loving art, science and creative kids

Articulated Whales By Ray Losey 

Traveling in Community 

To see Ray’s totems and masks go to RayLosey.com 

Community Matters

Over the Sticker Bush Fence is a book in progress about homeless and runaway youth. In it I discuss the difficulties that arise due to childhood neglect and abuse. Over the past three years I interviewed many people who are motivated to work with this population because of experiences they had in their own childhood.  I would like to  introduce you to Kanoe Egleston, a woman employed by Native American Youth and Family Services (NAYA} who while a child, learned to recognize the importance of community.  Following is an excerpt from the manuscdript.

Born on the outskirts of Oahu, Hawaii, Kanoe grew up surrounded by the love and attention that all children deserve.  “My father was employed by the Bishop Estate, a non-profit land trust donated by Bernice Pauahi Bishop, the great-granddaughter of King Kamehameha the great, who united the Hawaiian Islands during the 18th century.  Mom worked her way up as a customer service representative at the local telephone company,” Kanoe mused. “Dad loved his job, since it was a culturally responsible agency that gave him an opportunity to bring his values into their service delivery system.”  

His ethical beliefs played an important role in developing the young woman who sat across from me in NAYA’s offices.  Dark hair and flashing brown eyes sparkled when discussing the work she was doing.  She leaned forward as she spoke, peering directly at me to capture my complete attention. The island Kanoe grew up on was replete with relatives who entertained and shared their heritage with the youngsters born into their extended family. There was always and auth or uncle nearby to babysit or provide a different perspective than the one given by her parents.  Kanoe’s multiracial background—she says she is part Scottish, Puerto Rican, Chinese, German, Portuguese, Japanese, Hawaiian—helped her grasp the nuances of being a member of a population that deviated from the majority.   

“My grandmother taught me a lot,” Kanoe continued. “Grandma met my grandfather during the second world war when he was stationed in Japan. They married and had two children who they brought to the island to raise.  At the time Pearl Harbor was still on the minds of most people, ‘ya know, and a Japanese wife was not welcome.  Grandma Americanized her name, stopped speaking her native language and buried her background.  As a result, her children grew up ignorant of part of their heritage.  

It wasn’t until we grandchildren came along that she decided we were missing a great deal by not knowing where we came from.  Grandma set her mind to teaching us to speak Japanese, learn some of the traditions and do crafts such as flower arranging. In college, I continued to study Japanese.”

At the age of eighteen Kanoe decided to expand her horizons by attending college in on the mainland. “Leaving home was traumatic, for until that time I lived a pretty charmed life attending private Montessori and Waldorf schools. Mornings were filled with academic subjects and afternoons were for the arts, music, and crafts.  There were no grades but the staff gave total attention to developing each child’s strengths. There were only 17 kids in my graduating class.”  

 Kanoe mentioned with nostalgia,  “It wasn’t until I went to the University of Oregon that I realized how different my upbringing was.  It was not only that I had gone to a small private school, but my Hawaiian skin was darker than that of most students and it isolated me. Even the way I spoke English was different. Common words I used in conversation were not understood by my classmates and vice versa. If it wasn’t for the university’s peer mentorship and diversity program I don’t think I would have lasted.”

“What made you decide to work with disadvantaged youth?” I asked wondering how anyone with such lovely bronzed skin would have difficulty being accepted. She looked every bit like a poster beauty welcoming visitors to the island with a hula.

“Being thrust as I had been, into a racial and cultural divide, made me interested in working with homeless teens.  I decided to get my undergraduate degree in psychology and sociology.  Part of the program included working with disadvantaged youth.  It made me realize what happens when children do not grow up in a loving circle. I realized that my community was how I stayed alive and had hope. These kids felt hopeless. ” 

A few years later Kanoe continued her education at Portland State University in order to get a Master’s degree in Social Work.  “When I graduated, I decided to work for NAYA in part because I could help children get reconnected to the community.”

 Kanoe’s story reinforces the importance family and friends play in molding a young person’s life. In community, a child learns to trust others, develops socialization skills, and imbibes an ethical consciousness.  Those bereft of a caring community may feel an emptiness  and longing that leads them to join a gang for support. (This option is discussed more fully later in the book.)   Others escape to the streets where there is a transient community of youth to call “friends.”  It is a mistake to think that homeless adolescents don’t have values, for they do and quickly adapt to a complex system of street rules.  Extremely loyal to their new companions, many will even go to jail rather than “rat” or leave them stranded. Drugs and alcohol are often shared. When they find housing they may invite their friends over to sleep on the couch or floor, sometimes impacting the willingness of the landlord to let them stay.  Though street values may appear to be directed against the broader society, they are a strong base for change.  Mores that include sharing, loyalty, and a willingness to give emotional and physical support are building blocks needed to create a just society.

NAYA understands that Native American youth raised without knowledge of their heritage need an extended hand to pull them into community. Craft nights focusing on traditional arts, drumming circles, pot lucks, camping trips and story telling draw them into a supportive multi-age group.  They operate a GED program that is tuned to the special needs of each school drop out. Young mothers are helped to locate housing and childcare in order to complete  their education and find employment. 

I look forward to your comments  below.  Were you privileged to grow up in a caring community or did you have to seek this type of companionship elsewhere?