Good morning, and welcome home for the weekend today. We present the final in our series of 5 broadcasts on the Civil religion in America. Today's topic is minorities in the American dream featured speakers are Rick Lapointe past president of the national Indian Education Association and currently director of the Native American graduate program at the University of South Dakota Vermillion and sister Marjorie to it field educator and process consultant for the Jesuit School of Theology, Chicago.Material for this series is drawn from a forum held last fall in Madison South Dakota on the Civil religion in America that form was planned and sponsored by the Lutheran Student Center the Newman Center and Dakota State College of Madison and by the South Dakota United Ministries in higher education funds were provided by the South Dakota committee on the humanities. Let's listen now to Rick Lapointe director of the Native American graduate program at the University of South Dakota. Vermillion talked about the American Indian and the American dream. I would like to make some comments in particular regards. to the American Indian the Native American and for some of us who are over 30, we're just used to Indian. I'm from Rosebud South Dakota born and raised in Rosebud. I guess you would call a native South Dakota on an Indian person. of Indian descent I feel like I am a minority of all minorities. There is approximately one half of 1% of the population United States can call themselves Indian. 800000 Indian people we control a known about 3% of the land area of the United States. Fortunately that is in our favor. We have land Holdings, which other people do not have. Being that we are small in number. We are young and number. And being that we do have resources that are our fingertips and resources that people are wanting. We do have something that other minority groups do not possess at the present time. But yet at the same time that causes other people to want what we do have. So we have to be extra protective. We have to be on the guard. And we have to be able to look down the road a ways and to know what's coming in front of us. If not, just 3% of the land of the United States, which we own. Is drastically shrinking daily. I can see the day when we will not own 3% of the land. At the same time our population is increasing. I'm sure we're never going to exceed one half of 1% But yet as our numbers increase and as we gain more knowledge, hopefully this land drain that is occurring. As we look at the American dream one thing you have to to look at us. What is your definition of it? I know I pondered this in a thought. What is the American dream? I don't know if I recall my parents are my grandparents ever telling me about the American dream. I don't know if I ever learn it in school. I can't remember the day when the teacher sat me down and said this is what the American dream is and here is what we're working for. I can't remember that happening to me. So another words in this country. We have a concept that a lot of us really can't Define. I don't know how many of you how many of your parents have sat down and told you the American dream is in to find it for you? Because I tried to Define it and I thought about it. And some of the terms that came to my mind was well all will benefit. Everybody will participate everybody is going to be in this experience together. And we will all share in the rewards. We will all work together. We will somehow live in harmony. We will have goals for a national goal. That we're striving for Via and education military farming whatever that social goal is or whatever that goal. Is that the people want Then we should all work for that common. Go. Other things that I guess I try to think about with American Dream as I tried to Define it was it must be that were talking about a democratic government because that seems to be part of what we all hear a democratic government a one vote one man concept. Where were truly representative? So maybe that also is a definition that fits in to the American dream one part of the American dream that I look at is that all Races will live together. Assuming that that is part of our dream. Assuming that that is a goal we have set. And assuming that we can realize that go. And if that is truly right then all Races will live together. Because you know in this country there is very few goals that we have not set that we have not accomplished. If we really decide to do it in this country will do it. If it means putting a man on the moon will do it. Nothing can stop us. That's part of the dream. We'll put all of our time and resources into accomplishing our goals. Assuming we have not made it that we have not achieved that yet. Then how many years ahead do we have to wait? Do we need a NASA or a crash program to make this come off? Do we need total resources and total energy to bring together all people in this country? Maybe that's part of the solution. Because you talk about the American dream words that I used to hear. And I don't hear Too Much Anymore is The Melting Pot concept. the sociologist people they talked about Melting Pot that means to me that again that all people will come together in this sort of a pot like and is into this country and we will mix and somehow we're going to come out with a distinct flavor of each other. We're going to receive things from each other. And in this process of receiving from each other we're going to learn from each