Ivan F. Star Comes Out
The family unit is the key to genuine indigenous renaissance
By Ivan F. Star Comes Out
Native Sun News Today Columnist
nativesunnews.today The new republic thrived on a need to take as much as they could of their perceived “new land.” Natives were perceived to be in the way of progress and every attempt was made to annihilate them first and then to “civilize” and “Christianize” them. The other side of that policy was to firmly obliterate our languages, kinships, history, culture, and spirituality. The school I attended did exactly that. I practically grew up at a parochial boarding school on the Pine Ridge Reservation. Consequently, the cultural constructs instilled by my mother, aunt, and grandmother had been obliterated. Although I hung onto my first language, other dynamic requisites like my extended family, history, spirituality, and cultural protocols were replaced by Manifest Destiny constructs. I was expected to emulate a Judeo-Christian American. To achieve this, the school trivialized, negated, and omitted everything that had to do with my ancestor’s way of life. I endured cruel punishment for retaining my language and was scorned obstinately by the majority of my English language speaking classmates. Most devastating was the removal of the kinship system from my psyche. I did not know who my extended family members were by the time I dropped out in May of 1965. I did not understand the philosophical traditions involving our seven rites, especially our most sacred can unpapi (they smoke tobacco; pipe) and cansasa (a tobacco made from red osier dogwood; stolonifera). Anyway, I was very content that day. In fact, I consider that decision, to remove myself from that culturally stifling setting, as one of the better judgment calls in my life. Our ancestors wanted us to understand the newcomer’s ways so we would be able to survive, compete, and prosper far into the future. That goal went seriously awry as successive generations began to lose their cultural integrity and identity. In trying to cope with my situation, I eventually embarked on a journey that occupied all of my adult life and most likely will continue to the end of my days on this earth. Since my true identity, culture, and history had been obliterated, I had an obligation to refill this huge void in my life.
Read the rest of the story on the Native Sun News Today website: The family unit is the key to genuine indigenous renaissance (Ivan F. Star Comes Out can be reached at PO Box 147, Oglala, SD 57764; 605-867-2448 or via email at mato_nasula2@outlook.com) Copyright permission Native Sun News
Join the Conversation
