On the Road Again
How the Hoover administration improved interstates and impacted Native cultures.
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Route 24 is your civic education stop for stories driving public trust.
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In this issue: While the Secretary of Commerce under President Harding, Herbert Hoover established the National Conference on Street and Highway Safety to develop traffic ordinances that improved interstate routes. The rules of the road that resulted from such conferences facilitated the commutes of the 71.7 million people who were projected to travel by car this Thanksgiving. As President, however, Hoover was responsible for the reorganization of the Bureau of Indian Affairs. His Vice President and known rival, Charles Curtis, was the first person of color to hold that title as a tribally enrolled member of the Kaw Nation. Whether due to acculturation or misguided ambition, Curtis supported Native American boarding schools, which resulted in Native children being separated from their families and assimilated. Between 1870 and 1930, this resulted in a significant population decline in Native communities as many Native women chose not to have children. Yet, Curtis’ opinion was not universally rejected within Native circles. Rather, it indicated a fork in the road between thought models: the assimilationist versus the sovereign. In honor of Native American Heritage Day, explore the complexities of Native identity as well as their historical implications.
Arcade Alley
Arcade Alley gives readers a behind-the-scenes look at some of the gaming features and design approaches that have informed our creative process on Probable Cause.
In Native American and First Nations communities, powwows are festivities that honor Indigenous customs. The format is interactive and organized by committee, featuring a Master of Ceremonies, Head Dancers, and Host Drums. The opening sequence is sacred, known as the Grand Entry and led by the Eagle Staff (usually a military veteran) dressed in regalia, with flag bearers, dancers, and a host drummer in tow.
In the opening sequence of Probable Cause, passengers enter the experience as a selected character followed by a series of routine interactions that build situational context. In this entrance, the customs displayed inform perspective.
Causeway
Did anyone else tune-in to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade yesterday?! It’s been one of my traditions since childhood. Kanopy also hosts a Thanksgiving Film Festival on their platform.
In case you missed it, I shared a Happy Thanksgiving message (see above) that discusses a recent battleground civility poll from Georgetown’s Institute of Politics and Public Service and the Route 24 Navigators Circle announcement. Sign the open letter here and learn more about what jumpstarted Route 24 and Millennial Ethics in this Shoutout LA interview.
As always, thank you for your ongoing support, which fuels our work and mission!
Stay the course,
Sam
A friendly reminder: Send us your hilarious road signs! E-mail photos and/or video to (route24@substack.com) using Tread Lightly in the subject line for inclusion in a future issue.
