According to Jim Robbins, an American writer, while much of traditional Native American culture has been lost over the years, the people living on many reservations do a lot to help preserve and renew the Indian way of life. Reservation life is usually only viewed in a negative light, that they have absolutely zero redeeming qualities, but that is simply not true. There are many appreciable features that usually go unnoticed, and many Native Americans continue to celebrate their culture every day. In Morgan Spurlock's documentary, 30 Days: Life on an Indian Reservation, he spends thirty days on the Navajo Nation with the Dennison family and dives deep into what reservation life is truly like, showing their ways of preserving their culture, or “their Indian way of life.” The culture, family, and community are just a few of the many redeeming qualities of reservation life and continue to be spread across the world.
The culture on the reservations is a very important and strong part of reservation life, which continues to be fought for despite the obstacles. People on the Navajo reservation have seen a drop in the percentage of kids who speak their language and have worked hard to help revive it. According to a resident of the Navajo Nation, “In 1979, they had 80% of students speaking Navajo; ten years later, it became 5%.” If there continues to be too much English influence, the culture and prayers will quickly fade away, and soon the next generation won’t be able to speak even simple phrases. However, despite the fast rate at which the language is dropping, Native Americans are trying their hardest to prevent their culture from disappearing. Maryland's immersion school has been created for the next generation of Navajo to prepare for the future by staying true to their past. In the first two years of enrolling, students only speak Navajo. Morgan, a teacher at the language immersion school, said, “We have hope to continue to revitalize the language to maintain it, and it's our job as elders to do that.” This is an effective system that Native Americans are using to preserve their culture and keep it from disappearing in the generations to come. In no time, this system will have a huge influence on Native American culture and help it become stronger.
Another vessel for maintaining culture is the family. Family is another major part of reservation life that often goes unnoticed or overlooked. After Morgan Spurlock settled into his new temporary home, he met Grandma for the first time and connected with her. She was treating him with love and like he was an actual member of the family. According to him, “There are people that you meet in your life, and the minute that you come into contact with them, you just connect with them, and for me, it was Grandma.” Morgan Spurlock truly felt welcomed, even though he'd spent very little time with the Dennison family. They all showed him care and accepted him as their own, which goes to show how important and strong a family truly is on the reservation. In addition to this, even in the very end, when the Dennison family had no reason to continue to be welcoming, they still all surrounded him with gifts and gave him a bittersweet farewell. After Morgan Spurlock finally finished spending his thirty days in the Navajo Nation, he became very emotional after leaving the Dennison family and felt his time with them changed him as a person. Morgan said, “I want to thank all of you for opening your home, your heart, and your lives to me. I have only begun to understand that there is a greater connection to this world that we live in, and hopefully a lot of things that you guys gave me I’ll be able to take with me.” Morgan Spurlock's time at the reservation obviously deeply altered his way of thinking and affected him a lot. It conveys how welcoming the reservation and the Dennison family were to him. Family has a huge influence on someone's life and can shape a person into who they are today. That is why it is such a strong thing on the reservation and will continue to be.
Also of note, the community defines the reservation and brings every resident there together; it's what the reservation is about. Morgan Spurlock wondered why so many people stayed on the reservation when there were not a lot of opportunities to grow, thinking it would be easier to just leave and find a new place with more chances. He questioned individuals why they stuck around. Chris Hilt, a tire shop employee, admitted, “I enjoyed working in Vegas, but after a while, I was like, ‘I grew up there; I gotta go back home.’ They traditionally say that you don't have a full life when you're outside of the four sacred mountains, and it's called home for a reason.” A lot of younger Native Americans say they can't wait to leave the reservation, but the community and the feeling of home often draw them back. Another thriving part of the community is rodeoing, where many Native Americans come together and take part in or watch the unique competition. It's a very popular part of the reservation and lets people have fun as well as earn prize money to provide for themselves and their families. Many Native Americans grow up with rodeo and dream of being professionals at it instead of having to scour for other well-earning jobs. The Dennison kids, all raised in the Navajo Nation, say they were “practically born with the rope in their hands.” When a whole community loves and enjoys doing something, it becomes a place to bond and truly feel safe with all the other residents on the reservation. Even after losing a match, it never diminished their spirits because they were all together celebrating the thing they loved. Community plays a big part in reservation life, and it wouldn't be the reservation without one.
