What Does It Mean To Be A Modern Day Native American?

By: Avra Saslow

Table of Contents
Honors Project Proposal................................................................................3 Visual Project Proposal..................................................................................7 Reservation Visit Documentation Binder Entry..............................................8 Mai Interview Documentation Binder Entry.................................................10 John Interview Documentation Binder Entry................................................12 Ben Nighthorse Campbell Interview Documentation Binder Entry..............................................................................................................14 The Absolutely True Diary Of A Part Time Indian Documentation Binder Entry..............................................................................................................15 Additional Questions.....................................................................................17 Response to Essential Research Question.....................................................18 Works Cited...................................................................................................20 Native American Interview Questions...........................................................22 Historical Thinking Chart 1: Teen Writing Contest......................................24 Historical Thinking Chart 2: Treaties...........................................................27

Honors Project Proposal

For my independent study project, I will be researching how the colonization of America by the Europeans has affected the Native American culture. More specifically I will be looking at Native Americans in this region of Southwest Colorado, including the Southern Ute Tribe, Mountain Ute Tribe, Navajo, and Hopi Tribes. I will compare and contrast the different Tribes and their cultural identities and economical statuses. I will be exploring what it means to be a Native American in modern day society by reading Native American literature, interpreting Native American art, and interviewing local Native Americans. More specifically, I will be determining what it means to be a Native American for a teenager or kid vs. an adult or elder. Furthermore, I will be identifying prejudices that white people have formed against Native Americans and how that has affected Native American relationships with Caucasians. I will be examining the treaties that were signed to discover their influence on the current state of the Native Americans. Primarily, the focus will be on land and water disputes and law suits in our modern day lives concerning whether the treaties were fulfilled or if they were enough of a compromise for the Native Americans. Also, I will be studying how the governance of a reservation works. I choose this topic to study because I have always had an intrinsic interest in the culture of Native Americans. I relish the natural world and the cycles of life, and I can identify with them, or at least their earlier culture. I am incredibly interested in what it means to be a modern day Native American and incorporate cultural traditions into the present life. This idea will definitely relate to the ideas of justice we are discussing this year. One of the most egregious acts of social injustice in which the American government has engaged in was how we treated the Native Americans. The American government thought that they could pay them back with treaties and reservations, but their culture has suffered and continues to suffer from their actions. Some argue that this is just because we have provided them resources and benefits (Indian health service, self-governing reservation lands, etc.) and others think that it is unjust for treating them so poorly without consulting them. In this research binder, I will be exploring both sides of the situation, and evaluating the rights that Native Americans have, and their rights and opinion on justice compared to our rights and opinion on justice. Research Questions: How does the governance of reservations work? Do they have special privileges that other Americans dont have? How are the three different reservations governed differently? Why do Americans think that Native Americans have special privileges? Are they special privileges or treaty promises? How do treaties work? Is there any corruption in Native American governments? How has the colonization of America affected the Native American culture? How has the influx of Europeans in the Southwest affected the Native Americans? What does it mean to be a modern day Native American? What is unique about their experience?

Why are there a higher percentage of social problems among this population of people? How do Native Americans see themselves in society? Do they view themselves as a people with many social problems (alcoholics), or do they view themselves rich with culture and thriving through difficulties (warriors*)? Do Native Americans view themselves as patriotic? How does Native American culture influence our local culture? Do the three different tribes work very similarly? Do they have the same cultural values? What kinds of resources help a reservation succeed? Are there any disputes between local tribes, or with the American Government?

