Met with the new point man for the History Center of Olmsted County. An amiable fellow who has never aligned himself with any one tribe. I can't say for certain, but he, like the Chair of the NAC of SE MN, are white.
After our grant with Museology, Cara Clarey and GRADS, fell through because the HCOC wanted to go in a new direction, they formed a new advisory board. The old advisory board was made up of Dakota Tribal Historians, Ho-Chunk anthropologist, and other Indian people with knowledge of their culture and ways. The new board is made up of Jim Wilson (white), Chair of the NAC SE MN, Dawn Littleton, (white) from the Friends of Indian Heights, Mitch Moore, (white) from the Friends of Indian Heights, Tom Hozier, (white)from the Woodlake Battle Field Exhibit, and Bob Sanborn (white), retired teacher from RCTC who taught Native American studies. Uh; where are the Indians?
Nakoma is now the point man and we showed him the RFP that the HCOC put out for their new exhibit, using the money that we the old advisory committee helped secure for them. Sadly, poor old Nakoma never saw the RFP and took the HCOC at their word. Namely that they would have an exhibit that depicted the Indians of Olmsted County, past and preset, but the RFP says that the HCOC is just going to rebrand their Indian artifacts and have a display about "pre-contact" generic Indians. Additionally, the new RFP says that the HCOC is going to work with 4 Indians from SE MN. We asked him who those 4 Indians were and he didn't know.
So, right now, the HCOC is using monies from the Minnesota Historical Society and there is NOT ONE INDIAN among them on their planning committee. Sad, so very sad. Now they are using a good man with an Indian heart as their point man, but in actuality, they are using him as an Indian Agent. How do I know this?
When I told him that I have been barred from the HCOC to use its library for HPC purposes by Jim Suk (white, HCOC Board Chair), Lisa Baldus (white, HCOC Executive Director) , and Jeff Alleman (white, and HPC Chair), and that the Post Bulletin wants to interview relative to the punitive action taken against me because I supported Cara Clarey whom they fired for Lord only knows why and called the HCOC on their non Dakota and Ho-Chunk holdings and asked that they repatriate them if they weren't going to use them in the exhibit; Nakoma said, "I would hold off on that for a while because any bad press about the HCOC will jeopardize the exhibit at the HCOC." Nakoma was also promised that he could teach classes at the HCOC on Native Americans.
So, I have a hard decision to make, go ahead with the interview about the punitive action Jeff Alleman took against me in cahoots with Jim Suk and Lisa Baldus, and then threatened that I would not have any of my Native American interests realized at the HCOC and the HPC if I went public with the story and jeopardize the dominant white culture exhibit at the HCOC. Hmmm...what to do?
Friday, June 6, 2014
Wednesday, June 4, 2014
When will I learn?
Today I received word that our complaint against Century High School and their biased treatment of number one son with ADD was investigated. What did the MDE OCR find? Nothing. Century High School Coach Houghton treated my son fairly and just like every other player. No discrimination occurred. My son was not treated differently from any other player.
Despite the fact that we had proof that he lied, the MDE OCR found no violation of the law. Coach Houghton said son didn't show for practice, wasn't placed on JV in the first place, never showed for practice, didn't intervene when son was being clobbered in the goalie box, and didn't yell at son. All this we had evidence to the contrary and the MDE OCR (Lauren Skerrit) found that Coach Houghton did nothing wrong. He treated every player the same.
This begs the question, should any parent let their son play soccer for Coach Houghton? If Coach Houghton can run his little losing soccer team in this manner, should any parent let their child play soccer? If Coach Houghton can lie, cheat, demean, belittle, retaliate, and ignore people with disabilities, should any parent let their child play soccer for Century?
As a person of color, when I come up against such blatant discrimination, I prefer to test the law. After all, weren't the laws made to help people like me find justice? According to Steven Newcomb the laws were not made to help people like me or my son. The laws were made by people who exercise the belief in the doctrine of discovery. The laws were created by those who believe in domination and that people of color are "subhuman". The laws were made by people who believe in a "superior race" and the laws were designed to keep people of color in line.
