When Jeremy MacDonald speaks, we all need to listen

These are trying times we live in. There's so much anxiety and uncertainty globally, in the United States, in Montana and right here on the Hi-Line.

But, in times like these, I'm sure glad we have leaders in our communities like Jeremy MacDonald.

MacDonald, as many know, is the Box Elder Schools superintendent, as well as the ultra-successful head boys basketball coach, who led the Bears to a pair of state championships and assisted on a pair of girls state titles in Box Elder, as well.

MacDonald, however, is so much more than a great educator and a highly respected basketball coach. So much more.

I've personally known Jeremy for a long time now, and I could fill three or four columns with all the things I like about it him and, more so, respect about him. Of course, sports is how we met, and sports is one of our common bonds, and I just think the world of Jeremy as a coach, and a teacher of the game of basketball.

However, while getting to know him, and covering his teams over the years, I've also had a front-row seat to seeing what kind of person Jeremy is, as well as what kind of leader he has become. Of course, it was easy to see what a great leader Jeremy is, just by the fact that, he returned to his home on Rocky Boy's Indian Reservation to do what many people talk about, but not everyone follows through on - he returned home to make a difference.

And I've had the privilege of seeing first-hand the kind of differences Jeremy makes in his community, and beyond. He's a leader, a role model, an educator, a thoughtful, intelligent person who cares about young people, about his community, and about us as a human race. He's an activist, he's outspoken, he's honest, and, most of all, he's unselfish, constantly giving of himself to help his community. I've gotten to see that up close, and like I said, I can't say enough about all that Jeremy has done since he came back home.

So, in times like we're going through right now, Jeremy MacDonald is somebody I listen to. Jeremy MacDonald is somebody I want to hear speak on the issues. Jeremy MacDonald is somebody I want to hear from, because I respect him so much. And that's why, recently, I did a Q&A with Jeremy, asking his thoughts on several important topics going on right now. The following is that question and answer session.

HDN: Can you put into perspective how you've been feeling and what you've been thinking about the push for racial equality and social justice the last month? How has it affected you and the reservation?

MacDonald: "The current push for racial equality and social justice recently throughout the U.S. is a reminder of how much work we have ahead of us. There has been a lot of progress made since the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s but there are deeply embedded racial inequalities still. The forced removal of American Indians from their traditional homelands and the subsequent attack on tribal cultures to incorporate assimilationist policies has caused ongoing problems. The history of slavery and continued racism has allowed pockets of poverty to develop in society, particularly in urban areas, predominantly occupied by African Americans, and in rural areas such as reservations populated by the First People of this continent. Recent events have continued to motivate me to empower young people to reflect on inequalities and how they are going to work with others to correct historical injustices. We had community members from our reservation participate in the recent social justice movements locally. The pandemic has led our nuclear household to avoid large gatherings so my participation has been limited to continue to work with my colleagues and our students to evolve an education system which is aware of historical injustices and is working to overcome them so generations who follow will develop in a more tolerant, equitable society."

HDN: As Montanans, how can we do better to not just understand and acknowledge, but fight against the racial inequality that Native Americans in our state have experienced for far too long?

MacDonald: "This is a difficult topic because acknowledging racial inequality in Montana requires the understanding and acceptance that all of Montana is the traditional homeland of many tribes. The violence perpetuated to establish the reservation system is a historical perspective that often is omitted in our education system. Discussion of this topic creates heightened emotions in people, including anger, sadness, guilt and denial. The traumatic history and how it impacts our current cultures needs to be acknowledged, learned from and then people need to work together for a better future. Montana has made progress with actionable items such as Indian Education for All. It is important for people of all races to understand the history of our state, find our common ground, break down stereotypes and realize we're in this together."

HDN: Turning to sports and the coronavirus, how are things looking as far as returning to school?

MacDonald: "We did get our athletes active with open gyms and some local games in mid-June. The recent positive cases of COVID-19 locally has once again closed down our facility for students for the time being. How the return to school will look is still up in the air. We are hoping to get a certain percentage of our students back on campus in August. We will continue to work with the tribe as well as county and state health officials and government leadership to determine what is best to protect the public health while providing a quality education. If we have to start with distance learning we are making preparations to improve our effectiveness from lessons learned this spring. We understand how important sports are to our students and hopefully we can have our athletic seasons."

HDN: All indications are that, the Chippewa Cree have done an outstanding job of mitigating the spread of the virus to this point. But with those measures came no school in the spring, and little to no sports for kids, two things that I know are very important to children. What are your concerns about how it has affected the young people on the reservation to this point, and how much do they need those two things in their lives?

MacDonald: "The Chippewa-Cree have responded quickly and taken this matter extremely seriously. We have a high-risk population with some of the health issues our community faces. We also know that sports are a way for our students to stay active and avoid some of the negative social activities in our community. If sports are unavailable we will need to think of creative ways to keep our young people active, healthy and motivated. As most locals are aware, basketball is a huge passion for many of our kids while some find passion in other sports as well. We will be providing some type of athletics going forward, but exactly how that will look remains up in the air and a lot of decisions will be based upon the pandemic's impact on our state."

HDN: As the boys basketball coach in Box Elder, what has this offseason been like for the Bears? Summer is usually such an important time for high school basketball.

MacDonald: "I was actually out of state spending time with my wife's side of the family when we did have our gym open so I missed out. I miss coaching and interacting with our young people on the court so much. Summer open gym, traveling to play other schools, and local camps are some of my favorite things to do, so it's been disappointing for sure. I've been able to spend time focusing on my own kids to keep my spirits up and keep myself motivated for when activities can return to a more normal situation.

HDN: How do you see fall and winter sports unfolding? Is there hope for those seasons being able to be played? And if so, what kinds of differences do you think we'll see?

MacDonald: "The current spike in cases statewide has me concerned. I think there is hope still, but the cases need to come down otherwise people will not feel safe. By the end of May and early June the state had a number of days with zero new cases reported. The current record number of cases is troubling, and I think people got a false sense of security that we had this virus contained which led to decisions in which the virus was able to spread. Competing locally could be a greater focus going forward so we are able to preserve seasons, similar to what the Big 10 is doing is a possibility but a lot is going to depend on what happens with coronavirus."

HDN: 2020 will likely be looked back on as one of the most tumultuous years in our country's history, including right here in Montana. From the canceling of the remainder of state basketball up to today, it has been a year unlike any other. What do you hope we can learn from it? What do you hope we can do with all that has happened to to move forward as a society?

MacDonald: "I think the biggest lesson we need to learn is we are all in this together. We need to continue to look out for and take care of each other, particularly our most vulnerable community and societal members. The disparities in our country due to race and economics have really come to light recently, and hopefully there is a greater emphasis to correct some historical wrongs and make some improvements throughout our communities and our nation. We have an amazing chance for this time period to be seen and studied as a time when people worked together to shape a brighter future."