Questions | Answers |
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Do you have any thoughts on Indian casinos and whether they are beneficial or detrimental to a reservation community? | I think they are and can be both. With many tribes, the casino affords them the ability to operate as a functional soveriegn society. This tribe has its own school, clinic, tribal court, elder housing, tribal housing program, etc because the casino money pays for most of it. The casino pays my salary. The per capita payments are another thing...some people use the payments responsibly and still work and make themselves useful members of the community, others take it as their pass to stay at home and do nothing. It's a huge temptation and when you don't have to work...you get bored. When you get bored in a small town where there's nothing to do you find illicit drugs to keep you entertained. |
Ojibwe huh? Boozhoo nijii! Thanks for doing this ama ;) | Boozhoo niij! Miigwech giin gaye :) |
On your reservation, is there a stigma for people who "act white?" It seems like many groups have terms and attitudes towards members of the group who embrace certain so-called "majority" characteristics. | Absolutely. Our term is "Apple"...red on the outside, white on the inside. My own husband faced this quite a bit as he is very dark skinned but did not have a reservation accent, lived in town, did not follow spiritual traditions, and decided to go to college. There's a huge stigma attached to going to college because you're "going to learn the white man's ways" and are "leaving your people behind." It's sad, because what would move society forward faster than educated natives coming home and working for their people? |
Do you see much classism the tribe? I used to live in the Northwest and talked to a few people who grew up on reservations who had an intense dislike for people in the tribe who made it big, usually by securing upper management positions at the casino. | Oh yeah, jealousy is a huge cultural issue for us. I get judged for my education because it was assumed I "think I know everything." |
:(. Are you working to reverse this thinking? What percentage of high schoolers on your reservation go to a 4 year college? Do the high schools have programs encouraging going to a 4 year? | I am personally working to reverse it because an education has afforded me so much for my life. the high schools here do not have such a program. Some tribes have programs to pay for college education...my tribe, the Oneida, do. |
Where are you currently working? We are from the same tribe. :) This has been my favorite AMA thus far! Also, what do you know about Boys and Girls Clubs on native land? Are they available where you are, and if so, are they functioning and beneficial? | Yep! We have them on this rez and the kids really enjoy them. I wish they had something like it for older children who are getting picked up by gangs. |
So, you are Oneida but you work on an Ojibwa reservation? Have you ever had any problem with that? | Not really. They're just happy to see a Native person doing my job as opposed to someone non-native. |
What's the best success story that you've had so far? Do you see things looking up, generally? | The best success story so far is a woman who was addicted to heroin and abused her children while high. After having her children removed she was very defiant towards social services, in denial about what she'd done. When she went to treatment she sat me down and thanked me for removing her children. She said that that was the kick in the butt she needed to realize she had a problem. She had missed out on so much of her children's lives and had caused them to worry and grow up too fast...she wanted to make it up to them. That really brightened my spirits...and she's still doing well today. |
how are the kids doing? | They're doing okay. They are in separate placements and so don't see each other as much as they used to. The eldest child is the one who is dealing with the most... |
Whats the worse case you had to deal with as a social worker in the reservation? | A case where the mother has fetal alcohol syndrome and the father has a traumatic brain injury. Their kids were so medically neglected that their skin condition had caused their eyes to be swollen shut, they had open bleeding sores, and were in so much pain they couldn't move. |
That's horrible. How functional was the mother and father? Could they even take care of themselves? | They were functional, but just didn't understand how serious the problem was...they just felt that the symptoms of what was going on was just something they kids had to live with. |
Plus they were using meth as well as their mental status being not the greatest...so they were more consumed with finding their drug than helping their children. | |
:(. What are your resources as a social worker to help the children and parents in that case? Does the BIA manage this or Child Protective Services? | Well, we placed the children with their uncle and aunt who are more able to care for the children and have several children of their own. The children also have a Band public health nurse visit them weekly. The band has their own resources and we also use the resources of the county. We don't work with the BIA. We work with the different surrounding county governments. |
What in god's name happened to those poor children?? | Yes they're much happier now and since they are getting the medical attention they need their skin has cleared up and they are back in school. |
Edit: I see that they were placed with their Aunt and Uncle. Are the happy? Healthy?? Well-adjusted??? | We don't usually do parental rights terminations in our organization but in this case the court is considering it just because the parents may literally be incapable of caring for their children. |
At a previous job, I had the Navajo as a customer. Talking with them, they felt that a lot of problems were the result of corruption within the tribal leadership. Are you seeing any of that? | Oh gosh yes. Last year the tribal chairwoman was re-elected despite being under investigation for money laundering and fraud. There's a lot of nepotism in tribal affairs...it's all about who you know and not your education or reliability. |
Hey there, thank you for this AMA. Here i go: what tribe do you originate from? (hope i'm not making an offensive question, if i am please diregard) Is the american society polarized with native americans as much as it seems to be with other minorities or races? and finally do you feel that the native american heritage & cultural history has its rightful place in the american educational system? | I am enrolled with the Oneida tribe of Wisconsin and am a descendant of the Ojibwe tribe. I moreso follow Ojibwe traditions as my dad was raised by his Ojibwe mother and grandmother. |
Society does treat us differently. When I was in highschool I faced a lot of racism. One kid actually tried to light me on fire, stating my race as his reason, and when we told the principal he said "maybe he just has feelings for you he doesn't know how to express." Basically, boys will be boys. It's even worse around communities near reservations...in Green Bay near my Oneida rez there are places that won't serve Indians. The local government will try to block development projects that will bring more income to tribes. There's a lot of jealousy surrounding tribal per capita payments...though believe me a lot of us are not getting rich. I get a thousand a year from my tribe, and my husband gets a hundred and fifty. | |
