They represent different tribes and varied professions, some working on reservations and some at major institutions in big cities around the country. Or they wrongly generalize that we’re all confined to reservations, living in poverty or flush with casino cash.įor many of us, the message to the rest of society is simple: “We’re still here.”įor Native American Heritage Month, my colleague Rachel Hatzipanagos and I talked with several American Indians and Alaska Natives about their work to remind nonnatives that we are still here. Many people assume all American Indians are dead they have an image in their heads of old black-and-white photos of some western Plains Indians who performed in Buffalo Bill’s Wild West shows. It’s a common frustration for many of the country’s American Indians and Alaska Natives: People react with surprise or disbelief when we tell someone that we’re from a tribe that is Indigenous to the United States.
In fact, our tribe doesn’t have a reservation, but my family often travels to Hollister, N.C., where the Haliwa-Saponi have their tribal homelands, for cultural gatherings or events. I am a member of the Haliwa-Saponi tribe of North Carolina.
I’ve heard that response more than a few times from people when they learn that I am an American Indian.