21st Century Native: Fight the Battle
What does it mean to be a Native American in the twenty first century? I’ve been pondering this question for the past week and a half and it took some time to really figure it out. It’s strange. You always think you have yourself and your culture down to a very precise tee but being asked this has really opened my eyes to what it actually does mean. Being a Native American in the twenty first century is a constant battle; We continue to struggle to keep our culture alive, abolish stereotypes, and stop cultural appropriation all the while maintaining our existence in today’s society.
Moving to Lawrence and starting school at Haskell made the fact of how fast our cultural traditions and practices are fading so apparent. Take my life for example. Since I was born, I have been thrown into and surrounded by the ways and traditions of my people. I was lucky enough to attend meetings, sweats, powwows, and stomp dances with my mother and grandparents on a very regular basis. To me, that is normal. It’s traditional. Typical, even. However, when I moved here, all I’ve heard from students from class room to class room is “I don’t really know anything about my tribe/culture” Or “My family doesn’t participate” and so on and so forth. It makes my heart ache because teaching and …show more content…
These battles we’re facing aren’t just Cowboys and Indians anymore but rather something much more important. Our people are currently challenging the trying acts society is pushing towards us. We’re staying true to our ways, taking out unnecessary stereotypes, voicing our hate for appropriation, and continuing to keep up our presence in today’s society. You would never think one would have to fight so hard just to be who they are. However, we do it and we’ll continue to do it out of love and respect for our ways and the people who came before
What does it mean to be a Native American in the twenty first century? I’ve been pondering this question for the past week and a half and it took some time to really figure it out. It’s strange. You always think you have yourself and your culture down to a very precise tee but being asked this has really opened my eyes to what it actually does mean. Being a Native American in the twenty first century is a constant battle; We continue to struggle to keep our culture alive, abolish stereotypes, and stop cultural appropriation all the while maintaining our existence in today’s society.
Moving to Lawrence and starting school at Haskell made the fact of how fast our cultural traditions and practices are fading so apparent. Take my life for example. Since I was born, I have been thrown into and surrounded by the ways and traditions of my people. I was lucky enough to attend meetings, sweats, powwows, and stomp dances with my mother and grandparents on a very regular basis. To me, that is normal. It’s traditional. Typical, even. However, when I moved here, all I’ve heard from students from class room to class room is “I don’t really know anything about my tribe/culture” Or “My family doesn’t participate” and so on and so forth. It makes my heart ache because teaching and …show more content…
These battles we’re facing aren’t just Cowboys and Indians anymore but rather something much more important. Our people are currently challenging the trying acts society is pushing towards us. We’re staying true to our ways, taking out unnecessary stereotypes, voicing our hate for appropriation, and continuing to keep up our presence in today’s society. You would never think one would have to fight so hard just to be who they are. However, we do it and we’ll continue to do it out of love and respect for our ways and the people who came before