Voting matters because legislators make decisions that impact our daily lives. They decide matters of public policy. They appoint boards. They vote on legislation that controls national, state, and local resources for education and natural resources. Most importantly, they allocate budget monies to their constituents’ priorities.
When I was in college, a guest speaker, a salesman, came to one of my classes. He said that when he traveled across the state of South Dakota, he drove quickly with a focus on getting away when he passed through the reservations.
While we have always been citizens of our own nations since time immemorial it was not until 1924 when all American Indians born within the territorial limits of the U.S. were recognized as citizens, allowing us the right to vote. Today, a record number of Native candidates are running for office, making the 2018 election exciting. In early September, Indian Country Today reported that 52 Native American women are running for high-level positions in state legislatures, congress, and the position of governor.
American Indians know the inter-generational psychological trauma that follows when children are removed from their families. Native children were forcibly taken from their parents by the U.S. government and were forced to attend boarding schools far away, losing their language, culture, and family ties, creating deep wounds.
In 2016, I was invited to submit a chapter on the presidency of tribal colleges for a book on leadership at minority-serving institutions. I started the chapter with these words, Itancan, Bacheei-tche, Ogimaa: tribal words for those in leadership at tribal colleges because their leadership is rooted in their cultural knowledge and practices. This essay is derived from that chapter, “Tribal College and University Leaders: Warriors in Spirit and in Action
By 2020, 65 percent of all jobs will require post-secondary education. But only 13.8 percent of American Indians have a college degree – less than half the national average. Fighting this dynamic is the American Indian College Fund, providing direct, focused solutions that enable American Indian youth to succeed in college and beyond.
Our nation was born in genocide when it embraced the doctrine that the original American, the Indian, was an inferior race. Even before there were large numbers of Negroes on our shores, the scar of racial hatred had already disfigured colonial society. From the sixteenth century forward, blood flowed in battles over racial supremacy. We are perhaps the only nation which tried as a matter of national policy to wipe out its indigenous population.
As the President of the American Indian College Fund I share that we have nothing but pride and gratitude for the Native American Code Talkers, who are true heroes who used sacred Native languages to ensure our nation’s victory against despotism. These individuals are elderly now but their memories are still strong and tell a powerful story of sacrifice and patriotism. Our students value education and encourage us as their supporters to take every opportunity to educate others.
Recently, I’ve been reflecting on how important it is to be able to identify myself using terms that are personal to me; and the impact that has for all of us in the way we feel self-confidence and pride in our individuality. Perhaps you define yourself by the job you do or the language you speak. Or maybe you identify yourself by your skin color, sexual orientation, or what part of the world you grew up in.
The American Indian College Fund is saddened to share that Dr. Nathaniel “Nate” St. Pierre, College Fund Trustee and President of Stone Child College, passed away on Sunday, August 13, 2017. We extend our condolences to his family, friends, colleagues and students. Nate served the College Fund Board from July 1, 2016 to present. His leadership and dedication to the mission of the College Fund and the important role the tribal colleges filled in their communities will be missed.
