1968: "Indians are always portrayed on TV as the villain, and it was a long time before we could get the kids to accept the idea they were Indians. They always wanted to hide from the Indians when they saw them on TV." - Frank Timbimboo, Shoshoni. Utah
 |
| 1968 May 19. Detroit American |
There has never been a definitive history of the American Indian written by an Indian. But such an effort is under way. The University of Utah's Western History Center, in co-operation with several other universities, is currently interviewing hundreds of American Indians for their views on their own history and their attitudes toward the white man.
"The Indian has been traditionally regarded by the white man as a person of little consequence," says C. Gregory Crampton, director of the center. "So the Indian stereotype still persists. He is still the villain on the movie or television screen. He is still the half-naked, feathered savage who should be shot by the cavalry or saved by the missionaries.
Mr Crampton and his staff have, in a year's work so far, collected and transcribed more than 3000 pages of taped interviews - on reservations, in towns, at colleges where Indians are students.
Indian elders reminisce of bygone days, revealing a common thread of bitterness toward the white man. They lament the passing of their cultures and view the younger generation with disdain for not seeking to preserve the old way of life.
Indian youths are restless. Some are proud of their heritage, but some yearn for a white man's education and comfort, largely out of reach from their reservation poverty. A handful speak militantly, with more dream than plan of "red power." The real hope of the Indian nations seems to lie with a group of youngsters who challenge immense obstacles to obtain college educations.
"It is not easy to do this work," says Floyd O'Neil, one of Mr Crampton's assistants. "Indians for good reason do not trust the white man, and many are reluctant to submit to the talking machine. But the time is critical right now. Every day the Indian cultures die a little."
Still, the history survives. Young braves memorize the stories their fathers and grandfathers tell them, thus preserving the traditions. Youth add their own feelings. Here are excerpts from some of these interviews -- Indian history and attitudes from the mouths of Indians. -- Nelson Wadsworth.
On Indian History
"If you ask someone who Julius Caesar was, they could tell you all about him. Bust ask them about a certain Indian in the United States, a famous Indian, and they can't tell you a thing about him. It's really sad too because that was a part of history too." - Thelma Stiffarm, 21, Gros-Ventre Cree, Mt
"The Indian, you must understand, had a very high type of society. It was ruled by the elders. It was kept clean and watched over by the women. It was fed by the braves and propagated by the wives. Now it was a very simple life, and I don't think any life is made any better, necessarily, by complicating it." - Young Sioux Indian Student, Fort Lewis College, Colo.
"Yes, we still speak in our language. But, we had 20 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. But none of them are speaking our language no more. They just can't understand what we are talking about." - Moroni Timbimboo, 80, Shoshoni, Washakie, Utah
"As our ancestors settled here, and many generations passed, the Zunis fought hard for survival and won. Many were times of famine and drought. There was always the danger of the Zuni dying of sickness, starvation, or thirst. But always the determination to live. Today, in the refrigerators, if one time it is slightly empty, the never-ending bitterness of our children is heard, unmindful of conditions the parents of their grandparents endured. If for some reason, the power of electricity is turned off or the gas to the water heater is depleted, anger and unjust cruel words are exchanged between the closest of brother and sister. Less and less are heard of how our grandparents lived and why they lived the way they did." - A Zuni Elder, New Mexico
"Indians are always portrayed on TV as the villain, and it was a long time before we could get the kids to accept the idea they were Indians. They always wanted to hide from the Indians when they saw them on TV." - Frank Timbimboo, Shoshoni. Utah
~ Source: 1968 May 19. Detroit American
