Gang culture in Indian country

Gangs in Indian Country

Gangs are everywhere in Indian Country and tribal leaders wonder if the community and culture have lost their powers.

By Mary Annette PemberI recall my surprise at hearing hard-core rap music blaring from a reservation radio station as I drove through the rolling hills of the Dakotas several years ago. It seemed so incongruous to hear the music’s references to urban violence, drug use and gangs in a place so seemingly removed from that world.

On today’s reservations, however, gang culture (including dress, music and behavior) is growing in popularity with young people. Seeing a group of Indian kids dressed in baggy pants and “do-rags” (handkerchief head covering) lounging around the prairie seems almost laughable until I hear the stories of senseless violence committed by these kids. Like so many other disenfranchised youth in America, reservation kids are also drawn to the provocative gang culture and its associated violence.The kids have gone from being wannabes to actual gang members:Reservation residents blame families who have returned to the reservation from the city, bringing gang culture with them. The gangster look and lifestyle have been quickly embraced by many reservation youth. Community leaders like John Mousseau, Oglala, Chairman of the Pine Ridge Tribal Judiciary Committee in South Dakota, say that gangs found especially fertile ground among Indian kids who are often disaffected and hungry for direction. Early on, much of the gang culture in Indian Country was populated with “wannabes,” kids in baggy pants who engaged in petty crimes and vandalism. More recently, however, violence and drug trafficking have escalated drastically.Are there any solutions?Rolo maintains that perhaps our traditional cultures no longer have the weight and power they once did to influence a generation of youth who are way too assimilated into mainstream American culture.

He says that maybe Indians have overlooked something when we talk about tribal cultures. Could it be that passing on Indian tradition begins with building community, that an investment in recreating community will strengthen our connection to culture, traditions and spirituality? Community as culture. Could this be a viable solution, he asks? He concludes that it is most certainly a discussion worth having in Indian Country.Comment:  I suspect that most at-risk reservations are already trying to revitalize their communities. And yet gang activities continue to escalate. So what's the solution here: Keep doing what you're doing, but try harder? That prescription doesn't seem very helpful to me.

I'd think along much more specific lines. For instance, assess all the youth programs in Indian Country. I.e., those involving the arts, sports, culture and language, Scouting-type outdoors activities, or whatever. Develop a database listing the most effective ones. Then launch a national initiative with funding to establish the best programs throughout Indian country, starting with the most troubled areas.

The warrior mentality

Gang members are clearly trying to prove how tough and macho they are. I wonder how many of them are responding to the cultural ambiance around them. Their great-great grandfathers were traditional Indian warriors. Their grandfathers and fathers fought in WW II, Korea, and Vietnam. What are these kids going to do to measure up to their forbearers?

To be sure, proving oneself as a rugged individualist, a fighter, and a man is part of the overall American culture. But nowhere is it emphasized more than among Indians. From the ceremonies exalting military veterans to the mascots exalting weapon-wielding savages, everyone promotes the idea of the Indian warrior. Geronimo and Crazy Horse get most of the attention, while no one talks about Indian peacekeepers, teachers, or philosophers.

It's hard to prove a connection between the "Indian warrior" cult(ure) and the increase in gang activity, but I suspect one exists. That's one reason I criticize so many attempts to fetishize the Indian warrior. As far as I'm concerned, we have enough "warriors" who validate themselves with fists and guns. And not enough who battle with words and ideas.

Suppose we had more of the latter than the former. Suppose we supported them with sufficient money and resources. Suppose we championed them as the greatest Indian "warriors."

Then Native youngsters might get a different idea. They might choose a different way. We'll never know until we stop glorifying warriors.

For more on the subject, see The Making of March Point and Native Pair Is BRAVE.