Yankton Press & Dakotan. May 28, 2024.

Editorial: Tribal Affiliation Identity Is Important

A policy implemented by the South Dakota Board of Regents that effectively forbids staff from using their personal pronouns for identification purposes in their official emails comes off as another political volley in the recent culture wars targeting of “wokeness” in its various alleged forms.

However, the apparent expansion of that directive to forbid Native American employees from listing their tribal identifications in their emails raises additional concerns.

This war on highlighting diversity — which is really what all these policies and laws are about — comes off as an attempt to sanitize America’s self-image. Indeed, “diversity” has become yet another dirty word in certain ideological circles.

Targeting pronouns is a means of removing gender identity issues, which is no surprise in the current political climate.

However, targeting tribal identity labels, especially in a state where Native American culture should be seen as a rich and essential piece of our tapestry, is absurd.

The Associated Press reported over the weekend that two University of South Dakota professors were warned in March that their practice including their tribal affiliation along with their gender identities would not be tolerated.

“I was told that I had 5 days to remove my tribal affiliation and pronouns,” USD faculty member John Little said in an email to The Associated Press (AP). “I believe the exact wording was that I had ‘5 days to correct the behavior.’ If my tribal affiliation and pronouns were not removed after the 5 days, then administrators would meet and make a decision whether I would be suspended (with or without pay) and/or immediately terminated.”

The AP reported that the rule change came about late last year when Gov. Kristi Noem sent a letter to the regents criticizing “liberal ideologies” on campus. Among these nefarious ideologies was the use of personal pronouns.

But somehow, it appears this edict also impacts tribal affiliations.

For some Native Americans, this is an essential piece of their heritage and identity.

However, it might also be seen as a reminder of how U.S. policy has treated Native Americans over the centuries. It’s a fact of our history, but apparently not one we necessarily want to acknowledge.

This move recalls the state’s recent efforts to change its social studies curriculum. Proposed changes recommended by a task force were submitted, but the final product took out a great deal of Native American references. After a major outcry, this proposal was retracted and a new committee, made up mostly of gubernatorial nominees, came up with a new proposal that attempted to placate the critics, at least somewhat.

This tribal identification issue didn’t escape the notice of the South Dakota Education Equity Coalition (SDEEC), which last Friday issued a press release describing the actions by USD as “contrary to the values of respect, inclusion and personal dignity.”

However, instead of leaving the criticism at that or leveling condemnations, the SDEEC took the high road and encouraged discussion on the matter.

“… We are calling (USD) in and inviting the university to engage in open dialogue with us,” the press release said. “SDEEC believes in unity and the strength that comes from our diverse backgrounds. We are ready to collaborate with USD to foster an atmosphere of understanding and respect.

“SDEEC is eager to work alongside the University of South Dakota to transform these challenges into opportunities for growth and learning, ensuring that our educational environments reflect the principles of equity and respect that we stand for.”

That is how one should deal with issues of diversity and division: seek to bridge differences and find some common ground.

Making that effort is a simple and practical thing to do — if that’s your real intent.

If not, you usually end up issuing edicts and threatening people if they don’t comply. You just change things without factoring the reactions. Discussion never happens.

Dialogue has often been lacking in these “diversity” clashes both here and abroad. Perhaps at this point, in this situation, a start should be made.

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