Hence, upon taking all of this into consideration, reservation life often gets portrayed badly and is mischaracterized by many people as depressing or hopeless, but in reality, it has many great qualities. The culture, family, and community are all huge parts of reservation life and something that shouldn't be shunned to the side. Through sharing their stories, experiences, and customs, Native Americans hope to shed a new light on how their reservations are perceived. Even as many obstacles are thrown their way, they continue to fight for their culture and homes. So, before focusing on all the negatives, people should take into consideration the many, many amazing aspects of reservation life and how Native Americans are doing their best to preserve it.
The culture on the reservations is a very important and strong part of reservation life, which continues to be fought for despite the obstacles. People on the Navajo reservation have seen a drop in the percentage of kids who speak their language and have worked hard to help revive it. According to a resident of the Navajo Nation, “In 1979, they had 80% of students speaking Navajo; ten years later, it became 5%.” If there continues to be too much English influence, the culture and prayers will quickly fade away, and soon the next generation won’t be able to speak even simple phrases. However, despite the fast rate at which the language is dropping, Native Americans are trying their hardest to prevent their culture from disappearing. Maryland's immersion school has been created for the next generation of Navajo to prepare for the future by staying true to their past. In the first two years of enrolling, students only speak Navajo. Morgan, a teacher at the language immersion school, said, “We have hope to continue to revitalize the language to maintain it, and it's our job as elders to do that.” This is an effective system that Native Americans are using to preserve their culture and keep it from disappearing in the generations to come. In no time, this system will have a huge influence on Native American culture and help it become stronger.
Another vessel for maintaining culture is the family. Family is another major part of reservation life that often goes unnoticed or overlooked. After Morgan Spurlock settled into his new temporary home, he met Grandma for the first time and connected with her. She was treating him with love and like he was an actual member of the family. According to him, “There are people that you meet in your life, and the minute that you come into contact with them, you just connect with them, and for me, it was Grandma.” Morgan Spurlock truly felt welcomed, even though he'd spent very little time with the Dennison family. They all showed him care and accepted him as their own, which goes to show how important and strong a family truly is on the reservation. In addition to this, even in the very end, when the Dennison family had no reason to continue to be welcoming, they still all surrounded him with gifts and gave him a bittersweet farewell. After Morgan Spurlock finally finished spending his thirty days in the Navajo Nation, he became very emotional after leaving the Dennison family and felt his time with them changed him as a person. Morgan said, “I want to thank all of you for opening your home, your heart, and your lives to me. I have only begun to understand that there is a greater connection to this world that we live in, and hopefully a lot of things that you guys gave me I’ll be able to take with me.” Morgan Spurlock's time at the reservation obviously deeply altered his way of thinking and affected him a lot. It conveys how welcoming the reservation and the Dennison family were to him. Family has a huge influence on someone's life and can shape a person into who they are today. That is why it is such a strong thing on the reservation and will continue to be.
Also of note, the community defines the reservation and brings every resident there together; it's what the reservation is about. Morgan Spurlock wondered why so many people stayed on the reservation when there were not a lot of opportunities to grow, thinking it would be easier to just leave and find a new place with more chances. He questioned individuals why they stuck around. Chris Hilt, a tire shop employee, admitted, “I enjoyed working in Vegas, but after a while, I was like, ‘I grew up there; I gotta go back home.’ They traditionally say that you don't have a full life when you're outside of the four sacred mountains, and it's called home for a reason.” A lot of younger Native Americans say they can't wait to leave the reservation, but the community and the feeling of home often draw them back. Another thriving part of the community is rodeoing, where many Native Americans come together and take part in or watch the unique competition. It's a very popular part of the reservation and lets people have fun as well as earn prize money to provide for themselves and their families. Many Native Americans grow up with rodeo and dream of being professionals at it instead of having to scour for other well-earning jobs. The Dennison kids, all raised in the Navajo Nation, say they were “practically born with the rope in their hands.” When a whole community loves and enjoys doing something, it becomes a place to bond and truly feel safe with all the other residents on the reservation. Even after losing a match, it never diminished their spirits because they were all together celebrating the thing they loved. Community plays a big part in reservation life, and it wouldn't be the reservation without one.
Hence, upon taking all of this into consideration, reservation life often gets portrayed badly and is mischaracterized by many people as depressing or hopeless, but in reality, it has many great qualities. The culture, family, and community are all huge parts of reservation life and something that shouldn't be shunned to the side. Through sharing their stories, experiences, and customs, Native Americans hope to shed a new light on how their reservations are perceived. Even as many obstacles are thrown their way, they continue to fight for their culture and homes. So, before focusing on all the negatives, people should take into consideration the many, many amazing aspects of reservation life and how Native Americans are doing their best to preserve it.