional resources (Internet) in order to present “missing voices” until a suitable book exists.
Teacher-created summaries can meet the need of a more inclusive story AND also make the topic accessible to children with language limits – e.g., teachers can adjust language and readability level, computers can read text to students.
When using literature, try finding actual photos, when possible.
Consider the type of books and use a mix of books with stories, not just “legends” or documentary style information presented in book format.
BECOME A SOPHISTICATED CONSUMER
Be careful using visuals, illustrations, books, movies, films, filmstrips, puzzles, games, posters, etc. You want cultural accuracy and a NA voice.
Search for material recognized by a NA organization or publication. If nonNative, what qualifies the person to be able to write about NA’s in an accurate and respectful manner?
Know the experience and perspective of the author of text and creator of materials.
Reject and discard material that is not diverse and inaccurate or distorted.
Return unacceptable material to publisher with a clear letter why.
HOLIDAYS
Be sensitive to holidays which sometimes reinforce “sameness”, “braveness”, “savageness”, and that it’s okay to dress up as another culture (and that it’s possible to capture culture in one outfit), such as, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Valentine’s Day.
Be sensitive to holidays that may reify an oppressive event for Native people, such as, Thanksgiving and Columbus Day.
We may celebrate different events (ie: green corn, puberty rites) and/or holidays, often honoring cycles greater than ourselves, like Equinox.
Thanksgiving isn’t something that happens once a year. We say thanksgivings all the time - When we wake up, when we braid our hair, when we eat, when we begin a ceremony. A thanksgiving is like a “blessing” or “prayer.” We also have festivals like “Strawberry Thanksgiving” and “Cranberry Thanksgiving.”
FINAL THOUGHTS
We are still here. We are still alive.
We have evolved. We are a contemporary people.
Language has power. Pay attention to how and when you choose to use what words.
If it happened in the Americas, then we were there. The history of America *is* our history.
This is the land of our ancestors, we are connected to it, and we continue to want to protect it.
Reclaiming, preserving, and passing on our culture is more important than blood quantum.
Keep educating yourself. As awareness grows, so does understanding, and ultimately we are empowered be better allies and to make positive change.
Teachers need to consider all the possible multiple perspectives and actively seek them out. Then make choices and think about why they want to include or exclude particular perspectives and what that means to the topic and to students.
When we teach about a cultural group who has been oppressed, it is important to show the “glory” of the culture; the amazing achievements of each group.
Oppression is not inevitable, there are “reasons” it existed, and the oppression created a lasting legacy, so it is important to show the resistance of the people and the allies who supported/helped them. The legacy of enslavement is one example.
It is also relevant to show *current* people and their resilience.
Be aware of stereotypes associated with some groups. Some ethnic groups, like Native Americas, are only seen in the past and need to be shown as a contemporary people.
Much of what is depicted represents the Euro-American moral and legal right to dominate a land and people. Don’t pass on misinformation and stereotypes.
Be historically accurate and culturally authentic.
Be aware of over-representation of the dominant European culture and actively include multiple perspectives.
Actively include the NA perspective, “Westward Expansion” could just as easily be “Eastward Invasion.”
Be aware of omissions, distortions, misinformation, stereotypes, absence of role models, and absence of contributions regarding Native People.
Teach students to be critical thinkers (analyze the stereotypes and myths in images, media, etc.)
Teach the Native perspective as a regular part of American History (not just at “Thanksgiving time”).
Represent past/present NA traditions and resistance with primary sources, authentic images, and respect.
Make sure sites, dates, actions, and statements about treaties are accurate.
Be respectful of sacred objects and ceremonies
Don’t trivialize - give proper religious or cultural significance to pipes, feathers, dances, ceremonies, etc.
Don’t combine many tribes into one - be aware of what Nation is being presented.
- Respect and depict tribal diversity, as well as individual variability.
- Use specific Nation names (tribes) or geographical locations for identification.
- Connect a Native leader/person by his/her name to his/her nation.
- Identify specific ethnic foods, tools, activities, clothing, etc. with specific tribal nations.
- Provide culturally specific knowledge (pertaining to a single Nation) rather than overgeneralized stereotypes.
Many of us, but not all, have a community-orientation, see time as "relative", use story-telling to make personal and academic connections, learn by experience/participation and modeling, are keen observers, are spiritual, understand and learn from the natural world, and demonstrate knowledge through oral tradition.
Recognize that NA children may come to school with a prior knowledge of concepts such as “racism”, “prejudice” and “stereotype”. Use these “teachable moments” as ways to discuss racism, inaccuracies, ethnocentricity, historical bias, and prejudice.
Not everyone is a spokesperson all the time for all the people or necessarily even knows about their own culture (we also learn about ourselves in school, like many people in the dominant culture learn about themselves).
Be aware of controversies, like the “Pledge of Allegiance”. Acknowledge Native American traditions regarding respect for this country.
Be aware that art, spirit, and culture are inextricable intertwined.
LITERATURE/READING
When books don’t exist, it is our job as activists to find additional resources (Internet) in order to present “missing voices” until a suitable book exists.
Teacher-created summaries can meet the need of a more inclusive story AND also make the topic accessible to children with language limits – e.g., teachers can adjust language and readability level, computers can read text to students.
When using literature, try finding actual photos, when possible.
Consider the type of books and use a mix of books with stories, not just “legends” or documentary style information presented in book format.
BECOME A SOPHISTICATED CONSUMER
Be careful using visuals, illustrations, books, movies, films, filmstrips, puzzles, games, posters, etc. You want cultural accuracy and a NA voice.
Search for material recognized by a NA organization or publication. If nonNative, what qualifies the person to be able to write about NA’s in an accurate and respectful manner?
Know the experience and perspective of the author of text and creator of materials.
Reject and discard material that is not diverse and inaccurate or distorted.
Return unacceptable material to publisher with a clear letter why.
HOLIDAYS
Be sensitive to holidays which sometimes reinforce “sameness”, “braveness”, “savageness”, and that it’s okay to dress up as another culture (and that it’s possible to capture culture in one outfit), such as, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Valentine’s Day.
Be sensitive to holidays that may reify an oppressive event for Native people, such as, Thanksgiving and Columbus Day.
We may celebrate different events (ie: green corn, puberty rites) and/or holidays, often honoring cycles greater than ourselves, like Equinox.
Thanksgiving isn’t something that happens once a year. We say thanksgivings all the time - When we wake up, when we braid our hair, when we eat, when we begin a ceremony. A thanksgiving is like a “blessing” or “prayer.” We also have festivals like “Strawberry Thanksgiving” and “Cranberry Thanksgiving.”
FINAL THOUGHTS
We are still here. We are still alive.
We have evolved. We are a contemporary people.
Language has power. Pay attention to how and when you choose to use what words.
If it happened in the Americas, then we were there. The history of America *is* our history.
This is the land of our ancestors, we are connected to it, and we continue to want to protect it.
Reclaiming, preserving, and passing on our culture is more important than blood quantum.
Keep educating yourself. As awareness grows, so does understanding, and ultimately we are empowered be better allies and to make positive change.
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