The culture blocks are only one day long and DEOMI attempts to cover
each culture (Native American, Black American, Asian American, Hispanic,
Jewish American, etc.) for a full day, giving the students an opportunity
to dwell into traditions and cultures of each minority group to,
hopefully, allow the students to have an insight as to some of the
specific difficulties each culture is presented with in day to day
living.
As part of the Native American block, the students (about 140) are
divided into seven groups (good number, aaiiyy?). Each student is given a
brief biography of a prominent Native American (Cochise, Red Cloud, Chief
Joseph, Red Bird, etc.) and during the session, the students are to
attempt to respond to situations given them by the moderators from the
Native American's point of view (not very original, is it?).
What I would like to do, and this is where I ask for your help, is to
attempt to give the students a much better reference point, through the
use of visual and spoken images. I feel the students could concentrate
and understand more on their responses and feelings if they were all given
individual reference points.
I would like to have the moderator of each group have the students sit
in their chairs, completely relaxed, close their eyes, and imagine that
they are the person they are hearing about. Then, I would like to have
the moderators read students a story about being a young Indian child,
about six or seven years old, being forcefully taken from his/her home,
boarded on a wagon/bus/train/car, taken hundreds of miles from home,
having their hair cut, clothes taken away from them, being given starched
white clothes, forced to bed, no relatives, no language, the penalties
they had to face when they broke the rules of speaking the wrong tongue,
etc.. I think you get the idea.
I was never in that type of situation and I can not talk or write from
experience. I am asking for some of you to write a story such as the
above referenced one and allow me to use it as a training/teaching guide.
I ask for your permission to have the story read and have the student's
experience what your story is asking them to experience.
I ask the above honorably and humbly and, hopefully, in the Indian
way.
If you would assist me, please e-mail the story to me within the next
week or so.
Thank you.
Ayolha
wesley j. p. westphal ii
warrior@digital.net