* A larger percentage of Native Americans are members of the armed forces compared to any other ethnic group. Reading List: A. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie In The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, Sherman Alexie recounts the trials of a Native American teenager, Arnold Junior Spirit, during his first year in high school. Junior lives on the Spokane Indian Reservation, where he discovers that alcohol is more important to most residents than an education is. Junior decides to transfer from his reservation school to Reardan High, a white school that is more than twenty miles away. Once he arrives, Junior finds that he is the only Indian (besides the schools mascot) there. His best friend on the reservation, Rowdy, stays behind and vows never to speak to Juniorthe traitoragain. Junior also knows that everyone else on the reservation thinks he is an apple: red on the outside but white on the inside. Meanwhile, most of the students at Reardan treat Junior as an outcast as well. In the course of this young adult, coming-of-age story, Alexie highlights both the spiritual and psychological highs and lows of living on a reservationa place of stagnation as well as a place of strong family roots and long-lasting love. B. Gardens in the Dunes by Leslie Marmon Silko A sweeping, multifaceted tale of a young Native American pulled between the cherished traditions of a heritage on the brink of extinction and an encroaching white culture, Gardens in the Dunes is the powerful story of one woman's quest to reconcile two worlds that are diametrically opposed. At the center of this struggle is Indigo, who is ripped from her tribe, the Sand Lizard people, by white soldiers who destroy her home and family. Placed in a government school to learn the ways of a white child, Indigo is rescued by the kind-hearted Hattie and her worldly husband, Edward, who undertake to transform this complex, spirited girl into a "proper" young lady. Bit by bit, and through a wondrous journey that spans the European continent, traipses through the jungles of Brazil, and returns to the rich desert of Southwest America, Indigo bridges the gap between the two forces in her life and teaches her adoptive parents as much as, if not more than, she learns from them. C. Jacklight (a collection of poems) by Louise Erdrich

The poems in Jacklight center on the conflict between Native and non-Native cultures, but they also celebrate family bonds and the ties of kinship, offer autobiographical meditations, dramatic monologues and love poetry, as well as showing the influence of Ojibwa myths and legends. D. Tracks by Louise Erdrich Set in North Dakota at a time in the past century when Indian tribes were struggling to keep what little remained of their lands, Tracks is a tale of passion and deep unrest. Over the course of ten crucial years, as tribal land and trust between people erode ceaselessly, men and women are pushed to the brink of their enduranceyet their pride and humor prohibit surrender. The reader will experience shock and pleasure in encountering characters that are compelling and rich in their vigor, clarity, and indomitable vitality. Movie List: A. Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee Based off of Dee Browns book, Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, this movie is a classic, eloquent, meticulously documented account of the systematic destruction of the American Indian during the second half of the nineteenth century. Using council records, autobiographies, and firsthand descriptions, Brown allows great chiefs and warriors of the Dakota, Ute, Sioux, Cheyenne, and other tribes to tell us in their own words of the series of battles, massacres, and broken treaties that finally left them and their people demoralized and decimated. A unique and disturbing narrative told with force and clarity, Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee changed forever our vision of how the West was won, and lost. It tells a story that should not be forgotten, and so must be retold from time to time. B. Dances with Wolves Having been sent to a remote outpost in the wilderness of the Dakota territory during the American Civil War, Lieutenant John Dunbar encounters, and is eventually accepted into, the local Sioux tribe. They know him as Dances with Wolves and as time passes he becomes enamored by the beautiful "Stands With a Fist". Not soon after, the frontier becomes the frontier no more, and as the army advances on the plains, John must make a decision that will not only affect him, but also the lives of the natives he now calls his people. After watching this movie and doing all of my research, I will evaluate and analyze the stereotypes being made. For example, I will examine if it is trying to be sympathetic or repeating racial stereotypes. A Peoples History of the United States, Secondary and Primary Sources A. First chapter of A Peoples History of the United States Chapter 1: Columbus, The Indians, and Human Progress This chapter covers early Native American civilization in North America and the Bahamas, the genocide and slavery committed by the crew of Christopher Columbus, and

the violent colonization by early settlers. It mainly discusses the settlement of the Europeans and how it affected the Indigenous people. B. Treaty of Fort Sumner, with the Navajo, June 1, 1868 and Treaty of Washington, DC, with the Ute, March 2, 1868 These treaties review the promises that were made to the Navajos and Utes, and if they were fulfilled or not. In the Treaty of Fort Sumner, with the Navajo, June 1, 1868, I will be focusing more on articles III, IV, VI, V, VII, VIII, and IX. In the Treaty of Washington, DC, with the Ute, March 2, 1868, I will focus on articles 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15. C. Interviews with local Native Americans and Native American experts Ben Nighthorse Campbell (A successful Native American, one of the first Native American senators, Native American jewelry craftsman), Dwaine Smith (Local Mesa Verde and Native American historian), Yvonne Bilinski (Director of all Native American classes and events related to Native Americans at Fort Lewis College), Lynn Naumann (Works on the reservation in Shiprock), Jake Goldstein (Majored in Native American studies, works as a historian at the National Museum of the American Indian, and various of other people met on reservations). D. Young Native Writers Essay Contest The Young Native Writers Essay Contest is a writing contest for Native American high school students and is designed to encourage young Native Americans to write about the progress their tribal communities have made and how their tribal communities can keep moving forward. This will give me more insight as to the perspective of young Native Americans and their culture. E. History Is A Weapon: Twenty-One Ways to Scalp an Indian This article, Published in "Akwesasne Notes", vol I, No. 7. July 1979, will discuss the human rights concerned with Native Americans in past history, and how different or similar they were from the white mans rights. Other Helpful Resources: http://www.sundance.org/programs/native-film/ http://www.hks.harvard.edu/hunap/Kalt_2006_NBI%20Module%20Syllabus%20G SE%20A101%20&%20KSG%20PED501m%2006.pdf

