Dear Anonymous:
Throughout the history of this blog, “When Turtles
Fly,” I have published both positive and negative comments in the interests of
dialogue and conversation. This morning, however, I received the
following anonymous rant:
“Thank you defenders of us teachers!! The
problem that I have with this blog, coming from an educated person, is the
generalization that is being implied which greatly offends me as a 4th great
teacher. Get over it people, not all teachers teach the "wrong" way
or the "wrong" facts or force everyone to build a mission. All the
history books I've ever taught with include all the negative effects the
mission system had on the missions so I don't know where you guys are looking.
If what you are really upset about is building that mission, then don't do it
and ask for an alternative. I had fun building my mission project and got to
spend some quality/creative time with my daughter when we chose to build hers,
so I guess the building might not be the real problem for some of you. Geeesh,
what a waste of my time reading all these complaints... I guess some just need
a place to vent.”
Well
Anonymous, because you posted anonymously, and will probably not visit the site
again, there is no way for me to tell you that yes, “I guess the building [of a
model mission diorama] might not be the real problem for some of you.” No
kidding! I would like to reply that you need to read more of the blog
posts, learning exactly WHY the 4th grade mission project is so very
problematic (and it’s not because I don’t want parents to spend time
having fun with their children, or because I think 4th grade
teachers are stupid).
I would like to reply that I realize not all
teachers teach the “wrong” way or the “wrong” facts; and that A) in fact it is in
large part because of educational resources like this blog (not just this
blog) that teacher awareness of California mythology about the missions has
increased; and B) the teachers who are offering alternative projects and
incorporating more of the truth about missionization into their 4th
grade classrooms need the kind of support offered by this blog and other
information in the resource lists I provide. You wrote, "geeesh,
what a waste of my time reading all these complaints ... I guess some just need
a place to vent." This kind of venting, Anonymous, is called
COMMUNICATION. I would like to tell you that Audre Lorde tells us,
"Anger is full of information and energy," and that's it is a good
idea to pay attention to anger, or venting, because it contains material you
need to know about, and deal with.
I would also like to reply that the 4th
grade mission project is something that has had long-term effects on how
California Indians are viewed in the mainstream press and population, and that
those views are typically inaccurate, leading to the perpetuation of
misrepresentations and stereotypes. This blog, you would have noticed,
Anonymous, had you read further, is not primarily about the 4th
Grade Mission Project. This blog is about exploring, exposing, and
correcting the history of what really happened to California Indians during and
after missionization. It is about giving voice to California Indian
experience, knowledge and pain. Most importantly, it is about making
connections between what happened THEN with the current conditions of
California Indians (economic, educational, psychological, legal). How
many of the history books have you read actually do that? or prepare
students to think about these connections in their future? How many texts
used in the classroom contain the voices of California Indians? How many
texts teach children that Missionization was not good for Indians in any way,
shape or form – not now, not then, not ever – and yet, the ideology behind
Missionization continues to harm contemporary California Indians and the
non-Indian children who grow up to be adults with no clue about that?
Southern California is covered in faux-Mission style
buildings, red tile rooftops, tourist destinations that celebrate the Missions
as cultural and civilizing successes. The culture itself is deeply
damaged by myths that celebrate Spanish/Mexican rule and thereby denigrate
Native Californian lives and culture. There is very little information
available to the general public that even begins to question that mythology,
let alone refute it. This affects the efforts of Native Californians
alive today in a multitude of damaging and negative ways.
That’s why I write this blog. Not because I
think 4th grade teachers can’t teach (I have my own elementary
teaching degree) or because I’m seeking fame and fortune (don’t make me
laugh!). Not because I want to waste your time, dear Anonymous; but have
you considered all the ways your time (and your daughter’s time, and your
daughter’s education) has been wasted on material that has no relationship
whatsoever to reality or intellectual validity? If I were you, that’s
what I’d be most worried about: why don’t I know this material? why isn’t
it being taught? why don’t I have a curriculum that includes it?
what really happened to Southern California Indians when the Spanish (and
later, Mexican) government ruled here? Why did the Native
California population drop from approximately one million to 5 or 10 thousand
in less than 100 years? What mistakes were made that future citizens of
California would like to avoid, learn from, learn about, to help them grow as
humane and aware people?
But I can’t have this conversation with you,
Anonymous, nor any of the other folks who have left comments but no names or
email addresses. I can’t have this conversation because you don’t want to
have it, and you have let me know that by posting your little rant (I hope it
made you feel better; it certainly did nothing for me or, I’m fairly certain,
for your daughter or the students in your classroom). And I’m tired of
having one-sided conversations with people who aren’t even in the room.
Therefore, I will continue to publish all comments,
with one important change: I will no
longer publish comments that are submitted anonymously. If I can put
my name, my tribe and my writing out there with full disclosure about who I am
and how to reach me, then so can anyone who wants to comment. So, from
today (March 15, 2012) on, please sign your name to any remarks and leave your
email address so that when I, or others, respond to your comments, we can be
part of a conversation and not rants that expose how much you don’t know and
how badly you don’t want to know it.
Sincerely,