I don't think that Native American history is explored well. I feel that places should focus on local tribes and talk about tribes and bands as individuals and not homogenize us. Plus the way they teach the history of Columbus is fucking ridiculous. He threw babies to dogs as punishment for not bringing him gold...he doesn't deserve a holiday. | |
What is your favorite or most interesting part of Ojibwe culture? What traditions do they still hold? | My favorite part is the language. I used to teach Ojibwe language at the high school level and I am proficient in it. I also love the spirituality and ceremonies. We actually hold a lot of our traditions still, especially our spirituality. We had to adapt them to times because our spirituality was actually illegal until the late 70's so we still kind of do everything in secret, but it's still a big part of our lives. Plus our cooking and general way of life, customs, social nuances, they're all around. |
Can you explain how it was illegal? Wouldn't freedom of religion protect you? | You would think so, but it was actually specifically outlawed until 1978. Here is information on the American Indian Religious Freedom Act that finally made it legal. |
Thanks for the answer. What kind of food is considered traditional? What's your favorite dish? | Berries are considered traditional but especially blue berries and strawberries. Venison, Moose, wild rice. My favorite is wild rice hot dish. |
If you would have said "fry bread" I was going to stop reading this AMA. | Lol too many people think it's a traditional food. It's more like soul food. We created it from commodity rations, it was not traditional. |
How bad is the morale and alcoholism in the tribe you work with? | I would say morale is pretty low...parents generally feel that living on the rez means a shitty life and you have to accept that. A lot of people, when they want to get sober, choose to move off of the rez entirely which I don't fault them for. |
Alcoholism is here, but it's actually not the biggest substance abuse problem. Right now heroin is really making a comeback on this rez, and the second most popular drug is pills. | |
What's your educational and professional background? | I actually have a bachelors degree in teaching and ojibwe language and culture. This rez does not require a social services background, they train us for us after being hired. |
What inspired you to become a social worker? | I had worked with people in these type of situations before as a domestic violence advocate. I fell in love with helping people like that working that job through college. It just felt more real than teaching, like I was actually making a difference (though believe me, teaching makes a difference too). I realized I had a knack for it and it's not a job a lot of people can do and so I sought it out. |
lastly: thanks for what you do, regardless of the population you work with. | Thanks. It's a pretty thankless job so it's nice to be appreciated :). |
Wow, you sound like such a good-hearted person! My deepest respects. If I may ask, where did you get a bachelor's in Ojibwe language/culture? | The College of St. Scholastica in Duluth, MN. It's called the Native Teacher Training Program now. |
If someone wanted to do community service on a reservation, would that be frowned upon - especially if they were white? What would be the best way to volunteer? | I don't think it would be frowned upon but you may receive a different reception than a fellow native person would. There are a lot of white people who come into our community with a savior complex...saving the poor indians from themselves. But if the goal is to work ALONGSIDE natives we will accept a white person. We have white social workers and supervisors. I have an easier time being native than they do, but they are still accepted and the families still work with them. There are different programs on different reservations...the only one I can think of here is boys and girls club and they always love volunteers...they have white staff as well. You just have to see what opportunities the rez provides. |
What do you feel the USA should do at the state/federal level to improve situations on reservations? | Improving communication with the tribes. They still pass laws regarding us without asking for our input, and for a long time there was no leader of the Bureau of Indian Affairs (I believe through the entire Bush II presidency). I don't think money is the answer...a lot of people seem to think Indians just want free money or reparations. |
Really the reservations need to act to improve their own way of life. The damage has been done by the government in the past and we need to act as a sovereign nation and help ourselves. | |
So, hypothetically speaking, I am a government agency that has grant money to give Indian Tribes. Most tribes are eligible to receive this funding, however, so few apply (it's not usually a lot of money, but it is money). How do we go about getting the word out and communicating that this money exists for them to use? | Moccasin telegraph is best. That's our way of saying word-of-mouth lol. You have to actually go to the communities to talk to people...they tend to think something doesn't exist or people don't care unless they can address them face-to-face. |
You mentioned that cooking is one of your favorite parts of your culture. What are some of your favorite traditional dishes? | I LOVE Moose. Moose anything. Moose hot dish, moose burgers, moose steak. Moose is so lean and flavorful. |
I also like frybread. Everyone cooks it so differently and it carries so much tradition in each family. However it's not a traditional food...it's a food that came about because of commodities. Commodities gave us lard and flour and we made the best of it. | |
Have you ever thought that the reservations have served their purpose and are no longer necessary? | No. I think reservations are great because they still allow us some sovereignty and the ability to build our own societies in the way we feel is necessary and relevant to our culture. Unfortunately, reservations are full of poor people and like any place predominantly inhabited by poor people (ghettos, trailer parks) there is a lot of crime and drug use in order to "survive." I still feel that it's a great thing, however, that I can go to a doctor that will respect western medicine and medicine people. That my child can go to school and learn English and their tribal language. |
Do the majority of people in the community hold traditional Ojibwe spiritual beliefs and what is the role of religion/spirituality, generally, on the reservation where you work? | I would say the majority have some form of traditional belief but like any spirituality it varies from person to person. We try to integrate it into our social work if it is what appeals to the family...we've used traditional healers to work with those struggling with substance abuse, to heal victims of sexual and physical abuse, and to mediate family arguments. I think most government facilities here try to use spirituality. They do a weekly prayer and drum circle at the tribal school, they open each official government meeting with sage and a prayer...we integrate it as much as possible. |
I live on a native reserve in Canada, my reserve has about 800ppl. We have very few "traditional" reserve problems, we have 95% employment rate, very little (if any) violence, drug, alcohol, or poverty issues. That I hear about from other reserves (epically reserves in USA). Are the stories I hear true or false? | It depends on the reservation, but I'd say generally the reservations do have a lot of crime and drug use. My Oneida reservation doesn't have AS MUCH trouble with it as it is the only metropolitan reservation in the country AND they pay for college so there is a lot of opportunity for work and education. Here more people are poor and unfortunately with poverty comes the need for crime to pay the bills and the desire for drugs to numb the pain. |