Visual Project Proposal

My thesis will address the last course essential question:

How have the debates over race, gender and ethnicity changed throughout time in the United States and why? How have the changing roles and opinions of different racial, gender, and ethnic groups impacted the nation in various time periods of U.S. history? To what extent are issues surrounding race, gender and ethnicity still present in modern U.S. society and why?
My thesis is that being a modern day Native American is difficult because you have to balance between two worlds of participating and preserving your culture, and becoming part of modern society. For my project I interviewed Native Americans all over the Four Corners and got their perspective on being a modern day Native American. I want to write a book about their perspectives and their ideas, and also incorporate my perspective as an outsider to their culture. This book will eventually be published and will include a brief history on the Navajos, Hopis, and Utes. Fortunately, I will be able to include many of my sources that I used because the majority of my sources are interviews. Im most worried that I wont have enough time to refine it to the level I want. I hope I can get all of the information that my interviewees told me into this book. For example, I had a three-hour long interview with Ben Nighthorse Campbellthat is a lot of information to process and put into a chapter.

Reservation Visit Documentation Binder Entry

The Navajo Nation is the largest Indian reservation in the United States. Within the Navajo Nation is Shiprock, a town that houses a major medical center that serves approximately 45,500 Native Americans in the Four Corners. This medical center provides free health care to the Navajos as part of the U.S. governmental agency known as the Indian Health Service. This benefit grew out of a relationship established in 1787 between the Federal Government and the Indian Tribes that resulted from numerous treaties, laws, Supreme Court decisions, and Executive Orders. 1 I was lucky enough to visit the Shiprock Medical Center and stay overnight to interview some of staff and patients. This experience was very enlightening for me and I would like to share some of my impressions... Driving from Durango to Shiprock, I noticed the scenery quickly melt from brush and mountains, to dirt and desert. While only 80 miles away, I felt as though I was in a different world. Most of the houses were trailers, There were people trailing along side of the road, presumably homeless, and there was even a dead horse in the middle of the road that was bloody and dismembered. Fast food restaurants lined the highway, and overweight Navajos could be seen dawdling in and out of them, in a way that seemed like they had nothing else to do. They were joined by stray dogs that quietly scampered through the land. The only constants that remained through our drive into the reservation was the massive rock that had erupted out of the earth, giving the town its name, the massive highway of speeding, rickety cars, and the plume of smoke that spewed out from the nearby coal power plant. I felt out of place, like I didnt belong in this community. While Native Americans are minorities in America, I was the only white per2son to be seen on the whole reservation. The only reason I felt safe was because I was accompanying our family friend, an emergency room physician, Lynn Naumann, who was going to show me around the hospital. We drove through the compound where the physicians quarters were, and passed some fences and security gates until we reached the Emergency Entrance. The Navajo culture definitely had its influence on the hospital; there were informational signs written in Navajo, there were pieces of Navajo art and statues, and the architecture of the building had a certain personality that hinted American Indian. As I walked through the hospital halls, I found myself being stared at by many impoverished, sullen Navajos. They watched me with a careful eye as if they didnt trust me. My first interview was with another good family friend, Dr. Dave Greenberg, a family physician. We walked around the hospital as he described his experience with the
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www.ihs.gov/aboutihs/overview/

