It was an innocent statement. I knew the girl meant no harm.

During the Alternative Spring Break trip to the Rosebud Indian Reservation I was covering, the group of volunteers visited the Crazy Horse Memorial being developed in South Dakota. Part of the tour included seeing the site’s Native American Educational and Cultural Center.

As we strolled around the building looking at pottery, jewelry, regalia and photos representing tribes from all parts of the country, conversations among group members remained relatively hushed. Maybe that’s why one simple sentence from the girl standing next to me stood out so much:

“This is really cool seeing all these pictures of Native Americans before they were extinct.”

It could have been a slip of the tongue. I’m sure the girl understood she had been living on a reservation for the past couple days and had interacted with Native Americans during the trip. But the choice of which words one uses can be a powerful thing, and the fact that her words suggested indigenous cultures have ceased to exist unnerved me.

Had that been the only comment I had heard during the trip, I might not have written this column. Her statement was made out of simple ignorance. Perhaps if someone pointed out her error, the girl would make an attempt to be more cautious with her words from that point forward.

Unfortunately, there were much worse statements made throughout the week. Sadly, I realized that while the majority of these students came to better understand another culture, many people were unwilling to let go of the stereotypes they brought with them to Rosebud.

At one point in the week, two of the vans on the trip were pulled over for speeding down the highway. The drivers were asked to pay the fine immediately or else they would be taken to jail, as is standard practice.

It was the main topic of conversation among the group after everyone had returned to the mission house that night. As I prepared to go to sleep, I heard yet another comment from the hallway:

“They’re Indian police anyway,” the guy said. “All you would have had to do was pay them 75 cents to buy some hairspray to drink and they would have let you go.”

Although 80 percent of families on the Rosebud reservation are affected by alcoholism, that does not mean 80 percent of Rosebud residents are alcoholics.

In essence, this person had just twisted and misused the statistics that were supposed to give him a better comprehension of the people the group was there to help.

In his head, being “Indian” was synonymous with being an “alcoholic.”

Toward the end of the week, the group was supposed to experience a sweat lodge, which is a vital part of Lakota religion. Sudden unexpected circumstances prevented the members from going and instead they returned to the mission house to relax after a long day of work.

It was evident that most people were disappointed they would miss out on such a meaningful aspect of life for many of the Rosebud people. However, some people showed signs of relief.

“I was afraid they were going to run in and scalp us in there,” one man said half-jokingly to members of the group.

It was disappointing to hear such comments made throughout the week. Sometimes it was just as simple as hearing people say they were excited to see “real” Native Americans.

I don’t think it occurred to them that there are “real” Native Americans who have never lived on a reservation and live in cities throughout the United States. Some of them are students, faculty and staff at MSU.

Of course, the majority of people who went on this trip do not fit into the category of people I’m describing.

Most of the students who traveled to Rosebud did so because they wanted to learn. These people came to South Dakota with an open heart and mind and I commend them.

It is my solemn hope that the Rosebud experience touched the others in some small way. Otherwise, the work that so many people put into making a difference in the lives of others will be cheapened by the ignorance of only a few.

Sheena Harrison, State News minority affairs reporter, can be reached at harri188@msu.edu.