Running head: IMMERSION REFLECTION

Immersion Reflection
Nolan Theodore
University at Buffalo

Immersion Reflection

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For the Immersion Project assignment, I chose the Native American community as my
social identity group of focus for many reasons. I believe exploring the reasons for my choice
may later inform my reasoning, thoughts, and reactions during the Immersion Project
assignment, so I will now take this time to review my choice. Through word-of-mouth last year, I
discovered that the Buffalo/Niagara region is rich in Native American history and is home to
many Native American families. This made researching and immersing myself in this community
a rare opportunity to take advantage of.
I also reflected upon my own knowledge of Native American communities and came up
quite short. As a seasoned diversity educator in regard to sexuality and gender, I have a
somewhat subconscious approach to learning about new communities. First, I took what
knowledge I did have and reviewed it, all the while interrogating it for what biased influences
groups in power may have instilled in the knowledge I gained. For example, my early public
education in Syracuse, NY included a lot about the Iroquois people, but this education was not
further emphasized later in my pre-collegiate studies. As I reflected upon my studies, I came to
the conclusion that my high school education around Native American communities was not
accompanied by what I would call a proper emotional connotation.
The systematic displacement of Native American folks in the United States history, the
genocide of Native American people by European explorers, the terrible epidemic of small pox
and other diseases that wreaked havoc on Native American peoples; these tragedies should be
met with feelings of sadness, anger, and perhaps even guilt. Its peculiar, in my opinion, that my
education of Native American history often included only the misfortune and oppression
Native Americans have experienced on a timeline, yet failed to provoke the proper emotional
response. Even now, conjuring up the emotional response to this history requires more than a

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single moment of deliberation, which is far too long. Were it not for my college education in
Womens and Gender Studies, I doubt I would have ever given thought to this history of Native
Americans, let alone realize that these communities still exist.
My third reason for choosing to immerse myself in the Native American community for
this project is due to my own unresolved trepidation. My collegiate studies in queer theory and
gender studies included the revelation that everything this nation does with its land is a crime
with a history of bloodshed. When it comes down to it, the land we work on, that we raise our
families on, that we practice our religion on, is stolen. To be honest, my initial interest in social
justice came from the most juvenile of reasons: I didnt want to hurt my friends. In my past, I
had said harmful things without acknowledgment of their context or an understanding of the vast
diversity of people that inhabit this earth. By working to become a social justice warrior, I
strive to be a person that resists injustice and find ways to treat others in ways that acknowledge
their humanity whilst celebrating their differences. What does it mean, then, to do this work on
land that is stolen? Where can I find a resolution for the cruelties of my ancestors? The simple
answer could very well be that there is no resolution, that you cannot give life back to the dead.
Regardless, this dilemma was constantly in the back of my head as I immersed myself in the
Native American community.
Distanced Immersion
The first part of my immersion in to the Native American community is what I will call
distanced immersion. Simply put, I decided to do my own research into Native American
communities. Through a restorative justice class I took early in the semester, I learned that
restorative practices originated from Indigenous communities. With further research, I learned
that these practices actually originated from Indigenous communities in New Zealand. This led

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to a broader understanding of why Indigenous is used to describe communities native to an

area: the oppression of native communities is not exclusive to the Americas, it would seem.
I also joined the Facebook group of the Cherokee Nation, one of many Native American
communities in the United States, at the suggestion of a colleague. Overviewing their Facebook
page, it was made apparent that the Cherokee Nation takes pride in the accomplishments of its
people and would frequently post about their members. The Facebook page would also include
services that Cherokee people could access, developments in news regarding Native American
people, and posts about the history of Cherokee people which emphasized cultural traditions,
historical markers, and other topics. This research re-emphasized something I already assumed to
be true: social identity groups that experience oppression strive to create balance between the
narrative of their history. These groups will often engage in consciousness-raising efforts
regarding their experiences, but will balance the negative with the positive. Altogether, it would
just be another form of oppression if an oppressed social identity group allowed their history and
experience to be consumed by how groups in power perceive them as opposed to what comprises
the social groups identity to begin with.
Community Service Project
For my immersion project, I was involved in a small community service project and went
to a Native American groups meetings. The community service project was a part of the Office
of Student Engagements Saturday of Service program, where students have the opportunity to
spend one Saturday of each month participating in a day-long community service project with a
Buffalo community partner. As a staff member for the Office of Student Engagement, I had the
unique opportunity to lead one of the Saturday of Service programs, so I decided to do date in
which students went to Native American Community Services of Erie & Niagara Counties, Inc.

