What a Week!!!

That is the about the only phrase that would accurately describe my experience!
 

We spent five days together learning about the issues that face the people of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians. We met with various stakeholders throughout the community.

At the end of the week, we were charged with developing a presentation to give back to the stakeholders as a way of demonstrating that we heard our stakeholders. My group was charged with exploring the topic of barriers. Within that topic, I was to explore the issue of stereotypes. Here is what I learned…

 

In our interviews with the various stakeholders, we learned that while issues of racism have diminished of the years, it still exists. One of our stakeholders said that racism has taken a more subtle form. You no longer see direct racial slurs, but these stereotypes still persist just below the surface. In present day, and certainly an issue that the people of the Siletz Tribe will face in the future, are the misconceptions that are created as stereotypes continue to linger.

 

The Siletz Tribe are a proud people that continue to play an active role in educating the general public in an attempt to dispel the myths that have permeated society for centuries. They provide talks to school children in an effort to educate the young about Native American people.The Siletz Tribe sponsors an intertribal dance group that conducts performances all over Oregon in an effort to educate the public about who they are. The fact that they participate in classes such as this, is an incredible testimony to their willingness to educate people about Native Americans.
 

 

In an attempt to further understand the issue of stereotypes in Native America I have done some research on the internet. Below is a list of links, which I found especially helpful in my exploration…
 

 

Featured Links:

This is the Indian Education website for Coos County. It includes a reprint of a pretty good history of the effects of federal policy on Indian Tribes.

 

UNDERSTANDING DISCRIMINATION AGAINST INDIGENOUS PEOPLES AND NATIVE AMERICANS – This is an interesting paper that further explores the issues of racism and indigenous peoples.
 
 
 
 

This is a review of reactions of Native Americans to the Disney’s Movie Pocahontas.

 

100 Nations – 500 Questions – This is a publication by the Native American Journalist Association that answers some common Questions that many people are afraid to ask.
 
 
 
 
 

 

This is an article about a program that recruits Native American teachers. This article also highlights the efforts of a Siletz Tribal member who is participating in this program.

 

This page would not be complete if I didn’t include my reflections about the class. The format of this class was grueling. Our days usually started at 6:30 AM and went on until 1:00 or even 2:00  in the morning. They were packed with interviews, debriefing, and we even managed to squeeze some group bonding in. The format of this class served to create tension due to time pressure, group dynamics, and an emphasis on “respect” for the people of the Siletz Tribe. I was concerned that we may not have been as respectful to our stakeholders as we should have been. There are a multitude of reasons that this is true. First, we were tired, and that made it difficult to give them our full attention. Second, I don’t feel we allowed the Siletz people to tell their story their way. We interviewed the stakeholders in a structured environment, and asked questions we wanted the answers to. Perhaps a more respectful learning style would have been to allow them to talk about what they feel is important, and then identify key issues that came out of those discussions. Third, I don’t feel we took enough time to get to know our stakeholders as people. A majority of our stakeholders were Tribal members, and thus were invaluable resources as to the issues facing the Siletz people. Perhaps if we had split up into groups and spent more time with them, we would have gotten to know who the people of the Siletz Tribe truly were. Finally, we did not have the opportunity to visit sites they thought were important. We were invited repeatedly to tour several locations that the stakeholders felt were significant, but we did not do that. The places were of obvious importance to the stakeholders, and we should have made an effort to honor this importance by visiting these sites. Perhaps would have learned more directly why these locations held such significance. I heard the stakeholders repeatedly say they were not sure the students heard their message, and I want to take this time to say that we heard what you had to say. We certainly heard, and we are honored to be able to give back, both through the presentation and through this website!

   

Page created by Lisa Norton