by Dr. Robert Whitman
This column is a place where members can help each other foster the resilience that has sustained Indigenous people. In this issue, we present Part I of a message from Dr. Robert “Bob” Whitman, professor emeritus at the University of Denver, a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and AISES Board of Directors chair emeritus.
Growing up on the Diné (Navajo) Reservation near Church Rock, N.M., I was taught how to be a Navajo young man. A major lesson was that we had to be prepared, physically and mentally, to face the world. Every morning we were rousted out to run to the east, for physical development and to commune with the Morning Spirits.
I grew up living in a one-room hooghan (a traditional round house) with a dirt floor. Our hooghan did not have running water or electricity. We had to haul our drinking water, in 55-gallon drums, from a windmill-driven well several miles from our house. Our water was stored outside the house, so in the winter, the water froze and we had to melt the ice on a wood-burning stove to obtain drinking water.
Living in a rural area brought hardships, which taught me to be disciplined and imaginative, to develop my problem-solving capabilities, and to perform hard work. It also taught me to have a positive attitude — no dwelling on negativity.
When my parents enrolled me in elementary school, that was the first time I was taught in the English language. The experience was daunting, and I had a tough time with the lessons. Education was very important for both my parents. Even though they were not able to complete high school in the boarding schools they attended, they saw the reward and value of having an education. They encouraged me to go to school. Missing a day of school was out of the question.
Since Navajo was the first language I spoke, I was told stories of Navajo history. These stories were the Navajo Emergence; the Hero Twins Visiting Their Father, the Sun; and the Coyote Stories. In each of these stories were lessons about dealing with hardships, teamwork to overcome obstacles, listening to advisors, problem-solving, etc. The lessons helped me thread my way through obstacles in my professional and academic work.
To be continued in the Spring 2024 issue of Winds of Change.
Main Photo:public domain; portrait courtesy of Dr. Whitman