On Not Being The Whitest Whitey That Ever Whited

bumblemusprime · Post by **bumblemusprime** » Sat Sep 15, 2012 4:34 pm

Those of you who know my real name and background are probably aware that I am pretty darn white. Raised in Southern California in moderate middle class by a therapist and an English teacher.

I just picked up a couple of English classes at a tribal college on a local reservation. I am totally and completely dumb about Native culture, but I'm trying to give myself a crash course. The Lummi (local tribe) have a strong say in many local politics, but many people tend to overlook or be unaware of their contributions.

Sad to say I remained in that camp until yesterday, when I got the job.

I don't come here for info on Native culture, since I'm fairly sure that, with the possible exception of Yaya, who I seem to recall identifying himself as "India Indian" (correct me if I'm wrong, Ya), we're majority white.

I'm terrified, as my white liberal guilt says I should be, of making a big cultural faux pas. I mean, my head tells me just to teach comp and let the cultural understanding come, but my heart yells "YOUR ANCESTORS KILLED THEIR ANCESTORS, WHITEY WHITE BAD THING."

I'd like whatever advice anyone might have about being in the minority for once (I know, this is a big indication of my privilege) and some best practices. And I only feel confident really admitting the terror here in anonymity.

inflatable dalek · Post by **inflatable dalek** » Sun Sep 16, 2012 5:46 pm

I mean, my head tells me just to teach comp and let the cultural understanding come, but my heart yells "YOUR ANCESTORS KILLED THEIR ANCESTORS, WHITEY WHITE BAD THING."

Listen to your head. Whatever your ancestors may have done to theirs, you've no reason not to treat them the same as any other students. Go back far enough and just about everyone has ****** everyone over at some point. You can't let that dictate how you interact in the present.

Post by **Kaylee** » Sun Sep 16, 2012 5:51 pm

How do you have the time to do this, a full time job, be in two bands, be a writer, go running, be a parent of two and post here?

Seriously, I worry about the fabric of space-time with you around.

Brendocon · Post by **Brendocon** » Sun Sep 16, 2012 6:41 pm

inflatable dalek wrote:Listen to your head. Whatever your ancestors may have done to theirs, you've no reason not to treat them the same as any other students. Go back far enough and just about everyone has ****** everyone over at some point. You can't let that dictate how you interact in the present.

I know this advice basically boils down to "get the hell over it", but it's pretty much the only way to go through life without ripping yourself to shreds.

Karl wrote:How do you have the time to do this, a full time job, be in two bands, be a writer, go running, be a parent of two and post here?

Seriously, I worry about the fabric of space-time with you around.

He's secretly Jamie Madrox. It's the only explanation.

bumblemusprime · Post by **bumblemusprime** » Sun Sep 16, 2012 9:55 pm

inflatable dalek wrote:
I mean, my head tells me just to teach comp and let the cultural understanding come, but my heart yells "YOUR ANCESTORS KILLED THEIR ANCESTORS, WHITEY WHITE BAD THING."
Listen to your head. Whatever your ancestors may have done to theirs, you've no reason not to treat them the same as any other students. Go back far enough and just about everyone has ****** everyone over at some point. You can't let that dictate how you interact in the present.

Actually, I don't find this too harsh--sometimes white liberal guilt can cripple what would otherwise be an honest effort for the betterment of society, especially considering that privilege often puts you in a greater sphere of influence.

Um, Karl, I quit one band. Make sense now?

Seriously, I'm a freaky workaholic who uses different types of work to procrastinate other types of work.

Shanti418 · Post by **Shanti418** » Mon Sep 17, 2012 3:27 pm

Hmmmm, a sticky wicket. One that I would think I have more to say, considering I'm a white (looking) heterosexual male who studies critical race, gender and sexuality.

I think the most important thing is just to go in with an open mind and a clear attitude. The first thing to know is that you know nothing, that kind of thing. The key is not to go "OMG, how can I avoid a cultural faux pas?", the key is to realize "I may have a cultural faux pas, and some student may call me out on it, and that's OK." Treat that as an opportunity to learn and show some give-and-take in the student/teacher relationship, not as a moment of weakness that, if admitted to, might disturb your teacher authority. I mean, I imagine if a cultural faux pas does happen, it's not going to be some huge one, because you're an intelligent and culturally sensitive fellow (as shown by your hand wringing over the possibility of this being an issue in the first place).

Another thing I think would be helpful towards demonstrating your identity as "ally" instead of "cultural imperialist" would be if you could include some Native American work into your readings. I'm not sure how much leeway you have with that, given required readings and the crunch of time. But other than that, the fact that you're a white guy teaching them works by (mostly?) dead white people will work against the cultural inclusion that it seems you want to create.

