Editor,
I would like to comment on the recent article in the Daily Lobo that recounted the lecture given by Ms. Winona LaDuke. I was dissatisfied with the article for several reasons.
Ms. LaDuke is from the Ojibwa tribe in Minnesota. The term she used, Anishinabe, refers to the "New People" that were mentioned in the prophecy of her ancestors. While Ms. LaDuke is indeed one of these "New People," the name of her tribe is actually Ojibwa.
I would also like to note the poor use of quotes in this article. Ms. Williams, the author, chose this quote: "I live on a dirt road. How do you get your whites their whitest." This quote, taken out of context, belittles the overall meaning of her talk. This quote was said in the context of humor. Someone who did not attend the lecture could not know that based on this article, and would see it as a trivial comment with no significant meaning.
If quotes were to be used in this article, perhaps some of her more significant points should have been included. For example, her quote, "There is no compensation for land except land" was used at least three times throughout her lecture. This quote represents the meaning of her discussion much more accurately, both to those who attended and those who did not.
In addition, the issue of globalization and access to resources was barely hinted at in this article. However, this was a main component of Ms. LaDuke's lecture. The only reference to this in the article was, "change is inevitable, but the question will be who will lead that change." This vague statement, also taken out of context, does not begin to address the issues Ms. LaDuke spoke of.
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Another important omission is the devastating effect of mixing genomes in the wild rice crops of Native people. This is a significant illustration of how resources are being destroyed for future generations. Why this did not receive any mention is beyond me.
There were also two other errors: Ms. LaDuke did not claim that every National Park was carved out of Indian lands, only that most of them are. She also stated that the 225 individuals in the top income bracket make as much as the lower 2.5 billion people on this planet, not 25 billion.
I would like to suggest that lectures of this caliber not be covered by only one staff member. Although Ms. Williams no doubt did not intend to make these errors and omissions, the fact is that many people read this article. Considering the influence and audience of this paper, accuracy and thoroughness should be a given.
Thank you for your attention.
Jennifer George
Psychiatry Department
administrative assistant