Native people, and his interpretations of their health and social problems. The takeaway I had after talking with Dr. Greenberg was that he was very discouraged working with these people because of the magnitude of their challenges. Later on, I talked with some of the patients in the E.R and interacted with the nurses and doctors. I tried to interview some patients waiting in line at the pharmacy; the line was about an hour long, which was fairly short for this service. I sat next to an old man and an old woman, and tried to ask them what their names were and why they were there. I was shocked when they responded that they didnt understand what I was saying, and realized that they didnt speak English. After a night full of eye opening experiences, I walked back to the physicians quarters to where my friend was staying. She would continue to work until 2 in the morning, so I was able to go back there alone. These buildings that housed the doctors (who were the only other white people on the reservation) were some of the nicer buildings that occupied the area. Even so, it was one of the most inhospitable places I have stayed in. The cinderblocks that made up each building were cold and colorless, and the place felt incredibly sterile. Only the absolute necessities were found in the apartment: a fridge, a bathroom, and a bed. I felt as though I was in a bleak, hostile arrangement of army barracks. I was extremely thirsty from my day of talking with many people, and as I reached for the sink to fill up my water bottle, I realized that the water wasnt clean and therefore was undrinkable. The next morning, I awoke to a bleak sunrise and watched an Anglo woman in scrubs walk over to the hospital. We grabbed a traditional burrito at a diner and journeyed home. At that moment I realized how crazy of a situation I was in. My peers and I always talk about how Africa and 3rd world countries need our help, yet we cant do anything. Yet, this land, 80 miles away from home, was in a situation of poverty that has been overlooked for decades. I had no idea that there were so many problems so close to home. People would ride their horses 50 miles to the hospital, get their care, and then return to their Hogans without electricity or plumbing. How could a place that needs so much help be ignored and not known to the general public? How could I live in a town with every luxury possible and be so near to a place with so little? Although I tried to go into this process with an open mind, it was hard not being judgmental. I tried not stereotyping the Navajos; but it was difficult. I found that the majority of the population was overweight and impoverished, and had many social problems, including alcoholism. I want to help the Native Americans have a better, more American life, but Im not sure where to begin. The challenges seem to be too great. I feel as though they are segregated and hidden away, while we are telling the rest of our country to focus on the people who are impoverished elsewhere in the world. We silently pay their healthcare to repay them

for taking their lands, but do we truly heal them? This shed light and really opened my eyes on how I think about our Native neighbors.

Mai Interview Documentation Binder Entry

Mai was an 18-year-old young woman lying on a gurney in the Emergency Room, suffering from some severe abdominal pain. She grew up in Albuquerque, and moved back to the reservation when she was 13. She felt clueless about her culture until she came home. Unfortunately, the circumstances that prompted her to move to Shiprock were tragic. She was involved in a car accident, and her dad passed away in the accident. They came back to be with relatives to help them, because they suffered from many injuries following the accident. They came to Shiprock to be closer to family and she started talking about how coming back to the reservation changed her life dramatically. She felt as though it got her to be a little bit tough. Learning two languages was very difficult for her; everyone around her was speaking Navajo, and she had no clue what they were talking about. As we started talking about her mom leaving her family to get an education, she started talking about how her grandma was pro-active about getting an education. She had 10 children, and wanted her kids to live a better life, instead of waking up at the crack of dawn and herding sheep. Her grandmother lived to be 105, and recently passed away. The family was incredibly sad about the death, more so than many people usually are. I think this goes to show how much the Navajo culture values family. In this sense I can see why it would be hard to leave the reservation and the family culture to be successful in the modern world. Mais goal is to study to become a nurse, and although she wants to see the world, she wants to come back to Shiprock to help the people there. One thing that she said that really stood out was, Our generation is losing their culture, and theyre not studying Navajo. It breaks my heart when I see kids with their elderlies; and their elderlies ask them a question and they have no clue what they are saying. Her mother soon came in to support her daughter as the doctors hurried to find out if she had appendicitis or an ovarian cyst. I noticed a huge cultural gap between her mothers generation and her generation. Her mother did not speak very much English and didnt seem as aware of the outside world outside of Shiprock. I think this family was a great representation of modern day Native Americans. The elders are very loving, very traditional, and somewhat reserved, whereas a lot of the younger Native Americans are trying to branch out and achieve the American dream. However, its difficult for these younger people to branch out, because they still appreciate their traditional culture and want it to live on. This young woman is stuck between wanting to become a nurse and also wanting to teach the younger generation Native Americans about their traditional culture.

