Voice of the Eagle
Native Discovery
Volume1, Number 3
This issue is an article that was first published on www.pechanga.net – Native America’s largest on-line news source. I hope this article will help us break through the barriers that are holding us back in life. Enjoy!
The Reservation of Our Mind
Working in Native communities for nearly a decade, I’ve found our people constrained by a painful phenomenon: living on the reservation of our minds. When the word "reservation" is used, people usually imagine Navajo Nation, Pine Ridge, or some other place. This problem is much worse and has little to do with physical location, but rather an ingrained sense of defeatism that affects each thought and action.
So many talented people in Native communities have been conditioned to accept poverty, crime, unemployment, alcoholism and limited thinking as a way of life. This isn’t the "Indian way”! Throughout history, Native people have been victimized, but we can choose a different path. During the dark times when our people were moved to reservations, our ancestors hoped we would find new ways to succeed and become educated to the ways of this "new world." Instead, the move to the reservation carried a paralyzing mental shift that became a plague worse than smallpox: the acceptance of a fate far below our capability. Living on the reservation isn’t bad in itself; it’s the limited thinking associated with it, that we’re incapable of success, that destroys our spirit and future.
The reservation often has a predictable lifestyle that lulls its residents into a false sense of security. Instead of chasing their dreams, many youth I've worked with say, "Ah, it's not so bad here." Peter Senge, author of The Fifth Discipline explained that if a frog is placed in hot water, it jumps out of the pot. But, if a frog is placed in warm water, you can turn up the heat slowly and the frog grows weary, unable to muster the strength to jump out of the pot and eventually boils to death! How many of our people feel trapped in their lives like that frog? When that happens, our most precious resource, the dreams of our people, die.
Meet Lisa, a young and motivated Native woman from "Any Reservation, USA." Leaving home to pursue her dreams, she runs the community gauntlet of negativity, jealousy, and comments meant to discourage her. She then goes into a world that doesn't value her culture and asks questions like, "Did you live in a teepee?" Defeatism appears and Lisa begins to question her own worth, ability and where she fits into this world outside the rez. Lisa decides everyone back home was right -- she just wasn't "cut out" for life off the rez and returns home. She heads back to the “boiling pot”. However, in her mind, she never really left the reservation.
Do you live on the reservation of your own mind? Ask yourself:
. When is the last time I took a good, healthy risk to better my life?
. Am I a victim of circumstance or as a master of my own destiny?
. Is my daily language filled with words like "never," "can't," or "shouldn't?"
. Do I spend my time thinking of all the problems in life or seeking solutions?
How can we erase the reservation of our minds, gain control of our lives, and succeed BECAUSE we are Native and not in spite of it?
1) Create your own environment: Regardless of where you live, you'll be able to exercise some level of control over your own environment. My friend, Troy served almost eight years in federal prison, got two college degrees, and now owns his own business. If we know the power of conditioning, we can make it work for us instead of against us! Every day, we’re showered with negative messages, media, and self-defeating thoughts -- the "spirit killers". Reverse the process. Refuse to think anything bad about yourself, refuse to spend time with anyone who says or does anything to disrespect you. These people are poisonous to your soul. Immerse yourself in positive thought, uplifting books, music and surround yourself with people who believe in you. "We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts, we make our world." -- Buddha
2) Understand the power of education in our life: This isn’t just formal education, but an understanding of where we come from and how to succeed in the information age. When is the last time you saw a warrior on horseback charge the steps of the Supreme Court or the halls of Congress to fight a battle to make change? Battles are still waged every day, but they’re fought in the courtrooms and classrooms. I’m proud of our warriors in Indian Country -- teachers, doctors, military, lawyers, parents, political leaders, business owners, students, etc. -- who are developing themselves to defend and help our people. The biggest difference between the "haves" and the "have nots" in America is education. Get on the path, finish the education you might have abandoned, read, listen, and learn because applied knowledge IS power. Education isn’t a luxury for our people, it’s an absolute necessity!
3) Raise our standards: Talk to your elders, read your history and you’ll know we come from greatness! But, until we stop accepting the normalcy of poverty and dysfunction in our communities, we won’t live that way. People get what they expect from life, so raise your standards for your performance, the people you allow into your life, and the goals that you have for your future. You deserve all the best life has to offer! Yes, I’m talking to YOU!
As we go into this new millennium together, let's move beyond "survival mode" and become who we truly are: a successful people! Let's make a collective choice to leave the reservation of our minds behind us forever.
D.J. Vanas - (Odawa) is a speaker, trainer, author and owner of Native Discovery, a company dedicated to improving the lives of Native American people and helping to "build the warriors of tomorrow, today." For more information or to schedule a presentation with your group, please go to www.nativediscovery.com or call 1-800-609-1917.
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