I'm a Arikara, Hidatsa/Mandan.
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Here's where we are: Most of the time, when I tell someone the names of my tribes they say: "I've never heard of them." Follow this link and I'll let you know a little more about my people. I'm no historian, but I do currently live near my reservation. I have lived on my reservation and was the editor of the tribal newspaper while I was there. My father was also the tribal chairman for four years and both my parents are active in Native American politics and issues.
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 Another history |
Here's a good introduction: My mother is currently working on a history of one of the tribes on our reservation. She also recently wrote a Preface to a historical book concerning a relative of ours who was a scout for Custer. It's also a great introduction to the Arikara (Sahnish) people.
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What I love best about being Native is the way our people seem to embrace contradiction.
Native people can be Christian and practice Native spirituallity, a feat more fundementalist Christians would struggle mightily with. I call this ability to enjoy contradiction "living at the crossroads."
Most cultures pass through a cultural crossroads on their way to one socialital place or another. But Native people seem to live at the crossroads. It's a place where people and ideas flow constantly and contradiction is a way of life. I think western culture craves black and white situations while Native culture thrives best in the gray areas in between.
I spent time talking to a group of Evangelical Christians and a Catholic Priest about the issue of gays and lesbians. They were honest, caring people and for them a literal translation of the Bible is key to their lives.
It seemed to me that it was simple to hold both convictions and not spend a great deal of time ironing out all the conflicts. But they seem to come to the conclusion they couldn't be devout without thinking of homosexuality as a sin.
I was glad to be Native. I don't think my Creator asks me to enforce his or her order in the world. To be sure, my Creator requires action in ceremony and in deed, but it would seem a foreign concept in Native culture to be asked to lessen another person's community status in order to prove devotion.
I don't think I'm better than these people, I was just glad that I wasn't walking their path. It looks like a hard road.
Well, this is probably already too much information, but if you want to know more --- hit me.