Volume 10 Number 1
October 1970

J. R. Ridley

I have given the "unity plea" considerable thought. I have questioned and discussed it with educators of Indian descent, tribal leaders and Indian college students. The overall conclusion is that we have the know-how to organize, but we fall short on vision and seem to lack the initiative.

It is extremely difficult, if not impossible, for any individual or any one group to visualize or see the entire picture that constitutes all the native Americans and their lives. It is this difficulty, I believe, that stymies initiative and enthusiasm; it is this difficulty and the resulting lack of communication that further adds to the burden of any unity movement. How, then, can we unify if we cannot see or feel, in entirety, the native American scene?

The most logical and reasonable approach to our dilemma is to divide the different types of native American life and this country into various sections. Hopefully, by this method we would be able to better see and identify ourselves and our problems. We would remove the major obstacle, lack of vision, and thereby create the initiative and enthusiasm needed to start on our goal of unity.

First, let us discuss the native American life. We are scattered on isolated reservations, near reservations, towns, large cities and in all levels of society, How many national organizations do we need to cover this wide area of life? Are there existing organizations that can be employed to start the unity drive?

It is my belief that there should be as few national organizations as possible to do the job and yet not dilute our numbers. I feel that four national organizations would be sufficient to cover us all.

1. A National Reservational Organization. This organization would draw its membership primarily from those persons directly on reservations or associated with them. (The National Congress of American Indians, Washington, D.C., is an excelIent example here.) The NCAI could achieve greater unification if it were structured into sub-units (regions) so that they can more closely identify with themselves and mutual problems they share due to similarity of resources and treaties. Northwest Affiliated Tribes (Region 1) is an example of a regional organization. It would be extremely valuable for the regions of this national group to have regional boundaries similar to the other proposed national organizations.

II. A National City and Urban Organization. Membership for this group would be made up primarily of native Americans who do not have reservations or those who are away from their reservations for any length of time. Indian centers or clubs would be the spear head for this group. Additional input can be made by the National Indian Youth Council.

This organization appears to be needed in the worse way and will grow in importance every year as more Indians migrate to the cities. Regional breakdown should be similar to the other national organizations.

III. A National College Student Organization. Membership would be made up primarily of college undergraduates and graduate students and their clubs. (NIYC also could help in organizing this group.) College students are also increasing in numbers and this organization should be a dynamic group in a few years. Again, regional similarity is a must.

IV. A National Educational and Historical Organization. Membership for this group would be made up primarily of native Americans who are educators or those concerned with educational materials, Indian study or cultural programs.

The American Indian Historical Society (San Francisco) and Native American-Scholars of the Northwest, Native Americans, Inc., are examples of existing groups that could be a starting point for this national organization.

The regional breakdown should be similar to the other three proposed national organizations so that identity and unity can be fostered.

The next major obstacle facing native American unity is the vastness of our country. Climatic and geographical variation can be found in our country because of its size. These two environmental factors have given rise to our reservation resources. Since our way of life and culture has developed because of our resources, and since our treaties and treaty rights were based on the use of our resources, it seems logical that there should be some regional breakdown based on similarity of resources for better understanding of our way of life, economics, treaty fights, politics, etc. Taking these similarities into consideration along with the Indian and non-Indian population distribution, I believe that this country can be divided into seven different regions. These proposed regions are working together to some degree at the present time.

Region 1. Northwest: Washington, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Wyoming and Alaska.

Region 2. Northern Mid-west: North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin and possibly Michigan.

Region 3. Southwest: Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado.

Region 4. Far West: California, Nevada and Utah.

Region 5. Southern Mid-west: Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, Texas, Oklahoma and possibly Louisiana.

Region. 6. Northeast: Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and the other New England states.

Region 7. Southeast: Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, South Carolina and North Carolina.

This proposed plan for unity, based on four national organizations divided into seven sub-units of similarity (regions), can be the backbone or master plan for unification for all native Americans.

The first step in the implementation of this proposed plan of unity would be the adoption of the similar regional boundaries by all native American organizations. This is an absolute must for a clearer picture of our similarity and differences. By this method we will be able to see where we are and the area of our greatest responsibility. This is the first step we should take on the unity problem. The second step would be to structure all our publications so that they identify the region they cover. For example, the Native Nevadan, printed in Reno, Nevada, would add the words "Region 4, Far West" as a subtitle. This paper may also wish to use a page for regional news structured according to the regional concept, or add the abbreviated regional designation at the beginning of any news article, such as R-INW or R-5SMW. This may even be shortened to NW, NMW, FW, SW, SMW, etc. These suggested publication changes are very minor but will add tremendously to the step of unity for our people.

Lastly, I feel I must confess my ignorance about the many national Indian movements, their success or failure, or the many local organizations covering different phases of Indian life. Part of my ignorance comes about because I am an educator and somewhat removed from the reservation or the Indian center scene. However, I have yet to hear or read about any proposed plan for national unity.

I do know that this plan can work for the educators if they have the initiative to try it. If we don’t trust one another and use a plan like this or some other similar to it, then I am sure we will never attain any sort of unity. Those of us who are considered leaders should strive for an overall plan or forget about the cry of unity. An alternative is to turn inward, BE, and remember the haunting words of Buffy St. Marie, "My Country 'Tis of Thy People You’re Dying."