focus on native youth...
This Association’s focus is to help Native American Children become successful adults in their communities by giving them support through their troublesome years, between the ages of 17 to 34. These years can bring down the life expectancy of the Native American male. I worked for an Off-Reservation boarding school for 32 years, many of those years as a counselor. I had the opportunity to meet and get to know thousands of native students from all over the United States. From my experience and being Native American myself, I believe boys are where the major problem starts for the troublesome years, because in the past, (before white culture) boys were raised to be warriors and protectors of their communities. From young children to adulthood the boys worked on the skills to help them be better warriors. I call this the “Warrior Spirit” and it was a large part of the Native American “Spiritual Life Line”.
I believe sports could help satisfy the warrior spirit and I feel golf may be the answer. Native Americans do very well, playing and developing skills in basketball, and the whole Native Community is behind the young players. The problem with basketball is, that it will last until the child graduates, from high school and the troublesome years go beyond high school. I feel Native American children will do just as well if not better when introduced to golf, because golf is a lifetime sport and the need to work on the skills are essential, just as in basketball, to be successful. Also, golf can be a bridge between native spiritual warrior past and white American culture today. I believe just as prominent psychiatrist, William Glasser stated in his book “Positive Addition” that new brain patterns will develop in a child, which will help into adulthood, thus creating a positive change for Native Americans. Plus, children will have a positive place to be, playing golf for support.
The Federal Government developed boarding schools like Flandreau Indian School (FIS) for Native American Children over 140 years ago, they said to educate the Native Children. These Schools already have dormitories but F.I.S. sends their students home during the summer months back to where the problems are, and the dorms are left empty. About half of the students don’t want to go home because of the problems they face at home. By starting First American Golf Association and BJ’s second tee program at F.I.S., we will help Native children transition into successful adults.
Our Goals:
1st. Teach Native children to work on a golf course in an apprenticeship program so they can be caretakers of golf courses in the upper mid-west. We will also have a job placement after high school.
2nd. Developing the skills to become better players. Like I said earlier developing skills is a connection to the Native Spiritual Life Line, which will help them become more successful adults. I also believe working to get better in their skills helps to develop passion, which can lead to good self-esteem and a positive support vehicle.
3rd. Creating a caddie program, by setting up a system for successful businessmen, doctors, lawyers, and other community leaders, thus establishing mentors and maybe a springboard into a career for the Native children. Also, caddying with better Native American players will help develop a passion for the game and a Support Vehicle.
I would also like to include a Golf Course Development and Maintenance program. It’s important because these children need places to learn. Tribes have plenty of land and the First American Golf Association can raise the money to build golf courses. Native children can have a positive place to be, and hopefully a chance into successful adulthood.
It takes money for the starting point at Flandreau Indian School. We need to hire dormitory matrons to keep the children safe, when not on the course. We need a course superintendent to teach the children course caretaking skills and work habits for jobs in the future. We would also need a Golf Director to teach the game of golf and to schedule caddying opportunities, golfing events for juniors, and placement after high school. Transportation is needed for home visitation, caddying, and playing events. We need start-up money for work-study programs for the children, and eventually, money for golf course development. I don’t know exactly how much money we need, but we will have to start somewhere and somehow.