You could also bring this up generally. Foreground your concerns: Talk about these feelings you have with them at the start of the class, give them a space to talk about their experiences as Lummi taking English courses throughout their lives. Bring them in with you, and incorporate a critical lens of how race or empire comes up in the texts. Give them space to view the material as cultural productions that they can learn AND be critical of, just not stuff where they need to learn the "right" way to read it.

In sum, the best way to get at cultural understanding is to produce ways in which YOU can learn to understand and ways in which they in turn learn to understand you as someone interested in learning about their contributions, not just someone there as a white guy forced to teach stupid Indians (which unfortunately, may be the way they view it until you prove otherwise).

inflatable dalek · Post by **inflatable dalek** » Mon Sep 17, 2012 6:10 pm

Or... Turn up to every lesson dressed as the Lone Ranger.

Post by **Kaylee** » Mon Sep 17, 2012 8:14 pm

inflatable dalek wrote:Or... Turn up to every lesson dressed as the Lone Ranger.

Or the Milky Bar Kid.

bumblemusprime · Post by **bumblemusprime** » Mon Sep 17, 2012 10:44 pm

Shanti418 wrote:Hmmmm, a sticky wicket. One that I would think I have more to say, considering I'm a white (looking) heterosexual male who studies critical race, gender and sexuality.

I think the most important thing is just to go in with an open mind and a clear attitude. The first thing to know is that you know nothing, that kind of thing. The key is not to go "OMG, how can I avoid a cultural faux pas?", the key is to realize "I may have a cultural faux pas, and some student may call me out on it, and that's OK." Treat that as an opportunity to learn and show some give-and-take in the student/teacher relationship, not as a moment of weakness that, if admitted to, might disturb your teacher authority. I mean, I imagine if a cultural faux pas does happen, it's not going to be some huge one, because you're an intelligent and culturally sensitive fellow (as shown by your hand wringing over the possibility of this being an issue in the first place).

Another thing I think would be helpful towards demonstrating your identity as "ally" instead of "cultural imperialist" would be if you could include some Native American work into your readings. I'm not sure how much leeway you have with that, given required readings and the crunch of time. But other than that, the fact that you're a white guy teaching them works by (mostly?) dead white people will work against the cultural inclusion that it seems you want to create.

You could also bring this up generally. Foreground your concerns: Talk about these feelings you have with them at the start of the class, give them a space to talk about their experiences as Lummi taking English courses throughout their lives. Bring them in with you, and incorporate a critical lens of how race or empire comes up in the texts. Give them space to view the material as cultural productions that they can learn AND be critical of, just not stuff where they need to learn the "right" way to read it.

In sum, the best way to get at cultural understanding is to produce ways in which YOU can learn to understand and ways in which they in turn learn to understand you as someone interested in learning about their contributions, not just someone there as a white guy forced to teach stupid Indians (which unfortunately, may be the way they view it until you prove otherwise).

I was kind of baiting the topic for you, Shantzi Pantzi.

First day went well. On the advice of many people, I just owned my own whiteness and newness to the college. I mean, if you know my real name you know that there is no getting around the sheer Anglo of that name.

And I told them I was looking forward to what I would learn about their culture from their own writing. A friend of mine, who is a white guy, but is transgendered and at least knows something about being on the subaltern side, said, "They might find it endearing, honestly, if you admit how much of a baby you are."

Now I've got to figure out how to entertain them for two hours tomorrow. It's two separate courses within English, but I think for tomorrow's purposes I can pass off the same diagnostic assignment in both courses...

saysadie · Post by **saysadie** » Tue Sep 18, 2012 5:51 am

I ammmmm not white. I am "Native American", as you USians say.

Um, I don't know about other people, but I generally enjoy being treated just like anybody else.

My advice: Listen to your head?

bumblemusprime · Post by **bumblemusprime** » Thu Sep 20, 2012 1:07 am

saysadie wrote: Um, I don't know about other people, but I generally enjoy being treated just like anybody else.

So, that's like a marker of Native cultural outcomes, right?

bumblemusprime · Post by **bumblemusprime** » Fri Sep 21, 2012 10:59 pm

End of the first week and I am so exhausted, but really enjoying it.

The educational model is really interesting. It's so holistic. In most state schools in Merka, you'd be expected to specialize and specialize until you specialize yourself into total irrelevance. N.A. education is a little bit of law school, a little history, a little rhetoric, and overall a contribution to a sustainable, local, close-knit environment. Oh sure, there's the usual res problems out there--drugs, alcohol, abuse, etc, etc, Sherman Alexie talks too much, etc... But the goals produce some amazing things.

Pretty well over the initial surge of white guilt, save for the parts I think are constructive--self-awareness, etc. Lesson plans are looking good and I seem to be teaching them things they don't entirely already know!

