An Indian Father’s Plea, Essay Example

 “An Indian Father’s Plea”: The Consideration and Application of Cultural Standards

In the essay “An Indian Father’s Plea,” author Robert Lake (a.k.a. Medicine Grizzlybear), a member of both the Seneca and Cherokee tribes, offers an impassioned argument against the idea that his son is a “slow learner” (as he has been labeled by his teachers in his “Western” school). Lake counters the suggestion that his son is a slow learner by asserting that his abilities must be assessed in the context of his cultural background and upbringing prior to his introduction to Western mores and beliefs. As Lake puts it, his son is not “culturally disadvantaged,” but simply “culturally different.”

He begins by describing his son, Wind-Wolf, and recounting some tales from his upbringing. Wind-Wolf was raised in a close relationship with multiple relatives, and learned much of what he knows by watching his elders perform daily tasks, from fishing to cooking to engaging in arts and crafts. There was little in the way of “formal” education; Wind-Wolf learned by watching and imitating those around him.

Many of the concepts discussed in the accompanying material are relevant to Wind-Wolf’s situation, and his subsequent labeling as a “slow learner.” Cultural Imperialism, for example, can explain why those who labeled him slow would automatically assume that his cultural background is a “disadvantage,” and why they feel it appropriate to “force” Western culture onto him as a means of measuring his learning abilities. There are certain Cultural Universals that are applicable to Wind-Wolf; in the context of early education, for example, most young children are taught to count, though the tools Wind-Wolf used at home were quite different from the tools he encountered in a Western classroom.

Lake’s primary objection to the standards being imposed on his son rest on the grounds of Ethnocentrism: the idea that he is being judged not by the standards of his own culture, but of Western culture, with which he has little experience. Lake pleads for Wind-Wolf’s teachers to shun ethnocentrism, and instead to embrace the idea of cultural relativism; that is, the idea that he must be measured and viewed in the context of his own cultural standards.

Lake makes a compelling argument in favor of his position. Wind-Wolf knows how to count; he simply learned how to count while helping his elders work and play, rather than with textbooks or numbered building blocks. He understands the concept of “months,” but has been taught that there are thirteen months because there are thirteen full moons in a year. These and other examples demonstrate that he is quite capable of learning, but that he has simply been learning in a different cultural framework. As his father describes him, Wind-Wolf “is not an empty glass coming into your class to be filled. He is a full basket coming into a different environment and society with something special to share.” Lake’s plea is that his teachers will understand and respect his heritage, and simply add to it, rather than try to destroy it.