Educator says Ojibwe stories need to be shared

As a child, Thomas Peacock was the one who stuck his head out the bedroom door to overhear the stories and conversations of his elders.

Today he shares those Ojibwe stories as a way to teach values and culture to others.

"Stories are how we pass on this history," he said Sunday. "Without these stories, all other knowledge is superfluous."

Peacock is a member of the Fond du Lac Band of the Lake Superior Ojibwe, an educator and author. He now teaches educational leadership at the University of South Florida in St. Petersburg.

He spoke as part of Moorhead's third "Building Unity in Our Community" event, a series designed to promote human rights and diversity.

Before Peacock spoke, the Moorhead Human Rights Commission honored three individuals for their work in the community. Those honored were Andrew Conteh, Robin Jensen and Beverly Nelson.

More than 200 people attended the program at Minnesota State University Moorhead.

Peacock's address acknowledged their work and encouraged others to celebrate their own efforts toward justice and happiness in the world.

"This room tonight is filled with heroes, your heroes," Peacock said.

"There are people who are advocates for the environment, people who take in stray puppies and kitties ... people in this audience tonight - heroes - who pick up trash because it's there," he said.

Peacock opened by introducing himself in his native Ojibwe language. To emphasize his message, he shared stories from the many books he has written about Ojibwe culture.

For example, he told how he recently chaperoned dozens of American students at a university program in Sweden. During a break, he accompanied some of the students to World War II concentration camps in Poland.

A visit to Treblinka had the deepest effect on him, he said. As he saw a 20-acre field covered with human bone fragments, he recalled a story he wrote as part of a collection of Ojibwe history.

In the essay, he told how he once attended a play about the Holocaust. Throughout the production, a couple behind him sobbed.

But Peacock was angry because several rows in front of him sat Ojibwe students.

"What happened to the Jews happened to their ancestors as well and is happening elsewhere," he wrote. "But most people will never know the beauties of our stories."

Mary John, chairwoman of Daughters of the Earth, an American Indian women's organization, said she appreciated how Peacock demonstrated the worth of stories to American Indian culture.

"Stories are very important," she said. "They teach values. They teach us how to live."

It's one of the reasons Peacock believes he was placed on this earth.

"Sometimes it's painful, but I know I need to tell this story," he said. "I've spent my life listening."

Peacock will speak today to Moorhead educators and Concordia College students.

Readers can reach Forum reporter Erin Hemme Froslie at (701) 241-5534