My Utopia

Leonard Dauphinais: “We are a strong people. We are enduring people. We are Native Americans.”

(Editor’s note: Voice of the Students is a regular feature in the journal. We invite students to submit short essays about their tribal college experience, profiles of students or instructors they admire, or their thoughts on significant topics in their communities. This essay was written at the AIHEC Student Congress’s Leading All People Summer Institute.)

I used to think my ideal world would be the old days; the days I read and studied about in history. In my heart and soul, I yearned for many things: for the freedom of the outdoors, for the peace in knowing who I really am as a Native American, for the love and companionship of a harmonious community of my people. Now I am told that I have the power to create my ideal world. So what do I change?

I realized that I already have the freedom of the outdoors. I simply choose to stay indoors too often. I choose jobs and recreation that keep me indoors. So to use vast powers to change this would be unnecessary. All I really need to do is change my lifestyle by changing my choices. I suppose this is true of all people. We have power; we just fail to use it.

I also came to realize that I am finding peace within myself. Ever since I came to the Institute of American Indian Arts my sense of being has increased. Through my experiences and education I have become more sure of myself and my role as a Native American. I found peace in knowing that where I belong is among the greatest of all people.

So again, what do I change? I would change our communities. During my discussions with others, I feel a great unbalance across the nation and our reservations. The reasons for this are many. Some feel it is a loss in our spirituality. Others feel it is the world around us that has brought disruption to our lives. Sometimes I feel like it is simply ourselves.

Whatever the reasons, we all need to work hard together to correct these problems. I hear voices shouting unity, education, and spirituality. Yet I have realized one of those items alone would not change or help. So we must join our voices and stand firm. The power to change our world will not come easily. But we must be brave. We are a strong people. We are enduring people. We are Native Americans.

Leonard J. Dauphinais, Jr., the Institute of American Indian Arts Associated Student Government president, is a Turtle Mountain Chippewa (from San Antonio, Tex.). He will graduate from IAIA (Santa Fe) on May 11, 2001 with an Associate in Museum Studies. Next semester, he will return to begin the institute’s new four-year program in museum studies. He will be among the first to graduate from IAIA with a bachelor’s degree.