Wis. Seeks More Hmong Hunting Instructors

Tuesday, January 11, 2005 Wis. seeks more Hmong hunting instructors ------------------------------------------------------------------------ By Robert Imrie Associated Press — Jan. 11, 2005 WAUSAU, Wis. — A Hmong liaison officer for Wisconsin hopes to find another 20 volunteers from Hmong communities statewide to teach hunter education classes to aspiring new hunters.

Kou Xiong of the state Department of Natural Resources says he is one of only three Hmong certified to teach the classes out of about 4,900 volunteer teachers, most of them white men.

"We just cannot find anyone," Xiong said. "The Hmong kids just feel that if they have a Hmong instructor, they would prefer to attend the class. Some of the kids just don't feel comfortable in a regular class."

Anyone born after January 1973 must graduate from a hunter education class to buy a hunting license in Wisconsin. The class, which teaches everything from firearm safety to hunting ethics, is open to people of all ages.

The issue of Hmong hunters in Wisconsin -- and possible clashes between their culture rooted in Laos and the state's hunting traditions -- jumped to the forefront late last year.

A Hmong immigrant from St. Paul, Chai Soua Vang, 36, was charged with killing six white hunters and wounding two others in Sawyer County after a confrontation over trespassing.

The shootings occurred Nov. 21, the second day of Wisconsin's nine-day fall deer hunt.

Vang told investigators one of the white hunters fired the first shot after Vang was taunted by racial slurs, a claim two of the survivors deny, according to court records. A September trial is scheduled.

Duane Harvey of Janesville, president of the Wisconsin Hunter Education Instructor Association, expects the shooting incident to instigate plenty of discussions in the next round of hunter safety classes.

"I can expect a lot more ethics and a lot more landowner confrontation issues to be more specifically dealt with," he said. "We always instruct our students it is better to walk away than it is to push a confrontation."

Tim Lawhern, the DNR's hunter education coordinator, said he was unaware of any problems with Hmong not having access to the nearly 1,000 hunter education classes offered each year in Wisconsin.

The northern Wisconsin shootings opened the door for some to wrongly "cast stones" at the Hmong community and unfairly suggest problems when there were none before the tragedy, Lawhern said.

The Hmong, an ethnic minority, resettled in the United States after fleeing Laos when the communists seized control in 1975 after the end of the Vietnam War. About 46,000 live in Wisconsin.

Lawhern said he has no evidence of any major hunting problems between Hmong and other hunters related to any of the information presented in the hunter education classes. But he acknowledges problems may arise whenever there's a cultural barrier, and he would welcome more Hmong teachers.

"The benefit would be a better communication link with that community but also better representation of those people into our culture," he said.

If someone doesn't speak English and wants to take a hunter education class, arrangements are made to overcome that barrier, Lawhern said. Typically, a family member who speaks English accompanies the student.

All valid reactions here to this stupidity. Why not repeat them to the Wisc. Dept. of Natural Resouces

I did, and this was the response I got:

"Dear Sir or Madam,

Thank you for your email to the Wisconsin DNR regarding your concerns about hunter education for Hmong citizens.

I understand your concerns and stated wish for tolerance for diversity, and agree that mutual tolerance is essential for everyone's safety and well-being in a diverse and democratic society.

Some of your concerns, however, seem to be based on incomplete information. I will try to briefly explain some context and our reasons for looking for hunter education instructors who speak Hmong.

The State of Wisconsin is home to several thousand Hmong citizens, who were relocated here because of the slaughter they faced in Asia. They were targeted for slaughter by the Laotian government because of the fact that the Hmong clans assisted the United States during the Vietnam War. When the U.S. left Vietnam, we stranded the Hmong forces, and they were forced to flee their homes to refugee camps in Thailand. Many of them did not make it. Many of them have harrowing stories of the dangers they faced because of their willingness to help the U.S. In recognition of the Hmong service to the United States, and to protect them from complete genocide, the U.S. agreed to relocate Hmong refugees to several states here. This history is something that many U.S. citizens are not aware of. The relocation of Hmong people has come in a couple of waves, one about ten years ago, and one occuring this year. During 2005, we expect to receive about 3,000 new Hmong refugees.