I worked for several years in the Megan's law program in California and was shocked to find out that due to the sovereignty of Native American tribes a lot if not most of the people accused or found guilty of rape or molestation on the reservation often go free or are not prosecuted at all. I also heard that in most cases they even end up living in the same neighbohood as their vicitms. First, is this true? And second, if it is, is there any way to prevent or solve this issue when the reservations sovereignty comes into play, leaving any outside law enforcement unable to assist in helping in such cases? | I haven't found that to be true here in Minnesota...they are prosecuted and sent to jail. That's a criminal issue and is handled more by law enforcement and county court. I think this used to be more true in the past as most crimes against natives were not prosecuted. |
This tribe has a way of dealing with it...banishment. Some tribes still use banishment as a punishment and do not allow perpetrators back onto the reservation. Tribal police will actually escort them off if they find them to be in the area. | |
Do you notice any sort of resentment towards the government from the locals? We are currently learning about indian history and how past aggressions have lasting impressions so I'm wondering if you still see people angry about that or is that all old news by now? | People are still angry about it but it's not generally something we discuss. I do, because I have to interact with state and federal government depending on the kind of case I have to investigate. I still see the state trying to infringe on our sovereign tribal rights because they believe they can do it better. I think it mostly manifests in who families are more willing to work with. Families are always more open to working with me as a tribal social worker than with county officials. |
Do you have any insights into what the future holds for Natives? I work at a hospital close to a few reservations and I agree that the older generation still seems kind of resentful but the younger kids don't seem to be as much (or maybe just not yet), is a change on the horizon? | I can really only refer to the seventh generation prophecy among the Ojibwe people...that the seventh generation will bring about change and cultural revitalization. That's this generation so here's hoping. |
Canadian here, we have a unique, but similar, situation here with our aboriginal population. What do you think the real solution is for problems on reservations? In Canada there is a lot of resentment of aboriginals and many people say they are "lazy, freeloaders who want free money". Many people here believe we should stop sending "blank cheques" to reservations and to put money into rehab centers, schools, etc. Critics of this say it is neo-colonialism. The aboriginal writer, Cardinal, believes things need to be solved internally by aboriginals and the government should provide money with no strings attached. A lot of Canadians don't think they should have to pay for past injustices, especially since we have such a large migrant population. What's your view/why? TL;DR What's the best solution for problems in aboriginal populations? | I think the real solution is for people to take more responsibility for our future. I think the government isn't as active in their efforts to destroy the native population, now they are indifferent (which can be a killer on its own). The government doesn't give a shit about us, so we need to stop blaming them for our current problems. We were dealt a bad hand...we have a history full of problems that has trickled down to current generations, but at this point no amount of money or government assistance is going to make that better. Tribes need to be responsible for their own people and need to create programs to help employ and educate their citizens. |
What is the status of family law (e.g. paternity, guardianships, divorce, etc.) on the reservations? | It is different for each reservation. On Oneida they actually just got family court so they will do guardianships and child protection in tribal court for the first time. On the rez in which I work there is guardianship and child protection court already in place. For paternity, divorce, and criminal it is generally done in county court but it really depends on the reservation and their ability to provide that for their people or their relationship with state government. |
Why do they prefer to be called American Indians now, since its based on such a silly historical mistake? | I think because we've been identified with the term "indian" for so long...but actually you'd have to ask each individual what they prefer. Personally I prefer the term first nations, but mostly to be identified by the tribes I specifically draw heritage from. The latter is true for most people, we just don't expect that from outsiders. |
How do you feel about sports teams with "Indians" or other similar names. I grew up at a school who had the Indians as our school symbol and we always took a lot of pride in learning a lot about NA culture in our school. We also live in an area where a lot of Mississippian Indians were basically absorbed into "white" culture. Now that a lot of schools are changing symbols I kind of feel like we are forgetting about part of our shared history. What's your take on this? | I think it depends on the representation. It sounds like your school had a more respectful way of dealing with it. The Redskins, however, is a term that is racially offensive. It comes from when bounty hunters used to turn in native skins to the government for their pay as transporting the bodies was more heavy and expensive. However, the fighting Sioux is okay with me because the Sioux people themselves are in favor of it. |
My girlfriend once did some work with the Seminole Tribe. She said most of the people were obese and would wear cheap Wal Mart clothing, but had private jets and would spend ridiculous amounts of cash on the dumbest shit. Is obesity a problem with many other tribes? What's the usual diet for those living on a reservation? Are most people in the tribe wealthy, or is it structured similar to the outside, i.e. a few rich at the top and many people far below? | Obesity is a problem as is diabetes. Our bodies were not designed to digest the food that Europeans are. The usual diet on a rez is the diet of a poor person: cheap food loaded with preservatives and high in fat. In this tribe I'd say the majority are still poor. Generally people believe that because a tribe has a casino they must be rich, but it depends on the tribe. There are some tribes where their members make hundreds of thousands a month and others like my husband's (Leech Lake) where they get 125 dollars a year. |
Do you think the social situation in the reservations is worsening or getting better, and do you have examples of social dramas? | That's a question with a complex answer. Like any society you have some people moving forward and others doing the opposite. I think there are more opportunities for people on reservations these days but the crime and drug problems remain. Could you explain what you mean by social drama? |