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Her story ended without any resolution to her symptoms, because both the surgeons and the medical doctors did not want to be admit her to the hospital. So she had to go home to her Hogan, with no electricity and no electric heat, over 50 miles away from the medical centerstill experiencing abdominal pain. Unfortunately, this is true for many of the Navajos who live in Shiprock. They live in Hogans that dont have many of the resources we take for granted. Their health isnt great, and the population as a whole has a lot of social problems. I think what this family taught me the most is that even though Native Americans have a lot of social problems and can be looked at as worthless people who dont even try, that isnt true at all. This family had lots of social problems, but they still worked hard and tried to make their lives as best as possible. They wove Native American rugs and herded cattle, and did their best to make their lives good. However, their best just isnt enough for them to live a privileged life.

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John Interview Documentation Binder Entry

John came in to the Emergency Room very scared because he was urinating blood. He was possibly 30 years old, but looked as if he was 50. His clothes were old and ragged, and smelled of urine. The E.R physician determined he was an alcoholic and was going to have to be detoxed while he was off of alcohol. Patients like him can have major withdrawals from their alcohol addiction. These withdrawals include tremors, which can be as bad as full-blown seizures. He told us he was living day to day in motels because he was recently laid off from his job at the coal plant. He had kind of stayed with his mom for a while, but it didnt work out, so he moved into different motels. John also told us that he was having problems with his girlfriend and wanted to break up with her. I could tell he felt uncomfortable because his girlfriend came to see him and he wanted to end it with her. One of the major things that stood out about John was that he had a son who he hadnt seen in 10 years. It was incredibly interesting hearing his point of view. Most of the time, you hear about how the child felt abandoned and it was all the fathers fault. However, I could sense a deep sadness and loss from this man. It truly pained him that he has never had the chance to meet his son and really be a father. While he was shaking and stuttering, I could tell in his facial expressions that he knew his life was messed up. He knew he had done wrong in his life, and he looked lost and anguished, but had nowhere to turn. This was probably the most meaningful interview I did because it was so personal and real. I really truly felt a profound sadness for this man, because his life was so messed up and there was nothing he could do. Normally, I would look at a drunk Navajo and judge them harshly, but this man taught me to empathize with people who dont have it all together. Another really important thing that I learned from this interview was how to talk to people. I ended up going to the reservation with my mom, so she sat by me in each interview. When I first sat down with John, I asked him, What do you think it means to be a modern day Native American? He had no idea what I had just asked. He looked really scared and confused, and I was very nervous and at a loss at how to make the conversation flow. Fortunately, my mom was there to smooth it over. She asked him very concrete and simple questions like his name, if he had a job, and where he lived on the reservation.

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By doing this, it really gave him an opportunity to slowly open up to us. It seriously shocked me how much you can get to know a person just by asking simple questions. I realized I was going about this process entirely wrong. At first, I approached my interviews by knowing the answers I wanted from the people, but just needing them to say. After this mans interview, however, I just wanted to get to know the people, and not necessarily get a certain answer. Even though I wasnt giving him food or medical care, he lit up when he saw that someone cared enough to ask about his life. It was almost healing for him when we just talked and showed we cared about him. Even though he didnt directly answer the question of What it means to be a modern day Native American, his story did. For him, being a modern day Native American means being an alcoholic, unemployed, and somewhat homeless. His health He seemed corrupted by modern life; he was overweight, and he wasnt out in the fields working like a traditional Native man may be doing. He didnt seem connected to his culture in anyway, and was truly alone.

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Ben Nighthorse Campbell Interview Documentation Binder Entry

