By Shereen Siewert, Wausau Pilot and Review
A Facebook video of Wausau School Board Candidate L. Voigt Smith using a Native American-style drum while singing and dancing around a fire is drawing ire on social media, and from a Ho-Chunk Nation associate justice.
Tricia Zunker, who is also a member of the Wausau School Board, said seeing Smith dancing in a manner that appears to mock Native American traditional dancing shocked, saddened, and angered her. Zunker, whose brother is a traditional Ho-Chunk dancer, said it is hurtful to know that what her brother puts into his dancing is something to be made fun of.
“We are not a joke,” Zunker told Wausau Pilot and Review. “The things mocked in the video – singing, dancing, drum – all have significant meaning. The drum is sacred to Native people. The particular dance steps have meaning. The “singing” in the video was pure mockery – we sing in our own languages, languages that barely survive due to forced assimilation. The dancing and singing we do today demonstrate our resilience. We are still here and we are not a joke.”
The video was posted in 2018 on Smith’s personal Facebook page and drew a handful of lighthearted comments from friends. But when the video surfaced this week and was circulated on social media, some commenters are anything but amused.
“This is disgusting,” one commenter wrote.
“As a air force veteran my self and a member of the Oneida nation u sicken me,” wrote another.
Smith has not responded to a request for comment on the video, which was viewed more than 1,700 times before being removed from Facebook.
During a Wednesday night school board candidate forum hosted by Wausau Pilot and Review at North Central Technical College, Smith made reference to an “Indian talking stick” in his office, a mention that also raised eyebrows. Zunker said she addressed concerns about the reference after the forum concluded.
“It was concerning for two reasons,” Zunker said. “First, the reference seemed to erroneously consolidate all Native people together – there are 573 federally-recognized tribes in the country, each with their own culture, tradition, history, government and sovereignty. To assume that all Native cultures utilize a practice such as a “talking stick” is problematic as a result. Secondly, while I am unaware of any specific tribes that utilize this practice, for any that do, it felt like cultural appropriation. I addressed these concerns with Dr. Smith and identified it as an opportunity for implicit bias training. People may not intend to be hurtful and disrespectful, but it is the impact of one’s actions that matter.”
Zunker, who is a founding director of Central Wisconsin Indigenous Peoples’ Day Committee, is working to plan a local pow wow in October at Wausau West High School. This, she said, is an opportunity to remind the district of the importance of Act 31, which requires education on all 11 federally-recognized tribes in the state during both the elementary and high school years.
While Act 31 has been Wisconsin law since 1991, many districts do not meet the requirements.
“School boards must maintain a check on ensuring that the requirements of the law are met,” Zunker said. “It is indeed necessary to ensure Act 31 is met as a means to eradicate racism. When other populations learn the true history of Wisconsin Native Americans – and learn that we are still here — it creates a better understanding and reduces the likelihood of incidents such as this unfortunate video.”
