I n Th e i r O w n Vo i c e s at S i n t e G l e s k a U n i v e r s i t y
“ I think I worry too much about getting the answer right, and for most of these topics there is no right answer. I don’t trust my own answers and couldn’t find an answer in the book so I just did not do the essay.” “ I spend so much time re-writing because what I say never seems to sound right. I give up after a while and just don’t finish the paper.” “ I don’t really trust that you want to hear my opinion. I’ve had teachers tell me before that they want me to give an opinion. Then, when that opinion doesn’t match theirs, I got a really bad grade.” It wasn’t and seldom is a question of knowledge or of literacy; it is the trust in self that I believe comes from the lack of trust in the person reading their work — hearing and respecting their voice. The way that history is taught will never reflect the diversity of the world without the involvement of indigenous peoples in the writing of that history. This is especially critical in academic arenas involving people whose ancestral/family academic experience was born out of oppressive assimilation techniques. I do have some documentation that I think supports my intent of this project.
I have been taking classes for a long time and this was the first time that I really was allowed to examine the contributions of the indigenous people — especially our people — to the rest of the country’s history. I have always been proud of my culture, but the way this class started by looking at the Native peoples of North America before Europeans really reinforced this pride. Doing the research and writing about the first encounters between the Native peoples and Europeans was not easy for me, but yet it is part of who I am because I am of mixed blood heritage. I cannot just focus on my Native side and ignore the impact of the Irish in me as well. I have more pride in the survival of both sides of my family because I realize that is what brought me here. To think that one side was all good and one side was all bad is to deny half of who I am.
Above: Lisa Krug discussing the Buffalo soldiers who were stationed at Fort Niobrara, near Valentine. 49