Ideas for Letter Writing
First, keep it simple. Say why you are writing, who you are, and what tribe you're from. List your credentials, which could include your profession, long-time membership and involvement with the tribe, or education or volunteer work. Include your name and address, even when using e-mail.
Second, provide detail. Tell why and be factual, not emotional. Provide specific rather than general information about how the topic affects you and others. Close the letter by requesting the action you want taken: a change in policy, an intervention, a response, or other action.
The best letters are courteous, to the point, and include specific supporting examples. You might include stories about your heritage, good and bad: For instance:
- My grandfather was the medicine man, who kept all the herbs drying in his barn. He taught us...
- You didn't talk about being an Indian in those days. People would...
- I remember listening to my aunts and uncles, and people we called aunt and uncle, but really weren't, talking about...
- I got a scholarship as a Native American when I wrote about my Brothertown experience as...
- The diary of my great-grandmother tells the story of...
Your thoughts and ideas will be far better than these. What is most important is that you write. Today.
(And don't forget to send BIN a copy of the letter. You can attach it on the
Contact Us page and e-mail it to the tribe.)