Interview · South Dakota · Sidney Byrd · OSEU 6
Themes: Land & stewardship, Values & generosity, Racism & representation, Listening & observation, Children & young people
Learn About questions
Why did Native Americans have to become citizens of their own land?
What were the different places that Sid marched with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.?
When Sid speaks of the “best of” and “worst of” people, what does he mean?
What was the commission that Sid served on, and what did they do?
Why was Sid nervous to sit next to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.?
How did Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. know he would die a martyr’s death?
Learn From questions
In what ways do challenges bring out the best in you? The worst?
Have you ever found yourself part of a movement or work to improve something at a large scale? How did it impact you?
What is an issue that you feel strongly about? How do you support or fight against it?
Transcripts
The Civil Rights Movement and MLK - Sidney Byrd - OSEU #6
Watch this interview on YouTubeIf you left the reservation without permission, you could be shot as a hostile, yeah. So that's what happened to the Bighorn. They were trying to force the Indians to come back to the reservations and not wander around. Anybody else could go anywhere as they wanted to. Indians had to, you know. So we have, we're the last to become citizens of our own land. We're the only ethnic group that has a bureau. We're the only ethnic group that has to get permission to sell our land. Anything we do. So we're the most controlled ethnic group.
I marched with Martin Luther King. I was in Birmingham, Selma, Jackson, Montgomery. You know, I was introduced to Rosa Parks. The motel that we stayed in in Birmingham was bombed. I saw the worst in people. Saw the best in people. Saw people willing to lay down their lives for racial justice. It was so-called peace officers that released the attack dogs on little black children. Turned the water hoses on them. The motel that we stayed in, Gaston Motel in Birmingham, was bombed. But we didn't meet. We weren't there at the time.
We would break, go to a new location, go separate routes, meet another. We never stayed in one place. Too dangerous. I was the only Native American on the commission. Dr. Martin Luther King was going to be the speaker for Johnson C. Smith University, an all-Black college. So our commission sat on a platform as special guests. Next to me was an empty chair. I was looking out, and I saw security people checking cameras and handbags and everything. And all of a sudden, under heavy security, Martin Luther King was brought in. And I saw the people checking.
And I got to thinking, supposing someone shot and missed. I'm sitting next to him. And as if to read my thoughts, someone blew up this paper bag and, ow! It must have showed on my face because Martin Luther King reached over and touched my knee and said, Cool it, Sid. He knew he was going to die a martyr's death. And that's the way you get support for your cause. To die a martyr's death. He knew he was going to die a martyr's death. I've been to the mountaintops. So I've had some experiences.
Resource text
Learn ABOUT Learn FROM
(deep listening, information) (deep sharing, transformation)
Why did Native Americans have to 1. In what ways do challenges bring
become citizens of their own land? out the best in you? The worst?
What were the different places 2. Have you ever found yourself part
that Sid marched with Dr. Martin of a movement or work to improve
Luther King Jr.? something at a large scale? How
When Sid speaks of the “best of” did it impact you?
and “worst of” people, what does 3. What is an issue that you feel
he mean? strongly about? How do you
What was the commission that Sid support or fight against it?
served on, and what did they do?
Why was Sid nervous to sit next to
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.?
Aes as -
How did Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
~
know he would die a martyr’s >
death?
OSEU 6: INTERVIEW WITH SIDNEY BYRD
WoLakota Project
From the current WoLakota source page:
Civil Rights Movement & MLK
Sidney Byrd
Transcript
(deep listening, information)
(deep listening, information)
Some indexed text was extracted from scanned material. Check the original source for exact wording and spelling.
Source materials
Supplied transcript document. Text preserved as supplied; spellings and transcription uncertainties have not been corrected.
Additional source transcripts
Civil Rights Movement & MLK
The Civil Rights Movement and MLK - Sidney Byrd -
OSEU #6
If you left the reservation without permission, you could be shot as a hostile, yeah. So
that's what happened to the Bighorn. They were trying to force the Indians to come back
to the reservations and not wander around. Anybody else could go anywhere as they
wanted to. Indians had to, you know. So we have, we're the last to become citizens of
our own land. We're the only ethnic group that has a bureau. We're the only ethnic
group that has to get permission to sell our land. Anything we do. So we're the most
controlled ethnic group.
I marched with Martin Luther King. I was in Birmingham, Selma, Jackson, Montgomery.
You know, I was introduced to Rosa Parks. The motel that we stayed in in Birmingham
was bombed. I saw the worst in people. Saw the best in people. Saw people willing to
lay down their lives for racial justice. It was so-called peace officers that released the
attack dogs on little black children. Turned the water hoses on them. The motel that we
stayed in, Gaston Motel in Birmingham, was bombed. But we didn't meet. We weren't
there at the time.
We would break, go to a new location, go separate routes, meet another. We never
stayed in one place. Too dangerous. I was the only Native American on the commission.
Dr. Martin Luther King was going to be the speaker for Johnson C. Smith University, an
all-Black college. So our commission sat on a platform as special guests. Next to me
was an empty chair. I was looking out, and I saw security people checking cameras and
handbags and everything. And all of a sudden, under heavy security, Martin Luther King
was brought in. And I saw the people checking.
And I got to thinking, supposing someone shot and missed. I'm sitting next to him. And
as if to read my thoughts, someone blew up this paper bag and, ow! It must have
showed on my face because Martin Luther King reached over and touched my knee
and said, Cool it, Sid. He knew he was going to die a martyr's death. And that's the way
you get support for your cause. To die a martyr's death. He knew he was going to die a
martyr's death. I've been to the mountaintops. So I've had some experiences.