Despite my proof, what I did not realize, what I did not remember was that the burden of proof is twice that of one Coach Houghton, a white male. I am a woman of color. My son is of color. He is beautiful. He was voted Utility Man by his soccer peers. He is an awesome player and that his what his peers said. Yet, when we cried foul about team placement, unfair treatment, utter disregard for his 504 plan, yelling fits by Coach Houghton, retaliation and so on, the Century High School administration (all white) came to the aide of Coach Houghton (not my son who was a student there) and the MDE OCR (more white people) found no discrimination on the basis of disability or race.
When will I ever learn that I as a person of color will never find justice when appealing to the dominant culture (soon to become a minority) armed with their doctrine of discovery world view and the laws they designed to keep people like me under oppression?
Despite the fact that we had proof that he lied, the MDE OCR found no violation of the law. Coach Houghton said son didn't show for practice, wasn't placed on JV in the first place, never showed for practice, didn't intervene when son was being clobbered in the goalie box, and didn't yell at son. All this we had evidence to the contrary and the MDE OCR (Lauren Skerrit) found that Coach Houghton did nothing wrong. He treated every player the same.
This begs the question, should any parent let their son play soccer for Coach Houghton? If Coach Houghton can run his little losing soccer team in this manner, should any parent let their child play soccer? If Coach Houghton can lie, cheat, demean, belittle, retaliate, and ignore people with disabilities, should any parent let their child play soccer for Century?
As a person of color, when I come up against such blatant discrimination, I prefer to test the law. After all, weren't the laws made to help people like me find justice? According to Steven Newcomb the laws were not made to help people like me or my son. The laws were made by people who exercise the belief in the doctrine of discovery. The laws were created by those who believe in domination and that people of color are "subhuman". The laws were made by people who believe in a "superior race" and the laws were designed to keep people of color in line.
Despite my proof, what I did not realize, what I did not remember was that the burden of proof is twice that of one Coach Houghton, a white male. I am a woman of color. My son is of color. He is beautiful. He was voted Utility Man by his soccer peers. He is an awesome player and that his what his peers said. Yet, when we cried foul about team placement, unfair treatment, utter disregard for his 504 plan, yelling fits by Coach Houghton, retaliation and so on, the Century High School administration (all white) came to the aide of Coach Houghton (not my son who was a student there) and the MDE OCR (more white people) found no discrimination on the basis of disability or race.
When will I ever learn that I as a person of color will never find justice when appealing to the dominant culture (soon to become a minority) armed with their doctrine of discovery world view and the laws they designed to keep people like me under oppression?
Wednesday, May 28, 2014
Good Old Boys in DMC
Sound bite of the day: DMC is filled with Good Old Boys and their Networks. It is hard to escape. I am a member of the Heritage Preservation Commission and while has only one good old boy as our chair, there are several good old boys that directly influence the group. The money or as one person put it at last nights meeting, the "treasure box" that DMC has created in this city has created "greeditis" and greedy fever. People are buying up and selling off property as fast as they can. Tax payer dollars are being used by private developers to construct huge, ill suited buildings in our little downtown area. The small group of preservationists , a bad word for our chair, come to each meeting as observers armed to preserve our city's oldest and dearest structures, while the majority of our commission members yearn to build, tear down, construct or broker new developments. After my brief encounter with the GOBN it is apparent to me that I do not fit in this HPC construct. I am a preservationist at heart and I am just too busy and honest to be bothered with greed, back room deals, and trendy building fads. I used to think I was tough, actually I was. I could go toe to toe with anyone, yet now, as my children are entering their teen years, I am pulled toward reality, spirituality, communality, and hope. The HPC is no place for a woman who values honesty, transparency, integrity, substance, family, roots, sacred sites, and historical narratives. Actually, I am starting to think that DMC is no place for a woman who values honesty, transparency, integrity, substance, family, roots, sacred sites, and historical narratives.
Friday, April 11, 2014
You can only stretch the American dollar so far
I have had enough of extreme tea party Republicans and extreme left leaning socialist Democrats. I am center, learning right. Just how far do Dems think the American dollar will stretch? You want Health Care for ALL, you want food stamps for ALL working poor, you want EARNED INCOME CREDIT for the NON-WORKING ALL, you want to raise the minimum wage for ALL entry level jobs so ALL people can live the American dream, but you want the RICH people to pay for it? Does that make sense? Excuse me, "Cents?"
