As you ladies and gents read the title of my blog, “The Most Dangerous Native,” what was the first thought or first impression that came to mind? Was it an image of a fierce warrior ready to take some scalps? Was it a Native man/woman dressed in military clothing ready to fight for a nation that not long ago caused them generations of historical trauma? Or perhaps it was an image of a Native in a business suit, ready to tackle the health care system and fight for Natives back on the rez? Orrrrr maybeeeeee, just maybe…. It was an image of an elder, teaching his grandson the traditional way of life.
When I first heard the phrase, “the most dangerous native,” I thought back to when I was younger and how much I disliked school, but my mom always said, “Education is power. It’s a power nobody can take away from you.”
So to me, the most dangerous Native is an educated Native. Knowledge is something that the U.S government, the racists’, or even your own people who try to bring you down, can never take from you. It’s instilled in you and forever will be in your brain and train of thought.
Now I know most of you assume that education only means book smarts; I certainly did at first. BUT according to the Webster dictionary: education is; the action or process of teaching someone…….. Again, the action or process of teaching someone….. That doesn’t mean teach someone how to add, multiply, or subtract (it can), but in this context it means so much more. I became my own “most dangerous native” by educating myself about health and how we can prevent some of the negative things we see across Indian Country.
So in writing this blog, I hope I got you thinking outside of the box. I challenge you to become your own “Most Dangerous Native.” I challenge you to educate yourself. Educate yourself with your own culture and teachings. Educate yourself about your tribal council, about how your community works as a sovereign nation. Just educate yourself with something that makes YOU feel like you have this knowledge that no one can ever take away from you. I can promise you — I will continue to fight for my Native people and their health from the knowledge I’ve obtained. I will continue to be “The Most Dangerous Native.”
