Oral History Interview with Helen Danser

Partial Transcript: "To start, tell me about Helen."

Segment Synopsis: Danser was born in Dawson Springs, Kentucky. She briefly describes shares some history about the town. She discovered her Native heritage while she was living in Illinois, and she tells a story about this discovery. She states that there was never any discussion in her family about their heritage, and it was only ever referred to in passing. Danser discusses some of the ancestry and lineage of her family and how she discovered her Native American ancestors.



She explains that when she graduated from pharmacy school, she applied to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to work on Indian Reservations, but was rejected because she is a woman. She shares experience when she got the opportunity to travel with a group from Elizabethtown (Ky.) to travel to the Dene/Navajo Reservation in Arizona. She states that as soon as she drove across the line into the Reservation, she was overwhelmed with emotion and felt like she was coming home.



While spending time on the Reservation, she noticed that the every-day-life of the tribal peoples reflected many of the things her mother did in her own home.

Keywords: Dawson Springs (Ky.); Elizabethtown (Ky.)

Subjects: Arizona; Dene Nation; Illinois; Indian reservations.; Navajo Nation; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Partial Transcript: "You spoke of how your mother kept house, and how that was reflected in the households on the Dene Reservation. Tell me about that."

Segment Synopsis: Danser explains the differences in organization between her mother's house and a traditional American or European home.



Danser describes the various members of her family that have Native heritage and those who actually spoke the Cherokee language, and those who spoke with a particular syntax structure that was different than that of the region where they resided due to their Native heritage.



Danser states that no one talked about their Native heritage because you could not be "Indian" in the 1940s and the 1950s.



Danser states that she has six younger brothers.The brother closest to her, had his DNA tested for heritage and ancestry. She describes the various ways her brothers are connected to their heritage.

Subjects: Cherokee Indians

Partial Transcript: "You have actively sought information and advice from Native people. Tell me about that process."

Segment Synopsis: Danser discusses a plan she made with her husband to move to Cimarron, New Mexico, to explore the Indian way of life on Reservations. Her husband died before this plan could come to fruition. Danser fell into a depressive state, and spent time in Hospice care. She states that this time in Hospice was really when her Native heritage started to hit home. Her Hospice counselor was a Cherokee-African American individual. The Hospice counselor spent a lot of time dealing with Danser's ancestry. She discusses the hardships she experienced in coming to terms with her mixed heritage.

Keywords: Cimarron (NM)

Subjects: Hospice care.

Partial Transcript: "Taking from both the positive aspects and dealing with the negative aspects, that balance between tradition and contemporary society, between who you are and who others perceive you to be. Talk to me about maintaining that balance."

Segment Synopsis: Danser states that balance between being native and being a part of mainstream society is often very difficult. She explains that she carries with her many of the lessons she learned on the Dene Reservation throughout her daily life. She states that it can be very difficult to take on the various aspects of different cultures and traditions. She comments, "we have to work hard, to maintain our own identity." This statement is referring to the difficulty that is attempting to be whatever social, political, religious, ethnic, or racial group you belong to, to be multiple different things at one time, and also remaining true to yourself through all of that.

Subjects: Dene Nation

Partial Transcript: "How do you pass what you have learned, and your experiences, and your advice regarding "Native-ness," how does that work?"

Segment Synopsis: When one of her nieces was born, Danser made her a medicine bag, put her birthstone inside it, beaded her name on it, and beaded the seams on the bag. Her brother asked Danser what the bag meant. Danser explained it to him, and her brother stated that they would give the bag to her and explain the meaning of the gift to her when she is able to understand. When she visits schools, she wants students to address her as "Grandmother," which is the way you address elders in the Native community. She discusses the various smaller ways she distills some of the Indian community throughout other communities she is involved with.



Danser comments on the various ways that Native American peoples are still disenfranchised in the contemporary American society. She states that in some ways, Hollywood has been helpful, because many movies have shown the way Indians have been persecuted throughout America's history, and how Native peoples have fought in America's wars against their enemies.



Danser discusses a presentation she gave at the Filson History Society where the Filson invited the Kentucky Native American Heritage Commission to come speak.

Keywords: Filson Historical Society; Kentucky Native American Heritage Commission

Subjects: Native American culture; Native American wisdom

Partial Transcript: "Tell me is there anything that I haven't asked you about, that you feel is very important to this story."

Segment Synopsis: Danser states that Indian people strive to bring peace, harmony, and balance and that is what she hopes will continue, and hopes that the culture will not die as the blood lines continue to mix. She states that we must recognize, preserve, and teach the heritage.