Let me tell you that these so called RICH people are WORKING people, they are human beings with hopes and dreams too. They are doctors, lawyers, business people, creative geniuses, artists, moms, dads, professors and so on. Come on! I met one of these so called RICH people and he was a real human being. He was in favor of raising the minimum wage, but asked, "How much are you willing to pay for your burger?" He went on to say that if you have a dollar: 33% goes to wages and benefits, and 33% goes to product, and another % goes to utilities, why are people trying to deny me 5- 10% profit? I have a wife, a mortgage, a son and daughter in college. Why do people say I don't care about the poor? "I care enough to give them a job!"
Why does anyone think the Bill Gates and Warren Buffets of the world need to pay for the poor and working poor? Why does anyone think that the upper middle class on up need to pay for the ALL in this country? My grandparents, Henry and Marie Decorah NEVER accepted welfare. They worked several jobs and we had food on the table. There were meals with neck bones and beans, but we were never hungry. They never owned a home. They never had a new car. We never took extended vacations. Why? Because we were poor! They taught me to get an education so that I would not be POOR!
Why do well-intentioned people think the American dream is everyone's dream? Why does anyone think the American dream is for everyone and should be paid for by the WORKING Americans? I think both parties have things mixed up. Sure let us provide for the least of us in this country. I am in favor of that, but it comes at a price. The American dollar will only stretch so far. It will depend on ALL of us making sacrifices, not just the WORKING people of this country. It will require ALL of us to pay, do without, make do, re-use, re-cycle, scrimp and save, make less of a profit or no profit, and so on.
Paul Ryan is a brave soul. He realizes that the entitlements that provide a safety net for the least of us, relative to money, must be paid for by ALL people. BRAVO for him and the fiscal values of the Republican Party. I think it is time for the Dems to realize that we must ALL make sacrifices so that the American dollar will stretch to cover ALL the people in our great nation!
Let me tell you that these so called RICH people are WORKING people, they are human beings with hopes and dreams too. They are doctors, lawyers, business people, creative geniuses, artists, moms, dads, professors and so on. Come on! I met one of these so called RICH people and he was a real human being. He was in favor of raising the minimum wage, but asked, "How much are you willing to pay for your burger?" He went on to say that if you have a dollar: 33% goes to wages and benefits, and 33% goes to product, and another % goes to utilities, why are people trying to deny me 5- 10% profit? I have a wife, a mortgage, a son and daughter in college. Why do people say I don't care about the poor? "I care enough to give them a job!"
Why does anyone think the Bill Gates and Warren Buffets of the world need to pay for the poor and working poor? Why does anyone think that the upper middle class on up need to pay for the ALL in this country? My grandparents, Henry and Marie Decorah NEVER accepted welfare. They worked several jobs and we had food on the table. There were meals with neck bones and beans, but we were never hungry. They never owned a home. They never had a new car. We never took extended vacations. Why? Because we were poor! They taught me to get an education so that I would not be POOR!
Why do well-intentioned people think the American dream is everyone's dream? Why does anyone think the American dream is for everyone and should be paid for by the WORKING Americans? I think both parties have things mixed up. Sure let us provide for the least of us in this country. I am in favor of that, but it comes at a price. The American dollar will only stretch so far. It will depend on ALL of us making sacrifices, not just the WORKING people of this country. It will require ALL of us to pay, do without, make do, re-use, re-cycle, scrimp and save, make less of a profit or no profit, and so on.
Paul Ryan is a brave soul. He realizes that the entitlements that provide a safety net for the least of us, relative to money, must be paid for by ALL people. BRAVO for him and the fiscal values of the Republican Party. I think it is time for the Dems to realize that we must ALL make sacrifices so that the American dollar will stretch to cover ALL the people in our great nation!
Monday, September 9, 2013
Learning about uncomfortable truth here in destination medical center city. There is a good old boys network. I know this shocks you, lol. Not. While I knew about the GOBN in the community at large, as you only have to look at the Post Bulletin to realize this. They will only print positive things about Mayo and the Catholic church and all others beware. Yet, while the GOBN runs rampant in the community in businesses, development, city and county government, I really didn't think it was in high school athletics. I thought we were so over that, but apparently not.
