I grew up being surrounded by Natives and now I'm in my second year of college with less than five Native American students on the entire campus. Here's a few things that I've noticed in my efforts to reintroducing Native students to primarily white institutions.
1. Minority-Minorities
It is no secret that Indigenous people are the smallest population almost everywhere. In the U.S., Native students in college are spread out across the country while only making up less than 3% of the entire U.S. population. To have enough Native students to form a cohesive and relatively large community is hard to do. AND there's so much cultural diversity within the Indigenous community (560+ federally recognized tribes with different languages and cultural customs).
2. Other POCs don't get ALL of it
Natives are people of color too and we have so much in common with Black, Latinx, and Asian students. We understand one another... but to an extent. While we can share inside jokes about the shocking things that white people do, we can't joke about things that happen in Native communities with them.
We can't turn to other POCs and expect them to joke about accidentally dating our clan cousins or tease one another in our Native languages. Yes, we are connected, but still disconnected. It's an annoying constant reminder that you're still different from people who are also different.
3. Educating vs. Enjoying
Okay, say you establish a club that is Native oriented. Who can be in it? Everyone is welcome, but you have to teach students. No, we're not teaching people how to be Native American (Just NO).
We are trying to make a space where we can be ourselves and feel connected to our lifestyles.
How do you do that? Native Americans have been exploited since European contact, how do you explain who you are without fear of exploitation?
It's hard to celebrate yourself and people similar to you without excess emotional labor to educate people you want to share it with.
4. Getting a club, but not knowing how to grow it
Adding to the idea of a Native American club, there's a form of identity politics that occurs. (Keep in mind the small amount of Native Americans in college.) Now imagine if those natives graduate and there's a long gap between admitting new native students. Who will continue the club?
There's limitations to what Indigenous people choose to share with those that are not part of the tribe/nation. Don't forget, there's a small native student population but we want to include others into our community, yet still careful not to give them power to exploit us. How do you grow a club with so many limitations?
5. Visibility is still Invisibility
This is probably the most interesting point. Natives look phenotypically white, Black, Hispanic/Latinx, Eastern/Western Asian, or however we look externally.
People do not see us as Native American first unless we dress in traditional regalia or until we choose to say or show who we are - people assume what they want.
When you're invisible, you hear other people's voices more than your own. Micro-aggressions which probably don't seem like a big deal. For example, seeing dream catchers, hearing offensive/stupid phrases ("Let's have a powwow!", "Oh you know, I'm part Native..."), or just general cultural appropriation by other minorities (i.e. native designs on EVERYTHING, dreamcatchers, "Indian" themed Greek parties, spirit animals, stealing spirituality, etc.).
The point is, we're a small group and we feel even smaller because we don't feel seen as we are, unless we dress Native.
6. Tokens
Anthropology, religion, philosophy, and other classes study what happened to the natives, but forget to mention that they're still here. But when native issues come up, they look at you automatically. (I have no hard feelings to any of these classes BTW.)
OR when you speak up and say you're native, you're instantly tokenized.
Honestly, I'm not sure how to best address this, but I can tell you how annoying it is.
7. "Rez Kids" are a whole other kind of kid
Okay, I'm going to try to explain this as best I can. Reservations are their own separate worlds and anything outside of it is hard to feel connected to.
Rez kids come from rural areas like "country kids," but know that struggle of people trying to touch your hair.
Rez kids can sing a song by George Jones then change to George Strait, and change it up to Mike Jones all the way to J.Cole and trap rappers. Oh you thought that's all? Give them a playlist with some hair band, rap, RnB, hip hop, metal, Western country, pop country, pop, and maybe some reggae - they'll know 80% of that.
Rez kids ran far and unsupervised like you probably did and have some crazy asf stories to tell.
Rez kids work hard. They're outside in that 100 degree heat, herding livestock, hauling water, building fires, planting, taking care the land, etc.
They can flip tortillas by hand and bake their traditional foods underground or in their outside ovens (@my Latinx and Hispanic people).
I say this because Rez kids can blend in any situation and talk to someone who will assume their identity. It's a strength, yet in some ways it feels like a barrier in getting someone to understand you.
8. NO TRADITIONAL FOODS/MARKETS
There's Asian restaurants, Hispanic/Latino food sections, organic stuff, Caribbean foods, a lot of different variety of foods... BUT there's no Native food stores!
Understandably so, no one else but Natives would buy it. Regardless, when a college kid is homesick sometimes all we want is a home cooked meal from home.
Nope. Can't get that until they're home for break. The dining hall won't serve anything similar so these babies are SOL.
Another reason why it's difficult to make a space that feels like theirs.
9. "Walking in two worlds"
*eye roll* Everyone I know has heard this. Though I'm tired of hearing it, it's still true.
You have one foot in this Western world of competition, education, and constant change. While also having one foot in your traditional world of healing, traditional knowledge, its own issues, and a place where it seems like nothing really changes.
You gotta be the best Native while being the best student you can be. It's hard to maintain both without one slacking more than the other.
We have to navigate two opposite worlds and try to walk simultaneously in a straight line to your goals and dreams. Navigating both becomes hard when you want to be yourself at college, but people do not understand that.
10. Hopeless feeling
I know in the end it's supposed to be worth it because our ancestors overcame worse, but damn… college is on a whole different level of having to prove yourself not just to others, but also to yourself.
Native students want to be more and do more than what we were given, but at times - it's too much.
To my Native kiddos - I feel you. I know what you're going through, trust me.
If I could, I would "buss out" my Rez accent and make jokes with you. I would laugh loud enough to make you smile. I would give you hope that we'll get through this together. I'll reassure you that this pain of loneliness will pass and we'll be home to embrace our true selves once again.
So stay strong. Raise your head. Pray. Hold your medicine close. Smile past the odd looks and be who you are.
Click here if you need more encouraging words. I know it's hard.