To answer the question of why Native American leaders seek to preserve the past, one must understand the impact the past can have on the future.
To some, it may seem strange for Native American leaders to want to dedicate such energy to preserving the past when they are still struggling for the future. To the social historian, however, this is not an abstract construct--the past being vital to the growth and development of any society. It is true that the actions of these individuals has been with an eye toward the future; but not, it would seem, at the expense of the past. While Native Americans have long fought to gain recognition as citizens of the United States, to keep remaining lands, and to develop their own industry, they have also kept their own unique customs and social practices. It was these customs (religion, language, social practices) that distinguished Native American groups from each other. In every effort to gain equality, Native Americans have turned to the past for guidance and strength. They have sought out their ancestors and relied on their traditions to help them overcome the occupation of their land and the betrayal of their trust. The intial question that I asked myself when begining this study was, "why". Why struggle so hard to regain burial grounds or reacquire artifacts that had long been taken by invaders? I asked this question, then quickly realized that the answer was simple--because these things belong to them. The victories outlined in "Cultural Preservation" may not be as obvious as the civil rights gains of the Citizenship Act or the financial gains of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, but they were important because they returned the elements of Indian society to the people. The gave back the past and ensured its protection for the future.
