Interview · South Dakota · Lowell Amiotte · OSEU 6
Themes: Education & learning, Values & generosity, Culture & continuity, Community & responsibility, Listening & observation
Learn About questions
1. What are examples of policies and
procedures that are in place in
education? In communities? In
business?
2. What does it mean to be able to
navigate between two cultures?
3. What is AIM? (American Indian
Movement)
4. What does Lowell mean when he speaks
of the importance of radicals to point
out the problems and less radical people
to work to change them through the
system? Example?
5. Lowell says, “Policies and procedures are
important to be in place — if you don’t
like them you can work to change them.”
What does he mean by making sure that
they are changed in ways that aren’t
illegal, immoral or unethical?
Learn From questions
1. Have you ever been in a system where
you disagreed with policies and
procedures that were in place? What
did you do about it?
2. Have you ever been in a situation where
you were attempting to “navigate
between two different cultures?” How
did you do it, and how did you learn
about the culture that wasn’t your own?
3. Do you consider yourself to ever be
radical? Why or why not? If so, what do
you find yourself becoming radical
about? Why?
4. Have you ever felt the desire to change
something through immoral, illegal or
unethical means? Why or why not?
Transcripts
Navigating Two Cultures for Change - Lowell Amiotte - OSEU #6
Watch this interview on YouTubeI've been in education for a long time and I had to work with a lot of those policies and procedures. And a lot of people fight them. And the reason I was selected to start with at Black Hills was because I could navigate between two cultures. And I kind of knew the policies and procedures to go by. I always thought that aim played a really big role. You know, the radical people thought they were so radical. But they would come in and point out a lot of things that were wrong.
And then less radical people like me could look at those things and say, How are we going to improve them? Through the system rather than attacking the system. So policies and procedures are very important too. I think if they're not followed, you can see what happens just right here in the state if people violate the policies and procedures and don't follow them. So I'm kind of on the one hand a person who believes in them. But then I also believe if you don't like them, you can work to change them.
Or work to have people do something around them that isn't illegal or immoral. Like I said, you're responsible for the next seven generations. You don't want illegal and immoral, unethical ideas to be shown to those seven generations. You want your name to be clear and to be able to say, Like a good warrior, I've always tried to do my best no matter how hard it is.
Resource text
OSEU 6: INTERVIEW WITH LOWELL AMIOTTE
WoLakota Project
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Source materials
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Additional source transcripts
Navigating Two Cultures for Change
Navigating Two Cultures for Change - Lowell Amiotte
- OSEU #6
I've been in education for a long time and I had to work with a lot of those policies and
procedures. And a lot of people fight them. And the reason I was selected to start with
at Black Hills was because I could navigate between two cultures. And I kind of knew
the policies and procedures to go by. I always thought that aim played a really big role.
You know, the radical people thought they were so radical. But they would come in and
point out a lot of things that were wrong.
And then less radical people like me could look at those things and say, How are we
going to improve them? Through the system rather than attacking the system. So
policies and procedures are very important too. I think if they're not followed, you can
see what happens just right here in the state if people violate the policies and
procedures and don't follow them. So I'm kind of on the one hand a person who
believes in them. But then I also believe if you don't like them, you can work to change
them.
Or work to have people do something around them that isn't illegal or immoral. Like I
said, you're responsible for the next seven generations. You don't want illegal and
immoral, unethical ideas to be shown to those seven generations. You want your name
to be clear and to be able to say, Like a good warrior, I've always tried to do my best no
matter how hard it is.