The majority of photos from my Fall Break Service Trip to the Winnebago Indian Reservation are of picturesque sunsets and sunrises, with brilliant orange orbs sinking and rising into crystal blue skies. I write these words as a student thankful to have had the opportunity to experience a small piece of the beauty of Winnebago with the only intention of sharing how things that I saw and heard touched me.
I am fortunate to have been able to live and learn in a community that has suffered injustice throughout history. Although they are the indigenous people of the United States of America, most history books only speak of Native Americans in terms of wars and treaties. Most of the time, current social inequalities and the diversity of culture between different tribes are topics that are left untouched.
Past cultural genocide attempts by the U.S. government to “kill the Indian” and “save the man” continue to effect Native American youth today. The forcible renaming of many Native Americans during the boarding school era is deeply symbolic to attempts to sever and suppress cultural history that have contributed to loss of culture. A lack of guidance in preparation for secondary education outside the reservation, a shortage of role models who have succeeded in the education system, and the heavy weight of external social problems stand as obstacles to education.
Sara Snake and members of Red Life Youth Group revealed many ways that the experience of the Native American Indian woman is unique. Alcoholism and unemployment have in many ways placed additional burden on the women of the community. In many ways, the government system of welfare in many ways works against women trying to better their lives, discouraging women’s education and empowerment. This has led to the feminization of poverty, where poverty refers not only to limits on a woman’s income, but also to limits to her leading a full and healthy life with chances to enjoy freedom, respect, and dignity.
Still, even in the face of these formidable social and structural injustices, there is hope. Sara and other young women spoke with strength and conviction, drawing from the courage and determination that the Winnebago culture values to fight for the future. Mr. Dwight Howe, the cultural mentor at St. Augustine, has founded a program at the Big Crazy Boxing Gym in Walthill that aims to foster develop men of strong bodies, hearts, and minds. The tradition of the sweat lodge continues to be an active part of faith for Native American Catholics. Finally, the work of Father Dave Korth and Mr. Don Blackbird, administrators at St. Augustine Indian Mission, has been successful in promoting cultural enrichment alongside an academic education.
On our first day in Sioux City, I recall driving frantically through the Sunday downtown looking for a store that would be open…any place where we could possibly buy a last minute gift for Frank LaMere, an activist that had kindly offered to meet with us. As it so happened, every store in Sioux City (even Subway), happened to be closed. We met Mr. LaMere empty-handed at the Four Directions community center, where he proceeded to speak with us for 3 and a half hours, stopping only out of consideration for a few sleepy individuals in need of dinner.
A week and a half later, both Frank’s words and this experience stand out in my mind. He shared incredible insight about the Sun Dance, a four-day fast meant to bring out courage, atonement for sins, and teach the importance of water. Mr. LaMere had lots of advice: “Pay closest attention to the people you don’t like, they will teach you the most… The most impressive thing is your ability to be good to people…The more you achieve, the more you should seek humility, lest you think you’re different from others.”
It’s not only Mr. Lamere’s words that have stayed with me, though. It’s the collective presence of all the voices that I have heard and the passion delivered through words and tears. Looking back, our worries about finding a suitable “gift” to bring to Mr. Lamere that first day seem superficial. I think that Sunday perfectly captured the dynamic of this experience.
In the case of our meeting with Mr. LaMere, our lack of preparation and empty-handed us allowed us to be open to a new experience and the building of a new relationship. One that neither time nor gifts could commodify. It was in the moments of listening that I truly began to grasp the meaning of solidarity. Those moments, where, despite our different experiences, we were able to come to an understanding and see together what we had in common: fears, hopes, and dreams.
I’ve always thought that the return from service trips is the hardest part. The effect of stripping away cell phones, electronics, and regular schedules can be quite profound. It leaves the human person bare and unexposed... There’s a sort of openness and connection that comes from a week of asking questions and focusing on others that isn’t necessarily present in every day interactions in our society. It’s made me realize how much I wear my own business as a cloak of comfort. An excuse and shield to vulnerability.
Thus, the return to society presents both a challenge and an invitation: To be open to suffering and heartbreak, to be a voice for the voiceless. In the words of Margaret Mead, “Never doubt that a group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”
This experience has made me grateful for the opportunities that I have been given, and compels me to incorporate a solidarity with those who suffer into my future. The light of every sunrise and sunset looks different to me now…because it reminds me of those looking at the same sky. In the words of Megan Wiles, “I have seen, and I cannot look away.”
Kindly,
Jocelyn Wu
Senior
Fall Break Service Trip Coordinator
President of the Swing Dance Society
