Post by Okwes on Apr 18, 2007 14:09:14 GMT -5
Indian educator looks to continue helping Indian students
MUSCOGEE OK
By Gerald Wofford
www.nativetimes.com/index.asp?action=displayarticle&article_id=85\
47
When Kyle Taylor talks about being `Indian' he knows what
he's talking about, or how Taylor likes to phrase it sometimes
`bein' N-dan'.
Taylor is Pawnee, and Choctaw and was raised and learned to walk in two
worlds, a traditionalist who danced and competed at California, Kansas
and Oklahoma Pow-Wows. Taylor also sat in the pews and under the
tutelage of his Mother, Laura who gave him an understanding of a higher
power through a book called the Bible. But Taylor was raised on the west
coast, in the San Francisco area to be exact. Taylor's family being
a product of the Indian removal act of the 1950's, who grew up at a
time when a lot of the social change was beginning to happen in the
nation and the modern American Indian identity was also being shaped.
Taylor's understanding and acceptance of both worlds has enabled to
help Indians from all over the country where today he serves as the
Director of Native Concerns and Recruitment at Bacone College in
Muskogee, Oklahoma. Taylor has served in the position for two years. He
says "the doors" began to open for him after his service as a
Pastor where he took several ministering teams to reservations around
the country. "Leroy Thompson of the College asked me to help with a
spirituality conference. They (college) asked me back to help with the
Indian students commencement services that year. Dr. Duncan who is the
President of the college called me later and asked if I would be
interested in serving and teaching classes. I felt the Lord was leading
me in this direction." Taylor took on the duties of teaching at
first, conducting the classes of `Indian Song and Dance as well as
Language'.
Taylor has always had a desire to help Indian students, it may have all
started when he served as President of the American Indian Student
Association at the University of Oklahoma during the years of 1980
through 82. Taylor saw how the Indian student was dealing with issues
such as drugs and promiscuity, "we had deep spiritual issues to face
at that time," says Taylor when thinking about how hard it was for
some Indian students to obtain a college degree.
An identity crises was also on the horizon for American Indian students,
it had been more than a decade before that the state school had done
away with the University mascot called Little Red. The symbolic sporting
mascot had been celebrated at football games with a Native American
dancer who would dance in the end zone after a touchdown was scored.
Plans were being made to consider bringing back the colorful symbol
after school alumni met with University officials about the matter.
Taylor was serving as President and oversaw the historic meeting when
the issue of Little Red was on the meeting's agenda. The Indian
Association was meeting at the cultural center or `Indian House'
at the time. The building wasn't exactly the ideal place to meet.
"We had one of the largest meetings ever at the Indian House and one
of the Oklahoma City stations was shooting live during the meeting and
asked me for a comment, which I didn't give them. We had already met
with University officials and were settled on the issue." Taylor
knew there was no need to make the controversy even worse, because there
were so many people on both sides of the argument. Even Native Americans
were not all united in which side to support. In fact, Taylor mentions
that the group that wanted to bring back Little Red was comprised of
some Indians as well.
Looking back, Taylor says the experience helped him to see how learning
institutions as well as society in general were beginning to embrace
Indian identity and even more respect and support would begin to happen.
"At that time, we were at the tail end of the civil rights
movement," says Taylor. "People that had began the movement in
its earliest stage were now beginning to be in positions to change
policies. That's when we began to see language programs and more
Native American activities at schools and places of learning." The
University of Oklahoma even opened a Native American fraternity house
and in many Colleges, Native American commencements are held for
graduating students and are more common, where twenty years ago they
were virtually unheard of.
Today, Taylor is continuing to help Indian students at Bacone, recently
the college announced a new scholarship opportunity for Native
Americans. The `Students of Promise' is scholarship program for
American Indian students which includes a 35 percent tuition, room and
board to any Indian student new to Bacone College, for more information
contact Taylor at #(918) 360-1085.
MUSCOGEE OK
By Gerald Wofford
www.nativetimes.com/index.asp?action=displayarticle&article_id=85\
47
When Kyle Taylor talks about being `Indian' he knows what
he's talking about, or how Taylor likes to phrase it sometimes
`bein' N-dan'.
Taylor is Pawnee, and Choctaw and was raised and learned to walk in two
worlds, a traditionalist who danced and competed at California, Kansas
and Oklahoma Pow-Wows. Taylor also sat in the pews and under the
tutelage of his Mother, Laura who gave him an understanding of a higher
power through a book called the Bible. But Taylor was raised on the west
coast, in the San Francisco area to be exact. Taylor's family being
a product of the Indian removal act of the 1950's, who grew up at a
time when a lot of the social change was beginning to happen in the
nation and the modern American Indian identity was also being shaped.
Taylor's understanding and acceptance of both worlds has enabled to
help Indians from all over the country where today he serves as the
Director of Native Concerns and Recruitment at Bacone College in
Muskogee, Oklahoma. Taylor has served in the position for two years. He
says "the doors" began to open for him after his service as a
Pastor where he took several ministering teams to reservations around
the country. "Leroy Thompson of the College asked me to help with a
spirituality conference. They (college) asked me back to help with the
Indian students commencement services that year. Dr. Duncan who is the
President of the college called me later and asked if I would be
interested in serving and teaching classes. I felt the Lord was leading
me in this direction." Taylor took on the duties of teaching at
first, conducting the classes of `Indian Song and Dance as well as
Language'.
Taylor has always had a desire to help Indian students, it may have all
started when he served as President of the American Indian Student
Association at the University of Oklahoma during the years of 1980
through 82. Taylor saw how the Indian student was dealing with issues
such as drugs and promiscuity, "we had deep spiritual issues to face
at that time," says Taylor when thinking about how hard it was for
some Indian students to obtain a college degree.
An identity crises was also on the horizon for American Indian students,
it had been more than a decade before that the state school had done
away with the University mascot called Little Red. The symbolic sporting
mascot had been celebrated at football games with a Native American
dancer who would dance in the end zone after a touchdown was scored.
Plans were being made to consider bringing back the colorful symbol
after school alumni met with University officials about the matter.
Taylor was serving as President and oversaw the historic meeting when
the issue of Little Red was on the meeting's agenda. The Indian
Association was meeting at the cultural center or `Indian House'
at the time. The building wasn't exactly the ideal place to meet.
"We had one of the largest meetings ever at the Indian House and one
of the Oklahoma City stations was shooting live during the meeting and
asked me for a comment, which I didn't give them. We had already met
with University officials and were settled on the issue." Taylor
knew there was no need to make the controversy even worse, because there
were so many people on both sides of the argument. Even Native Americans
were not all united in which side to support. In fact, Taylor mentions
that the group that wanted to bring back Little Red was comprised of
some Indians as well.
Looking back, Taylor says the experience helped him to see how learning
institutions as well as society in general were beginning to embrace
Indian identity and even more respect and support would begin to happen.
"At that time, we were at the tail end of the civil rights
movement," says Taylor. "People that had began the movement in
its earliest stage were now beginning to be in positions to change
policies. That's when we began to see language programs and more
Native American activities at schools and places of learning." The
University of Oklahoma even opened a Native American fraternity house
and in many Colleges, Native American commencements are held for
graduating students and are more common, where twenty years ago they
were virtually unheard of.
Today, Taylor is continuing to help Indian students at Bacone, recently
the college announced a new scholarship opportunity for Native
Americans. The `Students of Promise' is scholarship program for
American Indian students which includes a 35 percent tuition, room and
board to any Indian student new to Bacone College, for more information
contact Taylor at #(918) 360-1085.