In contrast to the Native Americans I spoke with at the reservation, Ben Nighthorse Campbell was an extremely accomplished and successful person to talk to. His life is full of so many outstanding achievements that most individual would be satisfied and could only achieve one. He was a master statesman (congressman), he was an Olympian in Judo, he served in the military, he completed college, and he is a renowned jeweler. I had the honor of meeting him, and touring his ranch in Ignacio. When I sat down to interview him, I was welcomed with a warm handshake and invited into his kitchen for a cup of tea, and started to explain his life story. He is of Cheyenne ancestry and grew up with an alcoholic father and a mother who suffered from tuberculosis. Because of his parents absence, he and his sister lived sporadically in Catholic orphanages in California. Senator Campbell was also part of gangs and had a troubled youth. Because he liked to fight, he took up the sport of judo. The strict discipline and practice of judo enabled him to excel in the sport and give him opportunities. He went on to compete in the 1964 Olympics in Judo. This experience was one of many successes that reinforced his motivation to get out of the troubled early life that he experienced. He told me that he attributed his success, because he wanted to avoid the struggles that his alcoholic father experienced, and the health problems that his mother experienced. When I asked him what it means to be a modern day Native American, he spoke in third person and stated that a lot of Native Americans want to go out in the world and become successful; but they are also tied to their family and culture. Thus they are stuck between two worlds. He alluded to the reservations in North Dakota, and the extreme poverty that exists there. He feels that this poverty is the greatest hurdle for Native Americans, not racial discrimination. In fact, rather than having violence between Native Americans and Anglos, it more likely happens two Native Americans, even from the same tribe. As a former senator and congressman, he was the only spokesman on Capital Hill, advocating for the entire Native American culture. This put him in a difficult position, because he had to make decisions to benefit constituents in the region of Southwest Colorado, but also to benefit the Native American people as a whole. Most of all, interviewing Ben Nighthorse Campbell, showed me how much one individual can accomplish in a lifetime. It gives me hope that Native Americans being educated can turn their lives around; maintain their culture, and yet be successful like Senator Campbell. 14

The Absolutely True Diary Of A Part Time Indian Documentation Binder Entry
Sherman Alexies book, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian, narrates the story of a modern day native American teenager by the name of Arnold Spirit, but better known as Junior. Junior lives on the Spokane Indian Reservation were he faces a lot of problems with alcoholism, violence, poverty, hunger, gambling, and many other social issues. Although Junior is a hydrocephalic, meaning he was born with too much water in his brain, he is a promising artist and hopes to uses his art and words to connect with people. He realizes that the only way to end the violent struggle of drug and alcohol abuse and be successful in life is to get an education, so he does just that. He leaves the Rez to go to Reardan High, a white school that is more than twenty miles away. The school mascot and him are the only two Indians in the entire area. The whit people in the school dont like him, and neither do the Rez kids, especially his ex best friend Rowdy, because they think that he is a traitor. Junior has to learn to climb over the walls of his social acceptance and try to make a future not only for himself, but also for his Native people. This book has times of great laughter, but also has a deep sadness embedded in it. This book revealed a lot of emotional reactions. One of the biggest themes in this book is death. Juniors dog gets sick, and they cant pay for a vet so he ends up dying. Soon, his grandmother dies, and each chapter after that someone else dies. His dads best friend Eugene dies and his sister does as well. Junior talks about how the kids at his white school have maybe experienced one death in their lives, whereas the kids on the reservation have experienced tons of deaths. It made me understand the sadness that come along with being a Native American. Especially in reservations out in North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, and Oregon, there are a lot of social problems. There seems to be a never-ending vicious cycle of death, alcoholism, and poverty. Although Juniors story is inspiring and enlightening, I think overall, I feel more hopeless for the people living on reservations like his. They have so many social issues, but it isnt really their fault. For example, I did some further research on why Native Americans have problems with alcoholism. I found that Europeans, or Anglos, have been accustomed to alcohol for centuries upon centuries. When they came to America, they introduced the Native Americans to alcohol. However, the Native Americans had never really had anything like alcohol before, causing them to drink a lot and not be able to handle it very well. There are also some genes that come along with being Native American that causes them to have a low tolerance, yet have the alcohol be addictive. Another thing that I learned from this book that I thought was that there is a lot more violence between two Native Americans than there was tension between Native Americans and Anglos. Junior and his best friend Rowdy often fought a lot and got in fights with other Native Americans, whereas they never fought white people. I think that this issue might rise out of dominance between different tribes.

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Sherman Alexie has a remarkable way of expressing life as an insider to someone like me on the outside. This book was a poignant representation of the extreme poverty and social problems that Native Americans experience on the reservation. In addition, it showed how hard it is to leave the family and the culture. Everyone on the reservation is stuck in the same rut, and no one expects anyone to leave that rut. It is almost like a social expectation to not better ones life. This makes me really want to hold back judgment on the Native Americans, because I now understand the social pressures they have and the lack of opportunities they have.

Overall, this book just gave me an appreciation of how hard Native Americans have it trying to figure out their identities and if they want to be more Anglo or if they want to stay with their culture.

