Vi Waln: An education is the greatest weapon in today's society

Wednesday, June 1, 2016  

Vi Waln

Lakota Graduation Time
By Vi Waln
Lakota Country Times Columnist
www.lakotacountrytimes.com

Congratulations to all of our Lakota graduates! Many Lakota people have painstakingly completed the requirements for high school, college or graduate school. Wopila for having the perseverance to meet your educational goals.

Education matters a whole lot in modern society. Yet, we can’t force anyone to stay in school if they don’t want to be there. There are many reasons why a majority of our young people don’t finish high school. Personally, I would like to see our local schools make a greater effort to retain their students. Ensuring that our students successfully complete high school are what the administrators, faculty and staff get paid for.

Still, students do have things come up in their lives, such as family issues or incidents at school, which could force them to drop out. A large segment of our population are high school drop-outs. I don’t know of anything being done to provide opportunities for these people.

There is an adult education program available at our local tribal college. Yet, the obstacles tribal citizens face, such as the lack of transportation or affordable child care, contribute to the reasons why they can’t take advantage of the opportunity to earn a GED. Many people want to finish school, but the barriers might be too much for them.

Even so, I always make an effort to encourage people to finish high school and pursue a college degree. I realize there are some high school graduates who don’t plan on attending college and that’s fine. Many high school graduates are ready to enter the work force.

Consequently, many local citizens were hired for government jobs when they were young. They made a choice to work instead of going to college. Many of our people have made a career out of federal employment, which guarantees most of them a decent retirement. I admire their dedication.

Family members are important in the pursuit of an education. Parents are there to support and encourage their children to finish high school. Many families also sacrifice for their students to attend college. A higher education isn’t cheap; young adults often depend on their working parents to provide financial support for them while they are in college.

Many of us have heard our parents, as well as tribal officials, community members and school staff, talk about how important education is for our people. They all encourage students to finish high school. They might even push our young people to pursue college degrees after they graduate from high school. Our students hear us say that a college degree is something that can never be taken away from you.

Visit the Lakota Country Times and subscribe today

Many Lakota people have worked diligently to earn a college degree. Yet, some of them are constantly overlooked for jobs they are highly qualified to fill. Today, I see people in positions of power disgruntled with many of their tribal citizens for one reason or another.

For example, if the person in charge of staffing doesn’t like you because of a decades old family dispute, you probably won’t get the job, even if you are qualified. Many of us talk about how important a college degree is for employment. Yet, many of the people hired locally lack a college education. Consequently, the people who maintain that an education isn’t really important are usually the ones who didn’t go to college.

Realistically, most of the time it’s who you know or are related to that determines whether or not you are hired for a local job. We tell our children to go off to college to earn a degree. We encourage them to be role models by staying in school. We also tell them to come home and work for us so other young people can have a better way of life. Local officials must learn to place a higher value on tribal citizens who’ve earned college degrees.

I commend all of our local high school graduates. A high school diploma is something many Lakota people will never attain. Also, a Bachelors, Masters or Doctorate degree are achievements no one can ever take away from you. Please consider continuing your education by attending college or vocational school.

Our ancestors who walked this earth 150 years ago used handmade weapons to survive. Things are very different now, but as Lakota people we have to honor what our ancestors sacrificed for us to be here. This means we also have to live as good ancestors by fighting for the unborn generations. An education is the greatest weapon Lakota people can pick up in today’s society.

Find the award-winning Lakota Country Times on the Internet, Facebook and Twitter and download the new Lakota Country Times app today.