Native Americans are still associated with unfair stigmas. Here’s how I’m breaking them | Opinion
Preconceived notions about life on tribal lands persist. As a young citizen of the Habematolel Pomo of Upper Lake Tribe in Lake County, that sometimes makes for a challenging experience, but my tribe teaches me to persevere. Most of all, the tribe affords me lifelong support of my education.
The Habematolel Pomo of Upper Lake is a federally-recognized sovereign nation. We are known for our ability to overcome obstacles and setbacks. In the 1850s, the federal government nearly eradicated my tribe through military action and in taking our homeland.
In 1958, Congress passed the California Rancheria Act, with the goal of ending tribal governments. My fellow tribal citizens, now elders, successfully fought back. In 1983, a federal court ruled that our tribe should not have been terminated and must be reinstated. It was only in 2008 that 11.24 acres was placed in “trust” for my tribe.
Opinion
Our tribe is located in the most economically-challenged county in California: Our land is rural and beautiful, but remote, making traditional commerce difficult. We have a casino, but so do many of our neighboring tribes. Moreover, enterprises like these in remote areas are not the revenue-generators you might believe them to be.
Fortunately, we have a successful business enterprise in the “e-commerce” industry that helps fund critical services for our tribe like health care, elder care, childcare, housing, educational scholarships, environmental preservation and cultural initiatives.
But the most important offering our tribe provides is support for education, which has been life-changing for me.
Growing up, I was athletically talented, which helped me fit in. Outside of my tribe, however, it was apparent that because of stigmas around my heritage, I was not expected to compete beyond the local level. While participating in sports benefited me in several ways, there were instances when I was perceived as an “Indian” stealing a position from another player.
I had so many self-doubts that I even began to believe these prejudices. And I’m not alone — Native Americans are far too often associated with negative stereotypes and stigmas of addiction, domestic violence and poverty. For many, these false identities have led to mental health issues.
I was blessed, however, to have the support of my family and my tribe who pushed me to overcome these adversities and achieve success.
As a Clear Lake High School graduate, I participated in the band, the Native American Club, football, basketball and track, and I also volunteered as a coach for a local non-profit organization.
After graduating high school, I attended Santa Rosa Junior College to continue my education and pursue my goal of playing college football. Earning a tribal scholarship and enrolling in Habematolel’s Tribal Student Housing Program made this possible and helped pay for my expenses. I would not have been able to afford this opportunity without my tribe’s help.
The tribe invested in me with scholarship and housing assistance, and I worked hard to make them proud. I graduated as a scholar-athlete, an all-conference honorable mention athlete and with an associate of arts degree in social and behavioral Science.
I am now pursuing a degree in sociology and playing football at Utah Tech University, a Division I school, in St. George, Utah. Thanks to the motivation from my family and the support from my tribe, I am actively working to achieve my goals and dreams.
Being a citizen of the Habematolel Pomo of Upper Lake, our tribe’s primary purpose is to promote the overall well-being of our tribal families. Supporting education is one of the most important ways we are making a difference.
Tj Talamoni-Marcks is a member of Habematolel Pomo of Upper Lake.
