This past March I attended the Native American Literature Symposium (NALS) in Minnesota. It was the first conference I've ever been to (as a professor and a Native)and I took away so many ideas that have kept my head buzzing ever since. How can you particpate in something so important and not continue the discussion? So that was primarily the reason for starting this blog; the NALS conference changed my life in a big way. There are so many things that I want to write about from those three days at Mystic Lake, but because of a milestone in my almost two-year-old's life, I am going to start by discussing the idea behind gift-giving.
Gift-giving is done in almost every culture as a sign of appreciation. We give gifts on different holidays and occasions to show others that they are important in our lives. In Native culture, however, gift-giving goes beyond just appreciation. On the final night of the conference, there were about forty of us left. Our number had dwindled as many had caught midday flights back to working reality. We had been going to different sessions from 8am to 10pm each day, listening to themes of; sovereignty, symbolism, cultural texts, violence, and so much more. That last evening together was our chance to wind down and relax and get to know each other in a different setting. We ate the food of the land: buffalo, salmon, walleye, an array of vegetables, and fruit pudding (which is called wojape in my mom's language). We talked at our different tables about where we were from, what we did, how the weather in Minnesota was freezing, and we coordinated shuttle rides to the airport. Somewhere in the middle of dinner, one of the NALS coordinators, Gwen, went to the front of the room where there were instruments set up. She presented Gordon Henry, Jr. & The Northwoods Improvisors (a Native storyteller and an amazing band that created sound effects for everything).
Before Gordon started, he talked about giving gifts. Usually, our ideas of gifts are material or physical items. However, in Native culture, gifts come in many forms. Dancing, singing, and storytelling are all gifts. In addition, one of the most important gifts that Native people have ever given were signatures on the treaties that they signed so long ago. Those treaties gave the gift of trust. Native people put their trust in the settlers to uphold their end of the bargain. Even though that trust was violated, we still continue to give gifts. The reason we do this is because we are now trusting others to change, to improve, to become better versions of themselves, and to inspire others to do the same.
That brings me to my almost two-year-old... He goes to daycare and this is his last week as a pre-toddler (1-2 year old). His last day will be on Thursday and he will become a toddler on Friday. He has grown so much in this last year and a large part of that is because of his amazing teachers. They pay close attention to the likes and dislikes of each child in their classroom. My little one loves dinosauars, dancing to Yo Gabba Gabba songs, and hanging an owl (with his picture on it) on a makeshift tree. The teachers use this information to create activities that will attract the children's interest and help them grow. This is a difficult task considering the attention span of 1-2 year olds is like that of a kitten chasing one of those red, laser lights. I definitely appreciate their hardwork (especially since I was one of them before) and so I am one of the moms who gives teacher gifts.
During Christmas time, I like to give the more common teacher gifts: candy, starbucks, gift cards, school supplies. At the end of the year though, my Native roots kick in and I feel like my last gift to them needs to have more meaning behind it. I want them to feel proud of what they do and realize how much of an inspiration they are to others, especially the children. Most importantly, I want them to keep doing it. This time, I decided to make the gifts. And....because of NALS (once again, important conference that changed my life) I decided to make dream catchers. I used a quote that was on a picture frame. The frame was a gift given to me when I was a preschool teacher and definitely presents the message that I hope to leave them with.
"100 years from now... It will not matter the type of house I lived in or the kind of car I drove but the world may be different because I was important in the life of a child" -Unknown
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