OUR ANIMALS, OUR RELATIVES, OURSELVES
By Li Boyd, Director of Anishinaabe and Awesiinyag
Now, we all know what a Rez Dog is. As a person working in rescue, the most common question I encounter is, "What kind of dog is that?" My answer is always the same. "It's a Rez Dog! Best breed in the world!" Purebred and designer dogs may have captured the hearts of most of the world, but Rez Dogs are still the best. They're genetically diverse, inherently tough, infinitely lovable, and some of the most resilient animals in the world. In that way, they're survivors, much like us.
As Native people, we pride ourselves on our strength and resilience. And we should. Survivance, a term used by Anishinaabe author and scholar Gerald Vizenor, focuses on our survival not as a reaction to our victimhood but as a proactive way to redefine our living existence. Things like historical and intergenerational trauma, while real and impactful, can become a hindrance when we let those traumas become our identity, or worse yet, our excuse. And the only way to combat that is to embrace the idea of living forward, which is to say, by doing something about it.
You might think it's a stretch to apply this to Rez Dogs, but I don't think it is. The other thing we Natives pride ourselves on, aside from our survivance, is that we see and know the world as being bigger than ourselves. These things are built right into our language around the concept of animacy; whether a thing is a living thing or not. Human beings, Anishinaabe, the Original People, are among the obvious choices for something that's alive, as are animals. But other things are living too, like stones and the water that falls from the sky. The most important thing to remember about all these living things is that they all have a spirit, manidoo, which must be recognized and respected. In fact, in our language, others come first, before ourselves, and this applies to all living things. Our culture is a giving one.
Colonization, our struggles for survival, and even the loss of our language have made that harder to see than ever. We struggle to provide for ourselves, our children, our Elders, and our extended families. We have learned not to trust one another, we have learned to keep our resources close and protected, and we've been swept up in the dominant paradigm that says we should always look out for Number One. Ourselves.
But are we really doing that, are we really looking out for ourselves, if we're not taking care of each other?
My aunt told me a story once. She said, a long time ago, the United States Government rounded up a bunch of Indians and told them they had to move. Their home wasn't theirs anymore. The Indians packed up whatever they were allowed to and, under guard by the government soldiers, they began their long walk away from home. When they walked, their dogs walked with them. The people and the animoosh had been partners for as long as could be remembered. The dogs were hunters, protectors, companions, and ultimately part of the community. On the long walk, the people came to a great river, which the soldiers said they had to cross. It was a hard crossing, but the soldiers rushed the people across with only what they could carry. Ever loyal, the dogs tried to follow the people, but the deep water and fast currents swept the dogs downstream. The people were not allowed to go back and help, and all they could do was cry and cry. Just like that, another piece of who we were was cut away. In a brilliant line of poetry, 23rd United States Poet Laureate Joy Harjo (Muscogee Creek) said, "We had nothing to lose and lost it anyway."
The thing is, our dogs, our beautiful, brave Rez Dogs, are not nothing. They are a part of us, and we must look out for them, the way it was before and the way it should be. We can't continue to lose parts of ourselves. And honestly, once you know the unconditional, joyous love of a dog, you will know the abundance of the gift Creator gave us in them.
So. Survivance, taking care of each other, poetry, dogs. This is where it all comes together. Sometimes it's simple things that are the real radical acts of revolution. For my part, I founded an organization called Anishinaabe and Awesiinyag. The People and the Animals. For now, it's just me. It's a small operation with limited resources. I'm still in the process of getting federal recognition as a non-profit organization. But I am here, and I will always do all I can to help others and their pets. And I'm not the only one.
Dean Reynolds, one of the busiest men on the Reservation, is a coordinator at Emergency Services, supervising the food distribution warehouse and food shelf by the powwow grounds in District I. Dean is on-call 24/7 with many demands on his time, but he doesn't let that stop him from doing a little bit more to help community members and their pets. Dean has been working with outside donors and myself to keep the food shelf stocked with pet food and supplies for those in need. Check in with Emergency Services for more information.
Similarly, Monte Fronk, who works in Emergency Management for the Band, has been coordinating free Pet Wellness Clinics in each Reservation district for years. Monte is a busy guy. Emergency Management is no cushy job, and deals with everything from natural disasters to the very real viral outbreak we've all been navigating for the past few years. Still, Monte makes sure the wellness clinics are accessible to all Band M]members, including the ones who live in the Urban Area. Please see below for information on upcoming clinic dates and locations.
So you see, we are here, helping each other and our animal relatives. We are redefining what a Rez Dog is and therefore who we are. We don't need to let them be grungy, skinny, sickly, mean survivors. We can lift them, and ourselves, by reaching out and providing care. If you have concerns about stray, injured, abandoned, or dangerous animals, please call Mille Lacs Band Tribal Police at 320-532-3430. They too are part of our community and learning better ways to take care of us and our animals. It's amazing what we can do together when we care, when we try, and when we give.
UPCOMING FREE PET CLINICS
Urban at the All Nations Church
Friday, October 20 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Call 612-872-1424 to schedule for surgeries. Surgery space is limited. No appointment necessary for wellness exams/vaccinations.
District I at the Aquatics and Fitness Center
Saturday, November 11 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Sunday, November 12 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Call 320-532-7733 to schedule for surgeries. Surgery space is limited. No appointment necessary for wellness exams/vaccinations.
Pet clinics are offered through SIRVS (University of Minnesota Student Initiative for Reservation Veterinary Services), Surgery/Wellness; Secondhand Hounds, Vaccinations/Wellness. Surgeries include all vaccinations. Wellness Exams include vaccinations, flea and tick preventative, treatments for common ailments, deworming, and exam for any potential health issues.