My son plays soccer and has since he was 3 years old. He is a natural defender and gosh darn it if he doesn't have natural talent. He played for Century High School while in middle school. Yet, this year he is on the C squad. What happened? First, he tried out and immediately made JV. Second, he went to every practice until we went on a vacation, the one we had planned for over a year, and he was bumped almost immediately. Devastation sums up the remainder summer practice sessions. No way back to JV? No. Heck he didn't even get a full uniform until...wait, he still doesn't have one and they are well into their season. The capper for me was this:
Aiden and Cullen's mom: Why isn't Paulo on JV?
Me: I think it is because we went on vacation. At least that is what the coaches are telling him.
Aiden and Cullen's mom: They need him on JV. He is a much better player than my boys.
Me: Well, ah...thanks. Coach says he can work his way back up, but I just don't know. Things aren't adding up for me...
Cullen and Aiden's mom: Vacation? They are playing a boy from Spain and he just got here. He's on JV and now Cullen and Aiden are getting benched. Your son should be playing for JV!
Me: Hmm... I guess I will have to explore this some more...
It seems, the word for Century Soccer is that if you are a good soccer player and a kid of color you won't make the JV or V squad. If you are from the Average White Band, no problem. Heck you can make V in 9th grade! If you are a kid of color you must REALLY be GOOD to make JV and you can only make V if you are a senior. Wow! Really? I had no idea. How can this exist? Does it really exist?
Yup.
100 kids from the Average White Band and 8 kids of color and Marcus, a 9th grader from the AWB on V, case and point.
Talked to the coached and explained my concerns in my best non hover parent voice and said I wanted to discuss how the situation could be remedied. Unfortunately he only wanted to "set me straight on the facts". Discrimination never came up. He said we needed to talk on the phone, now. I was so ticked off I had to wait until the following week. No! He wanted to talk to me that very day, but only to "set me straight on the facts". Dude, this is no way to talk to someone who has spent 20 years on human rights councils, commissions, and won a discrimination case deep in upper red neck territory. Again, it is hard to talk tough to people who are unarmed. I politely said that I didn't need to have him set me straight on the facts, I knew them. I am familiar with the facts all too well...
Regroup.
Let's talk to the principal and get this over with. You know, kind of like pulling off a band aid on a festering wound. I served on the Core Planning Team for the school district and this is exactly why I participated. I wanted to give ALL children educational opportunities and that did INCLUDE sports. No, couldn't talk to him because this is not an ACADEMIC issue. Okay, I will talk to the athletic director. Talk about GOBN. He kept calling me mom. Honestly. Man, it is hard to get tough with someone who isn't armed. He said, "Now isn't this better than emailing? You get a chance to vent, mom, and this is the best way to advocate for your son." Are you playing with me?
Nope.
I went for a little bit of the gusto and explained how I felt my son was being discriminated against, he was being singled out, no full uniform and on and on I went. What did he say? 23 years experience of placing kids on teams, parents, kids and vacation, build a team, and other coaching woes. He would look into the matter.
Doubt.
I sent a follow up letter and again, put on my best non hover parent voice in the note. Something like I hope you will follow up on the matter, yadda, yadda, yadda. I have retired from the human rights gig. Tired and lost hope for a while.
Regroup.
Son said the coach yelled at two kids and it was pretty awful.
Son: He yelled at X and it was terrible.
Me: Why?
Son: I don't know...well, he didn't do what coach wanted. I think he smarted off too.
Me: (silent)
Son: He yelled at X too, but X held up his phone and told coach he would call his mom if he didn't stop yelling at him.
Me: (angry silent)
Son: What?
Me: All you have to do is record the coach and we can take it from there.
Son: You aren't going to talk to the coach are you? He will just yell at me next. I don't want that.
Me: What he is doing isn't good. If it happens again, push record. Okay?
Son: Okay.
Me: It will be okay. I am not stupid okay? You will not get hurt. These men are trying to break your spirit and you can't let that happen. This is what happens. They will never win. Only you can let them win.
