In a time when cultural rifts plunge more people daily into abysmal depths of ignorance and hate, the College should be exceedingly grateful for the Native Americans at Dartmouth. This student group recently staged an exceptionally insightful and appropriate celebration of Native culture in the context of Columbus Day observance.
An event conceived in benevolence and executed in style, the NAD celebration is a regrettably rare example of sincere cultural pride. The organization managed to successfully conduct a function to foster ethnic respect and solidarity without advancing the divisiveness that usually accompanies such things. The NAD president, Lloyd Lee '94, described the essence of Native life as "inclusive" and "an acceptance of all people."
His sentiment as well as NAD's recent example effectively demonstrated that the group fully understands its culture to the point where they can revel in it without turning miserably to self-righteousness and segregation.
Where animosity, bitterness and regret colored last year's quincentennial event, this year's positive observance imparted to the Native American community an undeniable credibility for its ill feelings expressed last year. NAD's welcome request that the Dartmouth community be tolerant of diversity validates the group's sense of injustice with the assurance that, in addition to being conscious of their own culture, they are aware and supportive of others unique from them.
NAD's expressed commitment to amicable cohesion at Dartmouth relates a cultural identity not separate but in fact indivisible from other proud cultures. The Native Americans at Dartmouth cannot be commended enough for this unconditional contribution to the community.
I attended last year's function -- both Professor Michael Dorris' fictional reading and the following candlelight vigil. The reading, written by Dorris, was a powerful conjecture on the thoughts of a young Native American girl as she watched an approaching foreign armada. It was a calculated and effective attempt to make the audience "rethink Columbus," and the vigil afterwards was charged with sorrow and frustration. The Native American community indeed made an angry statement, but in the same stroke it thoughtfully presented its perspective.
Culture is too often interpreted to the ends of segregation and defense against some external threat. If division is the most apparent aspect of our diversity, then we are detracting from the benefits diversity is supposed to provide.
NAD concentrated its celebration on its unique music, food and history, letting positive introspection work on its own to win attention and respect.
NAD has given Dartmouth a superb example on how to positively promulgate cultural pride. Dartmouth thrives in an environment of intellectual debate and consequently we have more than our share of student groups, as well as student publications featuring every flavor of conservatism.
Unfortunately, our alliances also have a tendency to trip over themselves trying to be either the most extreme, the most distinct or the most noticeable. Partisanship may be valuable in its own right, but it is fruitless when it misses the point of productive coexistence. This past weekend NAD hit the target, and we should all be encouraged by its success.
