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We could all learn about the value of cultural diversity from the loss of Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe elder Maude Kegg. She succumbed to congestive heart failure Jan. 6 at the age of 94, and with her went a priceless amount of cultural richness.
Her gifts to us did not go unnoticed. In 1990, President Bush presented Kegg with a National Heritage Fellowship Award, and Gov. Rudy Perpich declared Aug. 24, 1986, Maude Kegg Day. The Smithsonian Museum Collection of Native Crafts includes many pieces of her work, and Kegg wrote or contributed to many books about Ojibwe language and traditions. Born in 1902, she was one of a dwindling number of Minnesotans still able to speak fluent Ojibwe.
Much has been lost, and we all pay the price with a less vibrant mix of peoples. It would seem that the forced acculturation policies of our past federal and state governments have returned to haunt us. The "kill the Indian, save the man" mind-set is an ugly part of our nation's history.
A resurgence of interest in indigenous cultures has led to a call to preserve native languages. Many Native American linguists are scrambling to save the rich traditions that make up their heritages. Kegg's daughter, Betty, is scrambling as well.
"When I would say something wrong in Ojibwe, she would correct me," Kegg told the Star Tribune. "What am I going to do now? I'll never be able to fill her shoes." Indeed, few could.
The U.S. government instituted many of its acculturation policies in the late 1800s. Native American children were often forcibly separated from their families and transported to boarding schools. Although the best interests of the children motivated some of the teachers and administrators, most boarding schools cruelly discouraged Native American culture, language and tradition -- often with the threat of corporal punishment.
Recently, a movement to eliminate non-English government services has gained momentum. The cultural outreach programs that would be eliminated provide second-language forms and services to Spanish, Hmong and other non-English speaking citizens.
While the argument for a common language has merit, the simple fact remains that a significant number of our neighbors do not speak English. All the xenophobia in the world will not change that. Certainly, programs to teach English are very important, but the new anti-foreigner initiatives reek of the same elitist mentality that forced the English language on many Native Americans.
Eliminating governmental services to non-English speaking Minnesotans only serves to isolate and alienate people who may already face a difficult integration process. Maude Kegg spent a lifetime working to keep the Ojibwe language, its stories and traditions alive. We should all work to nurture a diversity of languages and cultures here in Minnesota. Non-English languages should be treasured as gifts and resources; they should not be regarded as threats.
