Lake Erie AISES Professional Chapter

Washington week: A visionary and a call to public education

Posted: February 24, 2006
by: Editors Report / Indian Country Today

Two impassioned events in Washington, D.C., in the first week of March blended a wonderful example of dedicated activism over two generations with a renewed call to commitment to the causes that seek justice for Native peoples.

The honoring of Hank Adams, Assiniboine-Sioux, with this newspaper's American Indian Visionary Award is one of them. Adams, once called ''the most important Indian'' by Vine Deloria Jr., has been a dedicated fighter for Indian treaty rights from the 1960s and was instrumental in a Washington state movement that led to the U.S. v. Washington, or Boldt decision, on fishing rights. The other is a gathering of American Indian and other opinion-makers, under the auspices of the American Friends Service Committee and at the urging of the American Indian Policy and Media Initiative, to discern and give adequate response in the increasingly hostile media climate.

Recently in these pages, Billy Frank Jr. retold the following story about Adams. Frank's recollection, blending the commitment of activism with the savvy of public perception strategy, makes it doubly meaningful.

Wrote Frank: ''When Hank Adams first came to Frank's Landing in winter 1964 to support the treaty fishermen publicly branded as 'renegades,' we were cautionary.

''But after a newsman asked our most prominent leader whether 'Indians believe they have a right to destroy the last fish,' and she had answered, 'Yes! We were here first!' - the fishermen's confidence shifted immediately toward Adams.

''He had interjected to declare: 'No one has that right. The first right is with the salmon resource. The issue is not 'the last fish,' but the state's allowing non-Indians to catch 13 million salmon last year while throwing Indians into jail for catching any - and prohibiting some treaty tribes from harvesting any salmon or steelhead at all.'

''Al Bridges and I quickly asked Hank if he would be our spokesman. He agreed, but told us, 'You can be the best spokesmen yourselves.'''

In that one short anecdote, Frank captured the essence of the advocacy of Hank Adams, as well as the three main principles of successful public relations.

Lesson 1: Take the high road. Did the Indian fishermen have the right to destroy the resource? The right answer was, of course, ''no.'' As Adams corrected the earlier spokesperson's position: ''No one has that right. The first right is with the salmon resource.'' This is the high road. The principle of the matter, in that case, was the protection of a fellow species, the salmon itself.

Lesson 2: Focus on your own story. Don't let the media (or worse, your opposition) define the issue, or define who you are. Said Adams, as retold by Frank: ''The issue is not 'the last fish,' but the state's allowing non-Indians to catch 13 million salmon last year while throwing Indians into jail for catching any - and prohibiting some treaty tribes from harvesting any salmon or steelhead at all.''

This is crucial. Define the issue; define your public identity. Take possession of the dominant media metaphor about your community and your nation and about your issues. Make sure your message is true and clear. Then state it a thousand times, or more. The fundamental media equation must include your definition of the issue, and not be led by the latest reporter's whimsical idea of what constitutes an interesting question.

Lesson 3: Adams ''told us,'' reported Frank, '''You can be the best spokesmen yourselves.'''

Self-representation is possible and it is achievable. ''You can be,'' said the honoree. This means it requires effort, likely training, the acquisition of experience in preparing and making presentations, in carrying the voice of communities. ''The best spokesmen [is] yourselves.''

In today's equation, this might teach: Don't just hire lobbyists and other advocates; be your own best lobbyist. Be your own ''best spokesman.''

Frank captured a teaching moment rich with meaning and strategic importance. It is precisely the mark of a leader to teach strategy in the practice; and in the issue of how to represent and self-represent, Adams' prescription was a nugget of wisdom the elders recognized and engaged.

And that's lesson 4: Seek the wise elders, and listen to what they have to say.

Our thanks to Frank: elder, activist and master communicator.