FALL 2008 - UW-Milwaukee

F A C U L T Y / S T A F FP R O F I L ECynthia BarnesBy Marla HyderAs a child, Cynthia Barnes wasoften told that she was halfIndian. One day, after watchingthe popular ’50s Western, “The GabbyHayes Show,” she asked her parents,“If I’m half Indian, is the other halfcowboy?”It’s no wonder the youngster wasconfused: A Prairie Band Potawatomi,Barnes was born and raised inMilwaukee, far from her tribe’s Kansasreservation. It wasn’t until she arrivedat UWM in her twenties that she beganto really connect with her heritage,thanks to Diane Amour in the NativeAmerican Studies Program (nowAmerican Indian Student Services).Amour, who advised Barnes throughouther time at UWM, is from the sameband of the same tribe, and her motherknew Barnes’ grandmother. Now, threedecades later, Barnes’ niece is beginningher degree at UWM with the support,once again, of Diane Amour.According to Barnes, it’s a miraclethat her niece, Emily, is here at UWM.A few years ago, Emily tragically losther mother and, just one week later,was seriously injured in a car accident.She lay in a coma for months and nearlydied. Yet despite her adversities, shegraduated from high school on time.“Life isn’t always pleasant,” saysBarnes. “It doesn’t always go the wayyou want, but you need to set goals.And you need to balance being strongwith being flexible. If you’re toostrong, you might break.”Barnes exemplifies her own advice.After beginning her undergraduatestudy at UW-Whitewater, she withdrewto get married. When that didn’t workout, she came to UWM to finish herdegree. “It was difficult readjusting toschool five years later,” she recalls, “nothaving a regular income, feeling I wasolder than the other students. But theytreated me like I was one of them.”Upon completing her bachelor’sdegree in 1976, she immediatelypursued a Master’s in Social Work,even tually becoming director of socialservices for the Milwaukee IndianHealth Center. She moved on to serveCounty government for 17 years untilbudget cuts eliminated her job. In2006, Barnes returned to UWM,joining the History Department as itsoffice manager.Working in the History Departmenthas helped facilitate Barnes’ genealogicalresearch. After a long searchprompted by a single 1922 photograph,Barnes happened to mention to aworker at the Forest County PotawatomiCultural Center that she wasresearching the Whitefish family. “Heinstantly grabbed me and hugged me,”she recounts. “It turned out his lastname was Whitefish and his grandmotherwas my mother’s first cousin.The elders hadn’t seen each other in50 years, and I was able to reunitethem.”This ability to connect peoplewith one another stems in part fromBarnes’ background in social work.“My education helped me to put myselfin another person’s shoes, to be morecommunity-oriented,” she says. Thiscommunity extends all the way toJamaica, a place — and, more importantly,a people — that Barnes hasgrown to know and love over numerousvisits, including one this past summerto celebrate Emily’s graduation fromhigh school. In addition to visiting oldacquaintances, Barnes and Emilydistributed rice, flour, and sugar tothe area’s poorest residents. SeveralJamaicans thanked them bysurrounding the family, lifting theirhands, and praying fervently to “Jah.”They prayed that Barnes’ 80-year-oldmother would have good health andbe able to return to Jamaica, and thatEmily would do well in college. “Emilyhad tears running down her face,”remembers her aunt.The Jamaicans advised Emily,“Your life will still be waiting for youin four years.” Barnes agrees: Afterquitting college and struggling tofinish her degree later, she believesstudents should devote themselves totheir education before pursuing otherthings.The most important lesson thatBarnes and her niece learned fromthe diverse citizens of Jamaica isexpressed in that country’s nationalmotto: “Out of many, one people.”Cynthia Barnes (middle) and her niece Emily (second from the left) distributed rice, flour, andsugar to Jamaicans.20 Fall 2008/Myriad