Charles Trimble: Breaking the chains of Indian 'victimhood'

Opinion

Monday, May 10, 2010

One of the rewarding things about writing a newspaper column is the response from readers. I get some real trashing as well, but even some of those that are critical of my point of view leave me with much to think about. Perhaps even change my tune.

Many months ago, I wrote one titled, “Let go the Chains of Victimhood.” And over the months that followed, I received much e-mail in response. Much of it was very informative about such things as the reality of intergenerational trauma. From that communication, I got an appreciation of what I will coin here as IGT, and its own persistence in our tribal cultures.

I received one e-mail months after the “Chains” column that gives some excellent advice on breaking that chain of victimhood. It is from a J.D. Colbert, whom I had met years ago in Washington, when he was on an assignment there in the BIA.

He was born and raised in Oklahoma Indian Country, and he writes, “I did my time in Indian boarding school during the 60's.” He has worked professionally in the field of banking and finance in Indian Country for many years.

He tells it better than I could, and with much more feeling, so I will just quote extensively from his letter, which he has authorized me to do. If I have an extensive readership, I will use it to extend Mr. Colbert’s eloquent statement:

“I wish herewith to take a whack at the Pinata known as ‘Intergenerational Trauma’ and its bastard child, victimhood, to which your article of a year ago has served as a lightening rod.
“From the time I was in the 1st grade through the 6th grade I had a very alcoholic, very mean and very abusive step-father. His beatings and whippings of me and my siblings and my mother continued unabated throughout his frequent drunken benders as well as his occasional sobriety during this six-year period. Before him, I remember us as a happy, close knit family of five. After him, we were totally ravaged, like a Native American Dresden. I still have an elegiac lament for that lost happiness of my very early ‘antebellum’ years.
“Years later in June, 1980 I was blessed with my first child. About a month before he was born I legally changed my last name from my biological father's surname to Colbert, my mother's maiden name. I did so to honor my mother for her years of sacrifice in raising four kids on her own and so that my children and I would carry on her name.
“But there was also a poignant and determined vow that was symbolized in changing my last name: That I was going to be the one to halt this intergenerational trauma and violence; that I was not going to pass this curse on to my children.
“I'm pleased to say that at least within my own family I succeeded in putting a stop to this intergenerational violence and its attendant dysfunctions in my own immediate family. It was not easy to do; in fact at times it was difficult not to submit to some Pavlovian, knee-jerk reaction in a moment and repeat the behaviors that I had been subjected to in my youth. But, rather, I took the pain and stopped the violence. My children and I are far better off for it.
“In taking the pain and not passing on this intergenerational curse to my own children I feel that I have given them a grand gift. A gift born of deep love for my offspring and a primal parental desire that their life might be better, more successful, more loving and certainly less traumatic than mine. Although my sons are aware that my own early life was full of Indian ‘trauma-drama,’ I rather doubt that they have any awareness of the precious gift that I have given them.
That is all right by me as I take great comfort in knowing that I did all that I could do to ensure that the intergenerational trauma chain has been broken.
“Moreover, in speaking with all the due modesty of a Chickasaw, I feel this is my gift to Indian Country as well. Two happy, well adjusted Native men who will love and care for their women, their children and others of their community and who are blissfully unacquainted with the term ‘Indian Country Intergenerational Trauma’ at least insofar as their own immediate experience and life. They have never spoken of their ‘victimhood’ and likely never will. I am possessed with splendid expectations and perhaps distant surmises that Indian Country might appreciate this gift.
“I would not presume to be so pretentious as to prescribe my experience as a panacea for Indian Country intergenerational trauma and by extension then to issues around victimhood. My own experience, however, causes me to be increasingly persuaded that a broken, if determined and certainly loving Native parent can simply resolve that ‘This intergenerational trauma stops with me. I will not pass it on to my children.’ One person at a time, one parent at a time and one family at a time can break this cycle.”

Now, back to Chuck Trimble.

Ever since the 1960s, when the historic movement of the racial and poverty demonstrations and riots turned its lights on the plight of Indian people, we saw the opportunity to demand not only equality and justice, but recompense as well. America owed us a debt for the condition they put our people in, and we wanted the government to make it right. It is difficult and unnecessary to exaggerate the tragic history of Native Americans’ treatment at the hands of European occupiers of the New World. But some do – scholars and journalists alike – dwell on and exaggerate the injustice and tragedies, and even make it appear that one is not a real Indian if he or she is not seething with bitterness over our history; if he or she does not suffer the syndrome of victimhood.

I feel strongly that when we exaggerate our tragic history in order to justify our sad situation in today’s world, which most of us tend to do, we pass that on to our children, giving them an excuse – indeed, an expectation – for failure. I understand catharsis, facing our tragedies in order to reconcile our situation; it is something we have all used in life to even just get by. But why drag our children and grandchildren, and all future generations, into that cycle of victimhood.

There is no question that our ancestors and many of our people today have been victimized, and are victims. That is a fact of life. But “victimhood” is a way of life; a life of resentment and self-pity, and expectation that we are helpless to do anything about our victimization.

I appreciate what J.D. Colbert has contributed in his words. The challenge is on each of us victims of history.

Charles “Chuck” Trimble, Oglala Lakota, was principal founder of the American Indian Press Association in 1970, and served as Executive Director of the National Congress of American Indians from 1972-78. He may be reached at cchuktrim@aol.com. His website is iktomisweb.com.