other about each other's culture are past our languages are traditions. And that we won't look at each other on the street anymore and say I wonder what he knows. I wonder what he's carrying around with him and his head that I don't know and therefore I'm scared of him. I don't want to know anything about him because he's different. If it's a Melting Pot, this should not occur. But then I don't think we should look at ourselves to negatively because how many countries have been able to achieve the Melting Pot? How many of them really have a Melting Pot concept? To go back a little further. How many countries have as many races of people in it as our country does not many. I think we're unique. Where are unique country? So I would like to relate this The Melting Pot concept to the Indian Community and in particular in South Dakota. To see what how we have achieved what we have done. However, we work together. Do we have a melting a semi month Melting Pot in South Dakota or are we just a small kettle on the side? Are we going to get into the pot? Will it soup take us? Going into that Melting Pot is a past history of conflict a definite past history of actual Wars history also tells us in all countries that if you are defeated the winners will keep you defeated that is only tradition. That is only human nature if that should be the case. Then we are continually being oppressed. The American Indian is continually being depressed. Why? If that has to do with history and history tells us that only the winners want to stay on top and only the winners will continue to oppress people. And this is not unique to our country. It's all countries. Then we have a long road ahead of us before we can jump into this Melting Pot. Are the winners have to let us we admit we lost you have to let us come up. We have to be given that chance. Also history will tell you that. One of the greatest conflicts of any country in Europe. When there was the greatest battles that took place it was over land. That was the case with history of South Dakota. It was a land battle. Within that land could be gold could be minerals could be grazing but it was a land battle. Land battles are never settled. Land fights are never sold. There still is a fight today. Only now we're not on the battlefield. Other traditional Battlefield. We're in the courtroom. This is our new Battlefield the courtroom. Now this take sophistication on all of our parts. I don't know anything about the courtroom. But I know that if land is involved that's where it's going to be settled today. And if land is the issue and if we are in a land fight. Then all of us must know about the courtroom. We must know how to handle ourselves and take our cases to court. This is what the future is going to be. History also goes on with the Indian people treaties were created reservations were created. History tells us that one reason why we were able to retain our culture as compared to other races is that we did have reservations. We were isolated. We withdrew into our own communities and we retained. And perpetuated our culture. We're other races in this country did not have that opportunity of true isolation. They could not isolate themselves. Some races have tried this. But it's very difficult to isolate and retain your cultural values in downtown Chicago, downtown, New York. That's one advantage we have that's why I race. And our Melting Pot is still alive today. that is one advantage that we have that other races in this country did not have the factor of isolation Well today that isolation is changing. Today, it's harder and harder for us to retain this culture. Our culture is slipping away from us. We hate to admit this even to each other. And we don't want to admit it one other thing that that distinguish us from the other minority groups of this country. Is that after the history tells us that after the battles after the wars are leaders were lost. We lost all of our leaders during the conflict. We had our great leaders and we lost them. So we had to come up with new leaders overnight. We had to come up with new leaders. Who would then protect us? Who would then protect our rights and our families? But they were appointed and assumed leadership in such a hurry that a number of mistakes were made sins of omission. We made probably two mistakes in history to vital mistakes that prevented us. from joining that Melting Pot sooner than what we really wanted either. those mistakes were we did not join together as tribal people. If we had ever United as tribal people. The Navajo to sue the Blackfoot. the Flathead The Crow if we had ever united into one unit. History might have been different even in them days though. We did not agree with the Melting Pot concept amongst tribes. we were even at conflict with each other. Because of them days 200 300 years ago, we'd still did not agree with the Melting Pot concept. We did not know what the American dream was. So we did have conflicts between tribes. the other reason that we made a mistake. Is that we were not protected from hidden Envision invasion. We forgot to protect ourselves even after we were put on the reservation. We forgot to protect ourselves. We had people come onto a reservation who possessed land. Who took land? Who took over some forms of our government who came representing the government? And gradually changed our way of life. And gradually the land battle was still on. The land fight was still there. And I'm sure you're aware