Tag Archives: preserve

Module 2.4 “We Are Still Here”

This is a short documentary about three young Native Americans who tell their story living in Minnesota.  They each speak about what it was like growing up in Minnesota that was different from their cultural way of life.  One young man gave an example about the way they use to get their meat from the grocery store and that he had no idea he could buy beef.  He thought everybody hunted and fished or went into the woods to get their meat.   Another girl felt she was more assimilated and didn’t practice her traditions/culture, while another mentioned that going to sweats and being ceremonial was not a part of her lifestyle.  It wasn’t until much older when each of them began experiencing their culture more.  Everyone was affected by colonization differently, and reminiscing about the “boarding school era” where the children grew up not knowing anything about their culture reinforced that the dominant culture is what you see inside of everybody. The historical trauma is still affecting people today and now it’s about trying to figure out how to move on, but more importantly, letting everyone else know that they are still here and have a strong culture to preserve and share.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HnPKzZzSClM