Recently in Hominy, Wah Zha Zhe Elder Dr. Steven Pratt gave the first in a series of talks examining how cultural identity can support mental health. Additional talks are planned for each district. Dr. Pratt has been Hominy Head Committeeman and roadman in the Lottie Shunkamolah Chapter of the Native American Church.
The program was presented by 988, a national hot line designed to ensure that people experiencing mental health or suicidal crises can access help.
“Cultural identity is not something we’re born with, but something that we learn through parents, religion, media and TV,” Dr. Pratt said. “It’s an unconscious process.”
Pratt described the moment when someone says, “I’m Osage,” and others look at each other, asking, “who are they?” It’s a reality in a small community, familiar to me, a resident of a small town with multigenerational families.
Pratt described parts of Osage culture that are different than in the Western world. For example, Osages value an event over time. “The event is more important than the time it takes to be there,” Pratt said. “It runs as long as it is supposed to. We don’t have a set time. But the important thing is, we’re there for the event.”
Pratt said he’s begun to notice people bringing non-Osage behavior into Osage events. For example, he noted, “people will get up and leave, particularly funeral dinners. It’s disrespectful to the family to leave. Being Wah-Zha-Zhe is when we’re respecting our ways.”
Pratt described respect for others, but also, ke li xo pe, respect for yourself.
“By doing that, you’re going to have a good life,” Pratt said. “You’re going to be able to engage with other people, to be accepted.”
Respect is a large part of who we are as Osages. “We carry this into interactions with others, and we’re being evaluated to see if we’re appropriate,” he said.
“We test each other for cultural competency,” Pratt said. “We assess cues.” He discussed practices, like visiting people and taking tobacco that aren’t done anymore. “People don’t know to do that anymore,” he said.
Pratt acknowledged the work and learning it takes to be traditional, describing several types of cultural identity he sees among Osages.
Wa no^ O ka are traditional Osages, learning values from parents at home. They’re taught implicitly how to behave. These are people who make baby boards, who were taught to honor elders. Pratt said, “It’s like when you were a child, and your parents told you to go shake hands.”
Pratt emphasized that our ways are taught by observation. “That’s how the old people taught,” he said. “This identity is the most difficult to achieve,” he said. “You have to be present to learn. You’re there on time, whenever it begins, and there till it ends.”
Tse ka Ni Ka shi a are people Pratt describes as New Age. They love being Osage. They come for four days in June. “They take their vacation. They’re proud of being Osage, but they have other commitments. There’s nothing wrong with any of these identities,” he emphasized, suggesting that we can assess ourselves and see which we want to be. “Some people say they only dance at night, that it’s too hot in the afternoon. But when you’re put in, you’re supposed to go to every district, to every dance, to every song,” he said. Osage culture includes many more community events than the Inlonshka.
Mon ze Ska Ni ka shi only want to be Osage for the financial advantages. Pratt says he’s spoken to people whose primary motivation is help to go to college, etc. “They’re not
concerned with culture,” he said. “That’s their identity. They don’t want any more than that.”
Wa ki^ li Ni ka shi are Osages who are focused on headright payments. “They will say they’re related to an original allottee,” Pratt said. “Their identity is the check.” This group likes to read books about Osages.
“Which one are you?” Pratt asked participants. “Which one do you want to be?” Pratt said he hopes people aspire to gain knowledge passed from traditional elders. It takes a lifetime, he noted, admitting he’s still learning.
It’s encouraging to think that with enough effort and time, those of us born off the reservation and living away can begin to gain that traditional knowledge. It’s something we attain in relationship with traditional Osages, with patience and perseverance.
After the talk, I sat with a snack of bologna and old-school Jello fruit salad in a small group of older women from different districts, listening as they grappled with Pratt’s talk and the responsibility of being elders.
“I guess we’re the next ones now,” each said. Then, she said, “I wished I’d asked more questions.”
Transmitting culture, sharing knowledge from one generation to another is a fragile endeavor, dependent as we are on each other, our short human life span. It’s also a beautiful thing, the respect and relationships that knit us together.
Joseph Pratt, Project Director Case Manager of the Osage Counseling Center and Dr. Pratt’s son, explained that a strong cultural identity is a foundation of good mental health. “Culture is prevention.”