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Additional Research Questions

How do we really help these people? The Utes have money, and yet they still struggle with higher crime rates, domestic violence, and alcoholism. Is putting the Native Americans on a reservation good because it allows them to live their culture authentically, or is it bad because we are not integrating them into the modern world? How do we motivate Native Americans to advance themselves and pursue and education so that they can bring back their skills to their community? Ex. In Shiprock, all of the doctors are Anglo. It would be very cool if the doctors were Native American It seems that being a modern day Native American means having a struggle between the Anglo world and the Native American world. How can we keep that ancient culture alive while the modern world takes over? Ex. McWorld vs. Jihad. How do we balance the economic advantages of the coal plant providing jobs for Native Americans and yet avoiding them from being subjected to the toxic work and byproducts of coal pollution? Which has been more detrimental to the Native Americans: discrimination, or poverty? They all live on the reservation but there are limited opportunities on the reservation. How can we bring opportunities to them? Can we implement programs like the one the Fort offers in more areas of our modern life? How can we interact more with Native American as Anglos in our local communities so we are not as segregated?

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Response To Essential Research Question

How have the debates over race, gender and ethnicity changed throughout time in the United States and why? How have the changing roles and opinions of different racial, gender, and ethnic groups impacted the nation in various time periods of U.S. history? To what extent are issues surrounding race, gender and ethnicity still present in modern U.S. society and why? Although African Americans and Hispanics are thought of as the most discriminated races in the United States, some of the most profound racism occurred against the American Indians. Many people excuse the European settlers who established their home in the Americas, and in doing so, took land away from the American Indians. Not only did they displace the Indians and disrupt their culture, but also they forced them to acculturate to the white, Christian society, by making them attend residential school systems to reeducate them in white settler values. The Native Americans were relegated to reservations, which consist of only 4% of the U.S. territories. The reservation lands were devoid of resources, and were hard to make a living on. These rough conditions initiated a cycle of poverty among American Indians. The poverty on reservations is much higher than the national average, and many Native Americans dont have electricity or running water. This cycle of poverty is the biggest hurdle for Native Americans to overcome. Over the years, many promises (treaties) were broken by the white settlers, helping cause this level of poverty. However, in order to make up for their mistakes, the U.S government has given Native Americans special privileges and services. In the 70s, Native American activists inspired the principle for tribes to set their own policies and determine their own futures so they could enforce their own laws and regulations. Although this didnt change their level of poverty, it created a lot of corruption and allowed for a lot of social problems to continue to grow (alcoholism, domestic violence, etc.). In recent years, the arts and culture of Native Americans have been glorified, through art festivals, movies, and literature. The Southwest style consists of many Native American handicrafts, and is now being seen in corporate stores as a fashion statement. Yet there is a disconnect between having an admiration for their culture, and an actual integration with their culture. What I see is many Anglos purchasing Native art, but not interacting with Native Americans in their community. So at this point, I dont see animosity towards Native Americans, but rather turning away from them. During my interviews, none of the Native Americans felt that they were discriminated by the Anglos. They simply did not interact with them. They felt as if their poverty and lack of opportunities attributed to their social problems more than discrimination from Anglos. 18

For this reason, although I feel as if Native Americans are directly discriminated against by Anglos, they are still discriminated against by the lack of interaction we having with them. They are separate; they have their own culture, their own government, their own land, and their own homes. This isolation, has, in a way, created their poverty. They have been separate from the rest of modern day America for decades, and this has caused them to have a major lack of opportunities. They are given jobs that dont pay well, they are given food that cause lots of health problems, and they have homes that dont have electricity and running water. Even though these Native Americans are discriminated against, causing poverty, there is hope for helping them become a more successful culture. If we can provide an effective education for Native Americans, that will open up tons of opportunities. In this way, the Native Americans can become successful in modern America, and help restore and preserve their culture. Although Americans often dont feel like we directly discriminate against Native Americans, its hard to make up for the discrimination that happened earlier on in history with Christopher Columbus and the settlers. Sure, we may be paying them back in some ways with the Indian Health Service and reservations, but this does not excuse our actions. Instead of isolating Native Americans and obsessing over their culture, we should include them in modern day American life and give them the same opportunities every American gets.

