Over a quarter century ago I started out as a babyteacher on the Flathead Reservation here in Montana, teaching at the Bureau of Indian Affairs1 tribal alternative school and trying to learn how to do classroom things well and right. I had so much to learn. I needed to gain mountains of experience, not the least of which was self-awareness about what it means to be a white person serving a tribal community.
As it turns out, developing self-awareness has been a lifelong commitment. After four years of intensive immersion in the community at that school, I transferred to the public school near my house, also on the reservation. I spent 18 years there building relationships, designing teaching units, offering professional development, writing curriculum and articles by invitation, learning intricacies of funding formulas such as Impact Aid2. I was even featured as the primary subject of a tribally-produced documentary on culturally relevant and place-based instruction. My doctoral dissertation focused on Montana’s Indian Education for All (IEFA) law, and Sherman Alexie suggested me as author for a teacher’s reflection accompanying the 10th anniversary reprint of The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. I’ve learned by making mistakes, listening, asking questions, and listening some more.
For the past three years I’ve worked to develop online Indigenous language courses in partnership with tribes of Montana that want them, and one result of that work has been the birth of the non-profit I now direct, Chickadee Community Services. Our mission is to support education projects by, about, and for Indigenous people. My board comprises three Native educators who are also Indigenous language advocates, and I am so proud to work with them through every step.
In 18 months Chickadee has become something I never imagined: a self-propelling organization. By this I mean that I initially visualized taking on projects by that came to me, then finding funding for them. For example, in November 2023 I was invited to Rocky Boy to record elders telling stories, then edit the footage into shorter videos available to their community. Some of the footage is in English, some in Cree, some covers sensitive topics, some does not. They trusted me for this project so I went to a local foundation and requested the funds. With those funds, the trip and project became a reality.
Since then, fundraising has occurred more organically. Yes, we are still actively working to support specific projects.3 But also, Chickadee has been trusted by the Potlatch Fund4 not once but twice, with unrestricted funding to provide high quality services to Indigenous communities. Not every Native-led organization will give to Chickadee since I am non-Native, and that’s reasonable, but others will, given the composition of our board and the fact that all our work supports Indigenous communities of various kinds.
A professor I met at Turtle Mountain College told me he didn’t think that tribal entities or individuals are necessarily interested in the broad reputations of their partners. They aren’t looking to create a one-off product with an entity. He wrote to me, “A general theme is Native communities are not looking to partner on a project, rather they are looking to partner long-term with a person.” This requires trust, and a record of allyship over the long term. Most of my relationships in tribal communities have taken years to build, so what he said makes sense to me.
And this brings me to my point. The most frequent criticism I receive both personally and as the director of this organization is that the work I do might offend tribal people. And who levies this criticism is telling: almost invariably, it comes from other white people.
I’ve been chided to use what they consider less offensive terminology both for Indian and non-Indian people.5 I’ve been questioned about my choice to wear gifts from Indigenous people and entities. I’ve been told my work could be considered appropriative, and that I should refrain from telling my own story because it overlaps with stories of Indigenous peoples. I’ve essentially been told that Chickadee’s work doesn’t count because the director is non-Native.
In response, I offer a reminder that we don’t know what we don’t know. Some people who consider themselves progressive thinkers might actually patronize to the point of harm, once they start opining on the basis of their limited lived experience. In fact, if you are a white person and telling me what you think a Native person would be offended by, aren’t you perhaps committing the exact sin of which you accuse me? I know from over two decades of providing professional development to teachers that white people are very, very concerned about offending Indians. They fret a lot about correctness. They worry about coming off as a racist or ignorant.6 But overcompensating by making assumptions and trying to direct others who are actually doing the work is arrogant.
At the same Turtle Mountain conference, I mumbled something in front of the group about my own self-consciousness over wearing a ribbon skirt7 at the event. After my talk, one of the culture keepers approached to tell me not to worry so much: that in the old days, his community would have welcomed me, given me the ribbon skirt themselves, and expected me to wear it. He said our modern concern with appropriation and offending others can block crucial efforts at relationship-building.
Perhaps not everyone agrees with him, and certainly cultural appropriation is a serious problem. But not every white person working in Indian Country is appropriating. As others have pointed out8, some are well informed, capable, and self-aware enough to realize they might not know everything.
Now Bureau of Indian Education
unique to public school districts lacking a sufficient tax base such as those on Indian reservations or near military bases. I learned this when I became the federal programs and grants manager.
Such as IndigiPalooza MT, a celebration of Indigenous arts and storytelling slated for August in Missoula, headlined by Joy Harjo, to which you should definitely donate if you are able!
a Native-led philanthropic organization
A tribal member on my dissertation committee guided me to use in my final paper the terms “Indian” and “non-Indian” to describe Indigenous and white people, respectively.
Generally speaking those aren’t the people who need to worry.
Gift from the education department at Rocky Boy in 2022
Namely Chris La Tray in his recent newsletter where he names journalist Nora Mabie as one of the most outstanding white advocates for tribal communities in Montana
People who have accomplished nothing love to direct people who have accomplished something how to do it. You owe them nothing. Thank you for the work you do.
So well said. And tell Winona I am VERY impressed she pulled off a hug with you. Excellent work.