Native Handbook Project Compares Contrasting Disaster Cultures
By Vincent B. Davis, CEM
Joe
Podlasek - Director The Trickster Native Art Gallery & Cultural Center
speaks about Native Culture
On May 6th, 2017, The Trickster Art Gallery and Native
Cultural Center in suburban Chicago hosted a small group of my close family and
friends for the official launch The Native Family Disaster
Preparedness Handbook. (Heritage Publishing). The launch event
was the culmination of a yearlong project to publish a first-of-its-kind
comprehensive guide, designed through a collective effort of and Native and
non-Native stakeholders. The Handbook’s purpose is to help bridge the disaster
preparedness gap for residents living in Indian Country.
The National Tribal Emergency Management Council, and Native
Public Media, contributed immensely to the tone and content of the 68-page
spiral-bound book which consolidates wide-ranging aspects of preparing for
natural and human-caused emergencies. Sean Scott, author of The Red Guide to Disaster Recovery,
Kenneth Bibbins, an entrepreneur and trauma expert from New Orleans, and Adam
Geisler, Secretary of the Inter-Tribal Long Term Recovery Foundation
co-authored the book.
As I prepared my remarks for the book launch, my thoughts
drifted back to the previous week, when I was privileged to visit the Chickasaw
Nation Cultural Center in Oklahoma. There, I was treated to a fascinating
journey through the rich history of a proud Native nation. Strangely enough,
learning about the Chickasaw history reminded me of the personal struggle for
survival that continues for many people of color in our country today. Like the
Natives, my African-American ancestors suffered the atrocities of a systematic
and purposeful effort to assimilate us to the will of those who benefitted from
free labor used to build economic prosperity.
But unlike slaves, Natives were considered to be a bigger
problem for European settlers. They were viewed as formidable obstacles to
progress by Europeans, who desired to control the land and its abundant natural
resources. Although the Native people were nearly annihilated, they survived.
Today their communities continue to thrive despite generations of broken
treaties, discrimination, displacement, and generational
trauma. Throughout their history Native cultures have traditionally
believed that the land and its resources are ordained by the Creator, not the
exclusive property of any individual or people, but available for the benefit
of all, to be nurtured, and cherished. The commitment to be protectors of the
land permeates throughout Native culture today.
I began to
think of the Hurricane Katrina catastrophe, and the Flint Michigan water
contamination crisis, where mainly Black, poverty stricken communities were
caught unaware, and unprepared for a crisis that would traumatize and adversely
impact both present and future generations.
I thought of the Standing Rock crisis, and witnessed as over
500 Native Nations rallied together around a single theme..... Survival. The
Oceti Sakowin Camp was a historic gathering of Tribes, and allies from all
walks of life standing in solidarity to halt the Dakota Access Pipeline. While
many opponents of the pipeline incursion were not directly affected, the importance
of the moment galvanized them around the common purpose of survival of Native
people, and drew the world's attention to concerns of protecting the
environment and sacred sites that are the lifeblood of indigenous people.
I wondered why, on the other hand, the atrocities of Flint
and Katrina did not draw a similar outcry and outrage from America's Black
community? Accept for a few local protests in Flint, and despite the displacement
of thousands from New Orleans following Katrina, there was no large scale or
organized call to action---- no legislative or political agenda, or nationwide
groundswell of Black community support to address the root causes of these
tragedies. Little resistance was mounted to the apathy and indifference to the
plight of the people who suffered and continue to suffer as a result of these tragic,
and preventable events. Indeed, most of what took place in Michigan and
Louisiana is relegated to a footnote in history, and nothing more.
Stripped of our ethnic identity by slavery, Black Americans
today remain deeply divided in cultural aspects of interconnected purpose.
Although few would disagree that the bond of Black community
foundations was irreparably damaged by slavery and subsequent Jim Crow laws,
the need for a shared sense of community is still vital to the future survival
of our communities, especially in emergencies that affect the larger population. But
by holding ourselves and others accountable for the loss of life and damage to
the health, economy, and institutions of underserved communities, the effect of
catastrophes could be averted, or at least diminished in the future. Moreover,
taking ownership of one's own survival should be a priority for Black
communities, especially following the deaths of over 1,800 people in Katrina, many
of whom perished mainly due to a failed system to which they unwittingly
entrusted their well-being and survival to others. The path to resilient communities
must be rooted in in a shared responsibility that can put aside economic,
educational, social, and political differences to come together in times of
mutual necessity for the greater good.
