Interview Transcripts

Assimilation: "At the beginning of Plymouth Rock, of the Mayflower, of the three ships Columbus and whatever.  Whatever happened on the east, was the beginning of our demise.  And not only the Northern Arapaho but all tribes on this land.  Because as you, as you as an individual can study any native history, you will see that these people came over from a foreign country, claimed our county as their county, claimed them the better person than the natives that were here.  And ever since that time, day one, we’ve have had to assimilate.   We assimilate to their way.  We assimilate to their language.  We assimilate to their beliefs.   Whereas, we had all these things.  And I remember when I was in ninth grade, and I was getting excited about being in high school, you talk about sharing.  I opened my history book.  The first sentence on there “Native Americans were savages.”  What was I supposed to think of myself?  I’m a savage, I don’t think so, my parents are savages, my brothers and sisters are savages.  No!  I didn’t make good grades in history."

The Younger Generation:"To the generation that exists now, as far as the Northern Arapaho goes, listening is quite a challenge, because I notice that our youth are different listeners.  If they do listen, because of their current influences, I would think, of Direct TV, of having what they call Boom Boxes, and a lot of technology influences.  I think this takes our younger, current Arapaho youth away from the area of listening how we should have been educated from our tribal people."

Arapaho Values:"This listening, bravery, generosity and sharing, and individual freedom, all these values go to one word, respect.  And when I was younger, we knew what respect was.  We know what it is.  Nowadays, as I look at our youth, past two, three generations, when you ask that individual, say Ok, say when they’re in the 20’s now, and then in the teens, teens and 20’s, nowadays. When you ask them “what does your talk lead to?”  “Respect! Respect!”  Yeah get the answer. They don’t know what it is.  They don’t live it,  Even in their young teenager selves, or in their young 20 year-old selves, they don’t live that respect.  It’s the world now, the influences now, that changes that. "

Government Welfare: "I’m not saying that government help is not good but some of us Arapahos get comfortable being on Social Services, being commodities, that sort of thing.  And that individual who’s in that comfortable area, kind of stops to say “Well, why should I pursue employment when commodities is here and Social Services is here to pay my electricity bill.”  Where is that individual’s idea of sharing.  Hey, I’ve got a family to support.  And, and, and, I can see nowadays too, as far as a negative side, employment isn’t there for the Arapaho."