Pubdate: Tue, 15 Nov 2005
Source: Pilot Independent, The (MN)
Copyright: 2005 The Pilot Independent
Contact:  http://www.walkermn.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3480
Author:  Molly MacGregor
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/coke.htm (Cocaine)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth)

A FEW THINGS WE'VE LEARNED IN OJIBWE CLASS

The news from Indian Country is ugly these days. An 11-year girl dies 
of cocaine overdose in Minneapolis. A young man kills another in Cass 
Lake. Death following arrest near Duluth produces outrage. A rural 
Clearwater County arrest turns deadly. It's too much to process. How 
can the news be always so horribly bad?

First, we are shocked. It's uncomfortable to hear about distress, 
especially when it is so close to home. Then we wonder, why should I 
care about these people who don't seem to care about themselves or 
their families or their children. It's not my fault.

StarTribune columnist Nick Coleman has been documenting this news 
story and the response to it. First, he called for a communal 
response to the death of Sidney Mahkuk. His readers objected: "Being 
poor is not an excuse for not loving your child." As a newspaper 
columnist, Coleman views the story from a broad perspective that 
instructs the community to care for its most desperate members. His 
readers view the story through the filter of the lives they lead.

For five weeks, about 30 folks from Walker have been attending 
classes in Ojibwe culture at Hope Lutheran Church. These classes 
remind that many things contribute to the difference between how 
individuals act and what society believes. The point is not to 
demonize those who fail to live by society's instructions, but to 
learn how those failures occur.

Joe Day taught us that Indians are not just another ethnic minority 
in the American melting pot. Tribes are sovereign nations with 
original rights that are protected in the treaty system. As a 
consequence, Indians were not granted citizenship until after World 
War I. Practicing Indian religion was outlawed until 1978. Resources 
provided to reservations and Indian people come not from white people 
but from lands and resources ceded by Indians to the U.S. government 
first in treaties and more recently in lawsuits when the treaties 
have not been honored.

Larry Smallwood recounted his early days as a "first speaker" -- a 
young child who spoke only Ojibwe when he was enrolled in a nearby 
school. When his school lessons contradicted what he had learned at 
home, he went to his mother. His mother answered, that's their way; 
you have your way. Learn their way, but keep yours. He's fortunate to 
have had a parent who was able to give him guidance and direction.

Lorraine Norrgaard's video programs showed us how the federal 
government literally took apart Indian culture, by taking Indian 
children from their homes and placing them in boarding schools where 
speaking the native language was forbidden. The goal of this policy 
may have been to bring the Indian into society. But, the effect was 
to eliminate the opportunity to learn how to act from one's parents 
and extended family.

The schedule of the Ojibwe classes has conflicted with Sons of Norway 
meetings this fall -- it's been a conflict of space and people -- 
many of the Ojibwe class "students" are also members of Sons of 
Norway. It makes sense that the Ojibwe classes, which are dedicating 
to understanding another culture, occur in the same place where the 
sons and daughters of Norwegian immigrants celebrate their culture. 
Often, the people who left Norway had no choice -- they had to 
emigrate to support themselves. They have a family history of 
displacement, sorrow and anger, for the homeland and families left 
long ago. Small wonder that now that we can, we hold on to that culture.

When Lorraine spoke about how children were not allowed to speak 
Ojibwe, we remembered that immigrants also were told to "speak English!"

Lorraine reminded us of a critical difference: speaking Ojibwe 
language and practicing Ojibwe religion were against the law. Taking 
Ojibwe children from home and putting them in boarding schools broke 
the Ojibwe family, she said. We learn how to be parents from how our 
parents raise us. If you take a child from his family he or she will 
never learn how to be a parent.

Indian children attended boarding schools from the 1880s into the 
1960s -- which means generations of people were robbed of the 
opportunity to learn within the family.

Addressing parenting in Indian families requires restoring belief 
that an Indian can be a parent.

Folks who participated in this summer's Good Neighbor's meetings were 
asked to finish the sentence, "We can demonstrate that there is a 
positive relationship between the white and Native American 
communities ..." The two answers selected by the most number of 
respondents were: "When Native American kids graduate from high 
school at the same rate as white kids," and "When Native Americans 
own businesses on Walker's Main Street."

At last week's class, John Thompson shared his dream of creating a 
middle class of Indian people. It's when people have jobs and create 
jobs that they can literally support themselves and their community. 
And John reminded us that it's easy to look away from the poor and 
the helpless, but that when one of us hurt, we all hurt. He said 
that's an Ojibwe philosophy, but it's also at the core of our beliefs 
as Christians.

The tragedy of alcohol and drug use among children does require a 
community response. And, all parents should be leaders in that 
effort. Now we are challenged to assure that all people start from 
the same foundation to build a life. It's time to acknowledge the 
strength of the community comes from all members being able to 
support themselves and their families.

P.S. There is one more Ojibwe culture class at Hope Thursday. Don 
Day, president of Fond du Lac Tribal College, speaks about education. 
The class starts at 6:30 p.m. Molly MacGregor lives in Walker and 
will be writing a regular column for The Pilot-Independent about our 
community, taking a closer look at some of the events and issues that 
concern us.
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MAP posted-by: Beth