How in the world can one do justice in honoring this essay! Mere praise is insufficient. But imitation is a sincere praise and matches deed to aspiration, this leads to that wholeness.
I personally know something of that effort made to de-indianize the Indians, to rib them of their heritage and even language. My stepfather Garland told us stories of when he attended BIA schools like Chilloco and Haskell back in the twenties and was chained to a radiator and worse. How the children were forbidden to speak their own languages under threat of punishment, how they were expected to wear "respectable" clothes and learn "useful trades". The goal in those days of the BIA was to assimilate the indigenous peoples into white society, to integrate them into the lower rungs of the economy. Diversity as a good in itself was not yet even on the horizon. The BIA effort of that bygone time was only partly succesful- many tribes have not yet moved into economic security and poverty, violence and alcoholism are more prevalent now then even a century ago. It takes courage for we whites to gaze into that dreadful mirror, and for Kathleen to have written this essay as well as all she does for just causes.
As an addendum to my previous comment on the Indian schools my stepfather attended, "red" should be "rob" "Chillico" should be "Chilocco" and Haskell was called "Haskell Institute" during the time Garland was attending.". Mea culpa.
Will one of the next steps be to enter the world of politics and confront Governor Mills and her supporters?
How in the world can one do justice in honoring this essay! Mere praise is insufficient. But imitation is a sincere praise and matches deed to aspiration, this leads to that wholeness.
I personally know something of that effort made to de-indianize the Indians, to rib them of their heritage and even language. My stepfather Garland told us stories of when he attended BIA schools like Chilloco and Haskell back in the twenties and was chained to a radiator and worse. How the children were forbidden to speak their own languages under threat of punishment, how they were expected to wear "respectable" clothes and learn "useful trades". The goal in those days of the BIA was to assimilate the indigenous peoples into white society, to integrate them into the lower rungs of the economy. Diversity as a good in itself was not yet even on the horizon. The BIA effort of that bygone time was only partly succesful- many tribes have not yet moved into economic security and poverty, violence and alcoholism are more prevalent now then even a century ago. It takes courage for we whites to gaze into that dreadful mirror, and for Kathleen to have written this essay as well as all she does for just causes.
This is beautiful, powerful, and inviting. Thank you
As an addendum to my previous comment on the Indian schools my stepfather attended, "red" should be "rob" "Chillico" should be "Chilocco" and Haskell was called "Haskell Institute" during the time Garland was attending.". Mea culpa.