Havre students hear about Native American culture

As part of Native American Heritage Month, Havre Middle School students gathered for an assembly Monday afternoon to hear from Terry Brockie of Fort Belknap, a former Blaine County superintendent of schools, about his people's spirituality, language and values.

Brockie said he has heritage from a few different tribes, as well as a non-Native American ancestors and he thanked the district for inviting him to talk about some aspect of his Native culture.

He talked about his people's philosophy of staying connected to the natural world and its history, recalling various parts of the local area and talking about what they looked like when the tribes still roamed.

He said they had a very different philosophy when it came to how they thought about the land, even after they were forced onto the reservations.

He said even then they thought of the land as a place occupied collectively by all the people that lived there, and only divided it into individually owned parcels when it became legally necessary.

Brockie said the land is something he feels a deep connection with, given how long his family has been here and they try to hold onto that history and heritage.

However, he said, despite these differences in culture or spirituality or looks, every human being is part of a single species which should work together and see what they have in common instead of fixating on superficial differences.

"That's an important thing that I want everyone to understand, as human beings, we are all related," he said.

Brockie said everyone may have different skills, needs and wants, but everyone can find community in one form or another.

He also talked about his people's language and the weight that certain concepts and words have within it.

He said one of the virtues that is given special weight in his culture is the ability to think before speaking, realizing that words can have an incredible impact on people, positive or negative.

Brockie said if people watch addresses given by the U.S. president they will notice how carefully words are chosen and that they are said in specific ways, because the president's words can have effects that send ripples across the world, and they must always be wary of that fact.

However, he said, the power that words have matters even for people who don't have that kind of power or authority.

He asked the group if any of them remember a time when they said something to their parents and immediately regretted it, and everyone in the audience raised their hands.

"You can see it on their face, the hurt, and then you feel doubly bad," he said.

Brockie said this is an example of the power words have, so it's always important to think first and consider the effects of words before speaking them.

He said giving others the respect they are owed is fundamental within his culture, but the root of that ability to respect others is based in humility, in a person's willingness to see everyone as equals.

He said if people can train themselves to think of everyone as equals and to treat others how they hope to be treated, they will naturally be a respectful person.

Brockie said that, when he was young, his grandparents tried to teach him the Native language and the things that come along with it, but he didn't listen.

But after they died, he said, he came to realize the importance of preserving and knowing the language and he asked the students to try to do the same with their heritage, whatever that might be.

He encouraged them to find out about their own ancestors, and how they came to Montana and who they were.

"Know where you came from," he said.

Brockie then talked about another belief of his culture, that success comes from bravery.

He told the students to not be afraid to try new things and explore for themselves, and that it's OK to make mistakes along the way, as it's a fundamental part of life.

"Do your best," he said. "... Greatness comes from never being afraid."

He said every success in his life can be traced back to these kinds of values and many times those values are instilled and nurtured by teachers.

Brockie said teachers love their students and they eagerly await the day that they can look at a grown up student and say they contributed to their success, so the students should never stop seeking out knowledge.

He said when he was named Blaine County Superintendent of Schools, his old teachers wrote him letters because they were proud of him and the fact that they could count themselves as part of his journey.

"You're the payoff," he said.

Finally, he said, he wanted to talk about a much more serious topic, one that people need to know about if they want to help solve it.

Montana, he said, has one of the highest rates of suicide in the nation, and it's effects have been tragic.

Back before Montana was a state, he said, his tribe felt the effects of a suicide so deeply that when it happened, they would pack everything and move out of the area, saying such tragic deaths are unnatural.

Brockie said they believed that life was a gift and he encouraged everyone to try to think of it that way too, and to realize that there are people that love them and want them to stay.

He said people need to show that to each other and support the people who are despairing.

"If someone is having a bad time, be a true friend to them, support one another, be caring for one another," he said. "There's a lot of people just in this room that love you, and never forget that."