Sunday, September 8, 2013

The Arctic Changed Me for the Rest of My Life

    On one of my first Arctic posts I mentioned that the northern experience had changed my life. People wanted to know how my life was changed. So here goes. The last of my northern posts.

    I was raise in a rather isolated prairie area. We went to the local village for groceries. The local village seemed like a big deal. This did not give me much exposure to any different people or ideas. Our family kept to themselves to some extent. We were close to my father's family and visited with them often. Our church group was small and very conservative. As a result exposure to others was limited and somewhat discouraged.

    When I first left home everything was new and different. I was totally unprepared for this.

    When I moved to the Arctic I was exposed to things that were really different...a different culture...a different way of life...people from all over the world.  In our orientation we were given a good basis on what to expect and how to handle it. I was also lucky in that there were experienced people on staff who were very knowledgeable and were willing to explain a few things. 

    I was able to mix with many Inuit and aboriginals who were very good at telling about their culture. I learned that when I was in the north they were the masters of the environment and I depended on them for guidance and safety. They appreciated this and were very open about their life. I also got to go out on trips that others would never have gone on.

   As a result I changed many of my courses to Indian and Northern Education. I began reading and thinking about the culture. 

   As a result, I looked at race and different cultures in a completely different way. I learned to look at people for who they were instead of what race they came from. I became very sensitive about any racial discrimination and wouldn't let biased ideas go by me without a challenge. I never would have become open minded about race and culture if it hadn't been for the northern experience. For the rest of my life I have become more and more aware of prejudice and how harmful it can be. I've become a much happier person and certainly much more self assured.

    This has helped in many more areas than race when there are major differences. You have to look at the individual for what they really are. One of my former students has been a life long alcoholic and drug dealer. I visit him when he's not selling drugs. He knows that when he's selling drugs I will have nothing to do with him. He is one of the nicest people you could find when he's out of the drug culture. So instead of writing him off as a druggie I hope that by visiting him someday things will change.

    One of my neighbors is Chinese. Now I don't think of the Chinese part when I meet her.  She's a very unique character and always full of life. She always stops when I'm in the yard. One day she was asking about some Indian woman who lived up the street. I said, "What Indian woman?  There are no Indians on this street."  I tried  hard to think of who the Indian was because I know all the people on the street. I just hadn't thought of this person as being Indian. So I teased my Chinese neighbor about looking at other people from a racial point of view . We had a big laugh and then a big discussion.

   So I'm happy that my northern experience set up the remainder of my life on something that gave me a purpose in my life.

22 comments:

  1. i do think having limited exposure beyond our small worlds can stymie us, but it also means we can open up to the experience of other cultures with respect and an open heart. you've become a fine example of that and an advocate for non-bias. bless you.

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    1. I'm not sure that I've achieved the fine advocate stage but I do beak off.

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  2. Being exposed to difference cultures and races is perhaps the greatest education of all. How wonderful that you had a chance to do that early on. I was born and raised in a big city, and spent over four decades there where I was exposed from the beginning to a variety of cultures day in and day out. It was wonderful, and probably the only thing I miss since we moved to the smaller area I'm in now.

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    1. What you had was a great education for living. It's paid off during your whole lie.

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  3. It obviously changed you for the better. this isn't always the case. I love living in a multicultural society.

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    1. Just don't throw the "better " around so recklessly!!! It might go to my head.

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  4. I work at a university where there is a large emphasis on diversity. Until then, I've mostly lived and worked in middle class white communities. I enjoy working in a more diverse community. I think it's a good thing for people to get out of their normal environment. Your experience does seem to be life changing in a very positive way!

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    1. I was the perfect example of living in a very closed community.

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  5. Yes to travel around opens one's mind. Living in a small country as mine, I always had the pressure to go over the borders and to see more of the world. Many Dutch do, but some people here don't and have very narrow thoughts about other people. That is sad, there is so much more than your own environment.

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    1. Europe has really changed. Some people have thrived with all the new people and others have put up walls. We're all in this together.

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  6. I was fortunate enough to study in London England for 3 years and developed a great curiosity in regards to European history and the culture of great artists, museums and historical places. I feel so darn lucky to have tread on many soils that I learned about as a young kid in a small country school - to smell, touch and feel, pick and taste the many exotic vegetables n fruits, fish etc, that otherwise I never would - To be exposed to school/university life in a foreign land is the type of exposure every child/young adult should experience. One of my neighbours has two students from China every year - I guess more of that is going on now as in Exchange Students. How swell is that :) Oh, and I truly miss the museums of Europe.

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    1. You are so right about every kid having the opportunity to visit or live in another country. Just think how different this country would be? Remember Katimovik?

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  7. This was really a nice post, and very thought provoking. I think sometimes we get tunnel vision, and forget that there any many diverse cultures and races of people in this big world - just because they're different than we are, doesn't mean they don't have hearts, or feelings. An open mind never hurts.

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    1. There are many right ways to do the same thing. We just have to look at it in a different way.

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  8. I agree that prejudice is very damaging, and you are so fortunate to have had that experience early in your life, Red. I think you are a really good man, so it was easy for you to open your heart. :-)

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    1. It took a very long time and I'm still on the journey and have more to learn.

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  9. It sounds like your time in the North gave you very valuable experiences, and I agree with you on the importance of not being biased. I was raised in a rural area with people mostly like me. When I went to graduate school in another state, I met people from all over the world and learned about different cultures and different ways of thinking. I loved it and I believe it made me more open minded and open hearted.

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    1. The staff I was on was very diverse as well.

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  10. I think Mark Twain said it best when he commented that travel is the best cure for ignorance and prejudice. It seems that you learned this lesson well.

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    1. Man, can you ever come up with good quotes!

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  11. I have enjoyed reading about your experiences in the Arctic. It was obviously a time of growth in learning and character building.

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