Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in

Author

Louis Joseph
August 27, 2023

Just when I thought I was out,

they pull me back in

I’m sure by now we’ve all seen the Godfather trilogy. If not, you’ve had to at least seen a few clips on social media.

(Spoiler alert)

There’s a scene in Godfather 3 in which an older Michael Corleone is standing in the kitchen discussing the recent attempt on his life. He had just made an offer to pay off his former associates and exit his life of crime once and for all. His rivals however, had other plans for him. He realizes that his dream to sail off into the sunset and leave behind the stress of being a gangster is now gone. At that moment a very frustrated Michael Corleone clenches his fists and says “Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in.”

If the crabs in the buckets were granted one sentence of human dialogue to describe their lives, I believe this would be it.

Crab theory, also known as Crabs in a Bucket mentality (CIABM) is a real thing. It’s a way of thinking best described as “if I can’t have it, then neither can you.” I’m not saying this type of jealous behavior is exclusive to the rez or Natives, however it is without a doubt alive and well in the Native community.

Let me give you some examples.

How many times have you seen someone achieve something they worked hard for, only to hear others attempt to discredit it? This person only got that new car because their family is rich, not because they have a job and paid for it. Or that person only got the promotion because they kiss up to the boss, not because they show up to work everyday and do a good job.

Look, I’m not saying that those things don’t happen or have anything to do with the outcome. I’m only saying that having that kind of mentality is toxic and useless in regards to growth. To continue to look for reasons that others are succeeding instead of finding the reasons that you are not, makes absolutely no sense to me.

Another red flag that may indicate someone is suffering from the crab mentality is their inability to genuinely praise another’s success without feeling threatened. This in my opinion, is one of the worst things about the Native community. I’ve seen Kossins aka cousins of mine graduate from universities with degrees, only to hear “yeah but you can’t make any money with that degree,” or “he’s too old to use that degree.” I’ve seen first time homebuyers that grew up in HUD housing purchase a home, only to hear “yeah but that house isn’t even that nice,” or “she had to get help from her tribe for the down payment.”

Once again, I’m not saying that some of these things aren’t true. I’m simply saying that the toxic crab in a bucket mentality isn’t helping anyone, especially the person living with it. Try being happy for your own people, the same way that you’re for those famous celebrities you’ve never met.

Maybe the guy is too old to use that degree, but it inspired his son to get one. Is that a waste? Maybe the house isn’t that nice, but now she’ll have asset to leave her children instead of a liability. A good friend of mine once said sometimes our accomplishments aren’t about us, that our people will use our successes or failures to decide whether or not they will attempt it. You never know who’s looking up to you.

Success is not a zero sum game. By that I mean there is enough money and success available for all of us in the community to be well off and successful without taking anything away from others. It’s our mentality that needs to change and adapt. So let’s do that.

If you don’t know, now you know, a Native.

3 Bills signed for Native Heritage in Illinois

This week we have some positive news about Governor J.B. Pritzker of Illinois signing 3 bills of Native Heritage protections into law.

The first is HB 3413 which was sponsored by Mark Walker D-Arlington Heights. This bill amends the Human Remains Act and now requires State Museums and other institutions to work with federally recognized Tribes to return Native remains (bones) and artifacts to the Tribes or rightful families. In the past there have been thousands of ancestors to the Potawatomi people that were never returned. Many of these were illegally seized by the government and auctioned off to the highest bidders.

The Second is HB 1633 sponsored by Maurice West D-Rockford. This bill will now force the public school curriculum in Illinois to include accurate accounts of Native history.

Lastly, there is SB 1446 sponsored by Suzy Hilton D-Western Springs. This protects the rights of Illinois students to wear cultural heritage accessories at graduation ceremonies. Nimkii Curley a Native high school senior, was forced to sit out his graduation ceremony because he wanted to wear beads on his graduation cap last year.

These are all wins for the people of Illinois, not just the Natives. I am proud to be a Native from Northern California. Not only do our schools support our children in the wearing of culturally significant accessories to graduation, they actually have a Native teacher who teaches our Pomo language at the local high school. This is definitely a positive step for our people in regards to public education.

Janee’ Kassanavoid - Comanche

Janee’ grew up in a small Missouri town and is a member of the Comanche Nation.

Her father was one of her biggest influences in training along with prioritizing a healthy lifestyle. He would sometimes coach her and her siblings in their respective sports prior to becoming ill and eventually passing away. His medical condition was additionally complicated due to his diagnosis of diabetes. This would lead her to studying health at the university level in hopes of providing education and mentorship to other Natives.

In previous interviews, she has repeatedly stated that her father’s entire existence had driven so much about what she wanted to do with her time on earth.

The world athletics championships took place on August 24, 2023 in Budapest, Hungary. At this competition Janee’ completed her all time best performance of 76.36 meters in the hammer throw, which held up for silver. She currently has a bronze and a silver with hopes of competing and collecting gold. In doing so, she would join Jim Thorpe’s decathlon golds of 1912, which made him the first ever Native to medal on a world stage. Paris 2024? Los Angeles 2028? We shall see.

When asked about what her deepest motivations are she said, “I have such a community love and support backing me and what we went through as a nation, there’s no way I could quit, there’s no way I can fail.”

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