Bemidji is located between three of the largest Indian reservations in Minnesota: White Earth, Leech Lake and Red Lake. Native Americans make up approximately 30 percent of Bemidji’s population because of this. Not to any surprise racial tension is evident and in my opinion it starts with elementary school.

According to Dr. Anton Treuer (who received an honorable mention at the St. Paul Foundation’s Facing Race Ambassador Awards for his work in culture revitalization through the Ojibwe language in Bemidji) for Native people the educational system is a source of much anger. “We need to fundamentally change how we educate and what we decide to teach in our schools… My heroes might not be your heroes,” Treuer quotes. Treuer also points out with the exception of Alexander Hamilton and Benjamin Franklin, all of the faces depicted on U.S. currency have not only killed Indians personally, but have also created policies “genocidal to Native people.” Yet all children — Native included — learn about them in a mainly positive light. Though it is not the intent of school teachers or administrators to marginalize groups of people, that is exactly what we are doing to Native Americans. In the reading “Why I’m not Thankful for Thanksgiving” think about how we only obtained a sugar-coated version of Christopher Columbus and Thanksgiving when we went to school – much the same as the “faces on the dollar bills like Treuer states.” How can we (non-culturalized), who are ill-equipped to really address these issues Native people themselves face, begin to change this curriculum? I for one believe the first way to do so is getting in-depth cultural understanding. I cannot just drive to Red Lake without approval from the Tribal Leaders, however, I can read texts from authors such as Dr. Treuer and Micheal Dorris. I can also interact with this population whenever opportunity arises. Currently I observe teachers in Cass Lake with very high Native population as well as am employed at a correctional facility with, though unfortunately, a very high Native population. I feel very fortunate for these opportunities.

Dustin Sluzewicz Feb 23, 2013 10:59 AM

Bemidji is located between three of the largest Indian reservations in Minnesota: White Earth, Leech Lake and Red Lake. Native Americans make up approximately 30 percent of Bemidji’s population because of this. Not to any surprise racial tension is evident and in my opinion it starts with elementary school. According to Dr. Anton Treuer (who received an honorable mention at the St. Paul Foundation’s Facing Race Ambassador Awards for his work in culture revitalization through the Ojibwe language in Bemidji) for Native people the educational system is a source of much anger. “We need to fundamentally change how we educate and what we decide to teach in our schools… My heroes might not be your heroes,” Treuer quotes. Treuer also points out with the exception of Alexander Hamilton and Benjamin Franklin, all of the faces depicted on U.S. currency have not only killed Indians personally, but have also created policies “genocidal to Native people.” Yet all children — Native included — learn about them in a mainly positive light. Though it is not the intent of school teachers or administrators to marginalize groups of people, that is exactly what we are doing to Native Americans. In the reading “Why I’m not Thankful for Thanksgiving” think about how we only obtained a sugar-coated version of Christopher Columbus and Thanksgiving when we went to school – much the same as the “faces on the dollar bills like Treuer states.” How can we (non-culturalized), who are ill-equipped to really address these issues Native people themselves face, begin to change this curriculum? I for one believe the first way to do so is getting in-depth cultural understanding. I cannot just drive to Red Lake without approval from the Tribal Leaders, however, I can read texts from authors such as Dr. Treuer and Micheal Dorris. I can also interact with this population whenever opportunity arises. Currently I observe teachers in Cass Lake with very high Native population as well as am employed at a correctional facility with, though unfortunately, a very high Native population. I feel very fortunate for these opportunities.