I hope I don't sound too much of a "disaster tourist", but I was wondering if there are generation gaps/class distinction/internal troubles that we don't hear of too often. In short, is there unity or division among the members of the Ojibwe, and why do you think that is. And could you expand on the crime and drug problems? What drugs are used most? | Oh absolutely. Elders want the young to be more involved in their culture as they will carry it on into the future, and many native youngsters find them antiquated and find this to not be their responsibility. Young natives actually identify a lot with urban african american culture and listen to rap and dress in that style. There are natives who live in nice homes here by the golf course, and indians who live in tribal housing with cockroaches. Jealousy is a big problem with our people...and people who succeed are seen as "white lovers." |
There is a lot of gang activity on this rez (and many reservations). Here we have the "native mob" who do sex trafficking but mostly drug trafficking. The big drug here right now is heroin with pills being a close second. | |
Do the youngsters also hang out with African Americans, or do they only identify with them because of TV culture? Do you think that clinging to traditional values is good, or that "blending in" with modern society is the way to go? How do you think the social problems involving crime and drugs can be dealt with? | In some cases they hang out with African Americans, but there is actually a lot of racism towards African Americans, especially with the elders. I'm not sure why, I just know it's there. It's mostly the gang culture and tv culture youngsters associate with. |
I think that blending is good to a point as well as the clinging to traditions. The reality is I don't want to go back to living in the woods...I like internet and indoor plumbing...but I don't need to live in the woods to practice my spirituality, speak my language, or learn the traditions. I think we need to accept that we need to decide what our current culture is and not continue to be angry about or mourn the past. Never forget, but forgiving is okay. | |
I think it is a complex problem that people are trying to answer in a one-note solution. They assume if you close down the drug dealers the problem is over. But really, you need to address the poverty, the depression and the stigma of seeking help for depression, the joblessness, and the cultural stuff like people's tendency to be fatalistic. | |
How is their government structured, and how does this affect daily life? I ask because I've some acquaintances in the Navajo Nation, which is run by consensus government, so getting projects approved and started can take forever. | They have the tribal chairperson and commisioners of different departments (education, finances, etc) and they meet as a board to make decisions. My tribe (the Oneida) have a general tribal council made up of whichever tribal members decided to show up that day (they pay out an incentive) who votes and the majority rules. |
What do you think about pushes for traditionalism in a tribe? I live in Arizona, and I've heard speakers lament that kids have lost the old ways (spirituality, customs, language), but restoring them would solve a lot of problems that Native American youth have. Do you think that approach holds promise? Do you find that young people want that traditionalism? | I think that having stock in your community helps you to respect it more. Having your own sense of identity makes it so you don't need to seek approval and fellowship from gangs. Learning your language or involving yourself in learning how to do ceremonies occupies you so you don't get into trouble. I think it could help a great deal. |
I find that younger people can go either way as far as seeking traditionalism. I'm more exposed as a social worker to the ones who don't (and you can take from that what you will) and so I see more kids who look to gangs and crime. | |
Is this a problem in your area? If so, what are some of the ways to help these girls and women to gain their independence? How can we raise awareness in younger generations and teach men that it is NOT okay to pay for sex? | It is a problem here but it is not as prevalent. I think its so prevalent in Duluth because of the ports. I think what needs to happen is more native communities need to have open and honest dialogue about the problem. Native communities do not want to believe this happens to their girls and will shy away from discussing it. |
I am a tribal member with Lac Courte Oreilles and I live off reservation. It has been three generations since my family lived on the reservation, and my generation is the first ones since about 1920 to even engage with our heritage. What advice would you give someone like myself to reengage with my heritage? | Firstly, if you have access to an elder or can find access, this is your best bet. Elders are our connection to our past, to our ways, and have a whole lot of history to share. Powwows are a great place to meet elders. Many places also have cultural workshops. I'm not saying the workshop will teach you as much as a member of the tribe, but this is a good place to MEET someone from the tribe. The more community involvement you have the more knowledge will rub off on you. |
What are your thoughts on the proposed provisions to the Violence Against Women Act where a federal court can supersede a reservation's council? How prevalent is domestic abuse? | Federal court can always supersede tribal law. |
Domestic abuse is very prevalent, more prevalent in Native communities than any other. I used to be a domestic violence advocate in Duluth, MN. If you'd like to know more about that please read the "Shattered Hearts Report." It's a really good and heartbreaking inventory of how many native women are affected by rape, sexual assault, and domestic abuse. | |
Maybe a shallow question but what's your opinion on the use of your heritage as sport mascots? Washington Redskins, Cleveland Indians, Chicago Blackhawks etc. EDIT: Would still like more info on this question... This answer (Link to www.reddit.com didn't clarify much... Any chance you can address teams like the Braves/Blackhawks/Indians? | Please see above. |
I worked doing humanitarian work on several reservations in Arizona. One not so remote, and one VERY remote. Hilarious part was they hated being called Native Americans, and much prefered to be called Indians. Very sad to see the state of affairs, and I just want to thank you for doing what you do. It breaks my heart that they are in the United States and go nearly unnoticed (not that they don't share in the responsibility for a lot of their own shortcomings). Are you Indian/Native American yourself? | I am enrolled Oneida and a descendant of Fond du lac Ojibwe. |
I don't have questions, I just want to say THANK YOU for everything you do. I have worked for several domestic violence and community organizations in South Dakota's Sioux reservations and know that the struggles of Native Americans are often overlooked or minimized by stereotyping and racism by the average American. Edit: I do have a question actually. I now live in WI and would be interested in getting involved in Native culture activism and non-profit programs. My educational background is in sociology and transitioning families. Do you know of any good programs in WI or MN that are looking for interns/volunteers or any educational resources for young people interested in getting involved in these areas? | I know the American Indian Community Housing Organization in Duluth, MN is looking for people and they have a lot of different positions and programs. Mending the Sacred Hoop in Duluth might need people as well. If not, they could point you in the right direction. |
Can you provide proof? | I'd be more than willing to if you have any ideas as to how. |
What do you think of Red Lake's new skatepark? | Hahah I have not been to Red Lake. |