Shanti418 · Post by **Shanti418** » Tue Nov 13, 2012 6:33 pm

Andrea Smith's Conquest. It's like a Communist Manifesto for colonized peoples.

http://www.amazon.com/Conquest-Sexual-V ... 0896087433

bumblemusprime · Post by **bumblemusprime** » Tue Nov 13, 2012 8:19 pm

Thanks, man. This could be very useful, and I've got to order six other books anyway...

saysadie · Post by **saysadie** » Wed Nov 14, 2012 8:54 am

bumblemusprime wrote:
So, that's like a marker of Native cultural outcomes, right?

I think it's more a marker of life experience. If I'm interpreting the meaning behind that correctly.

Keep in mind, I'm a weirdo.

bumblemusprime · Post by **bumblemusprime** » Wed Nov 14, 2012 9:27 pm

saysadie wrote:
bumblemusprime wrote:
So, that's like a marker of Native cultural outcomes, right?
I think it's more a marker of life experience. If I'm interpreting the meaning behind that correctly. Keep in mind, I'm a weirdo.

It was meant to be a joke... one that you would probably only get if you hung out all day with people talking about Native cultural outcomes and tribal outcomes and institutional educational outcomes. And etc. I'm hilarious. Take my word for it.

So will Lil Sadie qualify for tribal enrollment in Canadia? Do you have to tangle with blood quantum laws?

saysadie · Post by **saysadie** » Thu Nov 15, 2012 9:13 am

It works a little differently in Canada. AFAIK, it will qualify as a "Treaty Indian" and enrollment with my band (tribe). The only time blood quantum comes into play is when we travel to Spokane to visit the in-laws, and then only in regards to ability to cross the border/stay in the country without a visitor's record. Even then, I think that as long as I can prove Native heritage on my side of the family back three generations, the kid might make it across without a passport at 50% blood quantum as per the Jay Treaty. I can't remember the specifics on it right now, tbh. Oh, and it doesn't apply if we fly- flying anywhere requires passport.

The only time that band membership is iffy is when the kid grows up and has kids of its own. I'm not even sure how it works at that point- I think it's if the kid marries and procreates with someone who is not Native, then the kids are considered non-status.

Brendocon · Post by **Brendocon** » Thu Nov 15, 2012 10:23 am

I like that it's called a band.

I will imagine that musical training is compulsory.

bumblemusprime · Post by **bumblemusprime** » Thu Nov 15, 2012 4:48 pm

Wow, interesting stuff. I don't know anything about Canadian law re First Nations bands (see what I did there?) for all that I know a lot about US law. Relatively a lot, anyway, for a white guy.

Interested to see that the Jay Treaty is still invoked. I haven't heard anything that far back referenced in any of the law stuff I've been muddling through lately. Perhaps the Canadians are slightly better at not throwing out inconvenient treaties than the USians?

In the US, afaik, a lot of tribes have the ability to determine membership, but a lot are still mucking through blood quantum laws that, if not on the books, still influence stuff... but I'd be hard-pressed to come up with individual examples and cases because my brain is too full of other stuff. Interesting semantic debate, though, since "sovereignty" would apparently include the right to define your own people.

Hubcap · Post by **Hubcap** » Thu Nov 15, 2012 6:34 pm

In my dealings with the border guards, of which I've much dealing in the last couple of years now, I've gathered a few things.

The US border guards honors the Jay Treaty, because they outright told us they could not deny Sadie entry.

The Canada side though apparently doesn't, because they outright told me that they didn't.

I'm not sure I get the why and all that but I'm sure to have plenty more dealings with customs officials and the like for the rest of my life. Plenty more opportunity to gather more information.

inflatable dalek · Post by **inflatable dalek** » Thu Nov 15, 2012 8:06 pm

Brendocon wrote:I like that it's called a band.

I will imagine that musical training is compulsory.

With the Grandkid who doesn't qualify as the Pete Best of the group.

Brendocon · Post by **Brendocon** » Thu Nov 15, 2012 10:43 pm

Hubcap wrote:Plenty more opportunity to gather more information.

Find out if they prefer Preacher to Sandman.

saysadie · Post by **saysadie** » Fri Nov 16, 2012 9:05 am

Hubcap wrote:The US border guards honors the Jay Treaty, because they outright told us they could not deny Sadie entry.

The Canada side though apparently doesn't, because they outright told me that they didn't.

What he said. It's a US thing, Canada doesn't recognise it. I have an ID card that covers me when I'm in Canada.

I think this kinda outlines things better- http://canada.usembassy.gov/visas/infor ... icans.html

Metal Vendetta · Post by **Metal Vendetta** » Fri Nov 16, 2012 10:54 am

Brendocon wrote:I like that it's called a band.

I will imagine that musical training is compulsory.

No-one mentioned this to me in Canada. There was at least one humourous misunderstanding before it was explained to me.