Post by Okwes on Mar 27, 2007 14:33:13 GMT -5
Indians address racism
Attendees at meeting call for solutions to
January 13, 2007
BY JOHN R. CRANE | Journal Staff Writer
Racism against American Indians is alive and well in Cortez and the Four Corners and a solution must be found, said attendees at a meeting Wednesday night to address prejudice against American Indians.
Violence and prejudice against American Indians has been a fact of life in Montezuma County for too long, said Art Neskahi, founder and director of Southwest Intertribal Voice.
Three attacks on American Indians occurred in Cortez around Thanksgiving. One involved a homeless man who suffered fractured ribs after being assaulted by two Hispanic male youths. In the others, two white males attacked two homeless American Indian men, and two white males assaulted an American Indian couple from Luckachukai, Ariz., throwing the female on the ground and kicking her.
No one has been charged in the attacks, mostly due to lack of victims' identification of suspects.
"This has been going on a long time," Neskahi said. "I'm hoping to figure out what we can do so our children don't have to go through this."
Neskahi hopes the meeting will lead to further summits and the formation of a local human-rights commission. Neskahi formed SWIV three years ago to tackle issues affecting off-reservation American Indians in the area.
About 45 residents and public officials, including those from the Colorado Commission of Indian Affairs and the Denver Anti-Discrimination Office, attended the meeting held at the SWIV office above the Cortez Cultural Center. SWIV sponsored the meeting.
Education officials stressed the importance of teaching children at a young age to appreciate and show respect to other cultures. Stacey Houser, Montezuma-Cortez School District Re-1 superintendent, said the district wants to include cultural classes for both secondary and primary grades in its upcoming strategic plan.
Diana Buza, program director for the Piñon Project, said the nonprofit includes cultural classes in its preschool.
"We are working toward cultural competency at a very young age," Buza said.
However, Clyde J. Benally, a Navajo who lives in Cortez, said there is discrimination going on in the community, not just in the schools.
"We're tiptoeing around the issue," Benally said. "There is discrimination in this community. We have to admit that.
"If the parents and the community does not support the (cultural) instruction, it's meaningless," he added. "If the area police force is reluctant to pursue anything, it's meaningless."
Benally said when he wanted to buy a home in Cortez, a Realtor showed him low-quality housing.
"You could imagine the type of homes I was shown," he said.
Clifford Jack, a Navajo from Shiprock, N.M., said American Indians must do more to protect themselves and demand their rights. Last summer, an American Indian man was beaten by white youths and another was shot and killed by police in Farmington, N.M.
"If we as Native Americans don't step up, what does that say?" Jack asked rhetorically.
Regarding local law-enforcement's treatment of race-related crimes, officials said they pursue all cases, regardless of the crime victim's race.
"We very much believe in treating everyone the same," said Montezuma County Sheriff Gerald Wallace.
Beverly Cuthair-Whiteskunk, a Ute Mountain Ute from Towaoc, said Cortez police did nothing two years ago when her then-18-year-old son was jumped and beaten after seeing a movie in the city.
"They (assailants) could've killed him, and he had head injuries and they did nothing," Cuthair-Whiteskunk said.
Cortez police Chief Roy Lane said one of the suspects in the case was arrested and prosecuted. Lane added that with all the talk of violence against American Indians and police neglect, no one has complained to him about it.
"I hear all these stories, but no one has been to my office to sit down and talk with me," Lane said.
Lane added that all cases are treated equally in his department.
"To me, a human being is a human being; it doesn't matter to me," he said.
Lane added that alcoholism also is a big issue and there is Native-on-Native violence here, as well.
Ernest House Sr., a Ute Mountain Ute and former tribal councilman, said racism involves more than just white-on-Native discrimination. Utes discriminate against Navajos and vice versa, and American Indians sometimes discriminate against whites and Hispanics.
"We need to have people get together and find a solution," House said.
However, House said, "It's the Native American people that make Cortez what it is," pointing out Mesa Verde National Park's cultural treasures and other Ancestral Puebloan heritage as examples.
Darius L. Smith, director of human rights and community relations in the Denver Anti-Discrimination Office, praised the large number of white residents who showed up at the meeting.
"It's good to see white folks here," Smith said, adding that white people in Denver would've been afraid to attend such a meeting in Denver.
Lane said that such meetings are common in the wake of racially-charged incidents, but not much comes of them.
People interested in joining SWIV or holding more meetings on the issues can call Art Neskahi at 739-0753.
