The Freedom of Real Apologies

January 24, 2017

“And I was personally really surprised that I hadn’t heard about it before. Part of the reason I hadn’t was because it was so quiet. And there really was not a lot of risk taken in how it was delivered.” 

Layli Long Soldier is referring to the congressional resolution of apology to Native Americans that happened in 2009. It is important that she mentions she hadn't heard about it before because of how strange that is. She hadn't heard of a resolution of supposedly benefitting herself because there was no real coverage on it, it was like it was meant to be a secret that the government had apologized to Native Americans after all this time.

"So even the phrasing of “the arrival of Europeans opened a new chapter for Native People” — that’s crazy. It wasn’t opening a new chapter. That’s almost poetry. I mean, that’s a very interesting way to look at what happened. And going further into the document, just the idea — for example, they never mention genocide. Things are phrased as “conflicts,” “lives were taken on both sides,” and things like that."

tLong Soldier is referring to the perspective phrasing from America's point of view through history opposed to what Native Americans believe is the truth. She points to this specific phrasing because it really reveals the bias of historians, clearly none of them have ancestry to Native Americans. The details in this phrasing "New Chapter", to the Native Americans it wasn't a new chapter. They totally ignore the fact there was genocide of Native Americans of this time and insultingly call it "conflicts" instead in history.

Specificity is important in this podcast, because its the details that really reveal the neglect Native Americans face even today. It is important for my writing to be specific because vagueness leaves the reader confused and unaware. Specificity brings clarity to writing and keeps the reader away from misinterpretation.

The structure of this interview is factual yet personal. Tippett asks Long Soldier questions and providing back up knowledge and Long Soldier responds with her own personal opinion and experience. I can take away the personal aspect of this interview, Tippett makes it known that this is not a universal answer for this specific issue, and that's what I should do with my community. Things are different everywhere, and I have to keep unbiased.