Have you had any dealings with Native Americans from Canada? From my few spots of observations while visiting Canada, a lot of Canadians are highly prejudiced against Native Americans. | One of my weh-ehs (the Ojibwe version of a godparent) is from Rainy River reservation in Ontario. He's really my only connection to Natives from Canada. I don't know a lot about their communities or struggles. |
Questions | Answers |
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What is the craziest/funniest story you have about your students? | Wow lots to answer! I'll start with... 2.you really need to be aware of cultural and religious differences in the classroom. It is sometimes really difficult when you realize something you assume is "general knowledge" is way outside their experience - teaching myths and legends for example: they know the story of the rainbow serpent and aboriginal dreaming, or how the gods gave fire to the Tongan man, but they might have no clue who the three little pigs are. Oh the other hand, because we have a 40% pacific islander population, they are really free and open with creativity, music and dance in particular. The most popular performance in the entire year has been the Cook Island girls doing traditional dance! |
Do you take into account the multiculturalism of your class when designing your lesson plan? | I decided to go into teaching for several reasons - firstly because I believe kids need someone who is passionate and wanted to help them to succeed. It didn't hurt that my mum teaches too, so I knew what I was getting into! I also was lucky and got a scholarship to cover my entire university costs if I agreed to work in a "difficulty staffing area" for 3 years minimum. I was a "targeted graduate". |
How does such a diverse student population affect the learning climate? | Honestly, though, I really feel that there is no such thing as a "bad" kid. Crazy, yes, but not evil. Even the worst one has some good in them. I did work experience in juvenile justice system and thought that most of these kids come from such horrific experiences, how could they get out of the pattern without people working to preventing them falling further down the same path? |
What made you decide to get into teaching? | As for crazy, do you mean funny, weird, confrontational, violent, insane...? Because I have a few, both from personal experience and stories from others... |
That's awesome! Sounds like a very exciting place to live. | I really love it. We have Tongan, Cook Islander, Samoan, P&G, phillipines, Turkish, afghanis, Sudanese, Indian, Fijian, Italian, Anglo, aboriginal, Chinese, among others, but there is ever any racial divides! |
Have you ever seen the movie Fortress? Don't they have a song about the piggies? | Never seen it, sorry! |
Are there any Jonah Takaluas? | I don't think so. Ive never heard of Jonah Takaluas. |
How about one weird, one funny, and one violent? | Alright! |
Weird: I had a boy aged about 14 who had mental health problems. He barricaded himself into the middle of the classroom during class using chairs and stayed in there for an hour, pretending to be a cat. He also refused to take the DET funded laptop because the government could track his thoughts. | |
Funny- an aboriginal girl in yr 7, let's call her Teraha (not her name, hers is weirder) stole a whole bundle of white foundation makeup from drama and smeared it all over herself. Went around screeching "Look Miss! Now I'm a white fella like you!" at every class. She kept going until a boy started calling her Michael Jackson and she punched him in the face. I thought it was clever, she got a long suspension... | |
Where abouts? How do you manage to manage a class of 500? | The whole school population is roughly 500, with a teaching staff of 53. The largest individual class I teach is 29 students, but I am also a year adviser for yr 8, which is 84 students aged about 12 to 13 years old. |
Oh ok, whereabouts is your school? | We are a small area so I won't give you the exact name or region, but it is roughly 8 hours inland from sydney, and is rural, not urban development. |
Is it Parkes...I bet it's Parkes. | I only know two things about parkes: it's where the dish is and that the poet Peter skryznecki lived there in a migrant hostel as a kid. Not parkes. |
Dubbo. | Not dubbo. Oh thank god, it is not dubbo. |
Having just finished my HSC and the Advanced English course, I was really hoping I'd never have to see, hear or read Skrzynecki (pronounced Sheh-Nes-key just to stuff with us) ever again. Not that his work is inherently bad or anything, just that I'm so very, very tired of HSC English. | I know him personally. A nice man, but very forward! |
I lived in Australia for a year (I'm from Canada) and found the racism to be overt compared to Canada (we are still racist but keep it mostly hidden). Is that your experience? Also can you post some scenery photos - I miss there. | I think the overt racism is cultural, we are a blunt people! I'd love to post some, but I'm using an iPad without any home pics. Anyone else got some? |
Do you receive any extra pay compare to teachers in cities like Sydney? How is a teacher's salary set in Australia? Is it payed by the federal government, regional authority or the municipality? | In some areas, you get paid extra or receive subsides for housing etc. unfortunately, where I am does not qualify for these! It is too bad, a friend of mine in the far west pays less than $50 rent on her house and gets an extra week off because of the temperature and geographic isolation... As for who pays me, I am in public education system, so am technically a governmental employee! I am employed by the NSW (State) Department of Education and Community Services. If I was private sector, it would be a different story. Wages are decent, and they increase over time. I started as a 4 year trained graduate (I have 2 bachelor degrees, not a BA and a diploma) and the starting salary was about $54,000. Currently, I'm sitting on about $64,000 annually. |
This is the pay agreement if you'd like to look, but it is currently being renegotiated with the union. Link to www.det.nsw.edu.au | |
How do you feel about the divide on "my child is bad, therefore - I must parent" vs. "my child is bad, therefore - it is the teachers fault that my child misbehaves, as it's not my job to teach them morals, values and ethics" ? | I straddle the line. Yes, I as a teacher must teach and model appropriate behaviour and ethics, but we cannot do it alone. We see them 6 hours out of 24. What they get outside of school makes a far longer lasting impression and while I do my best to show your child what they should be doing, home is far more effective as they model from what is shown to them as appropriate! |
In the case of the drop-outs and gang members: Do you think that these kids truly wanted to learn? As in, did they really want to succeed, but just gave in to gang pressures or lack of academic success? | It comes back to the difference between a learning difficulty and a learning impairment. Many kids honestly want to learn and please you, but are so anxious -as in psychologically/clinically phobic - that they will do anything, including acting out violently, to escape the situation. I have had kids in tears because they are so scared of reading a sentence they are literally crippled by it. |
