The Native Student Alliance serves Native students at the Evergreen State College through various cultural activities that respect and honor the diversity of our student body. We share a responsibility to the land, the people, and the cultures of this region and all of Turtle Island to protect our communities from racism and oppression. NSA is also committed to serving the wider community by building cross-cultural awareness and solidarity with Indigenous peoples.
Most people know that while Native Americans have had many victories in resisting colonial oppression, they have also endured much sorrow and loss. Such losses not only resonate in our modern lives, but the process of colonialism continues to this day. The Native American struggle is alive though it has shifted in nature. A similar sense of entitlement held by the dominant society drives the usurpation of cultural property, as did the violent conquest of Turtle Island.
True cultural exchange occurs when both parties are on equal ground; however, western culture continues to dominate Indigenous peoples. The U.S. has subjected every tribe to generations of assimilative policies that have weakened the social and cultural foundations of tribes. Only 32 years ago, the American Indian Religious Freedom Act granted tribal peoples the basic human right to practice their religious ceremonies without fear of persecution. Such an unequal power dynamic has not only left a painful history, but has put tribes at a disadvantage in economic development. Financial hardship and injured self-respect may spur some Native people to commodify and sell their culture to non-Native people.
Why shouldn't I be able to access whatever spiritual practice I want? For some, this mentality stems from a misplaced sense of entitlement in which Native peoples do not have the right to withhold their sacred ceremonies and traditions. For others, Native Americans are regarded as a vanishing or already extinct group. In an act of preserving the novelty of Native spirituality, they assume it is ok to appropriate. This approach is neither respectful, nor considerate; it is arrogant and patronizing.
Cultural appropriation is predicated on a fundamental disrespect for Native people—at best it is a silly misconception of what it is to be Native, and at worst it is an ultimate threat to our cultural survival. Native cultures are not only a set of cosmologies, but they are principled ways of being. Culture generates social supports, which are the strongest tool in facing dire circumstances within Native communities, such as epidemic youth suicide, substance abuse, and domestic violence. Meanwhile, non-Natives continue to justify taking ceremonies out of context and away from places where they are most needed.
We recognize that we are the descendants of survivors, the legatees of generational trauma and the children of struggle. We have a responsibility to our ancestors and future generations to defend our culture and empower our people. This means building solidarity with non-Native allies and educating our communities about Native cultural issues and concerns.
Our organization has been forced to address an alarming set of circumstances on Evergreen’s campus and in the Olympia community. We have experienced and witnessed:
Racist flyers for the “Pacific Northwest Medicine Wheel” promotional event: The images on the flyer blurred valued cultural distinctions by depicting stereotypical homogenized Native American figures that bear no resemblance to the actual people they are supposed to depict. The two Natives placed together (supposedly Sacagawea and Chief Sealth) never met and have no connections to one another. They are also depicted with their hands up in a stereotypical “How” gesture that so many non-Natives think is “Indian” for hello. Furthermore, there is an inaccurate placement of the buffalo and the mention of the “Medicine Wheel,” both of which are highly sacred to the Plains Indian cultures, but not representative of the Coast Salish Indian cultures.
Desecration of the Longhouse: During the promotional event hosted and sponsored by an Evergreen student group known as Ancestral Wisdom, NSA took particular interest in the words of one speaker, Bennie “Blue Thunder” LeBeau, who claims to be a spiritual leader of the Eastern Shoshone Nation. During the event LeBeau expressed that the sacred and spiritual beliefs and practices of Native Americans should be freely known and used by all people. He claimed our valued cultural distinctions are the products of “bad energy” and promoted his vision of the dissolution of tribal identity. He articulated multiple instances of historical revisionism. For instance, he utterly mischaracterized the history and nature of the Sundance and the Ghost Dance. He stated that Native Americans need to get over the genocide and ensuing colonialism.
Disrespectful behavior by students: In another instance, NSA witnessed LeBeau leading a “ceremony” on the Evergreen campus, in which students were seen acting out stereotypical Native American vocalizations and dances.
Invitation of a suspected fraud onto campus: LeBeau has been given free reign to mislead our learning community and disrespect the Native American students by claiming his new age practices are rooted in Native spirituality. By combining religious activities of many different cultures and traditions with crystals, numerology and romanticized ideas of Native American practices, he makes a mockery of actual Native religions.
Lack of proper protocol and respect the the First Peoples of this land: To all things we are called upon as witnesses. Disregard for the People of this Place (all places) is an offense to the Spirits, to the Ancestors, causing suffering to First People. The protocol of inter-tribal relationships is that First People are the primary concern in all that is done. Speaking our intention and seeking permission is the beginning place of true respect. This homeland is theirs and we "others" are the visitors. Every grain of sand, every tree, every wave that washes upon the shores carries the cultural appropriateness or spirit of this place.
The primary instrument of genocide and assimilation has been the use of exclusiveness in the decision making process. We can never right a wrong but we can change behaviors. What invaded and settled upon this land was economic and spiritual dominance, what we have come to know as Colonization. And injury persists through the process of Colonization (of the mind) stripping away consciousness: we have no rights except that which First Nations grant. And furthermore, legitimate behaviors are blessed by the Elders of Indigenous Peoples. We petition the wisdom and blessings of the Elders so not to offend the spirits and create situations that may be furthering and aiding cultural misappropriation of First Nations/Indigenous Peoples. The organizers have not adhered to protocol in forging ahead with this event.
Lack of good faith in reconciliation attempts: Organizers of the Pacific Northwest Medicine Wheel have projected a façade of good will and intent while paying lip service to necessary protocols that include seeking counsel from respected elders and other Native community members. The result has restricted cross-cultural communication and understanding, ruled out the support and respect of actual indigenous communities, and complicated possibilities for reconciliation. This leads us to believe that the organizers have no intention to alter and cease the event if advised to do so, and have set the stage for on-going offenses.
We challenge the student organization, Ancestral Wisdom, to listen, rethink their notions of peace and harmony, and act in solidarity with actual Native communities.
We call on Student Activities, the Evergreen Administration, and all faculty and staff members to take measures to disassociate our school from Bennie LeBeau, aka “Blue Thunder” and The Pacific Northwest Medicine Wheel ceremony.
We call on the wider community to learn more about this ceremony’s legitimacy before choosing to participate.
We call on our allies to educate other people in our community, who may not be aware of the insidious nature of this event.
In the context of this discussion, we feel we have been subject to racist and anti-Indian aggression, and are responding as such. Moreover, we view the defense of our cultures and traditions as the defense of our survival as Native people in the face of physical, cultural and spiritual genocide. The Native Student Alliance stands in unanimous and staunch opposition to the PNW Medicine Wheel Event. We also reject the anti-indigenous discourse and conduct from its leaders and supporters. We condemn the actions, not the individuals or spirits; we are ready to enter into a reconciliation process. We challenge the supporters of the event to heed our call, rethink and to move towards allyship. Furthermore, we send a message of profound gratitude to those allies who have heard our call and supported us with their words and actions.