When I undertook the Native Family Disaster Handbook project,
I knew scarcely little about Native culture. Although I still remain a novice
in that realm, I quickly discovered that despite subtle and sometimes stark
differences in Tribal customs, practices, and traditions among the roughly 6.6 million citizens, and 567 Tribes, (22
percent of which live on reservations), one commonality exists---- a deep
respect and reverence for nature and its spiritual connection to the
survival of Native
people.
As I started to understand more about the daily challenges
many Tribal families face, I began to contemplate and collaborate on solutions
to improve the flow of culturally relevant disaster information. I discovered
that less than ten percent of homes on Tribal lands have broadband
internet service — a rate lower than in some developing countries. In contrast,
more than half of African Americans and Hispanics and about three-fourths of
Caucasians have high-speed access at home, according to the U.S.
Department of Commerce. Because the vast majority of information about how to
prepare today resides on the internet, disaster information resources are
nearly impossible to obtain for many Tribal families. Information, no matter
how valuable, is only useful if it is accessible and attainable and accessible
to those who need it most.
The knowledge quandary reminded me of my childhood in public
housing in Chicago, where my mother sold encyclopedias to the few families that
could afford the $10.00 down payment and monthly cost of $2.25. The wealth of
information contained in World Book’s A-Z volumes and dictionaries was lost for
many of the poorer families in my community. Indeed, neighborhood kids flocked
to our apartment and the homes of the precious few who were fortunate enough to
have the books, to partake of what for many was the 1960’s information
highway. Most families, however, were left lacking, depending on others for
knowledge that could often prove to be life-changing. Having relevant, timely
information is important for people to help them make informed decisions, and
especially when they are faced with perilous, life-altering situations.
My appreciation of the empowerment enlarged by knowledge stimulated
publication of my first book, Lost and Turned Out- A Guide to
Preparing Underserved Communities for Disasters (Amazon 2012).
The book chronicled my experiences in 11 Federal disasters, and emphasized the
need for enabling communities to prepare themselves to take ownership of
survival as a personal priority, rather than an unattainable quest for creature
convenience. Thus, the concept for Native Family Disaster Preparedness
Handbook was born. It is a continuation of my determination to demystify the
disaster process, and bring preparedness from a concept to pavement level for
people who struggle with the real-life challenges of daily existence.
To be clear, the Native Family Disaster Preparedness
Handbook was created by and for Native people. My role as facilitator for the
project was driven by my purpose to empower positive disaster outcomes for the
underserved. As we concluded the creative process, one of the contributors
called me a hero. I responded with a quote from the late tennis star Arthur
Ashe who said: "True heroism is remarkably sober, very
undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass others at all cost, but the urge to
serve others at whatever cost."
My sentiments are not intended to trivialize the disaster preparedness
needs and concerns that still exist within Tribal or Black communities. I commend
the efforts of and individuals and practitioners who continue to work
tirelessly every day to bring greater awareness and participation in emergency
preparedness to underserved communities. The Native Family Disaster
Preparedness Handbook is merely a small step in a much larger journey to
achieve true resilience.
Despite the many obstacles and challenges that hinder
underserved community readiness, we must all recognize the high cost of
preparedness apathy. Failure to act cannot merely be calculated in financial
losses, or inconvenience. The true cost must be underscored in the context of
lives lost, preventable injuries, and the survival of future
generations. Only after we have done all we can to prepare ourselves, can
we truly then leave the outcome to the Creator.
Vincent B. Davis is an author and consultant, and
Founder/President of Preparedness Matters Disaster Consulting. He is current
Chairperson of the International Association of Emergency Managers Children's
Caucus, Advisory Board Member for Domestic Preparedness Journal, and a Lifetime
Member of the Black Emergency Managers Association. Learn more about the
Handbook at www.thenativefamilydisasterhandbook.com or www.preparednessmatters.net
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