This blog is a continuation of the Native Americans at G.C.C. blog series. The purpose of this blog series is to share what I learn about Native American culture as I talk to some Native American students at G.C.C.

Rochelle Hill is a business administration major who, like JoVanni, is part of the Seneca Nation. 

Rochelle and I spoke in the library about her experiences growing up as a Native American and her opinions on where Native Americans stand today. She is intelligent, kind, and open minded, yet passionate about historical events and has a deep desire to see her fellow brethren and family thrive.

 

Q. Where are you from?

A. The Cattaraugus Indian Reservation. Most Native Americans will agree that the term Indian is pretty offensive. Personally, I don’t understand why we still use it.

Q. How do you feel about America’s history and how do you find your place in America today? 

A. My co-worker put it quite bluntly once. He said “If you think about it, your ancestors kind of took one for the team and now you get all these benefits”. Of  course I was offended…people think that just because you’re Native American you get all this free stuff. The government only gives us all these benefits because they feel guilty and like they owe us something. 

I wish they’d teach middle school and high school students about the truth. Teach them that we used to cover this whole land and now we just have these small reservations. 

Q. Have there been any great strides for Native Americans that you can look up to?

A. Definitely. Hearing that a Native Am. woman is working in a hospital delivering babies of her own kind reminds me that we’re making it and that we all don’t have to be stuck on the res. A common goal for us is not to be stuck there. That’s become the stereotype. Native American’s being thought of as alcoholics who can’t keep their kids. A res is all trailers and it seems like no one ever leaves. 

I’m proud of myself for being here at school, and living off the res. I’m trying to get a job and make something of myself.

Q. I didn’t know about all of the stereotypes. I think it’s because I grew up in New York City. Do you think most Native Americans live on reservations?

A. Most of my family lives on one reservation, and some live on another. I don’t want to live on a res, I want to make it out. Yes, there is free housing, electricity and water but I think that’s the reason why most people don’t leave. It’s that mentality of being spoiled, and being comfortable with having things handed to you because the government feels an obligation.

Q. Do you feel reservations should be expanded?

A. Part of me says yes, but the other part says “Why are there still reservations?” Why are we so separate? It’s 2016 and we’re so segregated. Some think it’s a good thing to remain separate and hold onto our power and sovereignty. But we still need the government for help. We can’t do everything on our own. We are not free standing. Some Natives will mark “no” on government forms that ask if you are an American Citizen, but then you have to send in documents that were never provided to us, so some of us mark “yes” just to make it easier. That separation of nationality isn’t fully there. 

Q. If you were in the White House what changes would you make?

A. That’s difficult to think about. I’ve never thought about that. I’d want to see Native Americans become more united with American life. The reservations can stay as a choice. Native Americans should have communities but they shouldn’t be as isolated as they are now. 

Q. When was the first time that you learned about Native American history?

A. It was in high school but it wasn’t from my teachers, it was from my dad. The genocide of Native Americans was not taught in my high school or my friends school. We learned about the Holocaust and about things that happened in other places but not about what happened here. One day my father sat me down and asked me what I was learning in high school and when he saw that I wasn’t learning about it, he sat me down and said “You should know that being a Native American means this”. And he told me.

Q. Wow! Did you go to a high school on the reservation? Did you have Native American teachers? 

A. There is no education on the reservation. We go to a high school off the reservation. There was one Native American teacher. He taught the Seneca Nation language course, and it was an elective. The only people who took it were like Native American students, probably because we felt obligated. No one is mandated to learn about Native American history. You can feel or believe how you want about it, but we shouldn’t wait until secondary school to teach the truth.

Q. What is life on the res like?

A. Crime, someone stealing your car. Drugs, trailers, everything you think of. I don’t think anyone strives to live on the res, people want to leave,  it’s not a place people want to visit. Girls have children young and then get them taken away, and a lot of young people don’t graduate high school. That’s become the norm. I don’t like that. 

Q. It sounds like growing up in the hood. Are there any programs in place to help motivate people to do better?

A. Community groups help. They talk to people individually, and then they bring groups of people together to talk. But people have to want to try. 

Q. What is your major and career goals? 

A. My major is business administration and I want to do something along the lines of real estate or car sales. 

Q. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?

A. California, with mountains and the sunshine. But I’d want to take my family with me, I don’t want to leave them on the res. 