of the past what happened when the mission started? That is significant event in our culture the introduction of the missions. the creation of the Mission schools I want Make comments on a good and the bad because there is both to that one point there is good and there is bad. I think what it did it opened up the reservation. It opened up the reservation to another a new form of religion. I think at that point. The Indian people we started to finally put our finger on. What is the American dream? People finally started to tell us what America was let alone that there is a dream. I'm sure you're also aware of the Bureau of Indian Affairs a creation that no other race in this country has there is no Bureau of Irish Affairs. There is only a Bureau of Indian Affairs. This Bureau is created to protect us. The guide us to make decisions for us. And that one time where are true wards? No race of people has this. Course, you're familiar with the b i a half a billion dollar year budget over 20,000 employees. With their sole purpose of protecting and guiding 800,000 people. To me if that is a dream. I must be having a nightmare. That does not make sense economically statistically. are socially the Bia is one of the only Human Services that deals with human people that is located in the department of interior whose main goal is to protect animals. And the resources this country. That is part of the American dream that we don't understand. Terms that the government used on us returns like termination which means dissolving of the reservation. Relocation which means moving to a city these programs were initiated and brought on to us. So that we could get into this Melting Pot. It was either sink or swim in some cases and the pot might have been hot, but we had to get in there. I'm sure you're all familiar with it Indian reorganization Act the most documented the most impactful act ever created on Indian people. the Indian reorganization Act This determined for us what kind of government we would have we had very little input into that piece of document none at all. I'm sure you're also familiar with the allotment at the creation of the allotment act which shrunk again the reservation size. I'm sure you're all familiar that Indian people fought in World War 1. And we lost a lot of our men in World War 1. And it wasn't until after that war that we were declared citizens the United States ever given the right to vote. That is a scar that is really deep. That is a scar that will take a long time to heal. The Melting Pot could also go on to the fact that Indian people still remember it was only 30 years ago. For the first time that we could go in to any kind of establishment in South Dakota in in the United States and order a glass of beer. So as you can see past history Bears a lot of scars. If the American dream is to include all of these experiences, we've got them in some scars. How has the American Indian been able to look at history and still the think the American dream. Is there somehow we're going to get there. We've got to achieve. Let's work together. Let's give let's take but let's work together. What has it done for them? As you know compared to other races of people in this country, we have the highest unemployment rate. We have the lowest income level. We are at the poverty level and most of our families. We have the highest suicide rate per capita amongst our people. We have escapes psychological escapes. That release the tension that has built in the form of alcoholism. We have one of the highest crime rates per capita of people. We have the highest dropout rate. for children going to school and the sad fact is that there's only 52 Indian people in this country who possess a medical doctor's degree. 52 there is even less veterinarians. There is approximately 10 dentists. I do not know and I search to find. 1 engine who was truly working as an architect. I mean actually designing buildings and I have not been able to find this person. There is some professions where we do not have people even in those professions. We are not represented in those professions. Somehow the American dream forgot to Trina's. Somehow the institutions the agencies did not include us. Somewhere we were forgotten. We did not join that mainstream. Unfortunately now we have to catch up. We're swimming uphill as fast as we can. We have to train people as fast as we can. We are approximately 100 years behind. Of course, you know also that on the typical Indian Community, we are controlled by four different types of government. We have three different types of school systems on our reservation the sheer amount of volume of knowledge that you need as an Indian parent is overwhelming. I'm sure you also aware. That some of our people are reacting militantly and violently. Do these different types of governments to these different types of schools? Some of our people cannot sit back and watch anymore. In my opinion as compared to other races of people who have gone through this stage other races have reacted violently. Maybe this is part of the American dream. Maybe this is part of the Melting Pot in order to enter get into the Melting Pot you got to react violently. Then maybe that is your passport. Maybe that's the way you enter this Melting Pot. If that's the case. other races of people have acted violently have reacted extremely violently against the government. Have got their demands met and I've entered the Melting Pot. I predict that the