Research Reports
Reflections on Traditional American Indian Ways, 1998
Threats to Tribal Sovereignty, 1998
Traditional American Indian Leadership: A Comparison with U.S. Governance, 1997
Reflections on Traditional American Indian Ways
American Indian Communities in Change
Elders have different perspectives on the changes happening in American Indian communities. The following is not intended to be a complete history of the changes that have occurred in the lives of American Indians. It simply represents some elders' reflections on changes they see happening in the communities.
Several elders express concern about what they perceive as the loss of American Indian culture. Joe states, "The legacy that has survived to the younger generations is just a remnant of what it once was. It is nothing more than rag tags." This is a difficult situation for the younger generations who may not be retaining what remains of the traditional ways. Bill comments, "Indian people are not the same today as they were when I was younger. Kids today seem to have forgotten the culture."
Another concern is the degree to which American Indians are becoming assimilated by European-American culture. Mike says:
Everybody wants to be an American and have the American lifestyle. Everybody on the reservation wants cable TV installed. All the kids want Nintendo. People can go to ceremonies and seek initiation into the societies and information of the past, but they are becoming assimilated by America. What does it mean that everything that Indians possess is in danger of ending? How can things continue if people don't know the language or the history? The value system between what is Indian and what is European-American starts to become indistinguishable.
People are also concerned about the effects that gaming is having on the communities. Gaming has brought many changes to the communities. Margaret states:
There have been changes in the community through gaming. Most people coming back to the reservation are thinking of profits, not the traditions. They like the money, the green stuff. They should ask themselves, "What can I contribute to make our community a better place for the future?"
There is a particular concern about the state of native languages because the loss of language is a loss of culture. Mike reports:
About five to ten years ago I started to get alarmed. People can go to the drum society, go to the elders, give tobacco, ask questions about the traditions, and ask the elders about their own lives as Indians. They could even join Mdewewin. But, I am concerned about the Ojibwe language. Out of approximately 35,000 Ojibwe in Minnesota I can't name ten under the age of forty who are fluent. I don't know what will happen, but I am concerned.
Often only extraordinary American Indian children learn the native language in today's world. Mike explains:
We are really in danger of losing the language and culture. Can it be brought back? Do people really want it brought back? I wonder how many people can do that. Kids these days have to be almost superhuman to learn the language. It requires a lot of time, money and dedication. Most Indian people don't have that opportunity. It takes super extraordinary effort to learn about the language because Ojibwe has no value in modern society.
Because so few from the younger generation speak the native language, there is currently a strong desire to have them learn the language. Sam comments on the irony of the situation:
Someone had an idea that it was cute to speak English. They didn't know they were destroying our culture. I use to hear some parents talk English to their kids everyday. Now today they are sorry. Their offspring and grandchildren don't speak Indian. Because of that, we now need to have language programs to teach the children their language. We are spending a lot of money on developing these language programs that could have been saved if we had kept speaking Indian.
Most view the native language as central to maintaining the traditional ways. It is difficult to talk about the traditional ways in English. Tom states, "The traditional way may be to say, 'You have to do this.' The English language is damaging so I changed my way of talking. I will not say to people that they have to do something because that is stressful. Instead, I might suggest different paths for them to take." This comment highlights how understanding the language and understanding the traditional way of life are intertwined.
For those who speak the native language, there is a sentiment that it must be understood within its own cultural context. Some people may speak the native language, but not understand the stories or meaning behind the words they use. As Tom states, "Many people don't know the meaning of words." One cannot simply learn the language without also understanding its meaning within the traditional value and belief system.
It is a challenge to speak the traditional language and maintain traditional ways. The American Indian and the European worlds often become mixed. Sam states, "I used to like to go to the older people. When they talk Indian they were so precise with their words. Nowadays when we talk Indian we tend to chop it up, we get into that 'hurry up' business."
While many people report that learning the language is essential to maintaining the traditional ways, others look at it differently. Tim explains how he was able to come to terms with not speaking the language by looking at it from a spiritual perspective. When he was worried about not speaking the language, he says, "I had an uncle who told me, 'Don't worry about which language you use. The Creator created all the languages and if you speak in English he will understand you'."
The past twenty years represent a significant period for American Indian people. Margaret states, "Forty years ago, I first went to the city and many Indian people were there, but they didn't identify as such. They didn't identify as Indian because they needed to survive, and Indians had a harder time of it. The late 60s and early 70s are when I started to notice changes." In the past twenty years, many American Indians have returned to their American Indian identity. Many contemporary American Indian people are trying to learn about the traditional ways. Deb says:
Everybody is seeking out their identity, maybe not everybody, but most Indian people are wanting to learn about the traditional ways. They are seeking unity and harmony within families and communities. They are asking, "How can we do this now? How can we learn to live in harmony and unity?" Because that's what we're about as Indian people.