When the Hmong refugees arrive, they often do not speak English, and are not familiar with U.S. culture. The climate differences alone are a shock for them. The State of Wisconsin has several government agencies, and there are various efforts set up to help bring these refugees into the state, and get them the information they need to adjust and become productive citizens. In your email, you suggested that the Hmong should learn about American culture. You could contact the Department of Workforce Development or the Wisconsin Refugee Task Force for more specific information about what is included in their programs.

Here at the DNR, we come in contact with the Hmong and other Southeast Asian peoples in regards to hunting and fishing. The Hmong people are skilled hunters and fishermen, and hunting and fishing is a very important part of their cultural tradition. When they relocate to the United States, they bring that tradition with them.

One of the responsibilities of the Wisconsin DNR is to make the outdoors a safe and enjoyable experience for all of its citizens, including our new Hmong citizens. This means that we must find ways to communicate across language barriers and other cultural differences. By the way, this is a responsibility we have for other cultures as well, including people from Eastern Europe, Western Europe and all over the world.

One of the most interesting cultural differences of the Hmong is that they are used to hunting in a culture where there is no such concept as private property. Imagine their confusion when they arrive in the U.S., where the idea of private property is extremely important. Imagine, if the tables were turned, and you and I were suddenly relocated to Southeast Asia, how long it would take us to learn the rules of society there. We would need the help and the patience of the people there to help us understand.

So, when the DNR communicates with the Hmong population, we have to communicate the entire cultural context of hunting and fishing here -- the concept of private property, how to determine the difference between private and public land, the specific seasons and regulations for hunting and fishing, and other laws and information.

The Sawyer County tragedy was a terrible tragedy. It was also the act of one individual, and his actions do not represent the behavior of an entire group of people. This is very important to remember.

At the same time, the tragedy brought to the surface some of the misunderstandings between different cultures. The Hmong community is very concerned about the safety of Hmong people when hunting, and they have asked the DNR for assistance in making sure that the new refugees get hunter education. We want to help them do that.

The question of finding hunting education instructors who speak other languages is not just something the Hmong have requested. We get requests for other languages as well, including American sign language. We believe it is a positive thing to try to deliver our information in as many formats and languages as possible. The more communication we can do, the better. The more informed people are, the more enjoyable and safe everyone's natural resources experiences will be, and the less chance for misunderstanding and tragedy in the woods.

The reason Hmong hunters are requesting Hmong instructors is because of the language barrier. We have also found that Hmong instructors can anticipate some of the cultural questions. By no means is this a racially segregated activity -- sometimes we teach classes with a team of instructors who speak different languages. We also do other forms of outreach. Our wardens, for example, have been guests on Hmong radio programs, during which they explain regulations and someone translates their words into Hmong.

If you page down farther into the ESPN article you were responding to, you will see a quote from our hunter education coordinator, who says, "The benefit (of Hmong instructors) would be a better communication link with that community but also better representation of those people into our culture." We believe that making an effort to communicate with as many people as possible will benefit all of us.

Our multiple traditions are a source of pride for many Americans. You may be interested to know that the first group of immigrants who advocated use of both English and their native language were German. In fact, as Americans, we share a long tradition of welcoming people from many different cultures and languages, including my ancestors, and most likely, yours. From your letter, I am guessing that you and I would agree that tolerance for diversity is part of American culture.

We have been pleased with the generous response to the tragedy that we have gotten from many groups of people in Wisconsin. Many people, including the Hmong community and hunting organizations, agree that the Sawyer County incident was a terrible tragedy, and that this represents an opportunity to reach out to try to increase mutual understanding. We are hopeful that some good will come out of the tragedy.

Thank you for your letter and your interest in these issues. If you have any other questions or concerns, you can email us at csweb@dnr.state.wi.us.

Sincerely,

Teresa J. Scollon

Director, Office of Diversity Affairs

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources"

Great minds think alike. I was just going to write to you.

I got a similar reply.

Here's my (long) answer:

Dear Ms. Scollon:

Thanks for taking the time to give a reasoned response. That being said, I believe this policy is still wrong for reasons outlined below.

It was enlightening to find out that we are still bringing these people over here LONG after the war, and our obligation to them, has ended. While preventing genocide is the offered reason, that policy only opens the doors to other persecuted minorities around the world, whether they sided with us or not.