So while the athletic director of the GOBN is "looking into the matter" I am
Googling how to file a complaint against a coach. Guess what I found? Rep. Urdahl's (HS coach, turned politician) Bill to help protect coaches. Say what?
It's true.
Seems to me that the GOBN here in destination medical center land have had enough protection and now it is extending to the high school. Man, it starts younger and younger. Maybe high school is a micro-chasm of the world or at least the community after all. Something needs to change. It is time for me to set some things aside and put on my human rights hat again (sigh).
My son plays soccer and has since he was 3 years old. He is a natural defender and gosh darn it if he doesn't have natural talent. He played for Century High School while in middle school. Yet, this year he is on the C squad. What happened? First, he tried out and immediately made JV. Second, he went to every practice until we went on a vacation, the one we had planned for over a year, and he was bumped almost immediately. Devastation sums up the remainder summer practice sessions. No way back to JV? No. Heck he didn't even get a full uniform until...wait, he still doesn't have one and they are well into their season. The capper for me was this:
Aiden and Cullen's mom: Why isn't Paulo on JV?
Me: I think it is because we went on vacation. At least that is what the coaches are telling him.
Aiden and Cullen's mom: They need him on JV. He is a much better player than my boys.
Me: Well, ah...thanks. Coach says he can work his way back up, but I just don't know. Things aren't adding up for me...
Cullen and Aiden's mom: Vacation? They are playing a boy from Spain and he just got here. He's on JV and now Cullen and Aiden are getting benched. Your son should be playing for JV!
Me: Hmm... I guess I will have to explore this some more...
It seems, the word for Century Soccer is that if you are a good soccer player and a kid of color you won't make the JV or V squad. If you are from the Average White Band, no problem. Heck you can make V in 9th grade! If you are a kid of color you must REALLY be GOOD to make JV and you can only make V if you are a senior. Wow! Really? I had no idea. How can this exist? Does it really exist?
Yup.
100 kids from the Average White Band and 8 kids of color and Marcus, a 9th grader from the AWB on V, case and point.
Talked to the coached and explained my concerns in my best non hover parent voice and said I wanted to discuss how the situation could be remedied. Unfortunately he only wanted to "set me straight on the facts". Discrimination never came up. He said we needed to talk on the phone, now. I was so ticked off I had to wait until the following week. No! He wanted to talk to me that very day, but only to "set me straight on the facts". Dude, this is no way to talk to someone who has spent 20 years on human rights councils, commissions, and won a discrimination case deep in upper red neck territory. Again, it is hard to talk tough to people who are unarmed. I politely said that I didn't need to have him set me straight on the facts, I knew them. I am familiar with the facts all too well...
Regroup.
Let's talk to the principal and get this over with. You know, kind of like pulling off a band aid on a festering wound. I served on the Core Planning Team for the school district and this is exactly why I participated. I wanted to give ALL children educational opportunities and that did INCLUDE sports. No, couldn't talk to him because this is not an ACADEMIC issue. Okay, I will talk to the athletic director. Talk about GOBN. He kept calling me mom. Honestly. Man, it is hard to get tough with someone who isn't armed. He said, "Now isn't this better than emailing? You get a chance to vent, mom, and this is the best way to advocate for your son." Are you playing with me?
Nope.
I went for a little bit of the gusto and explained how I felt my son was being discriminated against, he was being singled out, no full uniform and on and on I went. What did he say? 23 years experience of placing kids on teams, parents, kids and vacation, build a team, and other coaching woes. He would look into the matter.
Doubt.
I sent a follow up letter and again, put on my best non hover parent voice in the note. Something like I hope you will follow up on the matter, yadda, yadda, yadda. I have retired from the human rights gig. Tired and lost hope for a while.
Regroup.
Son said the coach yelled at two kids and it was pretty awful.
Son: He yelled at X and it was terrible.
Me: Why?
Son: I don't know...well, he didn't do what coach wanted. I think he smarted off too.
Me: (silent)
Son: He yelled at X too, but X held up his phone and told coach he would call his mom if he didn't stop yelling at him.
Me: (angry silent)
Son: What?
Me: All you have to do is record the coach and we can take it from there.
