I need your help.

[chean]

I am in need of some people who are willing to share with me what it is like today to be a Native American in this country. I am doing some writing....yes, I know, everyone is writing a book. However, I am in the midst of one right now, as we speak...and my main concern as I write of Native Americans is to get it right.
I need to know...true to life...what is it like to be raised and live on a reservation? How do you feel being a Native American in today's culture. I'd like to know of your culture, language, history, music, traditions, anything you would care to share.
You don't have to be any great historian or teacher or have anything big to say. I just want to talk to people that have roots in the Native culture.
I need your help, all of you. I don't want to get this wrong. I want it to be a true picture of Native Americans... empathetic, realistic, making a bond with other Americans...and mostly not to be offensive by stupidity on my part or just plain ignorance. So, help me educate myself! Jump in here and tell me whatever you would like to share. Or if you could get a message out to the rest of America about being a Native American, what would it be? What do you want people to know?
If you have nothing specific to say, just tell me what your life is like. What are your interests? How do you practice your faith?
If you don't want to share it with the whole forum, feel free to email me. I'd love it.
Thanks in advance to all of you who care to help me learn. Let's get this book right, eh?

 

[Sri]

well, I am not native american but most of my friends are. I was really not aware untill I met them and got to know them that most of them still today view white people as a tribe. I am blessed with friends from all different nationalities etc. My indian friends they actually watched me and my family and how we lived before they would talk to us because their is just a lot of distrust there and they have good reasons. I love my friends. They are so geniune. I guess it depends on where you live as a native american. Some places are very rough. Any way they can take advantage of Native Americans they will, to my suprise it is still a big mess. It is true that a lot of Natives will use goverment money to build casinos. There are stereotypes that they just waste the governments money on gambling and getting drunk and abusing their kids or using food stamps when they don't need them. They have their own police department, casinos etc. The stereotypes had to get their for a reason, but they are still stereotypes and a people group should not be classified as a whole under such behaviors but rather individually here. So many Indians are the nicest people you will ever meet in your life. They work hard, they are family oriented and they do everything with their whole heart. I hate it when people say something degrading towards them. I never knew that that kinda stuff still happend with Indians. All races have a person in them that commits crime, but that one person doesn't represent the whole group unless they're in some sort of cult or something. People are so closed minded sometimes. If a person won't engage in conversation with another person soley because of their race they are simply a boring and ignorant person.

 

[chean]

Sri,
I appreciate your input. It is very valuable to me to have that kind of helpful input from someone who has seen these things and watched friends deal with these issues. Thank you.