Q. Would you be encouraged if you saw a population of Native Americans who did not live on a reservation?

A. Definitely. It would remind me that we’re making it. We’re doing more with ourselves, we’re progressing.

Q. Any parting words?

A. Regardless of what’s happened based on the action of others, and regardless of your nationality, it’s fine to go out and make something of yourself. Just because it is happening to others,  it doesn’t have to be you too. That’s why I’m here.

 

This blog is a continuation of the Native Americans at G.C.C. blog series. The purpose of this blog series is to share what I learn about Native American culture as I talk to some Native American students at G.C.C.

JoVanni Klimowicz is a lacrosse player from the Seneca Nation of Indians.

He comes from the Irving Res and he says there is a lot of land out there. As a child he enjoyed playing in the woods and pond by his house. He went to Lakeshore  and Gowanda Highschool.

When I asked Jo about his culture, and experience on the reservation, he said that he and many others prefer the title Native as opposed to Native American. He said that the elders in his town will pass down anything they can to the next generation. This includes history, how to make wooden lacrosse stick and any wisdom they’ve to share. JoVanni explained that the elders lived in a different society than the one he and his generation are growing up in. The times were tougher financially and they didn’t have as many gadgets and technology as we do now.

When I asked Jo about his perspective on American history, he surprised m by simply saying, “They could have handled it better.” He  said that he wishes the colonist would have kept their distance once they noticed that they were carrying diseases that were harmful to the natives and they should have made more negotiations instead of forcibly taking land.

While I was listening to JoVanni speak about history I couldn’t help but notice that he was not angry at all. I could tell that he was a very calm and reasonable kind of guy.

JoVanni told me about an educational event he was apart of in high school called Close Up. Native students from all over the United States, from different Native American Nations, came together and pretended to be an official Native American council. They each spoke about problems and issues they noticed on their own reservations, and listened to others as they learned what life is like for Natives from different places. They were had an opportunity to say what changes they would make to their reservations to help solve some of the problems they saw. JoVanni says that there are a lot of drugs and alcohol on his reservation, but there are also programs that exist to encourage people to live a better life. The Seneca Nation distributes money it receives to it’s citizens, but JoVanni said it is not enough to live off of and people who try to do so are not financially progressive. During the Close Up program, JoVanni had the opportunity to meet with the president of the Seneca Nation in Washington, D.C. I could tell he enjoyed the experience because he spoke about it with passion.

I learned a lot about JoVanni, and it was cool to learn something about Native American Culture too. I firmly believe that we should be a nation that is more conscious of our Native American host. To put it simply, they were here first and we’re the new guys.

Next Up: A talk with Rochelle Dion Hill!  Stay tuned! 🙂

Background for this short blog series:

While surfing the web some time ago, I came across a page that announced a new book on the history of Batavia, NY. Since it was available for free online reading, I began reading the first chapter titled, “Pre 1801 – Before There Was a Batavia”. I learned that six main Native American tribes inhabited much of the land we now call New York State. The names of these six tribes were the Mohawks, Onongagas, Oneidas, Senecas, Cayuagas and the Tuscaroras. Together they made up “The Haudensaunee” (people of the long house) or “The Iroquios Confederacy”.

All that I learned about Native American people came from public education history classes. I listened to my teachers in primary school tell the “Thanksgiving” and “Pocahontas” version of how America came to be, but in high school and college and I learned about the wars. In Foner’s textbook, Give Me Liberty An American History vol 2, I read horrible reports of how Native Americans were driven out of their lands, mistreated and taken advantage of. I remember feeling enraged when I read about the Wounded Knee Massacre, when U.S. soldiers opened fire on a group of men, women, and children; killing 150 people, mostly women and children.

After reading a bit on the the history of Batavia and searching online for nearby Indian reservations. I became very interested in Native American culture. I suddenly realized that I’ve learned virtually nothing about how present day Native Americans cope with history, or what social justice has happened since historical times to restore some sense of dignity to this strong group of people who often go unnoticed.

