Navajo scholar Dewey Manus spoke about the challenges of being Indigenous, assimilating into Western culture, and the importance of traditional practices during a Zoom event on Wednesday.
Manus obtained a master’s degree in counseling and currently serves as the residential manager of ShipRock Associated Schools.
Manus grew up on a reservation in Shiprock, New Mexico and was raised by his mother and stepfather. During his childhood, Manus balanced school, his passion for sports, and regularly attended spiritual ceremonies, such as powwows.
“We really travelled all over the place with our powwows,” said Manus. “There were times where I would literally be at a football game and after the game, just covered in sweat…we would head to the center drum in a local town.”
During Powwows, members of Indigenous communities participate in a large social gathering to honor their culture through dance, song, and celebration.
“Growing up in powwows taught me alot about the sacredness and beauty of people coming together and celebrating life,” said Manus.
Manus’ parents played a large role in developing his spirituality and helping him understand traditional Indigeonous practices. Alongside powwows, Manus also attended sweat lodges with his family.
“A sweat lodge is a ceremony mainly for meditation and prayers. It can be done just about at any time. … My parents would have us partake in sweat lodges…It was almost a weekly ritual, like going to church,” said Manus.
Manus said that participating in these rituals helped him navigate his way through the Western education system. He believes there are parallels between a traditional ceremony and a typical day at school.
“In a ceremony… there’s a certain etiquette and a certain respect that goes along with everybody that’s involved. There’s an appropriate time to speak. There’s an appropriate time when to listen,” said Manus.
Manus continued, “When we’re showing that respect in our ceremonies and letting people have the space that they need to speak their mind, to talk… that can also be related to how we relate to one another on the playground and in the hallways.”
Manus believes that many Indigenous people still carry trauma from the past, including the events that transpired at Native boarding schools. Manus said that these schools used violent practices, resulting in the deaths of thousands of Indigenious students and their forced assimilation into Western culture.
“Our entire being had to be changed,” said Manus. “The way we talk, we couldn’t speak our language anymore. The way we dress, we weren’t allowed to dress in our traditional regalia. The way we looked at the world was changed by the education. The way that we communicated with each other had to be in a proper, English form.”
Along with events from the past, Manus said that ongoing issues faced by Indigenous people can bring collective trauma. He highlighted the controversy surrounding the use of Native American mascots for sports teams and schools .
“There’s some people who feel that we’re a little too sensitive. When we look at the mascots, it’s a dehumanization process,” said Manus.
Manus continued, “We are compared to extinct people, such as the buccaneers, the raiders, and the vikings. We are compared to figments of European imagination, such as dragons and celtics. We’re compared to animals. Very rarely are we compared to people that exist to this day.”
Manus recited a traditional Navajo prayer titled “There is beauty again” to close out his presentation. The prayer called for prosperity in all areas of life, such as education and relationships.
Dean of Student Equity Sonia De La Torre acknowledged Long Beach as the original land of the Gabrielino-Tongva tribe, and highlighted the recent resolution passed by the Board of Trustees to acknowledge November as Native American History Month.
“Through dance, family traditions, music and stories, the diversity and long history of Indigenous people across the United States has been kept alive and vibrant,” said De La Torre.
LBCC will continue to observe Native American Heritage Month this month through a lineup of virtual events. The next event will be on Nov. 17 with Pawnee Psychologist Jacob Price, to discuss Indigenous mental health issues.