WQED Weekly
Three Rivers American Indian Center
Clip | 6m 32sVideo has Closed Captions
This features an interview with Russell Sims from the Council of Three Rivers American Indian Center
This segment of WQED Weekly features an interview with Russell Sims, the director of the Council of Three Rivers American Indian Center. He talks about the importance of having a support system for Native Americans living in Allegheny County, how he plans on raising his children to understand their heritage, and some of the issues that Native Americans currently face.
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WQED Weekly is a local public television program presented by WQED
WQED Weekly
Three Rivers American Indian Center
Clip | 6m 32sVideo has Closed Captions
This segment of WQED Weekly features an interview with Russell Sims, the director of the Council of Three Rivers American Indian Center. He talks about the importance of having a support system for Native Americans living in Allegheny County, how he plans on raising his children to understand their heritage, and some of the issues that Native Americans currently face.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
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Welcome.
Okay.
Hello.
Mr.
Sims speaking.
Russell Sims is the director of the Council of Three Rivers American Indian Center in Homewood Brushton.
He supervises a volunteer staff there that tries to solve problems for Indians and at the same time, strengthen their Indian identity.
Russell is also a husband and father of two small children.
His work at the center is very important to his kids, although they don't realize it now.
He wants to give them a strong identity like he got from his parents.
- You want some new records.
Let's understand the problem, you know, like, 25, 30, 40 years ago, you know, where you had no organizations or anything to back up what somebody wanted to do or just have their, what we call their rights recognized.
They brought us up to understand, the fact that we were Indian people and recognize it and be proud of it.
So what did you do all day?
But Russell wants his children to be as comfortable with that identity out on the street as at home.
Not like when he was a kid.
You know, I can remember, recall my dad talking about when he first moved in the Braddock area, you know, and went down to put his application at, one of the big steel companies there.
We talked about, the long lines of people, you know, and, and who was being hired and who weren't, you know, so, like, he had to make a decision, you know, like, what ethnic he's going to go with to secure a job, you know, things like that.
You know, let's let's say it.
What did he decide?
He decided to go as black.
Okay.
Because in those days, there was nothing, period to be an Indian.
Now Geneva and Russell have to face the same problems his parents faced 30 years ago.
Raising children with an identity and a culture they can hold on to.
And since Geneva is black and Russell is Indian, they want their kids to know about both cultures.
Until they can become of age, where they can really think for themselves and make decisions for themselves, they'll grow up understanding all ethnics.
Okay, as much as I can hand down or teach them, theyll know, okay.
As much of the black things that he can get into, you know, he'll get into much, many Indian things he can get into.
You know, he'll get into.
Same with my daughter.
Once they come of age, it's their decision.
That's the basic philosophy at the Indian Center.
Give each person the freedom to choose his own identity and way of life.
Unfortunately, if it's the Indian way, the familiar problems of poverty may block the path.
At the center, Russell, Assistant Director Bill Hayes and the staff try to solve problems of housing, jobs and legal hassles for Indians.
Billy had a problem.
Anne, how about stepping over here for a minute?
Mrs.
Walker just called in Sandy Walker, and she has a problem.
She notified us a couple of days ago that she be calling today.
She needs housing.
She has three children.
She possibly needs employment.
For the time being, we'd like to set her up with welfare.
They also remain aware of the emotional problems of being an Indian.
And I think once they start coming into the center, they can get an idea of how many others are having the same problems and that they can get support from others in the same situation.
Yeah, that's a good idea.
The most difficult problem to solve, though, is somehow debunking the myths and stereotypes about Indians.
We've seen too many cowboy and Indian movies and they've had a profound effect on us.
People can't relate to Indian people as, Indians, because of the stereo myth.
You know what an Indian is?
What he's all about.
Usually they associate him with, like, just for say, housing, like a teepee or his looks, you know, the Western look, the high cheekbones and the long hair.
The cultural activities at the center are potentially their most constructive and destructive activities at the same time.
It's the dancing and drumming and beating classes that involve the children and show them Indian traditions they can see with their own eyes.
But it is these same activities that perpetuate those old oppressive stereotypes.
We have, Polish people here in this city.
When you hear different Polish events and things, you don't have people running with their cameras and, you know, taking pictures or something of this nature.
We've held different, events here in the city.
And we had to put up with the fact that, when we beat on the drum and stuff, we brought the cameras.
You know, people came with their cameras to take the showing of some spectacular something.
And frankly, we're not spectacular anything.
We're not pedestal people.
We just want to be, you know, regular human beings and, you know, we don't want to be the greatest, and we don't want to be the lesser.
We just want to be normal.
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