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(NACS) As this program was facilitated by a different staff member in the Office, I eagerly
awaited to learn about what development outcomes came from this, what kind of reflection I
would be instructed to facilitate, and so forth. To my dismay, I learned a few days before that no
such structure was installed into the program. Leading up to the day of the project, I was filled
with anxiety. Shouldnt there be some sort of reflection piece about the community partner?
Shouldnt we have a conversation about Native American history in the United States? As a
result, I put together an informal reflection piece for both before and after the project so that this
learning opportunity would not be wasted.
On our way to the site, it was important to me that the students understood a small part of
the history of the Native Americans in the United States, especially because a large portion of my
group were international students. I perceived a general lack of interest among the students
regarding what I was speaking about, which led to further anxiety. My own anxiety regarding
working with a population Ive never truly interacted with before compounded upon the students
lack of interest. What if they said something that reflected upon me, the Office, and UB? What if
their actions are poorly received?
Upon arrival, the community leaders I met with placed a significant amount of my
anxiety at ease. They were welcoming, kind, and overall grateful for all of us to be coming to
NACS. We learned on-site that we would be cleaning up their office space in preparation for a
Halloween party that would be happening in a few weeks. At first I was surprised they would
celebrate a holiday that so often comes with cultural appropriation of Native American
communities, but then figured it would make sense to celebrate this holiday in a safe place where
such appropriation would not take place. The day-long project was inconsequential, in that each
student worked diligently, so much so that we finished early.

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One community leader, Joe, decided to take our leftover time to give us an overview
about what NACS does and for us to learn about Native American communities. His speech was
very enlightening and made many linkages to social justice work as a whole, emphasizing his
belief that we are all interconnected and have a duty to care for one another. NACS embodies
this belief by extending a number of services to the Native American people of Niagara and Erie
counties, including economic self-sufficiency programs, family services, health & wellness
programming, and cultural programming. My favorite topic that Joe covered was that Native
American belief that water is lifeblood of all beings on Earth and that the Earth must be
respected. Altogether, I gathered that Native American communities had an extensive knowledge
and intuitive perspective of environmental issues, along with social justice issues as a whole. Joe
even made commentary on respecting people of different genders and sexualities by referencing
intersex people and the two-spirit identity, an identity exclusive to Native American communities
that transcends gender binaries.
At the end of the day, I was wondering why I dont visually see Native American people
in the social justice movements that I monitor/contribute to. Is it because the movements they
partake are usually centered on their Native American identity? Is it because their history of
oppression was so extensive that they focus their efforts on salvaging their community? Is it
because this identity is not easily categorized by skin color? The community service project left
me with more questions, but the learning experience was still invaluable.

Club Meetings

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The Native American group I immersed myself in was the First Nations Student
Association of University at Buffalo. I attended their club meetings two times, both of which
centered on holidays. The first holiday that was discussed was Columbus Day, an American
holiday that celebrates Christopher Columbus finding the Americas. The discussion students had
included a variety of viewpoints. One student commented that Christopher Columbus didnt even
find the Americas first and that Vikings had visited the continent several years earlier. Another
student mentioned their happiness with growing observation of Indigenous Peoples Day, a
holiday that resists a holiday that celebrates Christopher Columbus. Further, while I was aware
that Christopher Columbus brought disease with him to the Americas, I learned that he also
sexually abused Indigenous women and Indigenous people. What was most impactful, however,
was the emotional impact the day actually had on these students. The emotional connection that I
had lacked in my education on Native American history was not a connection lost on people who
actually claimed that identity.
This was also true for when I visited the group for Halloween as well. I personally assess
myself as well-informed when it comes to the cultural appropriation that takes place on
Halloween, as many people will erase Native American identities via their costume by wearing a
headdress or wearing turquoise jewelry to emulate a native identity. However, most of these
students were not interested in participating in Halloween, a stark difference from those at
NACS. Again, the emotional effect this day had on these students could be visually seen. I
realized that it truly is a privilege to be able to emotionally invest yourself in Halloween and not
fear that your identity will be marginalized by a persons privilege.
Lastly, I also became aware that Native Americans could also claim other racial identities
as well, like Black. I was a little disappointed in myself for not realizing that Native American

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was a racial identity that could be mixed with another, just like any other racial identity. I have
yet to come up with an answer for not making this conclusion sooner, but it could have
something to do with the fact that I simply did not know much about Native American
communities to begin with.
Conclusion
When engaging in diversity education, I often state that I am not an expert on a specific
identity or group just because I am a member. This was demonstrated as true when I immersed
myself in the Native American communities of Buffalo due to the diversity of Native American
people underneath the umbrella term of Native American. This experience did not make me an
expert on Native American communities, but did prove that I have a long way to go in learning
about them. Further, I have yet to answer my question on how I can, in good faith, engage in
social justice work on land stolen from a marginalized and exploited population. As of now, the
most I can do is be extra purposeful in considering Native American peoples in social justice
movements and being an ally to these communities.