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GETTING IT RIGHT-FINALLY August 9, 2004 Susan Bates

It is popular in this day and age to be an "Indian." Many of us who didn't grow up on a reservation or in a traditional home, are anxious to learn the history and culture of our People. But how do we do that when much of what we have been taught is wrong? History is always portrayed through the eyes of the victor. The history of our Peoples is no different. Once considered Godless savages, our women called squaws (a derogatory term referring to female genitilia) and our men bucks - (male animals) the story of our people is recorded in terms of massacres (we won) and military victories (they won.) Even in this "enlightened" age, text books still tell it wrong. Most of the books that deal with specific tribal sacred ways is written through the eyes of white men. And even though some may have lived with and studied Native American spirituality - they still see through "white eyes." There are different levels of understanding our beliefs and how we think. Many people have read the books and can talk about "Mother Earth" and proclaim that "We are all related" but few actually understand the depth of these statements. In the past, there were very few books written by Native Americans. But today there are hundreds of them. I ran across a website for a Native American organization called Oyate whose purpose is "to see that our lives and histories are portrayed honestly, and so that all people will know our stories belong to us. It is important that Native children as well as adults, know their own true stories. It is a matter of cultural survival. Only in this way will we come to have the understanding and respect for each other needed if we are to reach the 5th World. Oyate sells Native Written and illustrated books for people of all ages. Their online catalog has categories for preschool through adult, including workbooks and resource material for teachers, audios, videos, and posters. They even have a list of books they don't recommend. I urge parents to buy authentic books for their children and for themselves. And I challenge our teachers to not only teach Native American history, but to teach the truth to our young people. Before anything can be balanced, it must be understood. You can contact Oyate at: Oyate 2702 Mathews St. Berkeley, CA 94702 (510) 848-6700 (510) 848-4815 fax oyate@oyate.org www.oyate.org <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> "Respect means listening until everyone has been heard and understood, only then is there a possibility of "Balance and Harmony" the goal of Indian Spirituality." ---Dave Chief, Grandfather of Red Dog <><><><><><><><><><><><><><>><><>

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