Peppering her remarks with her native tongue and chants from the Tlingit tribe of Alaska, Jacqueline Johnson, executive director of the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI), delivered the keynote address on Nov. 8 to mark the beginning of the Library's celebration of Native American Heritage Month. This year's theme is "Building a Brighter Future for Our Children and Our Community."
Jacqueline Johnson - Michaela McNichol
With enthusiasm tempered with realism, Johnson discussed the state of Indian affairs with an eye toward a "new vision" for the future.
"We are the people who believe in the seventh generation. … Every decision we make affects the seventh generation in the future," she explained. "We are the people who have a strong value system, and that's made us survivors in a world of forced relocation and assimilation, and legal efforts to strip us of our religious and cultural practices."
According to Johnson, Native American tribal governments face challenges such as declining federal support, struggles in building tribal infrastructures and community programs, a growing digital divide among those who use online technologies and those who do not, and the loss of native language.
"Of the 300 or so regional languages spoken in the North American continent, only 175 still remain. Of these, 55 are spoken by less than six people," Johnson said. "Only 20 of the remaining languages are spoken widely by children."
Despite these setbacks, Johnson still believes that Native Americans have much to celebrate. Their population is steadily growing, especially among the younger generation. Statistics show that 33.9 percent of the Native American population is under the age of 18, while only 25 percent of the general United States population is in this age range. In addition, Native American businesses are the fastest growing sector in the small-business arena. Between 1992 and 1997, businesses grew 84 percent and made some $34 billion in revenue.
Johnson encouraged a new vision for tribal communities – one that builds on the gains made through tribal self-determination and increased tribal authority. In an effort to reach these goals, tribal leaders recently gathered at a forum hosted by NCAI to discuss future plans and objectives. These objectives include creating a research policy center to facilitate change and promoting core values such as wisdom, academic and indigenous knowledge, tribal self-governance, cultural conservation, sharing and respect.
"No right is more sacred to a nation than the right to determine its social, economic, political and cultural future without external interference," said Johnson, quoting a statement made by the late Joe DeLaCruz, tribal leader and president of the Quinault Indian Nation. DeLaCruz believed that "the fullest expression of this right occurs when a nation freely governs itself. We call this the exercise of 'right of self-determination.' The practice of this right is self-government."
Hoping to continue the work of DeLaCruz, tribal leaders who attended the recent forum discussed the need for a commitment to change, a willingness to take risks, the need to develop a global perspective and the ability to communicate new alternatives and periodically make adjustments to improve tribal leadership.
"Too many times I hear the motto, 'I'll believe it when I see it.' I believe that if we truly want to make a better future for our children and communities, we have to believe it before we see it," said Johnson. "We live in a world of possibilities, and we must have a vision to make them become a reality."
Johnson stressed the importance of children as purveyors of the future. In the last year, tribes have had to overcome some extreme difficulties, including high suicide rates, drug abuse and an elevated high school dropout rate.
"We're developing a grassroots children's agenda – one that focuses on success and education," she said. "Instead of studying what's wrong with the world, we're going to study what's right."
Johnson went on to acknowledge another great Native American luminary – the leader of her own tribe, known as Silver Dollar Eyes. During a near-death experience, the tribal leader's elders appeared to him in a vision and bid him to "take care of his business" before he left this world. They told him it was up to him to see that the grandchildren of his tribe knew who they were and understood the traditional cultures and values. When he recovered, Silver Dollar Eyes went to the school systems and created the very first Tlingit curriculum, to be implemented in an environment in which the Indian children could be successful.
"He understood the value of reaching out to people outside our communities," said Johnson. "He understood that our best advocates and best spokespersons are those who know us and who can stand up for us in places where we can't stand up for ourselves."
Today, she says, when she goes home to Alaska, the children are singing the traditional native songs, speaking in their native tongue and going to college.
"We have a vision, and we want you to share that vision with us."
