Missoula Writing Collaborative

 Writing of students in Jennifer Greene's classes at Two Eagle River School was featured in the JanFeb 2008 issue of State of the Arts, the newspaper of the Montana Arts Council. 

Two Eagle River School, located in Pablo on the Flathead Indian Reservation, publishes the magazine Bitterroot, which is devoted to students’ writing, artwork and photography.

The project has four advisors: TERS English teacher Rebekah Knudsen-Dalbey; Sean Dalbey, TERS art teacher; Jennifer Greene of the Missoula Writing Collaborative; and David Spear of Our Community Record.

The Montana Arts Council funds Spear’s photography residency at Two Eagle River School through a grant to A VOICE and the  through a Public Value Partnership grant.

Following are some samples of student work from the 2006-07 school year:

An excerpt from James Knapp’s essay, "Why I Care About the Future":

Violence is the reason I care about the future, because if we keep it up, we will destroy ourselves before we can live to see the future. Violence comes in many forms, but people use it in different ways. Some gain power and tear others down in the process. I just wish people would stop doing that and step back to admire what the earth has given us. Then, they would see that the violence they are using is going to destroy it all, and it’s worth saving. I care about the future so much because we all have something valuable to give to the world to make it a better place. I know I do, and I will do all I can to help preserve our world as it is, before it is torn apart by violence. Please, take the time to step back, see what you have in front of you, and see why it’s worth saving. I know you all have something to save, so please do this for me, for yourselves, and for the future to see how it affects us and future generations.

"Truth and Lies" by Breana Starleen Harlow

I am a Native American
But I never got a shot at Custer
I am Native American
But I haven’t taken a scalp.

I have sung flag songs
And even songs about fry bread
But never one about war

I have many dresses
And some feathers at home but
Only one outfit I cherish

I can drum and dance
And laugh like you
But I am not a white girl

I can look in the face
Of a beautiful sunset
And see what you see
But maybe feel just a lil more
humbled

My people are not Jewish
But have seen concentration camps

My people are not African American
But have felt the crack of whips
Have felt the sting of deprivation
The scalping of our bodies
Of the meat off land we loved

I am a Native American
But I have never signed a treaty

Put a thumbprint in place of a name
Been over talked, over stressed, and badgered

Been named a chief or princess
To sign away my soul for
100 dollars I would gladly pay back

I am a Native American
And I have skinned a deer

I am a Salish Native
Who has made and tasted dried meat

I am a Salish woman
Who has loved and danced and eaten

I am a Salish student who has learned
And lied and bled

I have tasted and provoked
I have seen the sun rise
And been just a lil humbled

I’ve looked into your eyes
And seen the look in your eyes
And placed myself in your shoes
Never asking you to step in my
Brown, broken, hand-made moccasins

I have played a flute, raised a dog
I have fed a cat, smiled at my mother
I have helped my brother
I have skinned my knee and healed,
like we all do.

I have fought and lost
I have played and won
I have cried and slept
I have stolen and been shamed

Indian, an Indian
I am not from India

Columbus is a liar
Buffalo Bill is a heartless
Overdone food-taking beast

No hero in my eyes, no
No showman to my ears, no.

Like the senator of Montana
Who comes to our college
With plastic smiles and lukewarm
words and money and lies
To secure a few more votes

Well, Mr. Senator what about your
vote? Our sovereignty. Remember?
You wanted us gone

Like Custer, like Lincoln, like JFK
Tell me to my face you support us.
No, you are a liar

Like Columbus, like John Smith,
like Walt Disney, like George
Bush

I am an angry woman
But anger gets you nowhere
Violence brings more violence
And I only want to bring fry bread

I only want my past and present to
meld and become the youth
Like my elders before me
I just want to live in peace

But I am a good woman
Who wants to live in peace
And I see injustices and theft

It is evil enough if good men
Do nothing
I am a good woman and I am not evil
So peace is not an option until I
Fix what is in my power to fix

I am a Native American
student, woman, and angry girl child
Who is waiting for her shot at
Custer.