A Day of Culture

Nine. Yes, you read right. Nine as in single digits, as in cold. The kids were all up early this morning. I don't know what shot them out of be in such a timely manner. The did go to bed early last night because they were tired. It was a long day, but a good day.

Our kids were very involved, well as involved as Sophomores get, with the De La Salle kids. The boys are really, really good at recess! Now we are in our last day and they are just getting more comfortable. I can't tell if they are homesick yet or not. I think they are ready to come home, but they again, they are already talking about coming back next year.

We had two speakers yesterday. One was a carry over from the day before, but missed his time slot. Both speakers were outstanding.

Harry Barnes spoke to us after lunch, a really bad time. He spoke to us on the economic conditions on the reservation. Harry is one of 18 children. He went to a number of schools, both on and off the reservation, as his family moved with the fluctuations in employment. Still, employment on the reservation is seasonal, much of it dependent on the tourist industry. Harry did spend some time in a boarding school, which he described as, "the government policy of assimilation to 'get the Indian out of you.'"

He talked about the abuses that travel with poverty, no matter where the poverty is: alcohol, drug, child and spouse. And all these are issues on the reservation. There are many references to drug and alcohol abuse around school, it is part of the morning prayer every day as well as signage in all of the hallways. The specter of abuse is near and hopefully, education of the dangers will help this generation at least escape some of it.

The economic woes of the reservation are not new, but have developed over the last century. Many of the issues stem from issues with self worth. That coupled with the challenges of starting a business on the reservation, no capital, no one to invest and no credit, only complicates the situation. There are some cultural influences also. Although the Blackfeethave been in the area for 17,000 years, there have been many changes in their lifestyle which has basically altered a group of self-sufficient people into "dependent wards" of the federal government.

The first cultural shift experienced by the Blackfeet came with the introduction of the horse which came up from the South via the Spanish. Guns came from the East when French traders came in contact with the Assiniboine. The Blackfeet, with horse and gun, drove competing tribes from this whole area. But they were self-sufficient.

The second cultural shift came with the white man and the pressure of land. Manifest Destiny, which drove Whites to own land, conflicted with the Indian sensibility of, "How can you own your Mother?" Indian take from the earth, but always with prayer. It became a conflict of two belief systems. Harry made the point, "In God's plan of love and salvation, if God can speak in a burning bush without it being consumed why can't he speak in the call of an eagle?" But with the pressure for land came the treaties that promised to take care of the Indians with food, clothing, medical and education. Both speakers mentioned with a chuckle that they have been dealing with Government health care for a century and its about time everyone else gets a chance to deal with it! With the trade goods came corrupt government agents and traders with alcohol; disease filled blankets and two years of severe winters wiped out half of the tribe. Harry said, "the people's hear and soul was ripped out and replaced by alcohol."

He spoke of the ways out of poverty: education and employment. He was very complimentary of the school and proud of its accomplishments. One of the graduates just received a full ride from Stanford. The alums are staying in school...12 out of 13 last year, opposed to the nearly 60% drop out rate in the public schools. He also talked about trying to change the attitude that "outside is better," again, tied to self-worth. He is trying to keep reservation money on the reservation and with Indian owned businesses.

It was a very interesting afternoon. Classes ended at 3:00 and Brother Ray took us on the scenic drive home. Brother Paul then took the kids to see the buffalo jump. They came home dirty. But it was great show and tell. Ann and I stayed home and cooked. Hamy potatoes, salad and apple and pumpkin pies.

Our speakers were delayed because of the eighth grade basketball game.

Joe Bremner (Big Crow) spoke to us about Indian spirituality. He brought his son Joseph (Mountain Horn Singer) 13 year forward post for the basketball team and Austin (Little Pine) his best friend. The boys are enrolled in the Blackfeet Language school, where all the classes are taught in Blackfeet. Joe owns the local Dollar General and came back to the reservation after a successful business career in Sothern California. But he said he was missing something. So he came back to the reservation looking for that which he was missing...and found it. Although raised Catholic, he now practices tractional religion and is trying to pass the traditions onto his son before all of the elders are dead. He said of the 200 songs that were once used in Blackfeet ceremonies, only 40 survive. We were honored to hear several of them, with the boys singing and drumming and Joe playing the flute.

He spoke of the holiness of the area in which we were staying. The name Two Medicine harkens to the time when the Crow were driven from the area and two medicine lodges were erected. And since that time the area has been special. He called it part of a spiritual trail. He also described the Okan, or son lodge, which is erected out of very special need. He has "sat holy" with a person, which required four days of fasting. After the four days he then again received the right to have food and water and to stand and to walk. The belief is that during the ceremony everything is given to the Sun, after the ceremony it has to be given back. That isn't explained very well, but the kids can fill you in.

We didn't have near enough time. Because he talked about the difficult relationship between the reservation and the state, because on the reservation state law doesn't exist. The federal government gave the Blackfeet their constitution in 1937, in the recent election over 80% of the Blackfeet voted for a new constitution that would separate the powers of the tribal council.

We have Mass today at school and then school ends early (3:00 instead of 5:00). We will go to the museum of the Plains Indians and then shop. Tonight is speaker free, so we have a movie planned. Tomorrow we will spend the morning cleaning and then go to Glacier National Park in the afternoon. We will go to eat Buffalo burgers before we get on the train.

It has been a good trip. I don't know if I will get a blog off before we get home, if not I will see you at the airport.