Collected Item: “Richard Wright Jr. Oral History, 2022/02/16”
Title
Interview with Richard Wright Jr.
Who conducted the interview? List all names, separated by comma.
Kit Heintzman
Who was interviewed? List all names, separated by commas.
Richard Wright Jr.
Email Address(es) for all interviewers. Separated by comma.
kheintzman@gmail.com
Use one-word hashtags (separated by commas) to describe your oral history. For example: Where did it originate? How does this object make you feel? How does this object relate to the pandemic?
#birthday, #ceremony, #college, #COVID+, #death, #elders, #empathy, #ER, #family, #graduation, #groceries, #hugging, #Indigenous, #language, #Lincoln, #married, #masking, #museum, #pipe, #pregnancy, #NativeAmerican, #Nebraska, #Norfolk, #Omicron, #plantmedicines, #Ponca, #prayer, #reassurance, #sacred, #selfcheckout, #smell, #spirituality, #sports, #Sweat, #teacher, #teaching, #trauma, #Tribalgovernance, #vaccine
What is the format of your recording?
Video
In what ZIP code is the primary residence of the interviewee? (enter 5-digit ZIP code; for example, 00544 or 94305)? In what city/town/village does the interviewee live? In what country does the interviewee live? All comma-separated.
Norfolk, Nebraska
What is the gender of the interviewee? Be sure to allow interviewees to self-identify their gender in the pre-interview or interview. *Do not assign a gender identity to interviewees.*
Male he/him
What is the age of the interviewee?
25 to 34
How does the interviewee describe their race or ethnicity? Be sure to allow interviewees to self-identify their race/ethnicity in the pre-interview or interview. *Do not assign a racial or ethnic identity to interviewees.*
Native American
Describe the oral history.
“I currently work for the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska. I am also a Ponca member, an enrolled member of the Tribe. Basically what I do is a lot; I wear a lot of hats. Overseeing our museum is one of the things I focus on among many other things, our pow wow, annual pow wow every year in August. Just making sure everything goes smoothly and runs accordingly as far as focusing on the budget finances are all correct, we’re spending the money properly. I also oversee our Tribal Historic Preservation Officer and soon to be our Tribal Historian, which we’ll be adding to our staff. I love what I do and I’m here for my people.”
Some of the things we discussed include:
Transitioning from in-person meetings to online meetings; the digital impact on prayer and introductions at meetings; bringing in more member participation; technology and social anxiety
Indian Country being hit particularly hard by the pandemic
Loss of elders and with them life, language, and wisdom during the pandemic
Grandfather, Theodore Wright Jr., died from COVID last year; he attended a Catholic school as a part of the forced-assimilation process; grandfather anti-vaxxer prior to contraction
Younger people stepping into roles earlier in life due to the loss of elders
Teaching in a high school during the pandemic; supporting students; online teaching; first hearing about the pandemic while teaching freshmen geography
Graduating from Teachers College during the pandemic; graduation ceremony canceled; substitute teaching; delays in teaching licensing due to the pandemic and being unable to find work as teacher
Working odd jobs
Getting hired by the Ponca Tribe as Director of Cultural Affairs
Community outreach and education
Testifying in Lincoln that they open a Chief Standing Bear Museum and Cultural Center; the importance of preserving and digitizing Ponca artifacts; oral histories
The change in foot traffic with the museum and the educational trail walks (https://www.poncatribe-ne.org/culture/education-trail/); increased visitation
Wife’s pregnancy and buying a first home; excitement; early misinformation sparking fear about vaccination during pregnancy
Observing the poor care provided by the USA-government to his wife (non-Native); struggles of non-Native Americans in the pandemic; Nebraska’s loose regulations and lack of enforcement
Tribal support for Ponca citizens; providing masks, groceries, job creation, community health workers to care for elders
Sovereignty; being a nation within a nation
Connections with ancestors
Spiritual health
Thinking positively
Catching COVID Dec 2020 being turned away from an emergency room; long term impact on food enjoyment; catching Omicron later, comparisons of symptoms
Choosing to get vaccinated to protect grandmother; easy and early access to vaccination from the Tribe
Human connection; the importance of physical touch in Native culture, expressions of love
Historical trauma’s impact on decisions about vaccination; empathy
The politicization of the pandemic along Republic/Democrat party lines
Fewer people attending ceremonies in sweats and with the passing of a sacred pipe
Other cultural references include: Walmart, DoorDash, Tyson Meat Packing Plant, Stephen King’s It, Super Bowl 2022, Spanish Flu
See also:
https://starherald.com/news/state-and-regional/govt-and-politics/standing-bear-museum-is-one-idea-for-using-nebraskas-federal-pandemic-relief-money/article_9f1a404b-1ba3-54e5-9603-2cd7eb09c990.html
Some of the things we discussed include:
Transitioning from in-person meetings to online meetings; the digital impact on prayer and introductions at meetings; bringing in more member participation; technology and social anxiety
Indian Country being hit particularly hard by the pandemic
Loss of elders and with them life, language, and wisdom during the pandemic
Grandfather, Theodore Wright Jr., died from COVID last year; he attended a Catholic school as a part of the forced-assimilation process; grandfather anti-vaxxer prior to contraction
Younger people stepping into roles earlier in life due to the loss of elders
Teaching in a high school during the pandemic; supporting students; online teaching; first hearing about the pandemic while teaching freshmen geography
Graduating from Teachers College during the pandemic; graduation ceremony canceled; substitute teaching; delays in teaching licensing due to the pandemic and being unable to find work as teacher
Working odd jobs
Getting hired by the Ponca Tribe as Director of Cultural Affairs
Community outreach and education
Testifying in Lincoln that they open a Chief Standing Bear Museum and Cultural Center; the importance of preserving and digitizing Ponca artifacts; oral histories
The change in foot traffic with the museum and the educational trail walks (https://www.poncatribe-ne.org/culture/education-trail/); increased visitation
Wife’s pregnancy and buying a first home; excitement; early misinformation sparking fear about vaccination during pregnancy
Observing the poor care provided by the USA-government to his wife (non-Native); struggles of non-Native Americans in the pandemic; Nebraska’s loose regulations and lack of enforcement
Tribal support for Ponca citizens; providing masks, groceries, job creation, community health workers to care for elders
Sovereignty; being a nation within a nation
Connections with ancestors
Spiritual health
Thinking positively
Catching COVID Dec 2020 being turned away from an emergency room; long term impact on food enjoyment; catching Omicron later, comparisons of symptoms
Choosing to get vaccinated to protect grandmother; easy and early access to vaccination from the Tribe
Human connection; the importance of physical touch in Native culture, expressions of love
Historical trauma’s impact on decisions about vaccination; empathy
The politicization of the pandemic along Republic/Democrat party lines
Fewer people attending ceremonies in sweats and with the passing of a sacred pipe
Other cultural references include: Walmart, DoorDash, Tyson Meat Packing Plant, Stephen King’s It, Super Bowl 2022, Spanish Flu
See also:
https://starherald.com/news/state-and-regional/govt-and-politics/standing-bear-museum-is-one-idea-for-using-nebraskas-federal-pandemic-relief-money/article_9f1a404b-1ba3-54e5-9603-2cd7eb09c990.html
On what date did you record this oral history?
2022-02-16