Residential school survivor: 'I grew up hating the colour of my skin.'
Summary
TLDRThe script recounts a child's painful experience of discrimination and the struggle with identity, beginning with a traumatic first day at school where they were told to wash off their brown skin. The narrative follows the journey of self-acceptance and pride in being Dakota, inspired by the American Indian Movement's fight for equality and justice. The story concludes with a determination to stand up against prejudice and a hope for reconciliation, aiming to create a better world for future generations.
Takeaways
- 😢 The speaker recalls a traumatic childhood experience of being told to wash off their brown skin as a child in school.
- 😔 The speaker grew up feeling broken and ashamed of their skin color, wanting to be white to be accepted by society.
- 📚 The American Indian Movement inspired the speaker to stand up for their identity and be proud of their heritage.
- 🦅 The speaker found strength in wearing braids and a feather, symbolizing their heritage and making a statement against ridicule.
- 💪 The speaker learned to stand up for themselves and their family, overcoming the hurtful names and discrimination.
- 🏡 The speaker made a promise to their single mother to create a better world for her through reconciliation and understanding.
- 🙏 The speaker prays for people to find peace within themselves and open their hearts to work together for a better world.
- 🌟 The speaker identifies as Dakota and is proud of their identity, vowing to stand up for their family and community.
- 🤝 The script emphasizes the importance of reconciliation and unity in overcoming past hurts and building a better future.
- 🌈 The story is a testament to the power of self-acceptance and the strength that comes from embracing one's cultural identity.
Q & A
What was the child's initial experience when entering school?
-The child encountered other children crying and was told by older children that things would get worse, setting a distressing tone for their school experience.
What was the woman's instruction to the child regarding their skin color?
-The woman instructed the child to wash off their brown skin, implying that it was something negative and that God did not like it.
How did the child feel about their skin color after this experience?
-The child grew up hating their skin color and wanted to be white, feeling broken inside and unaccepted in society.
What was the impact of the American Indian Movement on the child's perception of self-worth?
-The American Indian Movement inspired the child to stand up for their identity and to be proud of their brown skin, which they previously despised.
How did the child begin to express their cultural identity?
-The child started wearing their hair in braids with a feather, making a statement about their identity and beliefs.
What was the child's reaction to being ridiculed for their Indian heritage?
-The child decided to stand up for themselves and their beliefs, no longer allowing others to hurt them with names or insults.
What did the child promise to their single mother?
-The child promised their mother that they would never have to feel unworthy, showing a commitment to personal and societal change.
What is the child's hope for the reconciliation process?
-The child hopes that the reconciliation process will lead to a better world where people can find peace within themselves and work together.
What does the child believe is necessary for societal change?
-The child believes that people need to find peace within themselves and open their hearts to create a more inclusive and accepting society.
How does the script reflect the journey of self-acceptance and standing up against prejudice?
-The script illustrates the child's transformation from self-hatred to self-acceptance and pride in their identity, as well as their determination to stand against prejudice and injustice.
What role did the American Indian Movement play in shaping the child's identity?
-The American Indian Movement served as a catalyst for the child to embrace their heritage, stand up against discrimination, and advocate for equality and justice.
Outlines
😢 Childhood Trauma and Identity Struggle
The narrator recounts a painful childhood memory of being forced to wash off their brown skin with a harsh soap by an authoritative figure, who told them that God doesn't like brown skin. This experience led to a deep internalized hatred for their own skin color and a desire to be white to be accepted in society. They also faced ridicule in public school for being Indian and struggled with knowing how to stand up against the discrimination.
🌟 Finding Inspiration and Strength
Inspired by the American Indian Movement and their stand for equality and justice at Wounded Knee, the narrator found the courage to embrace their identity. They began to wear their hair in braids with a feather, making a bold statement about their heritage and beliefs. This newfound pride allowed them to withstand the hurtful names and discrimination, as they now identified themselves as Dakota and felt a strong sense of self-worth and determination to stand up for themselves and their family.
🤗 Promise to Protect and Heal
The narrator, who had promised to protect their single mother, expresses a hope for reconciliation and a better world. They pray for people to find peace within themselves and to open their hearts, suggesting that this reconciliation process could lead to a more harmonious and inclusive society where everyone can work together.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Cultural Assimilation
💡Self-Hatred
💡Racial Discrimination
💡Identity
💡American Indian Movement
💡Wounded Knee
💡Cultural Pride
💡Resilience
💡Reconciliation
💡Acceptance
💡Social Justice
Highlights
A five-year-old child's distressing experience of entering school and encountering crying children and discouraging older students.
The traumatic memory of being forced to wash off their brown skin color with a harsh soap by an authoritative figure.
The painful and dehumanizing instruction to scrub until the brown skin was gone, under the false pretense of divine disapproval.
The internal struggle and self-hatred that arose from being told one's skin color was undesirable.
The desire to change one's appearance to fit into a society that ridiculed and rejected one's heritage.
The inspiration drawn from the American Indian Movement and their stand for equality and justice.
The personal transformation and newfound pride in embracing one's heritage, symbolized by braiding hair and wearing a feather.
The declaration of identity and refusal to be hurt by others' names or judgments.
The commitment to stand up for oneself and one's family, inspired by the resilience of a single mother.
The promise made to a mother to ensure she never feels unworthy, highlighting the importance of self-worth and dignity.
The hope for a reconciliation process that could lead to a better world for future generations.
The prayer for people to find peace within themselves and open their hearts to work together for a more harmonious society.
The powerful message of standing up for one's identity and heritage, exemplified by the speaker's own journey.
The overarching theme of overcoming adversity and prejudice through self-acceptance and standing together.
The emotional journey from feeling broken and unloved to finding pride and strength in one's cultural identity.
Transcripts
[Music]
as a five-year-old child you walk into
the school and you see so many other
children crying and then you have the
older children come to you and tell you
not to cry because it's gonna get worse
[Music]
but to walk up those stairs and to hear
this woman speaking English and telling
me like get in that shower and wash
yourself wash everything off take that
brown wash off that brown skin and there
is so bad on what kind of soap it was
but it burned like I remember the burn
and scrubbing and cry like wanted to cry
because it hurt and she said she wash it
wash until you take all your brown skin
off because God doesn't like brown brown
skin so I'm really I tried I grew up
hating my lip color of my skin I wanted
to be white I was broken inside like
thinking how can how can I make that
change to be accepted in society
to go to public school and to be
ridiculed because you're Indian or the
names that are given to you and I never
had the the knowledge of how to stand up
and say
this is my brown skin I'm proud of it
[Music]
American Indian Movement was there as a
stand-in Wounded Knee and they were
standing up for what they believed and
his equality and justice and I said I
wanna be I wanna be like them
and I finally was able to pick my hair
in braids I actually put a feather in my
hair just going to school and and
Edwards is standing up for who I what I
believed in no like I made a statement
and this is who I am
and you can't hurt me with that any more
and you gotta follow me any names you
want
I am Dakota and I'm proud of it and I
will stand like oh I I will stand up for
my my family it was a single mom the
first time and it was always her and I
and I made a promise to her that
you will never have to feel
[Music]
then she's not worthy this
reconciliation process will that make a
better world for her do you think yes
I'm I prayed this I prayed that people
find some type of peace within
themselves to help us to to to open
their own hearts so that everybody can
we can start working together
[Music]
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