Boozhoo John,
As a child growing up on the Menominee Indian Reservation, I recall watching black and white cowboy movies and cheering for John Wayne. These were the popular movies available to watch in my youth, but I didn’t understand how these stereotypes and false images of Native people negatively affected me and my people. Thankfully, I’ve come a long way since then.
Leaving my reservation to attend Marquette University was the start of my self-discovery and discovering more about my culture. I learned how resilient my people are, even in the face of assimilation, discrimination, and genocide spanning generations. My experiences in jobs that followed were also mind boggling. I experienced racism first-hand and learned to stand up for myself and my culture.
I began to appreciate the wisdom and work of elders, particularly my father Hilary “Sparky” Waukau, an environmentalist and fighter for our sovereignty. He always told me to “be a good Indian. You need to be a good Whiteman,” he would say. “Learn their ways, incorporate them into your life as a Native woman, and bring them back to our people to fight for our rights.”
I watched as my people fought oppression, fought for our rights, and for the respect we deserve in non-Native communities – and I continue to watch this today.
Indigenous Peoples’ Day ensures present and future generations will be able to celebrate and share our rich culture everyday – our beautiful regalia, our deeply meaningful ceremonies, and our vibrant languages.
But this is bigger than one day. We celebrate who we are every day, and at Wisconsin Native Vote, we will continue our work to ensure the voices of all of our communities are heard so our culture and our rights are protected.
Our Native Vote team will be busy around the state celebrating Indigenous Peoples’ Week. Today, I’ll be tabling at an Indigenous People's Day celebration co-sponsored by the Ho-Chunk Nation and the City of La Crosse. On Friday, our organizer Stacey White is coordinating a youth event with her tribe, Forest County Potawatomi, in Crandon. She is bringing in guest speakers who will educate students about voter information, conservation, and ways they can lead the way to a better future.
