Image provided by: State Library of Oregon; Salem, OR
About The Chemawa American (Chemawa, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (March 12, 1976)
COMMENTS FROM FORMER STUDENTS WHITE MAN AND INDIAN I am proud of what I am (Indian) The white man, as you say, put us where we are now. And you say the white man caused the problems our people have today. Well I’ll tell you something, the white man, as you call Him, did not cause the problem. We did ourselves. We are suffering from our own faults. To correct those faults, We must work together, help one another, Not fight one another. We must pull together as one. You don’t have to try to prove you can beat-up one of your own brothers or sisters. Cause if you do that, that’ll just show how weak you are- Not on the outside, but on the inside. So you see, my brothers and sisters, we all have to pull together. . There is a lot of talk about Chemawa going around and here is what some of the former students have to say . . . “ Iam a former graduate of Chemawa in 1969, imagine that was eight years ago already but the memories are still with me and I treasure them very much . . . “ I am wondering if you would draw up a petition for the former students of Chemawa to sign in supporting your school. There are many former students living here at Kotzebue who are holding important positions as City Adminis trators, Director of Land Planners, Representatives, Bilingual Teacher Aides, Mayors etc. The petition would maybe have a place for signature, year gradu ated, present employment etc. This is what I am proposing to you since you are simply asking for support to keep Chemawa open for your students in the Northwest. “ The removal of the old trees around the campus brought back memories and how Chemawa must change without them but this was done for a good cause. The students are lucky now that they get Christmas vacations - we didn’t - we had classes. Well, I will close now saying Happy Birthday CHEMAWA! I wish I could be there enjoying the activities with you. “ I’m going to circulate the paper among the former students here and I will be waiting to hear from you. ’ ’ -Barbara M. (Cleveland) Carter * * * No matter what tribe you may be. You might be, Colville, Muckleshoot, Yakima, Warmsprings, or whatever. It doesn’t matter, it isn’t important to me, ’cause I love you all the same. Not for what you’re trying to be, but what you are. And you are Indian, and I am Indian. “ I once attended and graduated from Chemawa Indian School. I first went to Chemawa the fall of’68 and graduated “ 1971” . So let’s try to pull together, and be just as proud as can be. -Written by a Chemawa student “ As I read the last two issues of the Chemawa-American, I feel the school I once loved and respected is being torn limb from limb and destroyed. ‘ ‘I am very concerned about the demolishing of old buildings on campus. “ I believe as once considered a new school was to be build on the other side of campus, which I refer to as Pigsville. “ These buildings’ should have remained and perhaps turned into an Indian Musuem. “ I realize there are no if any Alaskans attending the school because of school ing made available to them here in Alaska. “ I’ve seen Chemawa open up to having Indian students from the Northwest attend school there. I realize alot could happen in four (4) years, but I sincerely would feel that I’m not the only past-student that attended school in Chemawa have these feelings’ towards our school being torn down. -Sharon L. Clark n ■«