Indian people. Our time a violent reaction is going to be twice as long as any other race of people. It's Not Over because our problem is not that easy to solve. a passing of the Civil Rights bill of 1964 included us But it did not bring any results that other races of people. This was the Awakening of the Melting Pot. That was their entry. That was their passport the Civil Rights Act. But for Indian people this was not our passport. That is my personal opinion. Is that violence in South Dakota throughout this country with Indian people? Has just really begun. The movement is just getting started. More people are joining everyday. But one thing people tell me and I hear people discuss it. Why is this happening? Why are you doing this? All I can say is give us the passport and it will quit. Until we get into that Melting Pot and really know what the American dream is. It's going to be occurring. It's going to happen. Also, I'm sure you're aware that in South Dakota and the last few years. People have prevented us so dearly from getting that passport from internet Melting Pot that some organizations have been have been organized have come about to prevent us. And we even put a barrier in front of that Melting Pot and I'm sure you're aware of one that I'm speaking of the ranchers who have organized a civil liberties group. The approximately is I understand total 3000 in this state. They have goals. Beans are part of the American dream. I respect their goals. I know what their goals are. I respect their right to organize. I respect their right. To protect what they sincerely believe in. the sad part is They could be helping us instead of fighting us. They can help us obtain that passport that we're looking for. 2 years ago in the state legislature over 10 bills were passed that affect Indian people in this state civil liberties group and the last legislature violently lobbied against every piece of Indian legislation. And one bill of any minor significance was passed. Fortunately, I like to say I was involved with that bill and I knew what it was. It was for creation and expansion of Indian studies courses at Black Hills State University, South Dakota. It was not easy to get that one minor piece of legislation $480,000 past. Because of legislators will no longer listen to us. It was only through behind-closed-door efforts that we were able to get this passed. The American dream includes us includes us and working in the legislative process. This last year was a tremendous setback. People like myself, I guess who have tried through the government procedures Lyft ride to work legislatively who have tried to pass bills nationally locally. We know the process we know how to do it. But it's very discouraging when we have our own citizens of this state fighting against us. lobbying against us instead of for us and with us What happened to that dream? Do they know the definition of the dream? If they don't we're both dream in a nightmare again. And it's going to cause bad results. The only thing that the American Indian. House to look at when he looks at the dream. Is that he's able to see himself perpetuated as the Cleveland Indians and the Atlanta Braves? We know that the American dream includes us as mascots. We hope someday that were more than mascots. We hope we're really part of the team someday. We've never really had control of our own government. We've never really had control of our own schools. We have not experienced to control of our own community colleges our own universities. We're currently looking at the land grant movement that created land grant colleges and we're asking ourselves. Why does that land grant movement establish and operate / 46 black universities in this country and not one ending University. Why is this it was created for that purpose? That issue will be decided in court within the next three or four years. Unfortunately, the Indian Community is headed in a direction that is directly opposite of the Melting Pot concept because we have not experienced those things. We have not control our own schools. We have not control their own government. We are now in the process of taking that control. I hate to say it, but we're right now we're in the process of segregation. We want control of our schools. We want from the top to the bottom Indian people running them. We are contacting the Bureau of Indian Affairs to take those schools away with the Mission schools. And we're going to someday head towards direct segregation. But see the dream did not tell us that this is bad. It's only been the last two hundred years of trying to figure out what the dream was. That we finally decided there is no dream. The dream is a figment of somebody's mine and they will not tell that to us. So therefore if we do not know the dream we're going to go completely it might be a hundred eighty degrees opposite of what the people in this country think is right. We will go direct opposite in order to achieve our dream and our dream is to someday run our own 4-year University have our own system of government have our own courts. Have our own schools. Have our own supermarkets. Have our own radio station. We have never experienced those. Until we experience that we will be opposed and completely opposite of the American dream and conclusion. I would like to say what is the solution then? If the American Indian is not part of the dream, what is the solution? I wish I had all the solutions if I had all those Solutions. I