Native Faces

Lonnie

Occupation: Karaoke DJ

Age: 28

Enrolled Yakama Tribal Member

I consider myself a modernized native in a lot of ways. I have practiced the long house and shaker religions both. I know how to behave if I am in churches during any ceremony, which is not a small task. I was taught at a very young age to respect my Elders as well as my parents. You don’t speak to the Elders unless you are spoken to. You never speak back to your parents or grandparents.

I was raised in a completely traditional setting. My mother is longhouse, so we sweated and fasted in hard times. We learned at a young age The Creator is not in books he is in our heart and that explains both religions a little better. I danced at Pow Wow’s as soon as I could walk and I loved it.

When I was younger I felt pressure to be and act Native and speak the native tongue, but now that I am older I don’t really care. I just want to be who I feel I should be. People tease me a lot because I don’t keep the traditions that I was raised with, I feel guilty sometimes because I can see the younger generations are lacking the respect I was raised with as well as lacking knowledge of our people.