> Instead, it is a reasonable measure to help us bridge
> language and cultural boundaries to communicate some
> vital safety information.
> . . .
> Here at the DNR, we are concerned with the best way to
> communicate hunting and fishing laws and regulations, and
> other U.S. cultural information, including the concept of
> private property, which is important information for
> people hunting in Wisconsin. The more effective our
> communication, the safer and more enjoyable the outdoors
> will be for everyone.
If they cannot read or understand English, why are they allowed to hunt? I hope we are not issuing driver's licenses to them under those circumstances. One also wonders if they can read "Keep Out, No Trespassing" or "Posted" signs, which might end up generating another tragedy. There aren't many Hmong interpreters in the woods.

> The Sawyer County incident was a terrible tragedy. It was
> also the act of one individual, and not the entire Hmong
> community. At the same time, the tragedy brought to the
> surface some of the misunderstandings between different
> cultures.
Why is there even a "Hmong community" at this late date? They should all have been assimilated by now. I'm not attacking the whole community and recognize this was the action of one nut. Lord knows, I have run into a few homegrown ones in the field during my hunting years. What I question is that if he came over in the First Wave, he should have been integrated by now. If he was a newcomer, there should be a couple of years of adjusting to the new culture before licenses are issued.

> We believe it is a positive thing to try to deliver our
> information in as many formats and languages as possible.
> The more communication we can do, the better.
Here's where we part company. As long as you accommodate these other languages, the longer it takes these individuals to assimilate. Sign language is one thing, foreign languages quite another.

> Finally, I must disagree with your statement, "How are
> these kids EVER going to become Americans if we keep up
> this multicultural crap?" An essential part of being
> American is acknowledging and tolerating and making
> efforts to understand all of the different cultures that
> Americans come from.
Again we disagree. They came HERE. It is up to THEM to
"tolerate and make efforts to understand" our culture. We can cut these new people some slack without catering to them. In my opinion, an essential part of being an American is to give a passing nod to our Old Country heritage but recognize that we live in America now. The Old Country was so bad it drove our parents, at some financial, if not physical peril, to strike out for a new land. We give a helping hand to the Newbies so they can assimilate, not perpetuate their Old Ways.

> My ancestors, and most likely your ancestors, Mr. xxxxx,
> also went through an assimilation process. Often the
> generation that arrives in the U.S. never fully makes the
> transition to a different language, and many Americans,
> throughout our history, grow up in homes where more than
> one language is spoken.
Agreed. The usual routine is for the grandparents to speak the Mother Tongue, the parents bilingual, and the sons English only. My dad came from Germany in the 20s. One day I asked him to teach me German. I got my ears boxed and was told "You're in America now, you don't need it." I grew up in New York City in the 40s and it looked like the League of Nations even then. I told this to some kids in school and an Italian kid told me that's what his dad said. These people wanted to become Americans, not just live like them. There
was no "accommodation" by our government. You had to learn FAST, and many races did it with no problems. Policies like the DNR espouse only delay the process.

> Our multiple traditions are a source of pride for many
> Americans. . . . In fact, as Americans, we share a long
> tradition of welcoming people from many different cultures
> and languages.
Therein lies the problem today. We have imported the
idiotic multicultural "crap" (quotes used advisedly) from Europe, and they are finding out to their dismay, that it is a recipe for National Suicide. The UK, the Netherlands and the Nordics are now learning the hard way.

We are a multiracial country, not a multicultural one.
Multiracial says, "Everyone is welcome. We do expect you to learn our language, adopt our culture, and make lots of money (we need the taxes). We don't care who or what you were in the Old Country, you're now in a new one. Here's a clean slate - show us what you've got."

Multiculturalism says, "Come on in! Bring your old ways of doing things and ethnic hatreds with you!. Wallow in your diversity. Segregate yourselves into distinctive ghettos and turn them into replicas of the Hellholes you fled. Become professional victims so you can be manipulated by those who have other agendas. Yes, it hasn't worked too well in the Balkans or Rwanda, but Hey, this is America where anything can happen!

Instead of catering to these new Americans, we should
be concentrating on helping them to assimilate, not
prolonging the process, which is exactly what the current
policies do. They must learn English FIRST, then apply
for hunting (and other) licenses.

Yours truly,
xxxxx

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