Carol relates, "More people are becoming aware and understanding respect for life. We are all in a time of re-birth. A lot of people are waking up. Many people are realizing, and it is not just American Indians, that a lot can be learned by the harmony that was taught through the traditions."
While the interest in returning to the traditional teachings might be viewed as a resurgence of interest, it is important to note that many American Indians have always worked to maintain tradition. Nancy relates, ".the traditions never disappeared. The traditional ways have been maintained quietly and now more and more people are getting involved. More and more people are going to the traditional gatherings." Carol elaborates:
The resurgence of interest in the traditional ways began with the 1960's and the baby boomer generation. except that the traditions have always been there. They were never completely taken away. In that way, what we are presently experiencing is really not a resurgence because it has always been going on. We might call it a "getting back to the traditions and culture." It may take us a while because we are still paying the price of years of oppression.
The continued existence of traditional ways in the face of years of efforts to annihilate them speaks to their power. Carol states, "Our culture has survived against all odds. We are talking about some very powerful stuff here."
American Indians are unique peoples with distinct cultures. As the original people of this land, American Indian tribes retain their right to govern themselves as sovereign nations. Therefore, they are in a unique position to maintain their traditional cultures. Ray states, "People are beginning to realize the significance of who they are. Indians haven't been a part of the melting pot of this country, we didn't assimilate like the immigrants who came from other countries."
Even though European contact brought many changes to the way American Indians lead their lives, they are still distinct peoples. Deb indicates:
Our lifestyle has changed, but not our way of life. Our values, our attitude is the same. It's in our blood because we're Indian people. It's in our make-up, in our physiology. How we think about things is different. I knew an Indian lady who was adopted as a child into a white family. She was raised in that family and eventually married a white man. One day her husband said to her, "You act like an Indian." She had never thought she acted differently, it was just the way she was. She ended up leaving her husband and went back to her people. She fit right in. We have our own way, we're a different culture.
More American Indian people are standing up for their ways of doing things. Nancy says:
With respect to the resurgence of interest in Indian traditions, there is more willingness to believe in ourselves and to challenge the institutions imposed on us such as education, welfare, health and courts systems. We are seeing the negative effects of these institutions and we are seeing that we have more answers. Now we are seeing it is more important, for example, to resolve conflicts in the traditional way of restoring relationships. We have an elder hear both sides and mediate rather than immediately throwing someone in jail. We are remembering how to live peacefully with each other, and standing up for our own ways of doing things.
Ray relates that he sees a lot of changes happening in American Indian communities. He views these changes more in terms of maintaining traditional value and belief systems. Ray relates, "We are now beginning to search for what our ancestors had, in terms of values, not so much in terms of the old way of living." Today there are many more people actively seeking to learn about the traditional teachings. He states:
People are searching for their spirit names, sweat lodges are increasing. Hundreds of people are coming to the Grand Medicine lodge. For example, about 300 people came for the winter teaching this year. Ten years ago with a winter teaching ceremony we'd be lucky to have 20 people come for the four day ceremony.
However, there is confusion for some American Indians in their efforts to learn about the traditional ways. Ray explains:
There are some people doing it in such earnest that they make-up and add things to the ceremonies. [For instance], people are making their own pipes whereas a real spiritual pipe is never carried by the one who makes it. There now exists a lot of confusion and competition. There is a tendency to try to define what is right and what is wrong and this adds to the confusion. I am not confused. I'm doing what was taught to me by the Grand Medicine lodge. The Grand Medicine lodge is a reliable place to learn. That's why so many are going to the Grand Medicine lodge.
There are challenges even for those seeking knowledge from the traditional sources. Ray reports:
What makes it different now is that we have lost the language. Very few understand the language and even those who are conversant find it difficult to understand the spiritual meanings of the language. I am fluent in Ojibwe, but I still learn new words and new meanings of words from the elders. Coming back to spiritual values is not an easy task, especially for those who live in the city. For many in the city, going to a pow-wow is how they follow the spiritual way. There is also a great emphasis on the sweat lodge. But that's not it, that's not where it is. It is in the Grand Medicine lodge.
The
Well-Being of American Indian Children in Minnesota: Economic Conditions,
1994
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