I don’t know what it feels like to be a Native American. But I do know what it feels like to be an African American who, one day had to learn, that her ancestors were made to be slaves and were treated brutally for 400 years. It’s a tough thing to grow up knowing. But I also know the victorious tales of social change (i.e. emancipation, Brown vs The Board of Ed., the Civil Right movement) that lead to where we are today; a country that an African American person can be the president of. In a nut shell, some of my ethnic heritage is filled with pain and suffering, but I’ve been taught so much more, that I don’t feel like I have to let it define me. And now, I want to share with you in this learning experience on how some of our Native Americans students are grappling history and finding their place in America today.

My next blog will be of an interview with my Native American friend, and lacrosse superstar JoVanni Klimowicz.

Please stay tuned, and as always, feedback is appreciated. Share this blog if it interest you. Thank you for reading part one of this short blog series titled “Native Americans at G.C.C.”.

The Digital Art show displays the artwork of G.C.C. students who are enrolled in the Digital Art program. The pieces of artwork in the gallery are amazingly bold, aesthetically pleasing, and fantastically creative. Below are photographs of some of the students with their artwork. (Click to enlarge)

I encourage you to visit and view the work of our very own peers at the “Roz” Steiner Art Gallery. The exhibit opened today and will be up until May 18th. This Thursday (April 28th) the opening receptions will be from 12:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. By that time, the student animations will be projected for public viewing as well.

 

“The art show has challenged me in a creative way that I’ve never experienced before. I felt really proud of myself when I saw something I created on display.”

– Rashawn J. Mc Crea (photographed above) 

 

Pamela Swarts – Assistant Professor of Digital Art

Mary Jo Whitman – Art Gallery Coordinator

Have you ever heard someone say, 

“The three most important things each college student needs is sleep, good grades, and a social life. But the bad news is they can only have two out of the three.” ?

Well I’m here to tell you that you can have all three, it’s not impossible! But the government might start tracking you once you’ve mastered the skills I’m going to teach you here. 😛

Before we dive right in, lets talk about priorities. How you rank each of these three from most important to least is entirely up to you. Some people may think that sleep is more important than grades, or that social life is the most important. Know what the order of these three are to you. I’m going to use myself as an example. Sleep > Study > Fun/Social Life. I think sleep is most important because without it I’m emotional and cranky. Studying becomes so much harder for me when I’m tired, and I don’t think my friends like it when I’m moody. My grades are the next most important for me, because I came to school to study, and if it were not for school I would not have the friends I have.

Mastering Sleep & Grades: 

 

Falling asleep and waking up around the same time each day helps to get your body on a schedule. Some people are so good at this that they don’t need an alarm clock to wake them up. Sleeping helps your health, mood, and memory, which are three very important elements in the learning process. So you need sleep to stay alert in class, and to help you remember details for a test. I have definitely stayed up all night studying for an exam before, it’s not fun or recommended but I’ve have to do it. I’d stay awake until 3 or 4 am, dive into my bed for 3 hours of rest (and memory storage), and then study again for another hour before I took the test. That is my technique during tough times and it’s gotten me A’s, but that’s not the best way to study. At least not for me. Studying for an exam in chunks a week or before the test day is the best study method in my opinion. Cramming a lot into my brain is very stressful and if I’m tired it can be a very emotional experience. I find myself thinking, “Why am I in this field anyway? Who cares if I don’t do so well on this test. Would it really be that bad if I quit. I can’t do this!” But when I study for a test in chunks over a period of time, I feel safe enough to sleep and I don’t stress out on the test day.

Incorporating A Social Life: 

 

Clubs, community involvement, building relationships with roommates and classmates all have helped me keep a social life ( for the most part ). If your like me, and school and sleep are your top two choices, then it’s easy for you’re social life to get overlooked, but it doesn’t have to. I live on campus, so when I have some free time I go to programs. I spend time conversing with my room mates about our classwork or things we have in common. I call friends from back home when I feel super lonely. And I try to small talk with people who sit next to me in class. To build long term friendships and social commitments I’ve joined clubs and groups of my interest, and I participate when we go to events and such. I listen to people when they tell me their story, and after seeing the same faces on a regular basis, I get comfortable enough to open up and share about myself. That’s what works for me. Other’s have said that room mating with people who are in their same major has helped them build friendships too. Even if I had 7 or 8 classes, I would take a moment to say hello to the person studying next to me, or talk to my resident assistant about how my life is going. Perhaps I’d join a study group that way I could get my academic and social bar filled up at the same time. Having a social a life is possible when you are prioritizing sleep and grades.