The lack of respect for Native-American history in public schools causes young people of the ethnicity to feel alienated and commit suicide, a Native-American psychologist and teacher told about 25 students Tuesday night.
“Suicide is an expression of self-alienation,” said Charles Robertson, during his speech at McCormick Auditorium in Norris University Center. “You don’t like yourself so badly that its the only thing you can see as the alternative.”
Robertson’s lecture kicked off Native-American Awareness Week, a series of events sponsored by Mayfest, the student group that organizes Northwestern’s monthlong celebration of spring and Native-American culture that culminates with Dillo Day on May 24.
Robertson started his speech by declaring he is “a born-again pagan” — an aspect of Native-American spirituality many young people have difficulty accepting.
Robertson, who considers himself a member of the Ojibway and Dakota tribes of the Midwest, said people must understand their own identity as well as other groups’ cultures.
But Native Americans are deprived of learning about their own history and culture while in school, leading to feelings of self-alienation from their communities, Robertson said. “The reality of Native-American children is that they are not reflected in education. If we don’t identify with the system we drop out.”
The absence of a Native-American perspective in public schools is demonstrated by the results of a study by one of Robertson’s colleagues, who examined three different classrooms — one of which was entirely Native American, a second entirely white and a third mixed.
By the fourth grade, Native-American students had fallen behind their white counterparts, Robertson said. “The ideal U.S. education does not fit.”
The public school system’s inability to depict the Native-American experience accurately causes youths to turn to chemical abuse, alcoholism and suicide, Robertson said.
Between 1979 and 1992, suicide rates for Native Americans were about 1.5 times higher than the national rate, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Suicides among young Native Americans ages 15 to 24 accounted for 64 percent of all Native-American suicides during this period.
Although he did not provide statistics of his own, Robertson called the problem “very painful” and “very real.”
To expose students to more Native-American history, Robertson has established the Heart of the Earth Survival School in Minneapolis, which teaches 150 Native-American children the importance of self-growth through learning about their people’s history, customs and traditions.
“The focus toward cultural practices specifically curbs these incidents of suicide and depression,” Robertson said. “We have to bring (our children) back to a place of caring about themselves and knowing about themselves.”
Sarah Purdy, philanthropy chairwoman for Mayfest, called Robertson’s speech a perfect way to start this year’s awareness week.
“People say Mayfest is just about Dillo Day,” said Purdy, an Education sophomore. “But the idea is to make people know about Native-American culture in Chicago and the world.”
Mayfest leaders plan to show tonight the movie “Smoke Signals,” a Native-American film about one man’s search for his father with the help of a fellow tribesman. On Thursday the group will host drummer R.J. Smith. Both events will be held on Norris’ East Lawn.