would probably. Share them with everybody. I would write about him. And tell everybody to Solutions. No, one of us have the solution. It's only us together. Do we solve problems and come up with Solutions? That's part of the American dream. I have part of the solution you have part of the solution. Give me your part so I can put it into my puzzle and I can come up with a total solution. I see part of my solution. To our problem to getting into the mainstream to joining that stream and a swim with the best of the fish. I see part of my solution a striving to straighten out tribal government striving to resolve. the Bureau of Indian Affairs system of government striving to get the state to recognize us striving for more State monies more State legislation. And not worrying about the national scene if we cannot do it here in South Dakota. It's going to be harder to do it nationally. Part of the solution is being able to get Indian people to serve on boards with dignity and respect. Please that I was last month pointed to the South Dakota state board in the US Commission on civil rights. For Indian people were appointed to that board last month the first time in history. We are going to try our best on this board to correct some of the problems that we see. It's not serving on boards. It's not serving on committees is being involved and knowing what the dream is and being able to express it to other people. So that they can also share in our dreams and someday these two dreams will come together. And hopefully they will unite into one dream. That was Rick Lapointe director of the Native American graduate program at the University of South Dakota Vermillion with his views on the American dream from the perspective of a Native American in the second part of this final program in our series of broadcasts on the Civil religion in America. We hear from Sister Marjorie to it field educator and process consultant for the Jesuit School of Theology Chicago sister marjorie's comments deal with wreckage of the American dream from a woman's viewpoint. As Rick was mentioning words such as Melting Pot. the American dream I am I started to think back to my own rootedness. And I come out of an ethnic background that melted. We had the option of getting in the pot. And we did that. my mother She melted to now that I think of it my mother Norwegian Lutheran. my dad Irish Catholic when you get that combination you come out Irish Catholic. Yeah YouTube. The options go to zero. in those days in those days. I'm not so sure it would happen today. class working class Low Middle working class geography New York City you can tell by the way I talk. So when I come and see this land, it kind of blows my mind. I was just fascinated, you know, when you live elbow-to-elbow in the midst of pollution when you come out to a place like this. It's just mind-blowing. I think of all the folks in Chicago and New York living so closely together in that struggle. but I think each kind of each part of the country and this is my experience since I found that there was something west of the Hudson forgive me, my dad died and wouldn't even acknowledge Jersey, but when I discovered the country each each area each Geographic section Has a pain and Agony a culture. And then I press people. within its boundaries people who don't have all the options and that's very interesting to me. If I had been in a fight and introduce myself to you maybe a short of time is 10 years ago. I would have said I am sister Marjorie and I am a Dominican sister and I am a teacher and I would have done the whole roll routine. I have changed it at this point in time and I say now. I am a woman. Who at this point in history? happens to be a nun at this time and I make that claim. out of an experience of an ethnic class background when we didn't talk much about identity. Catholic young women in my day We either got married. Or went to the convent. or remain single but stayed home and took care of a parent. The very few of us went the route of single woman professional career. And if you didn't pull off either the convent thing. Are the marriage thing or you couldn't legitimate eyes you're being by remaining and a house in the home with your parents. You weren't considered too successful. by the societal values of my day Now I think there is more space. I'm not so sure things have changed. My worry is we have caught the language of the times particularly my own Christian tradition the Roman Catholic tradition. We use Justice. So easily these days you run around diocese in the country and everyone is creating peace and Justice commissions. Or peace and Justice committees justice has become a household word almost within our tradition, and I also think within society today. I guess what I'm trying to say is justices more and more. a commonality in our rhetoric and we talk Global Justice and we become horrified at the world hunger issue. As long as it's in Bangladesh. And we pick up Time Magazine and say all those children. I can't bear to look at them. And then we talked Justice in the United States. And it becomes a little bit more difficult, but it's out there Watergate wasn't too close even to Chicago. Really and then we talk to Justice in the state of Illinois or the state of South Dakota and it starts getting warmer. And then we talk Justice or Injustice. in the city of Chicago or city of Billings or wherever we are and it gets warmer. And then we talked Justice in the school in which