Monica Parr is a senior at Catholic University. Many know her as an honest, open and strong minded individual. She is the only undergraduate student at the Catholic University that is fully Native American.
HC: Where are you from?
Monica: I am originally from Oneida, Wisconsin. It’s a small reservation outside of Green Bay.
HC: What is your favorite thing about being Native American?
Monica: My favorite thing about being Native American would have to be that I know and have grown up with my “roots,” meaning that I have grown up in my homeland and can see and practice my peoples’ original traditions.
HC: What tribe are you from?
Monica: I belong to three tribes: Oneida, Coeur d’Alene and Walla Walla. I mostly identify with Oneida because both of my parents are Oneida and Oneida is a matrilineal society. Oneida is also the culture that I grew up with.
HC: Do you live on a reservation?
Monica: I do not currently live on a reservation but my mother and her family still do. The sad truth about reservations is that people rarely leave them so for my family, it is strange that I left to go to school, especially since I am a woman
HC: What is life on a reservation like?
Monica: In theory, reservation life (rez life) should be rich with culture and a place to keep family close. However, this is typically not the case. Yes, reservations do help somewhat preserve culture, particularly language, but they can also be full of violence. Alcohol is commonly abused on my reservation along with other drugs including cocaine, heroine and meth. This is a problem because it mainly affects our youth which leads tends to lead to violence. The sad truth is that many young people on my reservation barely graduate high school.
HC: What are some of the biggest misconceptions about Native Americans?
Monica: A misconception about Native Americans is that we still live as we did in the past. Often times I will get asked if my people still live in tipis. First, my people never lived in tipis, we lived in longhouses. Only a few tribes actually used tipis as dwellings. Second, no, Native Americans do not still live in their original dwellings, we live in houses and apartments just like anyone else. However, traditional dwellings are sometimes used for ceremonial purposes.
Another misconception is that Native Americans get a lot of “handouts” from the U.S. government. The truth is that most tribes are Nations with sovereignty, sovereignty granted to them through the treaties signed many years ago, so they are basically their own little countries within the U.S. When members of nations receive aid, they are mainly receiving it from their nation and then the U.S. government. A negative side of tribal sovereignty is that the U.S. and some other countries do not always recognize their sovereignty.
Some misconceptions that I have heard about being Native on CUA’s campus include, but are not limited to: “I thought they were extinct,” “You’re Native? You look Mexican,” “Do you live in a tipi?” I usually try to educate people when I hear things like this but some people shall I say, wish to remain ignorant. The reason why many Natives look Latin is because people often forget that there were Natives in Central and South America before colonization. They are also considered Native American and can sometimes share physical features with the indigenous peoples from the north.
HC: Is it difficult going to a school with no one of your same heritage?
Monica: It can be difficult at times, especially when I am home sick, but my parents did a good job with educating me about being accepting of other cultures and religions. The diversity here in the district heavily influenced me to go to school here.
It can also be difficult being around people who do not understand my heritage. An incident recently occurred where a woman told me to go back to my own country. This made me laugh but I quickly got defensive. I replied that I was indigenous and that this is my country. Many Americans quickly forget that this country was built upon the concept of diversity, something that I fully support.
However, being one of the few people, if not the only person, on CUA’s campus that fully identifies as Native American makes it exciting when I encounter another person that fully identifies as Native American.
HC: You currently intern at the USDA. What role do you play there?
Monica: I work in Rural Development which authorizes loans for organizations to build water, electric and broadband projects in rural areas. I coordinate with the State Historic Preservation Offices as well as the Tribal Historic Preservation Offices to make sure that the areas where the projects are proposed to be built will not interfere with any historical landmarks or anything that has historical significance.
HC: What is it like working as an intern there?
Monica: I have to read through a lot of paperwork and coordinate with people from all over the country. I enjoy it because I know that these projects can literally be the difference between life and death for some communities. The work is rewarding because I have actually seen the fruits of my departments labor in various works that are close by. I am not at liberty to give specifics but overall, it is something that I enjoy doing.
HC: Can you tell a bit about the Dakota Access Pipeline and its current status?
Monica: The Dakota Access Pipeline was proposed to the Army Corps of Engineers to carry crude oil through North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa and Illinois. The pipeline would also cross the Missouri River TWICE. This project was approved by the Army Corps of Engineers without consultation with the residing tribes. The pipeline would violate sacred lands, as well as the Missouri River, that are not within reservation borders. The project is currently underway despite President Obama’s noble attempts to halt construction.
The protests against this project have become historic moments in history. The protests have brought together many Native American nations including indigenous peoples from South America, making it one of the largest gatherings of indigenous peoples ever.
HC: What can people outside of the Native American community do to help?
Monica: People outside of the Native American community can help by joining protesters in the hopes of permanently ending the construction. Also, people can help by sending aid and relief to the brave people out at the Standing Rock camps (known as the Sacred Stone camp).
On a larger scale, people can demand that the U.S. government and its affiliates honor the sovereignty that was granted to Native peoples in the treaties that many Natives were forced to sign.
HC: Do you have anything else that you would like to address?
Monica: This may seem a bit harsh but it is something that needs to be addressed, most non-Natives, particularly Anglos, identify as Cherokee. Given that the Cherokee nation does have liberal blood quantum regulations, chances are you’re probably not Cherokee. Now, don’t get me wrong, there are Natives that do not look Native at all but I’m talking about the people that try to claim that they are “one thousandth Cherokee”. The reason I bring this up is because when people claim this, it is demeaning to people like me and many others that have no choice to identify as Native American. Those people, myself included, have experienced many prejudices because we’re Native American or simply because we do not look white. I have no problem with Natives that do not look Native but still practice their culture or are involved with their Native community.