My girlfriend and I are moving over to Australia from Scotland in a little over a month, and she is a Home Economics teacher and will be looking for a job in that field before long. Do smaller, regional schools offer such programs? What would you say the main difficulties associated with regional living are? | A good question. Yes, we teach Food Technology, Textiles, Design &Technology... Basically, if it comes under the TAS description, it gets taught. See, the junior school (aged 11-16) in the public system get taught a basic taster course of most subjects and then elect their subjects in their final senior years. Your best bet is to sign up with the Department of Education and get a casual teaching number so she can get a feel for our system before applying for a temporary block or a permanent position. |
Main difficulties? Distance and isolation are the big ones. You are a long way from anywhere and it takes ages to get places. This means that access to opportunities and resources are limited to what is available locally. There is sometimes a very insular community who have trouble going outside of their town- I teach 18 year olds who have never been more than a two hour drive from home, never been on a plane or been to a capital city, who have no desire to ever do so. | |
Because Canberra is so nice? | Canberra is lovely, but so artificial! |
30 different nationalities. Why? What is in your town/city? Casino? Mines? | We have a large itinerant population, lots of unskilled labour positions. This includes fruit and farming mainly. Also lots of refugees flooded into the areas for a better life, more opportunities in regional areas than in the cities. |
Dingos ever eat any of your kids? Just kidding, but what creepy or dangerous insects or snakes do you have to be aware of by your school? | Do termites count? Joking. No, we have redback, whitetail and funnelweb spiders on premises, personally, I'd take the redback over whitetails, ( a whitetail is tiny and it's bite causes necrosis) brown snakes, tiger snakes, red bellied black snakes... Worst thing is when someone finds a baby brown snake. They're small, fast and venomous, but brown snakes never lay just one egg, so even if you catch it there is probably 4-8 other little brown evil snakes hiding under the building somewhere... |
Yikes. Beautiful country..lots of nasty things. | Yeah, but they are usually more scared of you or are highly visible if you know what to look for. Whitetails are awful because they love to get into bedrooms and bedding in your sleep. If you miss the bite, it can be pretty nasty, google whitetail spider bite if you need some more reasons to avoid Australia! |
How do the less privileged children that you teach deal with being upside down? | Well, from our perspective, it would seem that you must struggle with being upside down. For us, upside down is rightside up! |
Ah. So they deal with it quite well then. Thank you for answering my question. | It was either that or invest in magnetized boots. And you are welcome. |
an awesome gravity machine. but low socio-economic areas can not generally afford such machines. | Sadly true. We rely on thumbtacks and staples mostly, and tie ourselves down with double sided tape if we are feeling extravagant! |
Please tell me you staple the children's bodies and not the clothes. Clothes tend to get expensive. Question B! How do you deal fight of dingos trying to steal the children, as well as the 9000 other creatures there trying to kill them? | Easy, packs of dingoes are easily warded off when you release the crocodiles with mouths full of deadly snakes. |
Man, I does this make me want to visit your great land. | Hey, ask nice and I might even regale you with tales of childhood horrors! In the meantime, www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNEeq5qGh8I if you're still keen on Australia after that, look me up! |
What's the attendance rate on an average day like? | Well, that depends. We have a lot of "partial attendance" where students truant a lesson or two, go down the street or hang out in the school grounds, but are technically at school. The majority of our kids have decent attendance, but the 15-16 year olds are bucking the curve- every class except year 10, I might be missing one or two, but today, my year 10 class of potentially 20+ students was actually a class of 7. (It was period one, some turned up later in the day). But every school has some problems. It becomes a major concern if a student's attendance rate drips below 85%. As a year advisor, I have to contact home and enquire about this before it gets sent on to the welfare team, but when you get someone who has been in school for roughly one week in ten altogether, then it gets passed on to the department of community services and the home-school liaison officer steps up. |
Are you also sick of your students not tying up their kangaroos after arriving at school? I for one am sick of finding kangaroo shit in my staff room. | Yeah, it was really frustrating, but now we keep them on the back oval until the kids have to ride them home again. Once they fight off the swarms of deadly snakes and have a friendly boxing match or two, the Roos usually settle pretty quiet until we send off our boomerangs to get the latest beer advertising. that stirs them up like a bucket of prawns on a hot day! |
As a rural school do you feel your students are disadvantaged in anyway in regards to funding, resources, teachers etc? I go to a school near Penrith which is not anywhere close to rural but I felt that my school either had terrible funds management or was less well off as schools closer to the city. Also if you don't mind me asking, whats the average ATAR score of your school? | This is hard to answer because my school is currently receiving special grants from the government to boost our funding. At the moment, we have two more teaching positions and an extra deputy that our number of students wouldn't usually support. When this runs out at the end of the year, we will be having some serious restructuring, losing a deputy, several members of the support/office staff (including groundskeeper) and between 2-4 teaching staff. This means the load for teachers will go up and our classes will increase in size. A big problem for us is our parents and families, being low-socioeconomic groups, cannot often afford uniforms, shoes, workbooks or other equipment, or school fees. We as a school subsidize a lot for our kids, and I personally keep a supply of books and equipment in my classroom that comes out of my own money. Many students arrive in inappropriate clothing, without a bag, food, solid shoes, books or a pen, and we have to do what we can for them. We are better off than some, but compared to those "best" Sydney schools? Not a competition. |
This is hard to answer because my school is currently receiving special grants from the government to boost our funding. At the moment, we have two more teaching positions and an extra deputy that our number of students wouldn't usually support. When this runs out at the end of the year, we will be having some serious restructuring, losing a deputy, several members of the support/office staff (including groundskeeper) and between 2-4 teaching staff. This means the load for teachers will go up and our classes will increase in size. A big problem for us is our parents and families, being low-socioeconomic groups, cannot often afford uniforms, shoes, workbooks or other equipment, or school fees. We as a school subsidize a lot for our kids, and I personally keep a supply of books and equipment in my classroom that comes out of my own money. Many students arrive in inappropriate clothing, without a bag, food, solid shoes, books or a pen, and we have to do what we can for them. We are better off than some, but compared to those "best" Sydney schools? Not a competition. | As for our results, I honestly cannot remember the average ATAR from last year. I do know that in the NAPLAN testing, we are below state averages in literacy and comprehension, but we do more "value adding" than state average - meaning our students make more significant improvement in their result between yr 7 and yr 9 than is the state average, but they are starting at a lower point so are still not meeting the goal. |
