Week Two: Forging Connections Across Cultures

Hi guys! My second week interning with Machik got off to a great start, as I got to experience one of the best parts of being in D.C. — the wealth of cultural institutions and museums available right outside my door! As part of my internship, I went to the National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI), specifically to view their exhibit "Nation to Nation: Treaties Between the United States and American Indian Nations." My hope was to examine treaties as a tool of international law and then apply that context to Tibetan relations with China.

The exhibit pointed out the trend in international law, pioneered by Europeans, to favor the written word (in this case, treaties) above all else, although this is far from the only method of treaty-making. For example, Indian nations favored relationship-based oral traditions, and the exhibit featured the Guswenta or Two Row Wampum Treaty, a wampum belt that served as a treaty between the Iroquois and the Dutch. However, ultimately the European preference for written treaties dominated, and even now, modern American contract law favors staying within the “four corners” of a contract.

Unfortunately, even though many Indian nations put their faith in treaties, they were frequently broken or ignored altogether. However, they instead began to work within the American legal system, using all available channels to their advantage, aided by a growing awareness of human rights. And while the legal system has many shortcomings, it was still used to enact meaningful change, for example in U.S. v. State of Washington (famously referred to as the Boldt decision). In this case, Indians nations in Washington experienced a major victory when their  fishing rights, enshrined in a treaty, were upheld. This decision is a reminder that the judicial system can enforce treaty obligations for the good and justice of all parties. However, this process requires the availability of good legal aid — and as an aspiring lawyer,  I can only hope to be in the position to provide that some day.

The exhibit also pointed out the dangers of not having treaties at all. For example, Indians in California faced increased exploitation and had difficulty using the legal system in their favor because the U.S. carried out treaties in secret and then refused to acknowledge them.  In comparison, the Navajo people were able to leverage the treaty they signed to protect themselves, which allowed them to grow to the largest Indian land base in the U.S. today. This reminds me even more of the need for transparency from the China in their communications with Tibet. Even if the signing of a treaty between the two parties is not feasible, I still believe that any negotiations for peace in the region should be open, rather than carried out in secrecy. Furthermore, greater accountability can be achieved when the international community is also made aware of these negotiations.

While going through the exhibit, I observed many similarities between the struggles of the Indian nations and Tibet today. As the above image states, a key object of the movement of many Indian nations is allowing Indians to be Indians. This goal was frequently stifled by U.S. subjugation of Indian language and culture, such as by sending Indian children to boarding schools, or displacing the Potawatomi, in order to carry out economic development. Similarly, in Tibet today, many Tibetans long to be Tibetans, but are frustrated by Chinese attempts to repress Tibetan language and culture. For example, many schools in Tibet teach both Tibetan and Mandarin or only Mandarin, preventing native Tibetans from learning their own language. Even where Tibetan is learned, Chinese is still seen as the language of business and success. Furthermore, China has banned certain religious practices, such as having images of the Dalai Lama, which is a major roadblock to the practice of Tibetan Buddhism. 

Ultimately, the Declaration of Indian Purpose reflects the values espoused by Machik, and which I believe is also shared by many members of oppressed groups. Solidarity between these groups yields valuable results, such as when indigenous groups from all over the world supported Indian nations in protesting the Dakota Access Pipeline at Standing Rock. I believe this solidarity would be powerful to the Tibetan movement as well, and this is part of Machik's overall mission of promoting civic engagement between Tibetans, Chinese, and other groups all over the world.

That's all for this week! Thanks for following along, and I'll be back next week with another update. See you then!