Anton Treuer enlightened a full audience in Baker Theatre with personal stories and opinions about oppression and the history of Native Americans.
Treuer, an Ojibwe professor at Bemidji State University, led a discussion titled, “Everything You Wanted To Know About Indians but Were Afraid to Ask,” which gave students the opportunity to ask Treuer questions about any topics relating to Native Americans.
In honor of Native American Heritage Month, the Multicultural Center and the Black Student Cultural Programming Board booked Treuer as the keynote speaker for November.
Treuer began the discussion by introducing himself in the Ojibwe language to make a statement about how English is a foreign language.
Treuer, who is a part of the Ojibwe tribe, also made the disclaimer that he does not expect one white person to speak on behalf of the entire white population and the same should go with his own opinions as one Native American man because there are a wide range of opinions about different topics throughout Native American culture.
“None of us see the world the way it is,” Treuer said. “We see the world as we are.”
Treuer said the main issue with the way people view Native Americans is that their culture is romanticized while also being stereotyped as savages and that they are “so often imagined and so infrequently understood.”
That misunderstanding often stems from problems with the educational system, Treuer said. He added that many of the people who write history books on Native Americans have often never spoke to a Native American or gone to where they live.
Native Americans are often marginalized and invisible, both to the non-native population and to themselves, Treuer said, which is a result of years of oppression. One example he used is that white heroes in American history are commonly known, but it is unlikely the majority of the white population knows the names of Native American heroes.
He commented that many people do not know the history of where non-Native Americans live, which makes it easy for people to be oblivious about the destruction of the world around them because it holds no historical or personal value.
Diwali brought high energy through cultural performances
The audience asked many questions, ranging from topics such as the racial issues with offensive sports teams’ mascots and the historical significance of long hair in certain tribes.
One student asked about what white people can do to help the oppression of other cultures. Treuer answered by saying that white people need to be “color conscious” rather than “color blind” when it comes to other cultures, and that we all need to demand change and tackle oppression together.
“I thought the event went really well. I’m very happy we decided to bring him back, and I think our students walked away learning a lot more than they did before,” Winsome Chunnu-Brayda, the associate director of the Multicultural Center, said.
Chunnu-Brayda added that she noticed the students in the audience had “contemplative” looks on their faces while Treuer was speaking.
“It was a lot different than I expected,” Alli Blunt, a senior studying communication, said. “It was really accepting and open. He had a lot of different stories and insight to share. I didn’t expect it to be so good. It was really inspiring.”
@_alexdarus