March 21, 2002

Plains Folk: Three Things

Tom Isern, Professor of History
North Dakota State University

This weekly column, Plains Folk, is an unabashed epistle of affection for the land and people of the Great Plains of North America. Over past months, though, I've argued that the keys to sustaining the good life on these plains are not the same as they were in past generations.

Our producerist values--our belief that as productive people, especially as farmers, we eventually will be rewarded--have not stopped the erosion of regional society, nor will they. North Americans have more personal choices and life options than any people in history. We will live where we wish to. If there is to be a society of the plains, it will have to be composed of people who want to be here. That makes things like community, lifestyle, and aesthetics important. And shouldn't they be, after all?

Speaking from North Dakota, but with implications for all the northern plains, I'm going to suggest three things that would make this a better place. I'm sure some people will be offended. Remember these are my opinions (although I think I'm right about all of them). If I can make the point that as a matter of competitive advantage, we ought to think about making this a better place to live, then it doesn't really matter whether you like my particular suggestions or not.

OK, here goes. To begin with, let's stop picking on each other and elevate the level of public discourse. I believe that public speech--the occasional words of prominent people, the daily round of media programming--matters, that it sets the tone for a people. The greatest polluter of public speech today is talk radio, and in North Dakota, the most base talk is being more broadly disseminated by radio than ever before. Here are two ways to remedy this.

First, public officials and respected citizens should decline to feed the beast. When an intemperate talk radio host asks for an interview, the request should be declined, publicly, with reasons stated.

Second, we should eliminate the unhealthy constituency for ill-tempered speech. My idea is, assign someone to monitor the surly talk shows and identify all the regular crank callers. (They are mostly white males who are not working during work hours, I've noticed.) Then, using private subscriptions or, if necessary, public funds, buy these people out. Find out what it would take for them to agree to move to Arizona for good, and pay it to them. We worry all the time about people leaving the plains. I say, we need a few more, the complainers and haters, to leave. We should save the last few buy-outs for the talk-show hosts.

The next improvement I'd like to propose is that we show some respect for our prairie landscape. The garish billboards along the interstate approaches to Dickinson, Bismarck, Jamestown and Fargo are evidence we hold our own country in contempt. The answer, again, is two-fold. First, we consumers could stop buying from the big billboard advertisers, and tell them why. Second, let's buy out the sign companies and landholders (the principle is no different from the CRP, after all) while enacting legislation to prevent a repetition of the blight.

Now for improvement No. 3. It's time to revisit the proposition of renaming North Dakota, not just to drop the chilly "North" but also to resolve the issue of cultural appropriation. White politicians appropriated the name, "Dakota," without permission. (Don't even try to argue that in 1889, the year before Wounded Knee, they were honoring American Indians by taking their name.)

The solution is not simple, but it is necessary. State political leaders with vision should go to Dakota elders and ask if it is all right to use the name, "Dakota." They should do exactly what the elders say they should do about a state human relations commission. Then, if the Dakota say it is all right, rename the state Dakota. If not, choose another name, and face the future in better conscience.

###

Source: Tom Isern, (701) 799-2941, tom@plainsfolk.com 
Editor: Tom Jirik, (701) 231-9629, tjirik@ndsuext.nodak.edu 

Click here for a TIF photo of Tom Isern that is suitable for printing. 
(1.5MB b&w photo)

Click here for a TIF photo of Tom Isern wearing a hat that is suitable for printing.
(1.3MB b&w photo)