Reach John Crane at johnc@cortezjournal.com.
Attendees at meeting call for solutions to
January 13, 2007
BY JOHN R. CRANE | Journal Staff Writer
Racism against American Indians is alive and well in Cortez and the Four Corners and a solution must be found, said attendees at a meeting Wednesday night to address prejudice against American Indians.
Violence and prejudice against American Indians has been a fact of life in Montezuma County for too long, said Art Neskahi, founder and director of Southwest Intertribal Voice.
Three attacks on American Indians occurred in Cortez around Thanksgiving. One involved a homeless man who suffered fractured ribs after being assaulted by two Hispanic male youths. In the others, two white males attacked two homeless American Indian men, and two white males assaulted an American Indian couple from Luckachukai, Ariz., throwing the female on the ground and kicking her.
No one has been charged in the attacks, mostly due to lack of victims' identification of suspects.
"This has been going on a long time," Neskahi said. "I'm hoping to figure out what we can do so our children don't have to go through this."
Neskahi hopes the meeting will lead to further summits and the formation of a local human-rights commission. Neskahi formed SWIV three years ago to tackle issues affecting off-reservation American Indians in the area.
About 45 residents and public officials, including those from the Colorado Commission of Indian Affairs and the Denver Anti-Discrimination Office, attended the meeting held at the SWIV office above the Cortez Cultural Center. SWIV sponsored the meeting.
Education officials stressed the importance of teaching children at a young age to appreciate and show respect to other cultures. Stacey Houser, Montezuma-Cortez School District Re-1 superintendent, said the district wants to include cultural classes for both secondary and primary grades in its upcoming strategic plan.
Diana Buza, program director for the Piñon Project, said the nonprofit includes cultural classes in its preschool.
"We are working toward cultural competency at a very young age," Buza said.
However, Clyde J. Benally, a Navajo who lives in Cortez, said there is discrimination going on in the community, not just in the schools.
"We're tiptoeing around the issue," Benally said. "There is discrimination in this community. We have to admit that.
"If the parents and the community does not support the (cultural) instruction, it's meaningless," he added. "If the area police force is reluctant to pursue anything, it's meaningless."
Benally said when he wanted to buy a home in Cortez, a Realtor showed him low-quality housing.
"You could imagine the type of homes I was shown," he said.
Clifford Jack, a Navajo from Shiprock, N.M., said American Indians must do more to protect themselves and demand their rights. Last summer, an American Indian man was beaten by white youths and another was shot and killed by police in Farmington, N.M.
"If we as Native Americans don't step up, what does that say?" Jack asked rhetorically.
Regarding local law-enforcement's treatment of race-related crimes, officials said they pursue all cases, regardless of the crime victim's race.
"We very much believe in treating everyone the same," said Montezuma County Sheriff Gerald Wallace.
Beverly Cuthair-Whiteskunk, a Ute Mountain Ute from Towaoc, said Cortez police did nothing two years ago when her then-18-year-old son was jumped and beaten after seeing a movie in the city.
"They (assailants) could've killed him, and he had head injuries and they did nothing," Cuthair-Whiteskunk said.
Cortez police Chief Roy Lane said one of the suspects in the case was arrested and prosecuted. Lane added that with all the talk of violence against American Indians and police neglect, no one has complained to him about it.
"I hear all these stories, but no one has been to my office to sit down and talk with me," Lane said.
Lane added that all cases are treated equally in his department.
"To me, a human being is a human being; it doesn't matter to me," he said.
Lane added that alcoholism also is a big issue and there is Native-on-Native violence here, as well.
Ernest House Sr., a Ute Mountain Ute and former tribal councilman, said racism involves more than just white-on-Native discrimination. Utes discriminate against Navajos and vice versa, and American Indians sometimes discriminate against whites and Hispanics.
"We need to have people get together and find a solution," House said.
However, House said, "It's the Native American people that make Cortez what it is," pointing out Mesa Verde National Park's cultural treasures and other Ancestral Puebloan heritage as examples.
Darius L. Smith, director of human rights and community relations in the Denver Anti-Discrimination Office, praised the large number of white residents who showed up at the meeting.
"It's good to see white folks here," Smith said, adding that white people in Denver would've been afraid to attend such a meeting in Denver.
Lane said that such meetings are common in the wake of racially-charged incidents, but not much comes of them.
People interested in joining SWIV or holding more meetings on the issues can call Art Neskahi at 739-0753.
Reach John Crane at johnc@cortezjournal.com.