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Show COmWI $tENGT ThOUG tOGISTiCI 0 C7 Cook a safe bird for Thanksgiving 0 fp 7S i ii mmmmmmmm See story, Page 21. i r t i Mil Hilltop Timei Nov. 22. 1991 15 Native Americans bring pride to work place 7 Ei re e bense vopfters sEiare fiEieir stories by Gary Match Hilltop Times editor The traditions of Native Americans provide a foundation and a framework for the history of the United States. Historians note that without the help of Native Americans, the earliest white colonists may not have survived in this strange, new world. Native Americans at Hill AFB bring with them strength from the traditions of previous generations and an eye fixed firmly on the future. They bring a deep sense of family, pride and respect for others. Michael Walker, an Indian who works as an airplane mechanic in the Aircraft Directorate, said the example his grandfather set guides his life. t i illr I" Hi 1 ; "C .V. VAA Omaha-Winnebag- o . s r f . vrv? . Strength of traditions Walker, raised on an Indian reservation, learned from his grandfather about Native American trad- itionstraditions that taught the youngster to respect his elders and to care dedply for his family. The youngster also developed a philosophy of life based on his grandfather's example. "He was a very upstanding person. He was very honest and treated everybody right. He taught all his children to be trustworthy," Walker said. Walker's grandfather, a Nebraska farmer, also took a pragmatic approach with his children and grandchildren. "He also told us to learn the white man's ways, so we would be better able to adapt and live our lives more successfully," Walker said. Looking ahead, Walker says it is critical that Native American youth get the message to stay away from drugs and alcohol. "When I was home the family talked a lot about it. Sometimes it seemed to go in one ear and out the other, but it helped me. Today it takes both parents working outside the home and there aren't as many chances to talk about it. us- - 4 bd Falcon check "v- - " t - AV- ; U S Michael Walker, above, a mechanic in the Aircraft Directorate, checks an F-1- 6 An Force Pho'os on the flight line. TT Pride in action wM&yyysyy , Marilyn Walker, far left, a personnel assistant in Human Resources, offers a friendly smile to a customer, while Educating youth important Capt. Mark Allen Karzon completes some paperwork. Karzon curr rently serves a tour at Ogden Air Logis- "We need to find some way to educate the youth about the harmful effects of drugs and alcohol," Walker said. two-yea- who Walker's wife Marilyn, a currently works as a personnel assistant in the Human Resources Directorate, echoes her husband's Sioux-Winnebag- o warning. tics Center in the logistics career broadening "Reservation life can lead to poverty and the downfall of our people. But many choose not to succumb to a lifestyle of handouts and dependency," she said. Educating the youth will go a long way toward helping avoid the pitfalls that might otherwise trap program. Arfa 1 self-destructio- n, them, she said. Marilyn counsels and helps workers get compensation for injuries. She says she gains peace of mind by drawing on her people's traditional spiritual teachings that she learned growing up. "We continue to practice reverence and the traditions of our heritage. We cannot lose sight of who world," she said. we are in this job-relate- d ever-changin- g Capt. Mark Allen Karzon, a Chippewa who grew r up on the reservation, currently serves a tour at Ogden Air Logistics Center in the logistics career broadening program. He said his grandfather's example is a major influence in his life. "My grandfather was a big inspiration to me, but two-yea- C it's a little difficult to explain why," Karzon said. During the 1940s and 1950s Karzon 's grandfather e left the reservation and went to work two jobs in the auto factories in Detroit to support his full-tim- wife and six children. That, in itself, is not anything different from what people of all backgrounds were doing at that time. Most who left the reservation, however, were American shocked by the differences in the big-cit- y culture. "It's hard to understand how difficult it can be leaving the reservation. The Chippewa are a very close-kniprivate people. And then for my grandlife of a major father to succeed in the metropolitan center was a big accomplishment. t, fast-pace- d Culture shock "Many who left the reservation to work in a big city would sometimes last only a few months because the differences in the cultures were just too great," Karzon said. Karzon's grandfather was somewhat prepared for the later challenge when he went to school. "Grandfather was raised on the reservation in a household that spoke only Chippewa and went to school where he spoke only English," Karzon said. Karzon's family now enjoys the opportunity to experience the differences in the cultures. "My family and I go back to the reservation every summer. I go back for a couple of weeks and my family stays for several. Life there is very conducive to the family," Karzon said. Some may find it ironic that America's earliest inhabitants are now relegated to minority status. However, Michael Walker said he and his wife aren't focusing on the past. Rather, they are trying to find ways to educate Native American youth to secure a sure future based on traditional values. Editor's note: President Bush declared November as National American Indian Heritage month. 1 Hill's Best Workers earn awards STARS Program lightens children's lives Wheelchair hoops Starbirds, Outlaws raise money |