indigenous rising — I understand historically Native Americans were...

tunes-tits-and-tetrameters

asked:

I understand historically Native Americans were forced into 'Cultural Assimilation' programmes under the guise of 'Inclusive Americanisation', 'Education', and 'Civilisation', but the question begs: Are you forced to use English today? You are not. Yet you choose to, as is your freedom to 'Appropriate' another language. You don't have to use English do you?

Yes I am forced into assimilation. There are not enough jobs on the nearby rancheria or reservations to secure us all with jobs that will sustain us. Not to mention that I do not live on my reservation; my father moved to get a job. In his generation, it wasn’t okay to be Native. He couldn’t find any jobs. He worked under-the-table jobs, where the bosses didn’t mind paying an “Indian” so long as it wasn’t on the books. My father is only 66, and he remembers assimilating just to survive. If I want a job I have to be able to speak English.