#WabanakiStudies should be taught at all #MaineSchools

OpEd by Hope Carroll, December 26, 2023

"#Wabanaki history is ingrained across #Maine and has deep rooted cultural relationships with major natural landmarks that many of us see everyday. However, there is a concerning gap surrounding the important aspects of our state’s rich Wabanaki history and what little many students learn about it in Maine schools.

"Wabanaki studies need to be consistently incorporated into all Maine school districts. According to a 2022 report done by the #AbbeMuseum, the #MaineACLU, the Maine Indian Tribal-State Commission and the #WabanakiAlliance, the Wabanaki studies law passed by Maine in 2001 is not appropriately enforced across the state.

"The law 'requires schools to teach Maine K–12 students about Wabanaki territories, economic systems, cultural systems, governments, and political systems, as well as the Wabanaki tribes’ relationships with local, state, national, and international governments,' the report says.

"The Portland public school system recently incorporated a Wabanaki studies program into its curriculum. This will hopefully be a good example for other districts across Maine and encourage them to do the same.

"Teaching Wabanaki studies will help children gain a better understanding of the state. In time, this can help them develop a closer relationship with the #land and our responsibility to ensure that it is cared for and treated with respect.

"'Through #traditional stories representing the terrestrial and aquatic systems, important [Wabanaki] values are imparted that safeguard culturally significant resources from overuse and ensure the persistence of the people and culture,' says Natalie Michelle, interdisciplinary studies and research assistant of native environmental studies in climate change at the University of Maine.

"It is more important than ever that we look to native science as we face irreversible damage to our climate. We must prioritize implementing these ideals early into the educational careers of children so they go on to practice them throughout their lives.

"Western science and education has taught the ideals of dominance over nature for centuries. This is reflected in practices that have contributed to the #extinction of animals, rises in #NaturalDisasters, food and water shortages and the numerous other effects of #ClimateChange. Instead of connecting with #nature, we are often taught to distance ourselves from the #NaturalWorld. We are taught to use vague and nonspecific naming tools like 'it' to refer to any non-human being.

"'We use it to distance ourselves, to set others outside our circle of moral consideration, creating #hierarchies of difference that justify our actions — so we don’t feel,' says Robin Kimmerer, professor of environmental and forest biology at the State University of New York College of #EnvironmentalScience and #Forestry.

"Kimmerer talks of alternatives to using 'it' to put ourselves on the same level as other living beings, recognizing them as relatives by calling them by their name. But she says that this can be difficult for many of her students because they were not taught these alternatives until now.

"In my experience growing up in Maine and going to school, I never encountered a class focused on Wabanaki studies until college. I am grateful to have this opportunity now. But it has been difficult for me to implement these new ideals into my thinking toward the land around me because they seem so foreign.

"Using the word 'foreign' seems wrong when describing ideals that have been used in Maine since long before any of us were here. But Maine schools and communities have an opportunity to change this.

"Children who grow up in this state have the right and responsibility to know the history of the land around them. They have the right and responsibility to understand the negative implications of #colonization and #ForcedRemoval of the #WabanakiTribes and how despite horrible #historical events, the Wabanaki people have endured and developed their own #sovereign structures.

"In order to create more inclusive classrooms that incorporate all aspects of our state history and work towards building respectful relationships with Maine land, other communities should follow the exciting example being set in #PortlandMaine."

Source:
https://www.bangordailynews.com/2023/12/26/opinion/opinion-contributor/wabanaki-studies-maine-schools-education/

#WabanakiConfederacy #LandBack #IndigenousPeoples
#IndigenousSovereignty #ClimateCrisis #LandStewards
#Stewardship #IndigenousNews #NativeAmericanNews

How #fascism works, and how to stop it: #Dehumanizing people is the first and last step in a fascist society

By Dave Gamrath | June 8, 2022

"#Fascist politicians typically come to power through a democratic election, but after being elected, the new leader rules society absolutely, demanding loyalty to him and to his ethnic identity. This authoritarian leader speaks on behalf of the country and aims to separate society into 'us' versus 'them.'

"'We' are everything virtuous. We are the makers: hardworking, industrious and exceptional. 'They' are lazy, exploiting government handouts; they are the takers. They are lazy criminals on whom freedom would be wasted. They take our hard-earned money and threaten our traditions. They believe in liberalism and #SocialJustice, both of which will destroy our culture.

"Fascist politics includes many strategies, including the creation of a mythical past. This mythical past includes purity of religion, race and/or culture. It was a time of glory, lost due to 'humiliation brought on by globalism and liberal cosmopolitanism.' Values such as equality made the nation weak. Inventing a glorious past requires deleting inconvenient realities. Past sins are erased. History is cherry-picked.

"Propaganda is an important tool of fascist politics. 'Political propaganda uses the language of virtuous ideals to unite people behind otherwise objectionable ends,' Stanley writes. The term 'draining the swamp' is a common theme in fascist movements; the false charges of corruption hide that the party is, at the same time, engaging in even greater corruption. Propaganda works best when confined to a few points brought out in slogans and simple language. It generates anger and resentment and gets people to the polls.

"Anti-intellectualism is a common theme of fascist politicians, who attack and devalue education and expertise to undermine public discourse. They denounce teaching perspectives that don’t fully support their culture. On his radio program, Rush Limbaugh once famously stated, 'The four corners of deceit are government, academia, science and media,' and he continued, 'Science has become a home for displaced socialists and communists.' Fascist leaders are 'men of action' with no use for deliberation or consultation. Hmmm.

"Stanley writes that 'unreality' is an important fascist goal — to cast reality into doubt. In that state, what is true cannot be agreed upon. The goal is to break down reality and remove the ability to assess arguments by a common standard. Reasoned debate is replaced by fear and anger. According to Stanley, 'regular and repeated obvious lying is part of the process by which fascist politics destroys the information space.' A common tactic is the use of conspiracy theories, which work to denigrate, delegitimize, impugn and malign their targets, to raise suspicion about credibility and decency. Conspiracy theories are the calling card of fascists, and help them delegitimize mainstream media. Reasoned debate is impossible when one side is basing their beliefs on conspiracy theories. Use of coded language becomes common. Dramatic inequality drives people’s willingness to believe conspiracy theories.

"Fascists believe that nature imposes #hierarchies that are totally inconsistent with #equality. Hierarches are standard within fascism — most importantly, 'us' over 'them.' Fascists believe that natural hierarchies of worth exist. Groups that historically have benefited from being at the top of the hierarchy can feel victimized by equality. Fascist politicians play to this.

"Stanley writes that #white Americans vastly overestimate progress toward racial equality in America over the past 50 years. Even though white men still have most of the power in America, many feel victimized. Reducing inequality often leads to those who had benefited under it now feeling persecuted for their loss of advantage. Fascist leaders exploit feelings of victimization to obscure their attempts at victimizing others. '#Nationalism is at the core of fascism. The fascist leader employs a sense of collective victimhood to create a sense of group identity.' A constant danger exists because of 'them,' including immigrants and those from other races, religions or political parties."

Read more:
https://www.realchangenews.org/news/2022/06/08/how-fascism-works-and-how-stop-it-dehumanizing-people-first-and-last-step-fascist