By: Jeffrey Thomas
Washington -- “Maybe you should just tell them that we still exist,” an American Indian told the moderator of a focus group during a recent study that not only has highlighted continuing misconceptions about American Indians, but also has revealed the sympathy with which many Americans view Indians’ history and desire to learn more about their past and present.
“Tell the story of American Indians truthfully and honestly [in an Indian museum],” a non-Indian proposed, “and tell that story in both the historical and contemporary concepts. ... They survived everything that happened to them -- they survived.”
The study revealed that, even though American Indians might feel isolated, misunderstood and culturally threatened in contemporary America, they often express pride in their economic accomplishments and a conviction that their lives are improving. “The biggest fight that we have is [about] identity,” a New York Indian told researchers.
The study Walking a Mile: A First Step Toward Mutual Understanding is based on 12 focus groups -- seven with Indians and five with non-Indians -- conducted by researchers from the nonpartisan public opinion research organization Public Agenda. Such focus groups provide qualitative information on how the participants view the place of American Indians in the United States today, but more opinion research and polling is needed to reveal how widely held those views are, according to experts.
“This was exploratory research ... designed to pose as many questions as it answered,” Public Agenda’s Michael Remaley told USINFO. “Clearly, there is much more to be done to further the conversation nationally.”
Read this very interesting story here: http://usinfo.state.gov/xarchives/display.html?p=washfile-english&y=2007&m=October&x=200710181452191CJsamohT0.7733576
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