"The equity lessons are really good, especially if you have the right teachers. I’ve had the right teachers- the ones really teaching it and explaining the slides. I think it’s a step forward and an effort to move in the right direction. I mean, I’ve never done anything like this before. Sometimes I find myself searching for where I come into the lessons. Being a Native American is a very, very small minority, percentage wise. Depending on the lessons I either feel fulfilled or left out of it.
"I think that a lot of the way people address Native Americans is, oh we took your land, we built on top of you, almost like I’m history."
People explain me and my people as more of a historical concept than me, living right now, right here. The only time I’ll be mentioned is in historical context. It’s difficult, too, because people don’t realize you can be racist to a Native American and you can be offensive. It’s something that people don’t think about often. In elementary school, in middle school, even through high school, I’ve had experiences with racism.
"People left feathers on my desk and did the fake war cry noise- that one happens a lot- or they motion like a bow and arrow."
It’s just those things where I think, why are you doing that? I’m not going to say it’s not offensive because it is. It’s also little things. One time a teacher was talking about the Dawes Act and they pretended to look throughout the room and see who they were going to call, and I was the only Native American in the room, so of course they called on me. I don’t mind if people ask me about my culture, but that made me feel a little secluded. I want people to understand that you have to be thoughtful to everybody."
Ocean Benz