Wow thanks for the replies :) Honestly from how I perceive it, teaching deserves much more appreciation than it gets at the moment. I'm really glad your students got such a fantastic teacher like you and speaking from experience, is very hard to come by. Also, HSC english is poopy. | Ooooh yeah. HSC is the delight of everyone. I say this as an English teacher, HSC English, in my humble opinion, should not be mandatory. Scaled up to reward people who take it, yes. Like the maths syllabus. But mandatory, for everyone? It just makes you hate us and it. |
FINALLY A TEACHER WHO (openly) AGREES! Compulsory HSC English left me so bitter and jaded after what would otherwise have been a very enjoyable final year of high school. Three years later and I can still feel the hatred welling up inside as I read those words. | It sounds like your teacher did not do the course justice. Mild disdain is expected, but welling hatred is ... Not a good sign. |
One of my closest friend's parents are both rural school principals in NSW, one Primary over ~40 students, one highschool over a larger school. Out of interest, did you choose to work in the bush, or were you posted during teacher training? What was the biggest "culture-shock" moment for you when you started working out past woop-woop? Did you train in one of the capitals? | I chose to be rural because I felt I could do more good here. But not a culture shock. I grew up in a tiny, semi-arid, "rural-and-isolated" dairy farming town in the riverina and went to a rural university, (wagga), which meant I had more trouble adjusting to seeing hills than to the lifestyle! |
I can see how that would be awesome! But by God, you're amazing for dealing with all that stuff, every single day. Amazing. I was a teacher too, so I know you don't get told that enough. ANd here's the government, come to yank your funding. And how about some more paper work for the Institute? Does it get lonely out there? I've been West, but only on business. | It does get lonely, particularly as I'm not married. Meeting new people out here is hard, especially once you weed out the ex students! |
That's gotta be tough. I know convincing a fella who 1. will move out there and 2. understands your passion is a tall order, because I went through something similar while living not too far from the city. Is the job good enough to keep you there long term? | I have trouble because most people don't like to try long distance relationships. My job is a permanent position which is important. This means that I can be guaranteed a job from now until I retire, even if my school numbers drop and they don't need me, the government is obliged to find me another position in the state. This is called a "forced transfer" because I am technically a government employee, not employed by my specific school. |
Do your students experience racism because they live in a mostly white country? | It is not as big a problem here as it is in some places where I have taught. Because we are very culturally dirvese, students are fairly tolerant of each other. They are more likely to be offensive to people of the same racial background than others! We do get some racism out in the community -one man I know refers to it as "the black school" and we have had visiting schools afraid to enter our school because of fears that they might get "bashed" by the aboriginal or islander students. When they do come in, they are usually pleasantly surprised that we don't react to newcomers with violence! |
I taught out your way not all that long ago. I know you didn't say where but we both know there aren't many schools that far out with 500+ students! Nonetheless, our schools could still have been hundreds of kms apart anyway. It's a ridiculously big state. I just wanted to send this your way... Hands down, the best kids I ever taught came from that little town out west. I still keep in contact with many of them. They astound me with their growing lives and I genuinely miss them. It was tough out there, I saw things that Australians should be devastated by - kids living in 'buildings' that didn't have doors (you lift one of the walls out), sleeping in caravans with torn off roofing, travelling for an hour along dirt roads just to get to school - and yet those same kids rarely bitched and moaned like their city counterparts. I also received my best training out west - training which made me the teacher I am today. I'd like to think I'm the teacher reddit wishes it had! Or at least the one I wished I had! Enjoy your time out there - the good and the bad! How far away is the nearest movie theatre? It was 4ish hours for me. | I am lucky that way, we are only a couple of hours from a regional hub, with a cinema no less! I can get to see a movie in a little under an hour drive there and another back. It is hard, I think, for people who don't live out this way to truly understand what the distance is like. How many people out there can drive for several hours without seeing any sign of human society other than the road or occasional power lines? |
Fellow registered teacher here. I've never taught in Australia though aside from my teacher training. What's the best way to go about getting your foot in the door into teaching? Is it generally accepted that you need to go out west and teach in a country school? Is it possible to get into some schools in the major cities in more permanent positions? | The staffing system is changing, but if you want to build experience, then going west helps. You can also work casually in a school and hope a position you are suited to opens up. Permanency is a major goal and it can take years of working temporary blocks of 6 months or a year to find a school wwhich can offer it. It's about being visible and writing applications well. |
What do you think life would be like in that community, for a gay student? | It is difficult. Very difficult. admittedly, it is easier on the few we have here than other places I have been, we even have a few transgender students who are fairly accepted and moderately popular. Some of this is the acceptance in some pacific islander cultures, such as Tongan. From my school, the policy seems to be if you don't broadcast, they will not judge. |
It has been about 2 years since I finished my teacher training. I've been teaching English In Japan since then. I don't think that experience is going to help me too much when it comes to looking for a job when I get home. Is there one particular skill or thing in demand outside teaching experience that I could develop to help me get a job? | Schools like people who bring more than their job description - if you have any specialities that could help, for example, I run a lot of extra curriculars for our school including the public speaking competitions. Think about what skills or willingness you have and how these could help the community. |
With limited funds, do you believe you are still able to teach the fundamentals well enough to be considered successful? | I believe we do a pretty damn good job. All evidence we collect with statewide and national testing shows we are value adding to educational standard at above average for the lower ability students and we consistently get some of the best results for seniors in the region. We struggle to extend the mid range ability students as much as other schools may, but this is a situation where good teaching practise is more important than anything else we have to work with. |
