Discussing diversity at Lawrence Middle School

On June 11, I participated in a panel discussion about diversity at Lawrence Middle School. I am a Native American, a member of the Seneca Nation of Indians, which is one of the six Iroquois tribes. My tribe lived near modern-day Rochester in upstate New York, and lived as far west as Ohio. Now we live mainly near Buffalo and Niagara Falls.
Originally, I was expecting to attend and report on it, but the middle school invited me to participate as a speaker. I was surprised and honored to do so.
The panel consisted of middle school teachers, community representatives, district faculty, elite students and me, and represented African-Americans, Latinos, Jews, Irish, Asians, Africans and Native Americans.
“Here at Lawrence Middle School, we are rich in diversity, talent and education,” said Principal Willis Perry. “We’re going to address our diversity and how we can use it to work together. One hand washes the other.”
The panel and audience that included seventh- and eighth-grade students, watched movie clips where characters struggled in dealing with their differences. Panelists discussed how our ethnicity affected our lives personally. I recalled a moment in my life when I was singled out for not being Native American enough to some people.
I competed in the Miss Indian World pageant at a pow-wow in Albuquerque when I was 17. I was walking with three other pageant contestants, all from larger tribes than mine. All of us had our traditional regalia on when we were approached by two men who wanted to take our photo. We complied, gathering together to let them take the photo. Then the men pointed at me and said, “No. Not you.” When I asked them why, they said, “You don’t have the beautiful costumes on that these ladies do.”
It’s funny how 24 years later, I still clearly recall what those men said and how it made me feel. Now I know better than to let what two complete strangers say affect me, but as an impressionable young woman, it hurt. Instead, I learned something. I think, about how I meet new people of diverse backgrounds all the time, and how I to get to know each person individually, not on a one-dimensional level.