Our ancestors could not have survived without courage. They needed courage in battle, courage in hunting, courage in enforcing tribal laws and customs, courage in facing the elements, and courage when making decisions that would impact the well-being of the entire tribe.
A man could not be a successful hunter, scout, warrior, and leader if he did not have courage. Courage was important in the roles women played in tribal society as well. Although an enemy war party might strike at any time, the women would leave the shelter of the village and go pick berries and other vegetables, haul water, and do other tasks. They had to have the courage to turn their sons over to an older relative as they became of age to become a warrior. Finally, they had to have the courage to stand quietly as their young sons went on the warpath for the first time.
In all Native tribes, courage, whether it was moral or physical, was essential. Native American Indians honor courage/bravery. Here is an excerpt from Dorreen Yellow Bird's column in the Grand Forks Herald titled, Tradition, ritual at a solder's funeral.
In the 1870s, a Hidatsa man called Scar Face went up north with six warriors and ran into a larger group of enemy Crees. The Crees were behind a wagon and shooting at them. The Hidatsa man knew it was death for them all. So he ran low, zig zagging toward the Crees. This gave the rest of the band a chance to find cover. He was killed, but he Crees, who usually scalped their enemy, didn't scalp him. Instead, they brought out a white Hudson Bay blanket - prized during that time - and laid him on it. They honored him because he was brave, Mandan said. That is true of all Indian people: "We honor bravery."
Another example of bravery, here is a story about a father who was willing not to plead for his son's innocence, but to take the punishment meant for his son:
TICHOU MINGO, an Acolapissa Indian of the Osage nation, and their most expert hunter, killed a Choctaw, 1756. The French demanded his death. His father arose in council and offered himself in his son's place, in a touching plea, at once accepted. My son is dying valiantly, but since he is young and vigorous, he is more capable than I to feed his mother, his wife, and four small children. He must live in order to take care of them. I am at the end of my life. I have lived enough. I wish that my son may live to be as old as I am so he can raise my grandchildren properly. I am no longer good for anything. A few years more or less will make no difference. I have lived like a man; I want to die the same way. That is why I am going to take the place of my son.
Is fear a new Indian tradition?
How could I propose such a thing when this Tribal Leaders Institute is based on my tribe's proud tradition of courage?
Here's why ... One of our favorite tactics to accomplish our goals is to use fear rather than fairness and decency. We organize family, friends, and attack anyone who disagrees with us to frighten them into giving in to our demands. We use fear to the extent that most tribal employees do not speak up when they see someone committing a wrongful act, because of fear.
Everywhere we look, we see the results of fear. Policies and procedures are ignored. Nepotism and favoritism is rampant throughout our work places. People are fired without due process. We have a high unemployment rate, yet a huge number of our jobs are filled with non-Indians, and/or non-tribal members. Tribal members and tribal leaders alike are afraid to speak up due to fear.
Gus Lee and Diane Elliott-Lee view courage as so essential to leadership, they wrote a book entitled, Courage: The Backbone of Leadership. They found that we tolerate unethical acts at work and look the other way when we observe character failings because of our lack of courage. The Lees also say courageous leaders inspire ethical behavior from their workers because they first require it from themselves. Great leaders from Aristotle to Sir Winston Churchill deemed courage "the first of all human qualities."
Our ancestors were prideful people. They would give up their life to prove their courage. Little Crow, at the beginning of the Great Sioux Uprising, told his warriors, although he believed going to war would mean the death of all of them, he would join them on the warpath because he was no coward.
We need tribal workers and leaders who are proud to be known for their moral courage as opposed to known for their ability to ride the fence. Which reminds me, I remember a tribal member who served on the councils for many years, yet I never heard him/her say "yes" or "no". He/she always avoided a direct answer. I don't know, maybe that individual is proud of avoiding giving a direct answer. How about you?