I have sent my child or within which I am a teacher. And it gets hotter. And then we talk Justice in the parish. We're living in or the diocese. And all the Dean Radio, whatever we call it. It's very hot. And then we took Justice in my home. And then we talk Justice and nae and we're on the dime. I guess my experiences as I move around the country. There is a tendency in American Life today. Keep the conversation global. But then we don't have to do anything. If we can talk lobely. We can feel somewhat bad. We can take up a collection for world hunger but in the end, we really don't have to do too much. I've been in some places where we take up collections for world hunger. And we even have a symbolic fast a meal. And no one thinks of walking two blocks down and three blocks over to the family who's hungry in the neighborhood. We sort of missed that. I just this is a thing that women today talked about a lot. And wonder what it means particularly without the words like equality. I was in a session not too long ago where one woman said to me. It's alright a little equality is all right. Say I don't know what that means. a little equality I think we have to take a look at our words and I also think we have to look at the places. We put the words and the actions. And where we put the butt. But and forgive me not really butt. What we're really about? I'd like to save for those who claim any kind of a Christian rootedness. And think we have all this great choice. And take the gospel seriously. I wonder if our choices are as many as we think. When folks say they are powerless. The black community the Native American that you're kind of the woman the man. Don't let say it's your imagination. I never felt that. You imagine it? It's not imagination when people are hurting. And the Cry of the oppressed is a heavy one. No matter who it is. I think we have to hear it. I think we have to try to understand it and maybe it's your own cry. I'm not denying that in any way. Maybe there are those of you who are saying here. Hey, wait a minute woman. I am oppressed. I'm saying the same thing hear the Cry of the oppressed. And take a look at what's being called the American dream with the theme of the bicentennial. When in the Roman tradition a theme that's articulated as liberty and justice for all. And then hear the folks who say no way. Do we experience those words? No matter who it is. My experience as I said before is Irish Catholic New York working class Low Middle. That's where I'm coming from because that's who my parents were. I taught for 10 years in the black community in Harlem. In the early sixties before the black movement. And you know what? I was a sister. I was Dominican sister. I love those youngsters, but I made them. What I had in mind. I made them white because that's who I was. I made them white and Roman Catholic cuz that's who I was. It was black and Puerto Rican youngsters mostly black community, but I made them white. I made them Roman Catholic and I made them Irish. And I laid on them my values all I knew. And I thought that was the way to make it. And if the teacher in that school, I never said hey, wait a minute when you get out of here. Your options aren't going to be the same. as everyone else I taught them and make it or fit in. to the system cuz that's all I knew. And I told him to be good in this seed. But I never talked. And I'm about because of their race that color because of their material poverty. Things for them would be different. I never told the young women who sat in front of me day by day that They Carried a double burden in this Society. black and woman That there are options wouldn't be the same. I never said that. And you know talk about Yelp. I'm full of it. Hopefully the guilt has moved the guilt I experienced. Has moved me from that dime to do something about what I the guilt. And I I hope I had that kind of commitment in my living. I think we have to understand what it means to be defined by someone else. in the sixties in Chicago about 60 of the black community came together. And decided that they would Define themselves. The white Community had called them negro. colored okay, whatever and they decided we will be called black. We will Define Who We Are. And that was the change in the relationship only when women come together and make that same definition. That the relationship changes. I in no way am I saying that women? Should not remain in the home. Be mothers in the family, but it is a woman who makes that definition herself. You've been listening to Sister Marjorie to it of the Jesuit School of Theology Chicago and before her Rick Lapointe of the University of South Dakota Vermillion on the topic recoges of the American dream. This is the last of five broadcasts on the Civil religion in America based on a series of public discussions held last fall in Madison South Dakota. Those programs were planned and sponsored by the Newman Center the Lutheran Student Center and Dakota State College of Madison. And also by the South Dakota United Ministries in higher education funds were provided through a grant by the South Dakota committee on the humanities. We have krsw would like to extend our special thanks to Dennis Meyer and Rodger stunkel of Madison for their help in the recording of materials used in these broadcast and also to the above-mentioned sponsors of the series for allowing us to broadcast these programs. This is Steve Monroe. Stay tuned for the krsw regional calendar.