With guitar in hand, BGSU’s own “Warrior of Truth,” Dustin Tahmahkera, spoke and sang on the enormous impact indigenous intellects can have on a society.
Tahmahkera, a graduate student at the University and member of the Comanche Nation of Oklahoma, spoke at the Union yesterday on “Representation of the Indigenous Individual: A Warrior of Truth,” as part of the fourth annual Native American Unity Council speaker’s forum.
The event kicked off with an award presentation to the Native American Unity Council. The award was a blanket, which is the ceremonial aspect of appreciation and honor.
To lighten the mood, Tahmahkera began with a song he wrote.
“It doesn’t matter where I go, I am bound to see a distant kin of Cherokee,” Tahmahkera said. “A professor is called an expert of Cherokee. What does she do to empower the community or does she just conform to the dominant society?”
Tahmahkera used the subtitle “Warrior of Truth” for a specific reason. He said the term means much more than applying the label to themselves. It’s putting the indigenous view on the personal and political choices made everyday.
Tahmahkera focused on “ethnic fraud,” for which he used Angela Gonzales’ definition: “The deliberate falsification of changing ethnic identities in an attempt to achieve personal advantage or gain.”
Many times at universities or even in various readings, people claim to understand the indigenous people without personal experience.
“It is one thing to write or speak about something, but to have the bravery and courage to speak up for what is right and respond to people is what becomes challenging,” Tahmahkera said.
Tahmahkera protested in Cleveland for the first time last year. He wanted to speak out against what he sees as a racial and controversial mascot, Chief Wahoo of the Cleveland Indians.
Tahmahkera said many Toledo stations use derogative language, such as calling the team “The Tribe,” and he wanted to show his disagreement with the mascot and the terms used to refer to it.
After seeing the way the violent crowd responded towards him, Tahmahkera soon realized what it meant to be a true “warrior of truth.”
“In order to help change people’s views on indigenous people, we must deconstruct the stereotypes people have learned throughout their life and then open up their eyes to the real issues at hand,” Tahmahkera said.
He also pointed out that “all tribes, all bands, all races and all nations” are unique in their own way and can no way be summed up by one person.
Tahmahkera learned that he must first reflect on his self and search his own heart before he tries to help others.
Megan Lee, freshman, enjoyed the thoroughness of Tahmahkera’s presentation, and because of that wasn’t bothered by the moral arguments he made.
“He seemed like he has done a lot of research and readings. It was cool to hear things like this from someone other than my ethics teacher,” Lee said.
Tahmahkera closed with the second part of his song, which in a way warns listeners to watch out for false fronts.
“Beware of the ones who proclaim, the ones who say I am Cherokee. People are talking loud in this academy, when they don’t even know a real Cherokee.”
‘#160;
Pow- Wow beats to old Native traditions
‘#160;
