Most of my material here is based on a Native America Calling show about gangs. It was said that gangs provide everything the community and parents are not providing. Community and parents aren’t giving them basic needs and the gangs are coming in and filling those holes.
The gang provides a sense of safety, structure, belonging, identity, recreation, supervision, a sense of family and these are fed by the influence of media too. We can easily blame the schools, parents and tribal councils, but we have to understand the dysfunction of our nations. If we blame the dysfunction of our parents then we have to blame their parents and so on. Others start gangs because they get beat up so much they band together just so they can walk down the street, but there are other ways.
Kids are taught violence by their parents too, because their parents beat them up. When rage is used in the household, it’s used by the kids to deal with life’s problems from that time on. Also, kids are smart and observant, so when tribal officials embezzle money and start petty fights, the kids see that and see no role models, so the gangs come in and offer a place.
My personal solution is that young, Native American college graduates or college students need to start showing themselves. One of the reasons our kids join gangs is because they see no role models. Let’s start being that to them.
Also, we have to come together as a community and do something about this problem. Personally, I believe the key solution is providing more role models and introducing our culture.
– Matt Gilbert
Fairbanks, Alaska