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Works Cited
Alexie, Sherman, and Ellen Forney. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian. New York: Little, Brown, 2007. Print. "Anna Rueda." Personal interview. "Ben Nighthorse Campbell." Personal interview. "Dave Greenberg." Personal interview. "Dolores Saltwater." Personal interview. "Emery Namingha." Personal interview. "Hallie Shorthair." Personal interview. "Indian Boarding Schools." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 23 Feb. 2014. Web. 25 Feb. 2014. "Indian Health Service The Federal Health Program for American Indians and Alaska Natives." Indian Health Service (IHS). N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Feb. 2014. "Native American Center." Home. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Feb. 2014. "NebraskaStudies.Org." NebraskaStudies.Org. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Feb. 2014. "Racism against American Indian - Native Americans." Racism against American Indian - Native Americans. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Feb. 2014. "Racism Against Native Americans." Do Something. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Feb. 2014. "Reservation Poverty." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 14 Feb. 2014. Web. 25 Feb. 2014. "Shiprock Medical Center Patient Interviews." Personal interview. "Story Telling at Fort Lewis College." Personal interview.

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Viola, Herman J. Ben Nighthorse Campbell, an American Warrior. New York: Orion, 1993. Print. "Yvonne Bilinski." Personal interview.

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Native American Interview Questions

Basic Biography 1. What is your name? 2. Where did you attend school? What level of education do you have? What was it like for you in school? 3. Do you have a job? If so, where do you work? 4. How old are you? Are you married? 5. What tribe are you from? 6. What is the ancestry of your parents? Do you and your parents identify similarly with the Native American culture? 7. Where were you raised? Have you lived there your entire life? 8. Who lived in your household? 9. Could you describe your childhood home for me? What is the earliest memory you have of your culture? 10. Which term do you prefer, American Indian or Native American? Why? What do you like or dislike about these terms? Your Culture: Richness and Struggle Identity and Cultural Strength 1. How much do you identify with your Native American identity? (or something like to this, to get at the possibility that they may not have had a huge part of their identify formed by this culture) 2. What does it mean to you to be a modern day Native American? 3. What aspects of your culture do you value the most? Why? (Art, music, poetry, food, community, family, language, etc.) 4. Could you share a memory that shows the role your culture/tribe has played in your life? 5. What are the most positive things you see happening within your tribe at this point? Identity and Cultural Struggles 1. Have you had any unique challenges in your life because you are Native American? If so, give an example. 2. What aspects of your culture do you find difficult to reconcile with the dominant culture? 3. Have you had any negative experiences as a result of your culture? 4. I have read some of Sherman Alexi's books...he talks about a lot of death on the reservation. Did you experience that? a. If so, how do you think that affects the Native American culture? b. Why do you think there are more deaths on the reservation? 5. How do you feel that the Native American culture feels towards education? What about your tribe in particular? Specific Questions Kid/Teen 1. Have you ever felt like you were treated differently because you were Native American? a. If yes, could you describe that experience?

College Student 1. Have you had any unique challenges in your education because you are a Native American?

Older Person 1. How has your community changed over your lifespan? 2. How do you feel that your culture enriches our community? 3. Have you had any experiences of discrimination? If so, can you describe?

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4.

Have you felt like you have been favored because of your culture? If so, can you describe?

Ben Night-Horse Campbell 1. What is the most valuable thing that you have taken from your culture that has added to your success? 2. Tell me a little bit about your experience on Capitol Hill from a Native American's perspective. Are you treated differently as a congressman? 3. What do you feel like you are representing in Washington...the Native Americans or the rural South-westerners? 4. Are your political goals mainly orientated towards the Native American perspective? 5. I understand you are Cheyenne. I am studying local tribes here. How does your tribe differ from the Navajo, Hopi, or Ute? Tribal Lands 1. What difference do you see in tribal lands versus non tribal lands? a. Culturally? b. Economically? c. The land itself? (is it pretty, does it have a lot of resources) 2. How do you feel about the land given to your tribe? What about the tribes in the Southwest? 3. How has the discovery of natural gas or other resources impacted your life? 4. How do you feel about the exchange of water and land? Do you know much about this topic that you would like to share? 5. How do you feel towards other Native American tribes...dislike, like, etc. Future What do you see for the future of Native Americans? What are your future goals personally? Does it relate to you being Native American? Do you see a specific future related to your tribe? Do you think we could integrate the Native American culture into Western Civilization more? Would you rather keep the Native American culture separated from western civilization's culture and keep it true to itself, or see it integrated and meshed into the western civilization culture and to some extent lose its identity? (Become more white or stay native american)

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