I love this terminology: Woman who uses a chair. Man who uses a cane, or seeing eye dog. I love the agency of it, as compared to woman in a chair, handicapped, or disabled.
Carol told me a bit about the tribal college she goes to. A tribal college is a government run school for Native Americans, as I understand. The school she goes to was formerly a boarding school, during the time when Native American children were taken from their families and sent to boarding schools, in order that they assimilate into mainstream American culture. Now it's a college and has a new set of issues. Carol's bedroom has one wall that's covered in mold and falling apart- she said she was sick all the time when she first moved in but she'd used to it now. Her dorm has asbestos on one floor, so the people in charge locked the door to that floor. Of course, asbestos fibers aren't trapped by closed doors, but circulate through the air and ventilation systems of the whole building.
If this was the case at my school, there would be outrage. But since Reservation life is not unlike life at this particular tribal college, the students are more resigned. And since I didn't know what a tribal college was, I didn't know about these issues. I'm angry and I'm sad that I've been so poorly educated by our system, and others have been so poorly mistreated by our system. And I want to state very clearly that Carol and Native Americans shouldn't be pitied or faulted for this, but the government that is still disadvantaging (at best) or abusing (at worst) our country's First Peoples should be disgusted with itself.
Next up: adoption conversation and free ride home.
Then: the actual choice stuff we talked about
3 comments:
two things:
i think asbestos is usually only an issue during construction processes when it gets disturbed and gets into the air. it's a material that was used in a lot of manufactured stuff, like tile, so there's only a problem when that tile is broken up and removed. i think. so hopefully carol and her friends aren't in any immediate danger.
i think you should give native people more agency. it's not that the US has failed to take care of it's native people, it's that it's failed to make amends for the gross injustices that were done and continue to be done to them.
also: you are such a hot blogger. i miss you.
You need to take a Native American studies class. They're excellent.
Did you know I'm part Potawatomi?
it seemed like it posed a danger, from how she described it- like had been disturbed/let into air and then shut behind a door. sadly.
i did some agency senstitive editing- i agree completely- thats why i wanted to explicitly say we shouldn't be pitying anyone.
i would LOVE to take a native american class. maybe i will get the chance, and no didn't know that. but i'm not surprised cuz youre awesome :)
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