I am also studying teaching (high school - English and history major) and am also Australian. I was wondering, how is it teaching in a rural area? I have some friends who found the adaption hard due to suburban life. | Adjusting to rural life can be hard, I have friends who grew up in cities who find it grating, too quiet, dull and too far away from friends and family. But they tend to appreciate things I forget, like being able to walk out late at night and see the entire sky filled with stars and complete silence. |
When I visited my friend 6 hours south from Sydney, the night sky was the beauty of it all... I still have a year to go thankfully, so when the time comes, ill hopefully be able to decide. Also is the pay better for rural? I've heard it is. | You get the same pay no matter where you are. But the further west you go, the better you concessions are. They need teachers and are happ to make offers to get them! |
Are the Polynesian boys really the best break dancers in the whole suburb? PS - "Awww, Miss, you farted!" | Mainly the Polynesian, but the aboriginal and aboriginal/islander boys are pretty darn talented too! |
How does your access to resources compare to that of a rural school in a place like, say Southwestern Virginia? | I have no idea, the only place I have been outside of Australia is China, which is very very different to australia educationally! We have access to the net, obviously, we have a decent amount of tech such as computers and smartboards in school rooms, and thanks to the dept of education, all students in years 9-12 have a school mini laptop. But we are a big, empty country, meaning it takes hours to get anywhere. Teachers struggle to get approval for professional development because it takes at least a 3 days worth of casual coverage - a days travel up, a day at the course and a days travel back...we just can not afford that. |
Ay miss, is Jonah truly the sickest break dancer in school or are there new breakers out there we need to know about? | My boys are amazing. They have real talent. You watch out! |
What do you listen to when you want to " jam the fuck out"? Genre, artists? | I love my old school classics, rolling stones especially, but i also have Pink, Marlyin Manson, Ramstien, Elvis, jazz, broadway musicals and 90s pop in the mix. When working with kids, teenybopper stuff tends to bleed into your consciousness. I unfortunately am now fluent in teenage girl and can discuss One Direction or the like almost painlessly! |
I'm gonna say Griffith or Riverina area? Sounds like it. | Not Griffith. Further west. |
Yes hi madam international drainage commission here; which way does the water in your toilet run? | If you want me to go check my neighbours, you could end up with an insanely high phone bill that causes an international incident. |
How often you get called 'fucking white cunt'? A good friend of mine is a teacher and needs it to start her day, as well as strong black coffee. | I think that the best one I've ever been called is a "fucking white racist pig" by a parent. I don't think she saw any irony in calling me that. |
Any moments where your work felt really fulfilling? | I remember being in my first year out teaching, working with a really low ability group, studying a poetry unit. We were 3 weeks in and they were really struggling with it. One day, I was working with a girl and you could see it just click - it was as if a switch had literally been flipped in her head and she looked at me with absolute wonder in her eyes - she said "Miss! There's so much more to poetry than just words, isn't there?! " |
They are rare but worth it! | |
Do dingos eat babies? | Actually, yes. Dingoes are untrustworthy feral animals, and have been known to maul small children or attack tourists. As for the Azaria Chamberlain story, I think the baby died, but I still don't know how the "dingo" got into a tent without causing any damage or disturbance... |
Does "rise up lights" still sound like "razor blades" when an Australian says it? | No. Rys up lihts, versus rayzuh blahdez. |
What is the gifted/talented programming like at your school (if any)? I know that multicultural schools, particularly rural ones have a very hard time developing and implementing programs for the gifted, but Australia has broken a lot of ground with that research. You said somewhere that PD is hard to come by, since you're so far away from everything, but are there resources available at your school (like a gifted resource teacher)? | We run gifted and talented programs in art and music, we also have dance students participate in school spectacular, but video conference training sessions. Our drama students just finished a joint drama production with our sister school in the western suburbs, where they used video chat, fb and internet to bond and build an entirely original play based on joint experiences as Australian youth.We also run a Targeted Sports program to identify those talented at athletics and sport, who get extra training and experience. It is working really well with the junior boys. |
What does your AEO do? The official description appears to have been written by a committee, can you please explain using more concrete examples? | An AEO is employed at schools that have a significant number of indigenous students.Basically, they work in the school to get indigenous student the best possible educational opportunities and work within the indigenous community to promote the school and education.our AEO works with individuals who are recognised "at risk", helps create multicultural programs and resources, liaises with community members and aboriginal elders, and generally seeks out opportunities for our indigenous youth while being a visible, successful role model for the students. |
Do you have Bogans? I keep seeing videos with them. They seem to be a combo of rednecks and pikers... | Trust me, everywhere has bogans. They are often racist, slow thinkers and lovers of real "ocker" cultural touchstones, such as utes with thousands of aerials, spotlights and a roo bar, B&S balls and bundy rum. |
Do you actually work with Torres Strait Islanders? | Some yes, but the majority of indigenous students here are aboriginal. |
I can't help but think of tommorrow when the war began. Have you ever read it to any students? Do any of your students resemble any of the characters? | I teach that book to my kids, in year 9. they love it, but don't really resemble the characters. Twtwb is a very blue mountains, mainly white population, farming town setting. Some of the landscape rings true but the people are not much like mine! |
I don't know if you're still answering, but I'll ask. I live in a low socio-economic urban area in WA, where we have MAJOR problems with Aboriginal children being actively discouraged from attempting to study and improve their lot in life by parents who would rather they live off benefits. Many either feel that they are owed by the white man, or that there is no chance so why bother.. generally a mix of the two. Is this a problem in rural areas? | We don't have students being actively discouraged, but our parents often don't place much value on education, and often our kids have to work to help support the family. When you are working for 6-8 hours and not getting much sleep, school is not that important. |
Are sports teams a big part of your school? Does it have a rugby/aussie rules team? | Sport is life in our school. If there is a competition out there, we have a team - we even have lawn bowls team! |
Is the area anything like the movie "The Snowtown Murders"? | No, that was mountains and in a different state, I think. |
Have you seen Wake in Fright? | Why do people keep asking me that? |
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