Who is able to tell you the definition of your own identity? From living on the reservation as a non enrolled Native, I have a bit of insight into that. For my whole life I considered myself to be Native American and Italian. Until I moved to the reservation I never knew what that meant or how hard it is to define yourself as a member of that community. CNN said that "it is the tribes right to determine who its citizens are and who are not." My tribe, Seneca goes by the blood side of your mother. Although my blood comes from my mothers side it does not come from her mother. It comes from her father so even though I am as much Native as other people may be and even more than some people who are actually enrolled I had to constantly fight to prove my identity to the people around me. It tends to be easier for me because of my appearance but for people like my sister and Pauline from "Tracks" it is much more difficult. Unlike my sister Pauline gives up on trying to be accepted into the community and tries to find her own path in the "white world". She thinks that if she tries to be accepted into another community that her voice can be heard and she will fit in but she eventually found out that she is not treated any better in Argus than she was on the reservation.
Fitting in and being accepted has a huge part in the reason why young non enrolled Natives or Natives who live off territory often go through identity crisis. It does not feel good to be apart of a community who does not see you fit to be apart of it. When Pauline acts out against the community it is her way of trying to get recognition in the community and how she deals with her other internal struggles. If it was easier to be accepted into Native communicates it might not be a problem but i can see when the tribal leaders are weary about that. Too many people would just claim to be Native and not do anything for their communities just to reap the tribal benefits. Hopefully in the future I can Native children who are going through identity crisis' and make it easier for them to deal with and be accepted by their communities.
As someone who is non-Native American and does not know too much about different Native American cultures, I had no idea how difficult it could be to identify yourself as Native American living on a reservation. In my mind, being from Native American descent should be enough to prove that you are an "authentic" Native American. Although it is unfortunate to hear, it was informative to learn about a firsthand experience from someone who has been through those issues. I remember reading one article so far speaking about the topic of "authenticity" in being Native American. I hope the future books and articles we read in the class speak about this topic because to me it seems to be a topic that is not often addressed and should be spoken about much more.
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ReplyDeleteThis post struck close to home for me. Although I am a non-Native American I can say that I too have struggled with the issue of identity. As a biracial women, it took me along time to figure out where exactly I fit, whether it was with my Irish/Swedish American side or my African-American side. But this is thing, you don't have to define yourself as being just one of those sides. You can define your identity. It's wrong to think that you and your sister have to prove that your both an "authentic" Native American. All I can leave off with is this: You define yourself and your identity. Although others may not embrace you and your sister, it doesn't make you any less of a Native American.
ReplyDeleteI never knew a great deal about the harsh realities that Native Americans have to face even within your own tribe. I agree with Steese, is not fair to have to face that kind of judgement from your own people. They are the ones who should be there for you the most, not the ones criticizing and placing more value on the way you look rather than seeing the wonderful human beings you and your sister are. I applaud you for your strength and strong sense of self. It is an inspiration to every struggling young person trying to figure out who they are.
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