by Mona Gallagher

Created on: March 21, 2007   Last Updated: April 30, 2007

Once a year, we in the U.S. come as close to total assimilation as we can get. That would be on Saint Patrick's day when most people turn Irish for a day.

Assimilation has many components. We have voluntary assimilation and forced assimilation. Under that umbrella we have religious beliefs,language, and traditional assimilation.

If we are to define the answer, we must be clear on the question. Are we asking for one hundred percent assimilation or differentiation? No. One hundred per cent of either cultural swing is neither feasible or attainable in the name of Liberty.

Should we have one 'official language'? Yes. Most countries have an official language. Should we prohibit any other language to be spoken? No.

Should we have one religious belief? No. There are many who exercise the right to have no religious belief at all.

In a country where there is no cultural differentiation, there is no liberty. Many of us choose to celebrate our ethnicity. We choose as part of our liberty to preserve our cultural identity. Our cultural identity includes the right to hold peaceful assembly. There was a time when the indigenous people of this land had their children taken forcibly from them. The children were forbidden to speak their native language and hold their sacred ceremonies. This was done in the name of "Assimilation". The majority of the American Indians speak and write in the English language, but many prefer to speak in their native tongues in their communities.

This is the land of my origins for as far back as five thousand years. My roots to the land and my connections go deeper than the average mainstream American. My language, the language of the Cherokee will survive. Not only will it survive, it will be re-taught and renewed in the upcoming generation. If that's not enough to frost your socks, there are approximately two hundred other indigenous languages in this country. Since we became citizens in 1924, we hold these rights.

I have dual citizenship in this country. I am a U.S. citizen and a member of my tribal nation. My nation is federally recognized as a sovereign nation. If you want to know how much American Indians love this country you only have to find out how many of us have served our country in every war that was ever fought in the twentieth century. The Navajo code talkers (Marines) were a major factor in WWII. It was fifty years later that they were honored (most posthumously) at the Pentagon for their contribution. Better late than never.

We love our land. We love our identity and language. Our ancestors died to keep it alive.

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