Indian in the Classroom

Many of my Ancestors have paved the road before me when my tiny feet walked into Dry Creek Elementary for the very first time,
Relatives had their mouths washed out with soap, and were slapped with rulers, and spanked for speaking nəxʷsƛ̕ay̕əmúcən, the Klallam Language.
I walked into the classroom being one of two Native girls in the classroom.
Kids were mean to me, but I didn't know why.
I just thought it was because I was ugly.

There was a boy I had a crush on at least one day a year from Kindergarten all of the way until the twelfth, and it wasn't until I tried to befriend him on Facebook, that I realized he was racist.
His sister had acted out towards one of my friends and stated racist things to her.
I remember asking him one time if he thought I was pretty.
I also remember him telling me that I wasn't that pretty, because of the scabs on my face,
But when those scabs disappeared, he wasn't running to be by my side either.
I was always just good enough to be a "friend."

As a class with only four beautiful Native American females, we didn't have it THAT hard in school.
It is sad, because when I look back on it, I wonder if I was just so use to racism, that I didn't even realize it was happening.

The most blatant form of racism was when we were learning how to do mind maps, and this young man drew an Indian on a rotissary over a camp fire.
I thought it was dumb and was slightly offended, but my classmates were outraged.
When I went home my mom wasn't surprised when she heard what the boys name was.
She told me their family had always been racist.
Wow!
Sad!

There was a Native gentleman who moved to Port Angeles, and started Port Angeles High School after attending a Native school his entire life.
He always pointed out racism to me.
People looking at you funny.
I ignored him and thought he was too sensitive, but in retrospect, I look back and find that I was desensitized by peoples hurtful actions.

That moment in high school was the first time I realized that I was different from other people.
Yeah, I knew I had brown skin, but I didn't realize that some of the rotten things that other students had done to be in the past were because I was Native American.

School wasn't that rough for me.
I was the recipient of racist behaviors,
But when I look at my Ancestors who paved the road before me,
I thank them for making it easier for me.

Grandma's Lap

She runs in the grass, and no matter how short it is, it rubs against her fur and causes condensation, and a slightly wet odor,
She use to be excited to see people, she'd leap onto their laps, but then they'd push her down and say, "Ew, you stink, get away from me!"
This can be trying on a little dog. A lot of people don't understand that dogs have feelings too!
Poor little Tyra.

Her  mama would bathe her. Bath? Shower? She knew those words, and they made her put her ears down and look ashamed.
After the wretched bath or shower, her mother would hold her close and tell her that she smells so good. She would believe her mother and after she dried off, and got over the traumatic experience of a bath, she'd get happy.
Happy to see the next person who walked through the door.
Happy to leap into their arms, and be caressed so tight!
Then bam! She goes flying onto the floor with the words, "Ew, you STILL stink."

With her ears down and her eyes low she would walk away with her once cute perky tail between her legs.
Her mother would grab her and hold her close and say, "Oh, you don't stink Ty! They're just kidding!"
But it was too late, Tyra knew they were right.

Until ONE day...
Tyra went to her Grandma's house.
Grandma's smelling isn't so great after she got a cold her smelling never returned back to normal,
And Grandma's voice sounds a lot like Mama's, except for sweeter, and kinder.
Grandma has her favorite purple recliner.
Granda sits on her pretty purple and lavendar fleece blanket,
The sun shines in right there on Grandma's lap.
Grandma has a nice cozy warm fleece robe that she wears, or holds on top of her lap sometimes, and oh laying on it is so warm and cozy!!!
And BEST of all!!!
Grandma let's Tyra jump on her lap and lay there with the sunlight on her back.
Tyra loves going to Grandma's house.
Tyra even runs away from home sometimes, just go to sit on Grandma's lap.
But when Tyra returns from Grandma's house, NOBODY calls her stink, because Grandma not only has a sweet voice, but she also smells sweet too.

Tyra loves Grandma's lap.
Grandma RARELY says, "Ew, Ty you stink!"
Grandma RARELY pushes Ty off of her lap.
Grandma even apologizes for waking Ty up sometimes!
Ty says, "Grandma is sweet, and I'm sweet when I'm with her!"