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Show AN INTRODUCTION TO UTAH'S INDIAN HISTORY W E S H A L L R E M A I N : U TA H I N D I A N C U R R I C U L U M G U I D E 38 Parashonts uses the metaphor of "two worlds" to show how Paiute cultural values have been undermined in the broader American society. Because of such marginalization, it becomes increasingly necessary for Indians to experience and assert their distinctive and sovereign trib-al cultures. In We Shall Remain: The Ute, Ute language and cultural studies instructor Venita Taveapont argues that it is important for students to learn tribally specific cultural prac-tices such as speaking the Ute language. Such knowledge benefits both the tribe and the indi-vidual; as the tribe's Ute Indian Tribe Education Department Plan of 2004 states, students need a strong Ute cultural program so that they will "realize their maximum learning potential in maintaining dignity and self-worth throughout their lives." Indians can exert this cultural sovereignty and also participate in American culture at large. In We Shall Remain: The Goshute, student Candace Bear suggests that Goshute people can both maintain their cultural knowledge and be part of the larger world. She feels that the real question is "Do we go forward or back?" and notes that her grandfather used to tell her, "There is another day coming." She also points out that the Goshute people have survived the effects of non-Indian settlement in their territory, and this persistence serves as evidence that the Goshutes have a bright future and can move forward as a distinct people living in the broader world. These are only a few examples of the reflections by tribal members in We Shall Remain, and more extensive excerpts have been included in the student materials for this lesson. These diverse voices indicate the complex ways Utah's Indians negotiate tribal, state, and national cultures and remind us of the distinct histories and cultures of each of Utah's tribes. The We Shall Remain documentaries-along with the individual les-son plans that follow-testify to the value of tribal sovereignty, but they also insist that Indian cultures and individuals are integral to the cultures of America and Utah. |