Photo: Lenni-Lenape family at an east coast Powwow, by A21sauce, Wikimedia Commons
by Sondra Cosgrove
Now that we have all voted and the winners have been declared, we need a nation-wide discussion about why our elections feel like one crisis after another. A stable democracy should not be on the verge of collapse every four years. Community members are the heart of the American government, yet few of us feel that our issues are a priority for the political parties.
American politicians could learn from indigenous leaders who listen more than they talk and who are most concerned with reaching a consensus, instead of always fighting to win. If the wisdom of the people could be centered to make every community member invested in public policy outcomes, much more could certainly be done. But too often, policy decisions are made in ways that alienate the people.
The question is, how can we create space that welcomes everyone while also conveying that serious topics need to be discussed?
As someone who regularly attends powwows, I wonder if we could host civics powwows at our community colleges where we can learn about convening as a community from our indigenous students. Public civics education is sorely needed as well and would certainly receive an equally strong boost.
The College of Southern Native American Alliance will be discussing how we can lead in this area after the election. We will report back through Indian Voices.
