Before I begin, I should share some personal background about myself. My name is Brendan Russell, I am 15 years old and live in Central California. I am a white male with a ridiculous amount of privilege. I have a great deal of knowledge involving white privilege and its historic effect on other cultures. I have embarked on an enlightening trip to the South-eastern states with my church group. This trip's purpose was to teach our group about oppression through white privilege and the civil rights movement.
I left the Order of the Arrow because the program is (in my opinion) culturally appropriating to Native Americans and has a history that does not respect the Native Americans at all.
The OA just celebrated their 100th anniversary at Michigan State University, which I attended. I traded patches, went to classes about patch design and motivational success techniques. I had a lot of fun, I enjoyed staying in the dorms with my friends and celebrating 100 years of cheerful service. The first night we went to a show in the stadium. And I witnessed one of many ceremonies in which some of the kids would dress up as Native Americans and speak wise words. I've seen these plenty before, I thought nothing of it, even with my background. These ceremonies were followed with loud pop music and flashing lights. These shows happened everyday for the week.
On Friday (the last show), there were protesters standing on the grass. Some scout leaders where trying to block our point of view and telling us to keep moving. I was interested as to what they were protesting about so I walked over and looked. They were holding signs that read things such as "Native American culture not yours to preserve" and "Stop Appropriating." I began thinking. Β At first I thought nothing of it, because the OA had worked very hard to make their ceremonies the way the Native Americans did over the past years. But then I started feeling very conflicted, wondering if this is a bad organization. I got very stressed--I know a lot of good people with good morals that are in this program, but is the program itself founded on bad morals? I freaked out and left the pre-show to use the bathroom. I stayed there a long time, researching all I could about the history of the Order of the Arrow, its past, the Native Americans and their rights.
I found some horrifying facts.
The Order of the Arrow was founded in 1915 by E. Urner Goodman. Their ceremonies were Indian influenced from the start.
Now that isn't bad news, right?
Then I found out that the Native Americans didn't get religious freedom until 1979.
Make sense yet?
The Order of the Arrow, a mainly white male group, was using Indian ceremonies 64 years that the Indians legally could not.
This angered me, but that didn't stop my research.
I read an article about how somebody thought it was wrong to dress up in this sacred Native American regalia if they are not in fact of religious Native American background. I nearly laughed at this idea, until I realized that he was right.
I thought back to my civil rights trip to the South. People used to participate in "black face," the act of painting ones face black to imitate African Americans.
What is the Order of the Arrow doing that is any different. Β We are dressing as another race, period. In the younger year of the OA some of the boys dressed as Native Americans would even paint their faces red.
Now as I said, the Order of the Arrow has worked hard to more accurately represent the Native American ceremonies and with respect. But to this day, all over the nation, boys are dressing up as Native Americans and performing scripted acts in front of small groups of people. Β Or in the case of the 100th anniversary, 15,000 people.
I was very stressed at this point and went back into the stadium where the Friday show was currently happening. I sat down, and spent the next 2 hours in deep thought. Near the end of the show, which was a skit about saving a Boy Scout camp from getting destroyed, they acted as if they were doing an order of the arrow ceremony. The main character was wearing a long headdress and beads. Which disgusted me after my realization. Later in the skit, the boy in the headdress fist bumped a scout and gave him a poorly made arrow ( this is a comedic prop from earlier in the skit. The arrow was trashed ).
This made me so angry, this wasn't at all respecting the Native Americans ceremonies at all, this was NOT historically accurate.
After the skit was over, there was a 30 minute light show with loud music and confetti. I was very angry at this point. They had just disrespected the Native American traditions in front of 15,000 people and proceeded to celebrate.
When the show ended. I got up and left. I sped out the doors. My mom was calling my name but I kept going. I went back to my dorm building and sat in a dark student commons room. I had come to a conclusion.
I told my mom where I was and she came inside and I explained everything I felt. I told her all that I researched, and how the protesters were right.
I explained that I could not live with myself knowing that I was participating in a program which was founded on racism, and continues to be culturally insensitive to this day.
I told her I was leaving the Order of the Arrow.
She understood and accepted my decision. She was very proud of my ability to stand for my morals.
I would like to end by saying that I am not trying to start a movement to change or disband the Order of the Arrow. I still respect what the program is doing for the world, with all the service that the participants provide.
I just cannot be in a historically racist and currently culturally inaccurate organization. That's who I am.
To all of my friends in the OA, please do not think differently of me.
To all readers, please respect my ideas even if you disagree. I love hearing other opinions, please email me: [email protected]
-Brendan Russell
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