“Puritanic
resistance has prevented many of our greater minds in their work of discovery.
And that is why freedom of thought must by all means be the cause to fight
for.”
Before turning twelve years old, Wa Wa Chaw
was already making professional medical illustrations. She was a self-taught
artist with various talents. Her poems and paintings are an expression of her
exquisite sensitivity, intelligence and deep understanding of the
challenges faced by the Indigenous people.
Today I have the honor to dig out a unique gem
from the ashes of indifference. The content of this book could have ended in
the garbage bin had it not been for a friend of Wa Wa Chaw who cared to rescue
it. His name was Stan Steiner. He edited her diaries and was able to publish
them with many of her impressive artworks in the year 1980.
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Wa Wa
Chaw died when she was 84 years old. Strangely enough, she somehow anticipated her own
death; she contacted her friend Stan Steiner, and made various arrangements
before going to the hospital. The hospital workers found nothing wrong with her. They even scolded her for seeking medical care, but before she was discharged
from the hospital she passed away peacefully, on May 12 1972, leaving behind an
enigma without answers and a legacy that has the potential to illuminate the
hearts of the oppressed people everywhere.
I first learned about Wa Wa Chaw when I read the book Unstoppable Native American Women, which I reviewed recently in My Writing Life blog.
Wa Wa Chaw was an avid learner and an original
thinker who tried her best to support marginalized communities at a time when
Indigenous people were considered inferior. Even though they had been born in
America, they were not even considered American citizens. They were forced to
live on reservations, and if they left those reservations they were labeled as
“delinquent”. When somebody got sick, they were unable to get medical care due to the isolated nature of these places.
Native Americans were denied jobs and accused
of being lazy. Native American children were forced to attend segregated
boarding schools, where they were emotionally and physically abused. Many of these
children lost their lives there. Others survived, carrying the
trauma of those harrowing experiences inside themselves.
Wa Wa Chaw was born on the Rincon Reservation
in Valley Center, California, on December 25 in the year 1888. She was adopted
by a very intelligent woman: Mary Duggan, an Irish American. Mary Duggan raised
Wa Wa Chaw in New York with the help of her brother, a physician who also
instilled in Wa Wa Chaw the desire and freedom to learn as much as she could throughout
her life.
The candid introduction of the book by Stan
Steiner adds various interesting facts about her life:
“Her
anatomical drawings, when she was still in puberty, made an important
contribution to Dr. Duggan’s research, not merely in medicine but also in
studies of the properties of radium and radioactivity—experiments he conducted
at the time that Pierre and Marie Curie were at work on radium in Paris.”
Wa Wa Chaw was educated at home with the aid
of private tutors. It is inspiring to learn about the way her teachers guided
her to become an independent thinker and a lifelong learner. However, Wa Wa
Chaw was denied a college education because of her Native American background. Mary Duggan was
devastated by this rejection, but Wa Wa Chaw refused to get discouraged. She
reassured her mother and continued to be active in a world that treated her
with disrespect and hostility. She wrote articles for magazines, gave lectures
on women’s rights, painted, danced and advocated for those who were oppressed
by discrimination and injustice.
The first part of her book shares engaging
details about Wa Wa’s childhood and youth. Her irresistible narrative is a
reflection on her life experiences and observations. The second part focuses
mainly on the stories and experiences of Native Americans that she met, but
there are also personal insights, thought-provoking statements and personal experiences.
Wa Wa Chaw and her adoptive mother travelled and witnessed the plight of various Native American communities. The readers of this book can learn history from the point of view of those who were oppressed and condemned to live in poverty. In her writing Wa Wa Chaw refers to them as the “Indians.”
Wa Wa Chaw and her mother also travelled to England, where the artist was shocked by the poverty she encountered in the English territory.
There is no
doubt in my mind that if she had been a man, her works would be celebrated
today. I encourage educators in North America and beyond to include this book in their
school libraries. It is an invaluable historical record that deserves
attention. It will contribute to the understanding of history in North America.
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Wa Wa Chaw expressed her dismay at any kind of religious and political fanaticism. Her words continue to be relevant in today's world.
I will share
the fragment of a powerful poem she wrote called Wisdom, You are Sweet.
“Beware you
will be denounced
Walk lightly
little feet--
Speak softly
little Voice--
Be careful
with your smile--
Wisdom will
condemn you
Before the
eyes of the people.
Lo,
Indian-you are pronounced
Guilty for
thinking.
Thinking,
says Wisdom, is my friend.
Ay,
sometimes Wisdom tells me to be silent.
Time says
when to act. Obey or fall.
Wisdom asks
questions,
Wisdom can
recreate Mind and body.
It honors
the word- humble. It holds the secret of understanding.
Lo, the Truth
is friendly only in terms
Wisdom leads
one into many ways to fight for a Great Cause.
We must have
the Wisdom and Courage will follow.
Wisdom is
the master Mind that gives and takes.
It often
gives more than it takes.
There is
often a golden moment and a minute for Wisdom.
I can play
hide and seek, says Wisdom.
Hidden in
the pit of Man’s ego I live--
Ay, the Eye
may not see-
The tongue
unable to speak-
Limbs may be
dead--
I am the
master in Man’s head…
Ay the
vulturish Nature of civilization
Awaits Man.
Even in Greater
Force than
ever. I often wonder if this
Would be a good
World if tolerance was a law. There is Land and Water everywhere. Thinking and
thoughts, Questions and Answers, Everywhere.
Tolerance is
needed-with Wisdom and understanding.”
This
thought-provoking poem could have been written today. It is timeless, touching,
profound.
This past
weekend I learned that Afghan women are banned from visiting parks in the city of Kabul.
This article from the BBC recounts details of the indignities and the oppression they suffer in the hands of the ruling Talibans, but the world is busy
watching the World Cup games in Qatar, a monarchy that treats women and LGBTQs
as second-class citizens, a country where migrants’ lives are exploited.
Why is the world forcing us to normalize the abuse of women, LGBTQs and migrants? This
is not normal and I refuse to accept it as normal.
Human rights matter.
Today I read
that three high school students were executed in North Korea for watching and sharing South Korea’s TV shows with their peers. The evils of censorship have no limits.
Totalitarian regimes and dictators don’t have limits, either. Beware of those who
admire and support these dictators.
It is necessary to stop empowering these toxic men (“dictators”), and the world should stop turning a blind eye to
human rights violations.
Human rights matter; women’s rights are human
rights. Democracy matters. Freedom of thought and speech are essential. Let’s
stop pretending otherwise.
Here's another relevant article about teaching Native American history in schools. This one is from The Smithsonian Magazine:
