We Are Not Your Indians

The Indian symbol, or simply "the symbol" as we knew it, was the source of most of my negative experiences while in college. The use of the symbol was opposed by most Native American students because we did not appreciate having the cheerleaders lead the crowd in "war-whoops," fake scalpings, and hatchet throwing during the football halftimes as they had done in the past.

I was always very puzzled when people would attempt to change my mind to support the Indian symbol, telling me, "You should be proud that we are honoring Indians in this fashion." I would doubt very seriously if any other minority group would tolerate being treated in such a way. For example, running out onto the football field in blackface and doing a tapdance at halftime would hardly be considered "honoring" AfricanAmerican culture.

I remember one traditional Indian song that was sung at one of the Dartmouth; Pow Wows which clearly embodied the students' sentiment. That song, called a '49 song, is sung along with a drum at night after,a pow wow. The lyrics were a variation of a popular, traditional Kiowa '49 song, "I'm from Oklahoma." Our version instead began; "I'm from Dartmouth College," and concluded with the phrase, "We are not your Indians, we are not your symbols anymore." That's how the students felt—we were not the symbols of the majority population— we refused to be, their Indians. We were who we were, not who the alumni wanted us to be—not the drunken, bare-chested, green Indians who pounded on the big drum in feathers at football games in the fifties. None of that was real.

Although it was a challenge and the Indian students appreciated those in dividuals who wanted to learn more, after countless seminars, rallies, and classes where one's consciousness was raised through the roof, I eventually became tired of functioning as the ambassador and expert for every tribe from the Bering Strait to Tierra Del Fuego—especially when I had my normal class schedule and other academic assignments to keep up with. Like many Native American students, I eventually became worn out by the effort of trying to educate my peers about Indians and why one group of people should not be forced to be the mascots for another.

ARVO MLKKANEN is an assistant attorney and special assist ant for tribal relations withthe U.S. Attorney's Office in Oklahoma City, A member of the Kiowa Gourd ClanWarrior Society, he is a southern plains style straight dancer.