I have been working on our cultural programming for when our volunteers come out here. I have been digging through different papers and documents that the program director before had put together on the history of the Lakota people and their culture and how to teach others about it. I was speaking with some of the teenagers that were at our teen night the other night and asked them "if they could tell the volunteers or others with little or no information on their culture, what would it be?" They told me that they wanted people to know that they do not live in tipis and that they drive cars. They told me about when they went to a conference out east that many people had no idea that they drove cars. They thought that Native Americans still rode horses everywhere. Speaking with my boss the other day, she went on to tell me that there are many people even in South Dakota that do not know there are even any reservations or Natives left. WHAT!!!!!?
To me that is crazy. How can people be living in an area and not even know about the state they live. How have we as Americans who live in the US let that happen? Is ignorance really bliss? I went to a pow wow down in a community here called Cherry Creek last weekend. I didn't stay long or really go into the actual spot they were holding it (I was there for camp promotion) but driving around that part of the rez and seeing the living conditions that some of these families live in... the two counties in which the Sioux YMCA serves are two of the poorest counties in our country. Speaking with two of the girls who went with me, they told me that there is a lot of violence out in those parts because they are a long ways away from everything. If you live in Cherry Creek or Takini, you have to drive at least an hour to get groceries and that's if it's a nice day. If there's snow, good luck PLUS, you will need to find someone who has a car that runs. Oh, and you need to make sure that car has enough gas to get there. No wonder there is violence and other problems out there. Besides a beat up community center, there are houses and that is it. In Takini, there is a school. The Y has started to do an after school program there once a month. Whenever we hire our second person, I am going to be able to work closely with the school in the communities and this makes me super excited. We have had a couple kids from the school ask for tutoring help and I'm pretty excited (hopefully it's not math).
The drive from Dupree out to Cherry Creek and Takini is beautiful. I have also learned a bit about the politics out here on the rez. From what I have gathered, a lot of the money that the tribe receives for the schools stays on towards Eagle Butte and Dupree. Eagle Butte is where the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) is located which is where the money comes from. Eagle Butte is also the biggest community? I think it's still called a community or maybe a city, but I could be wrong. The internet tells me that there are 1,350 people who live there. I feel like it is a bit more, but who knows. Anyways, the communities out towards Cherry Creek don't see much money. Cherry Creek also has a lot of history. I'll have to look into that and get back to you all. I can't remember much about it, but it is a very old community.
Growing up in Northern Lower Michigan and then moving up to Marquette, I guess I have always been around Native Americans. I don't ever remember being shocked by the fact that Natives actually live in houses or don't ride horses everywhere anymore. I do remember hearing the stereotypes and whatnot, but it never stopped me from being friends with Native American kids. Although there weren't many African Americans in Charlevoix or Marquette for that matter, I never treated someone who wasn't like me any different because of the color of their skin or for their sexual orientation. I guess I was just brought up to treat others how you want to be treated. I took a couple Native American Studies courses in college and it opened my eyes up to the truth on how Native Americans have been treated throughout our history in America and that has helped me understand the past history of Natives and living out here on a reservation. I have only been out here for a little over a month, but the information and different experiences I am having is amazing. I am learning so much and I LOVE it.
The Lakota people are so great. I have had all this information on how to act and how to present myself and what I have found is that if you are nice, polite, OPEN to learning about a different way of life and know how to laugh, that's all you really need going into any new culture. Sure there are bad things that happen out here and life is hard, but things are so beautiful out here. The sunrises alone are the best I have ever seen. I have also noticed that no matter where I'm at, be it Michigan on the Great Lakes, Colorado in the Rocky Mountains, California in the Sierra Nevada Mountains or out here on the Great Plains, I always say the stars couldn't be brighter anywhere else... But seriously, out here they are SO bright. There is no light pollution and they just shine. There is so much hope and love out here it is amazing.
So, I guess ignorance is bliss, but it shouldn't always be. It should be a teachable moment. A moment to erase ignorance and create bliss.
I'm off to Rapid City! I'm taking Atlas with me and we're going to stay at a hotel. HEH. First we're going to go to one of the four or five dog parks in the city and let him run around with other dogs out of a fenced in yard. :) I think he's excited. I brought down his kennel and he can't stop whining and jumping around because he knows he's going somewhere. I am also going to do some exploring and DRINK A BEER! I guess that means I'm going to go to a restaurant alone for the first time. Gulp. I'm kind of excited to do that though.
Ps. I have made friends with the two girls who work for the after-school program. They are great. They are Christina's (my sister) age of about 19 or 20 so that's pretty funny. They are amazing and are very outgoing. I have enjoyed talking with them and hearing their stories and ideas for the Y. Plus, it's nice to have people to actually have over and watch movies and whatnot. :)
Until next time!
-Love Court
No comments:
Post a Comment