The flag of the Oglala Sioux Tribe.
Bullying is our problem to solve
By Regina Brave
Voices of the People November and the OST elections gave the victors an almost 100% turnover of the Tribal Council. Our children have been back in school since September with excitement and anticipation. But some of the students are experiencing the downside. The bullies are back in action; some banded together and are picking on loners. One loner, who happens to be my granddaughter, was thrown into the snow and the bullies called it “white washing.” This happened two days in a row, the second time she got up and defended herself by pushing back and one pulled her hair. The victim was sent home and the two bullies weren’t. The bulling was addressed, but was not resolved. Now, in lieu of “white washing” they started name calling and using the “B” word. Words and being made fun of can be more hurtful than being thrown in the snow. Yes, our little ones look forward to going to school every day, for some that changes very quickly. How many of our students have dropped out because of bullying? On March 25, 2013 the Tribal Council met at Our Lady of Lourdes in Porcupine. A 13 year old who was a student at Little Wound committed suicide. The Council became very concerned and vocal over this issue. The following day a meeting was held at Our Lady of Sorrows in Kyle. Law & Order Committee and Education Committee were to develop an Ordinance. Was there an investigation or survey done across the reservation? We believed something viable and concrete would come out of this meeting. All the hullabaloo, rhetoric and lip service produced something called “N-O-T-H-I-N-G.” This was the third suicide of a student from the same school stemming from bullying. Each of the 9 Districts on the Pine Ridge has schools whether it’s high school, junior high, and middle school, elementary, head start, parochial, alternative, or county. Only Little Wound, Kyle-Medicine Root District addressed the bullying after the trauma of March 2013, it is now part of their policy at school and in their community. Meetings are held on a monthly basis also. To my knowledge, no other school has policies or student handbooks that address bullying so the intimidation and verbal abuse continues across the reservation into our communities and homes. Both sides of the issue might be addressed but when the parent/grandparent gets involved it remains unresolved. Most times, lies of the bullies outweigh the truth. How many victims of bullying dropped out of school or are forced out of school because the bullies have the upper hand across the reservation? Maybe school administrators, teachers and concerned parents attempted to address bullying. Parents/grandparents tend to “take up” for their children without disciplining them. There’s another side of the story! But who’s around to listen? Bullies win again and again. School administrators, educators and school boards across the reservation are victimized. The bullying problem across the rez has reached its zenith. It’s time to stop it. The problem and how it’s addressed without resolution continues year after year. Every year two schools in the eastern part of the reservation place ads in the newspaper for teachers in various departments. It seems to have become a tradition. Now I understand why there’s such a high turnover of teachers at the end of the first semester. As long as the bullying continues, will we be seeing ads in the papers again at the end of this semester? Many people will take the issue of bullying seriously and are preparing to take a stand to stop it on the Pine Ridge Reservation. People know how to develop programs and Ordinances. There are others who can get on the internet and find articles, laws in different states (California and Florida), documents and ideas pertaining to bullying. First of all, I’m proud of all our voters, with the turnover of the Oglala Sioux Tribal Council across the reservation, there is hope for a change. We have had many ongoing problems throughout the reservation we can now bring forward. Just because we voted in our Council doesn’t mean they can solve everything. Our representatives are only the VOICES OF THE PEOPLE! We have the responsibility and knowledge to make a difference in our Districts, communities, schools and clean up our reservation. Our representatives need our help as much as we need theirs. There is nothing in the Law & Order Code, Judicial Code nor is there an Ordinance which addresses bullying. No action could be taken by any of the School Boards, School Administrators, Public Safety, and parents/grandparents of the victims of bullying. Public Safety tries to address both sides of this issue but no resolution evolves. The problem seems to be getting worse or maybe we’ve begun to see it. Why are there so many dropouts in both high school and junior high? Chances are most have to do with bullying, but we may need to factor in other things going on in our Districts. We don’t know if name calling, belittling, being made fun of, being laughed at, spreading rumors, using Facebook and other forms of cyber bullying cause psychological damage to the victims’ self-esteem. My granddaughter was born with Sturge-Weber, a form of birthmark. Hers extends from the right side of her nose to her forehead up to the top of her head. She was made fun of in Kindergarten. She’s in 8th grade now and is still being made fun of and is also being bullied at her school and in the community. When she was very small I told her all the angels in heaven kissed her and left their mark on her. She’s held that belief and it has kept her going. She was born without a drain valve in her right eye and had her first surgery when she was three weeks old, the second one at age three and the third last spring. This will continue until she reaches adulthood. She loved school and didn’t want to miss a single day. Her birthmark became a focal point and a target for the bullies. My granddaughter attended Alternative school and made progress there. It worked for a while but the bullying and verbal abuse wore her down. She doesn’t want to go back to school and I’m not going to force her or make her go back. A girl from her school made comments on Facebook and a ‘friend’ also said: “Nobody likes you anyway!” because my granddaughter hadn’t been in school lately. I spoke to the Dean of the school and to the Director. Realistically they can’t address the issue except to talk to the parents. The bullies are our children/grandchildren running amok. Why do they bully? To get attention? Treat their victims the same way they’re being treated at home or by bigger bullies? What do they have in common? No social activities in the community? Not having what their peers have such as the “right” clothes, IPods, IPads, and cell phones? Being made fun of and laughed at, too? These bullies/our youth need help, too. While their actions are negative, the attention and being in the spotlight fills a need. There are two sides; we will look at both sides as we develop an Ordinance. Most of our communities have recreation centers, what we need are mentors, parent/volunteer involvement to initiate social activities. Our youth can play games, learn how to play chess, teach each other how to dance. We can start a library so they can read newspapers, books, magazines or write their own stories. We need artists to teach art. Musicians to teach children how to play an instrument. We need tutors and a quiet homework corner. We have numerous drum groups who can teach our children songs. Traditional, fancy & jingle dress dancers can teach. Our youth ‘graduate’ from puberty into young adulthood. They’re no longer children but not quite adults. They need goals to focus their attention on. Bullying will continue until we step up and take action. (1) We want our children and grandchildren have a right to a quality education. (2) We can’t afford to lose good educators. (3) Parents across the reservation almost en masse enrolled their children in other schools. Why? We cannot allow the loss of any more of our youth to suicide or being forced out of school. Bullying has gone unresolved too long. This is not a Public Safety, Tribal Council, School Administrator, or School Board problem. It’s ours to resolve. We need to address it in a mature, objective and professional manner to eliminate it. We can do our own investigation. Document bullying incidents at our schools, in our communities, and be prepared to take formal statements and work on an Ordinance with our Representatives and present it to the Law & Order Committee, Education Committee and the Tribal Council. We can start with District meetings, put bullying and alternatives on the Agenda. Extend an invitation to other Districts and post Notices in public places for input from all concerned Oyate on and off the reservation. We have to take responsibility. Together we can do this. How many youth suicides can be attributed to bullying? Grief, possibly guilt, trauma and helplessness may still be felt by parents, grandparents, relatives, friends, classmates and people elsewhere. Children are gifts loaned to us by the Great Spirit to do the best we can until they’re able to take responsibility for themselves. Our children/grandchildren sacrificed their lives leaving a very clear and concise message! We will remember them and HONOR THEIR MEMORY! We can finally bring justice and closure to the people of the Pine Ridge Reservation. Ake, Oyate ki pilamayapi, (Regina Brave can be reached at P.O. Box 512, Oglala, S.D. 57764) Copyright permission Native Sun News
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