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P.O.V. kicked off the discussion by asking
Sherman 6 initial questions, the same 6 we are asking all the featured
guests.
P.O.V.: In your work, you consider the notion of 'borders.' What
is a border to you?
Sherman: For me, obviously, the largest border is between the Indian
and the white world. So, because I grew up on a reservation, that
border is political, geographical and racial. But I've always crossed
that border freely, easily moving back-and-forth. As a result, I've
been seen as a traitor on both sides. I think geographical borders
can be based on evolutionary magic. But I think political and racial
borders are based on fears. What are borders but mostly imaginary.
Or, maybe I wish they were imaginary.
P.O.V.: What's an important border that you've crossed in your
life?
Sherman: Specifically, leaving the reservation school in eighth
grade to go to a white school where I was the only Indian besides
the mascot. I left a known world to enter into an unknown world.
I felt like Jacques Costeau sailing into a sea of blondes. It turned
out well because all sorts of blondes liked crossing borders with
me, by being my friends and/or lovers. I learned that border-crossers
are very attractive to people. There is something dangerous and
mysterious about a border-crosser, even if he's only a 14-year old
who has more acne than intellect.
P.O.V.: If you could erase any border in your world, what would
it be?
Sherman: The border between straight and gay worlds. Why? Because
I think it would mean we lessen the power of all religious fundamentalism
— and religious fundamentalism is the motivating source for
homophobia. We need far less churches in the world and far more
dance clubs.
P.O.V.: When and how are borders useful?
Sherman: In sporting events. I'm all for borders in football, basketball,
and baseball, and all other sporting events. I'm only suspicious
of borders outside of sports. That said, people with more power
(colonial forces) should be very careful when crossing the borders
into the lives of less powerful people (the colonized). In other
words, rich white people should stay out of sweat lodges and we'll
stay off golf courses.
P.O.V.: This episode of P.O.V.'s Borders concentrates on borders
as a physical reality, in terms of people moving from one place
to another and having to cross mental and literal borders to do
that. What, in your experience, is the most contested border?
Sherman: The most contested border is college entrance. There are
more obstacles set up to prevent certain groups of people from entering
college than any other institution I can think of. College is the
place where lives and careers are made.
P.O.V.: Expand our borders. What's a book, movie, piece of music,
website, etc. that challenges or engages with the idea of 'borders'
that we should know about but perhaps don't?
Sherman: For brown people: A
Common Reader — This mail order and online bookseller is
incredibly Euro-centric, and I somehow mean that as a compliment.
I've rarely encountered booksellers so rabidly enthusiastic about
their favorite books. For Anglos: www.indianz.com
— a site of highly irreverent and highly biased indigenous
views of US culture and politics.
Indian Artists crossing borders in music: Indigenous (www.indigenousrocks.com);
Jim Boyd (www.thunderwolfrecords.com);
and Ulali (www.ulali.com).
Movies: Anything by John
Cassavetes - these films are all about white people, and I recognize
all the individuals and they still confuse and puzzle me. And, how
ever you can get it, I recommend Charles Burnett's "Killer
of Sheep." This is the greatest unavailable movie out there.
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