Son: You aren't going to talk to the coach are you? He will just yell at me next. I don't want that.
Me: What he is doing isn't good. If it happens again, push record. Okay?
Son: Okay.
Me: It will be okay. I am not stupid okay? You will not get hurt. These men are trying to break your spirit and you can't let that happen. This is what happens. They will never win. Only you can let them win.
So while the athletic director of the GOBN is "looking into the matter" I am
Googling how to file a complaint against a coach. Guess what I found? Rep. Urdahl's (HS coach, turned politician) Bill to help protect coaches. Say what?
It's true.
Seems to me that the GOBN here in destination medical center land have had enough protection and now it is extending to the high school. Man, it starts younger and younger. Maybe high school is a micro-chasm of the world or at least the community after all. Something needs to change. It is time for me to set some things aside and put on my human rights hat again (sigh).
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
A dose of humility
Yesterday I was feeling sorry for myself with my husband out of town, staying at a ritzy hotel getting some more training, and me running to and fro with our children, as I coughed and sneezed because of my allergies. As I was driving home with my baby Mia, age 9, who I had just picked up from choir practice, along with some Chinese for dinner because there was no way I was going to cook too; I got a dose of humility, which I obviously needed.
I saw a woman carrying a laundry basket trying to herd her children, ages ~5, 3, and just walking. One by one the kids climbed down the stairs that led to a basement apartment. The basement apartment was at the bottom of a large three story house. It is located on one of the main drags here in town. There was no yard to speak of. It occurred to me that this woman probably just came from a laundromat and was now returning home. As I saw the littlest child, a boy try to navigate the stairs that led to his home, I felt a tug at my heart.
My emotions were just as peaked as my antihistamine levels in my body and I swallowed the large lump that was in my throat. What was I feeling sorry about? I was headed to my home up on the hill with a huge yard. I had thrown a load of laundry in my washing machine that morning and it was already in the dryer ready to be folded. My husband was out of town receiving additional training that he needed to assume another leadership position within the clinic. My other older children were safely at home doing their homework, awaiting our arrival. Later I would take all of my children to our church for their weekly activities and I would get to fold the clothes, and perhaps play a game of Boggle on the computer while they were gone. Perspective.
God bless this woman whom He placed in my sight to help me remember the many blessings that I have received, so that I would see her and offer a prayer for her and her little children.
I saw a woman carrying a laundry basket trying to herd her children, ages ~5, 3, and just walking. One by one the kids climbed down the stairs that led to a basement apartment. The basement apartment was at the bottom of a large three story house. It is located on one of the main drags here in town. There was no yard to speak of. It occurred to me that this woman probably just came from a laundromat and was now returning home. As I saw the littlest child, a boy try to navigate the stairs that led to his home, I felt a tug at my heart.
My emotions were just as peaked as my antihistamine levels in my body and I swallowed the large lump that was in my throat. What was I feeling sorry about? I was headed to my home up on the hill with a huge yard. I had thrown a load of laundry in my washing machine that morning and it was already in the dryer ready to be folded. My husband was out of town receiving additional training that he needed to assume another leadership position within the clinic. My other older children were safely at home doing their homework, awaiting our arrival. Later I would take all of my children to our church for their weekly activities and I would get to fold the clothes, and perhaps play a game of Boggle on the computer while they were gone. Perspective.
God bless this woman whom He placed in my sight to help me remember the many blessings that I have received, so that I would see her and offer a prayer for her and her little children.
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Next phase...
Now that IHP will be recognized as a sacred Dakota burial site, what is next? First time is needed to give the people of Rochester time to digest this amazing declaration. Understandable. In time an official notice will be given to mountain bikers that the park is now off limits because of the sacredness of the site. The Dakota Community has met to determine our next move and we have contacted the park department about our interest. It was a good thing that we did this!!!! FOIH has met to consider their next move and at some point the park department will bring us all together so we can forge ahead.
Somehow I get the sense that this will be a slow, fractured process. It is a good thing that I am a registered nurse and I understand "fractures" and how to care for them; time and healing.
Somehow I get the sense that this will be a slow, fractured process. It is a good thing that I am a registered nurse and I understand "fractures" and how to care for them; time and healing.
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