When we were at Mount Rainier National Park this past week, we were alerted to the fact that our first borne may be color-blind. We discovered this after we watched a video in the visitors' center, which highlighted the fact that Native Americans were the first to inhabit this area. It also described the sustained, strong connection local tribes have to Rainier and to the land.
After the video, Nicholas sat with rapt attention as we described the contribution of Native Americans and how they were displaced and marginalized by white settlers. He then said, "Mama, are there still white people around?" We said yes there were, to which he responded, "Who are they?" We tried our best to describe how Kathleen and partly he and Cate are white, to which he responded, "Oh!" We also tried to explain that most white people are very kind, but he had already moved on to other more important matters than race- animals, trains, etc.
When we see the world through the eyes of a (our) child, then we will get to the mountaintop...
