Native American speakers use life experiences to illustrate how to overco me obstacles

By Lauren Brown
Burns Times-Herald

“When you share your greatness, you’ll be embraced,” said motivational speaker Chance Rush during a community workshop at the Burns Paiute Tribe’s Gathering Center on Jan. 22.

The tribe hosted both Rush and Emcee One (aka Marcus Anthony Guinn) as part of a day of goal setting and role modeling activities. Later that night, the pair also hosted a talent show, which included music by Emcee One.

Both Rush and Emcee One are from Oklahoma. They used their experiences growing up as young Native American men to provide examples for Paiute youth and adults as to how to go about living a productive life that they can share with others.

Rush talked about how being involved in track and field as a youth eventually led to a college scholarship. Despite coming from a single parent home and despite the fact that he was illiterate up until the eighth grade when he taught himself to read, he was able to mine his talents to better his life. He also drew on his faith in God.

Emcee One said his mother had him when she was 14 and later died of AIDS. He said that all his life, people told him he would amount to nothing, but he knew better. His goal was to be a part of the music industry, and he made that happen. He currently has an album available through iTunes.

Both Rush and Emcee One encouraged youths to lead alcohol and drug-free lives. Emcee One noted that while the music industry makes $14 billion each year, with its marketing strategists, the alcoholic beverage companies make $18 billion each year on underage sales alone. Such companies are experienced at marketing their products to hook people at a young age. He noted how in many convenience stores, alcoholic beverages are placed right next to pop drinks or ice cream. He told youths they need to be aware of these marketing tactics.

He also spoke about the the acronym V.P.D.R., which stands for Vision, Passion, Discipline and Risk. In order to achieve a goal, he told kids, you have to see it in your mind. “Passion happens after you’ve seen it,” he said. Once the passion is there, the discipline to take the necessary steps to achieve your goals comes more easily. When discipline falters, it is usually because the vision needs to be recast, he said.

Once those three things are in place, it is time to take the risk to see the goal through. “Success won’t come without risks,” he said. The group then talked about healthy risks such as those involved with sports, education, employment, hobbies, tradition and culture.
Both Rush and Emcee One talked about how vital  parents are in the lives of their children. “Parents are the No. 1 influence in their children’s lives,” Rush said.

For those who find it hard to draw positive examples from their own family life, Emcee One stressed the importance of making the right choices. “You might not have the example,” he said. “You will have to be the example.”

Both speakers talked about connecting with other people in the community and stepping out of their comfort zones.

“There are a lot of wonderful things going on in this community,” Rush said. “We survived colonization. We survived massacres. There’s a reason we are still here. We have this opportunity to be on a playing field.”

Rush noted that while sometimes it seems as if there are two worlds, one Native American and one white, that is not the case. “We have two ways of living, but we live in one world. You share your ways with other people.”