A Horse is Not a Home

A Year in the Life of an Americorps VISTA on the Crow Creek Reservation in South Dakota

Last Day of “Real” Work

11 Comments Posted by on March 18, 2011

Notes:

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11 responses to “Last Day of “Real” Work”

  1. arevikd March 19, 2011 at 3:28 am

    Good luck Mark! Looking forward to hear from you soon 🙂

    Reply
    • AphelionZ March 19, 2011 at 9:05 am

      Thanks Arevik! I’ll be updating this as much as I can.

      Reply
  2. Julie March 19, 2011 at 6:50 pm

    This is great, Mark! I look forward to your updates as you embark on this adventure!

    Reply
    • AphelionZ March 19, 2011 at 8:29 pm

      Thanks Julie! I’ll do my best to stay diligent with these.

      Reply
  3. elizabethtool March 20, 2011 at 4:37 pm

    I look forward to your observations! Dealing with Native American issues is like navigating a mine field. Only what blows up if you step in the wrong direction is a learning experience instead, if you let it happen. One of my Native American friends told me to beware of Indian politics as they get way more dangerous and vicious than your average white can imagine. She was not exaggerating. You will offend people no matter your opinion. LISTEN to what Native Americans are saying. There is a fine line to walk between acknowledging America’s past crimes and atrocities against Indians and not being apologetic for being born. No person should ever regret being born.

    Reply
    • AphelionZ March 20, 2011 at 5:42 pm

      Thank you for commenting! I agree, and I’m emotionally/mentally preparing myself for this minefield experience you describe. I truly want to help in whatever way I can, even if it is just listening. A Sioux that posted on a site that I frequent pointed to this video which details guilt vs. responsibility. I think it’s a great start in explaining how Americans should feel about these issues:

      http://www.womanist-musings.com/2010/12/time-wise-on-guilt-vs-responsibility.html

      Reply
  4. Jesse Kochis March 20, 2011 at 5:46 pm

    This helped me a lot: http://thehundreds.com/meow/files/2010/09/beer-wolf.jpg

    Reply
  5. elizabethtool March 20, 2011 at 11:14 pm

    One of the best videos on the subject I have seen although I would leave out the anger part. Anger is too easy to succumb to and too hard to control. It has never worked either. what I observe a lot is white people seeking out Indians to learn about them and then spinning around and around arguing the white side unwilling to consider that someone else has had a different experience in life. Being of strong opinions I have been guilty of this myself but can easily accept new ideas and concepts. (Or at least consider them)

    Racism towards Indians is so deeply ingrained in this country that even most of my liberal peace/culture loving friends are prejudiced. SAVE TIBET! but not the oppressed people in our own country.

    Reply
    • AphelionZ March 21, 2011 at 2:39 pm

      I wholeheartedly agree. I think a lot of tragedies that happen outside of America end up taking precedence to the point of being trendy. A tsunami is like a pounding migraine while the plight of the natives is like a low, dull, throbbing headache. Obviously the larger, louder, more recent events are going to get the attention.

      That being said, I really respect things like Aaron Huey’s billboard project and other things to get these issues into the public consciousness. Also, all too often people hide behind prejudice simply because the problem is so large that it’s easier to blame the people on the reservations for their problems rather than face the larger issue… bleh.

      Reply
  6. elizabethtool March 22, 2011 at 9:35 pm

    My idea (in the age of soundbites) is that Indians need to hire Chiat-Day or Weiden-Kennedy. Native American issues are the most misunderstood in this country. The issues simply do not make it to mainstream America in a positive way.

    Well America always responds to natural disasters in other countries…its the National disasters we don’t acknowledge!

    Reply
    • AphelionZ March 22, 2011 at 9:40 pm

      I’m glad you said that! Spread the word about this:

      http://www.emphas.is/web/guest/discoverprojects?projectID=305#2

      It’s Aaron Huey’s Billboard project with images he took on Pine Ridge. It’s exactly what you’re talking about.

      Reply

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