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Spring 2012 issue

Leaders, Tribes & Family

A Call to Duty, Not a Step up in Power~ Russ LeticaMadawaska Maliseet First Nation

For years, I have been hearing of many problems facing other Native nations: the poverty, lack of funding, no heat, no running water, boarded up windows, black mold in houses, addictions, violence and, by far the worst, our youth suicide statistic. It breaks my heart and I have focused all my fundraising efforts tocontinually help all my Native brothers and sisters. No one should have to live in these conditions, no matter what ethnicity you are.

This has also made me stop and think of my own Nation, the Madawaska Maliseet First Nation. I think how lucky we are as a people and how much we have as a community. I wonder why is it that some nations suffer while others prosper? The answer is always the same; we must look at the leadership we elect. So, I did just that. I contacted the chief of my nation, Chief Joanna Bernard, and asked her for an interview. She graciously complied.

RL: Chief Bernard, can you explain to us who you are and tell our readers a little about yourself; who is Chief Joanna Bernard?

Chief Bernard: I was born in Boston, Massachusetts. My mother is Italian and from Boston. My father is a Maliseet from the Madawaska First Nation. We moved back to the reserve in 1971.

My life has been fairly good. Growing up on the reserve was okay. I went to school in the town of Edmundston, graduated in 1982 from the local high school, and was accepted to the University of New Brunswick where I received my Bachelor of Science degree. I had to drop out when I became pregnant. I married at 19 years old and, five years later, I was divorced.

Later on, I met my husband Elmer. We have been together for 25 years. I have six children and eight grandchildren. I was on welfare for a long time, until I decided to go back to school in 1999. While in college I decided to run for Council and was elected in 2001. I graduated in 2002 and ran for chief in 2003.  The rest is history. 

RL: When did you begin your leadership role within your Nation and why did you get involved in working for the Nation's members?

Chief Bernard: The first time I ever thought of running for chief was when I was a councilor and witnessed the exploitation by the chief who was in office at that time. I felt strongly that he really did not have a vision for the community. I felt we needed someone who would come up with a plan to move us forward,someone who cared about the members and their future.  This situation, coupled with yearly government cutbacks, meant we were not able to meet the needs of the members and the future looked grim.

I worked for the band back in the mid 90's as a program officer. I worked with band members that were looking for jobs. I managed them case-by-case. I got to know them, their education level, their experience, and their goals in life.  And every single one wanted to just have a job that made them happy. 

While I was project officer I was able to take advantage of the training given to me during the few years that I was employed and I am now a certified economic development officer. 

RL: How many different roles have you played in your years of leadership?

Chief Bernard: I am on the Board of Directors and President of the Union of New Brunswick Indian Chiefs. I have also served as Vice President for them for two terms.  I have held the title of Executive Director of the Atlantic Policy Congress since its beginning. I am on the board of the Natural Resource Committee, the Board of Education Committee, and the Chiefs Committee on Economic Development representing the Atlantic Chiefs. This is a national committee.  I also represent the New Brunswick Chiefs on the Indian Resource Council, and I sit on the board of the Maliseet Natural Conservation Council.

RL: How have your years as a leader changed your visions and goals? How has this impacted you?

Chief Bernard: My vision for the community has never changed, it has only expanded.  It has become more exciting, knowing that we will be able to take care of ourselves, be able to govern ourselves. Someday we will not need the government to tell us what we as a Nation can do.

RL: You are currently in your 5th mandate as the Leader of the Madawaska Maliseet First Nation. What are some of your accomplishments of the last years eight years?

Chief Bernard: In the last eight years, the Council and I have done more for the community than has been done in the past 50 years combined. We set up a government that has included the band membership to help guide us in finding solutions to the problems that we face as a Nation, and to work together for the future of this Nation. We have increased our band’s residency by about one-third, with more band members returning home to the reserve. We had about 50 houses and now we have over 90 efficient homes in our community.

Our band membership increased by one-third, when the Indian Act was amended, allowing the grandchildren of the Bill C-31 women to regain their status. I'd like to mention that our Nation voted in these children as status band members prior to the official announcement from INAC.

Here are some of the things my councilors and I have accomplished:

> The MMFN was in a deficit of 1 million dollars when I was first elected Chief. We settled many legitimate disputes within our Nation, amongst band members. We are now operating within budgets and producing profits.

> We worked to implement our Nation's policies to self govern. We produced our Nation's by-laws and began new development.

> We implemented residential by-laws.

> We implemented a recycling program, where residents are encouraged to recycle in our efforts to go green within the community.

>Negotiated a land settlement that had been ongoing since the 1970's, over 30 years, where band members then vote to distribute a percentage to each band member and then used more the 50% of the agreement fund to begin our Economic Development Plan under my administrations mandate.

> Negotiated a $5 million dollar land claim and now have a lease agreement with Twin River, which used to be named Frasier Paper Mill.

> We purchased as a band owned business to fund our programs, the Eagle View Store and the Wallace Lumber Co., where we now operate the Madawaska Entertainment Center and a restaurant.  In the last 7 years these investments have produced over 8 million dollars in profits which fund our community programs.

> We expanded the Eagle View Store and its success continues to fund the programs that are needed in the community to move forward.

> We worked to clean up the Burbe Property, which used to house a propane and natural gas company. The land was deemed contaminated and not inhabitable, therefore could not be considered as part of our reserve. We cleaned it up, demolished two old structures and it is now part of our lands.

> We did a complete renovation to our Community Recreation Center inside and out. The Recreation Center now houses our Head Start program for our children and holds our community and charity events. We created improvements to the land surrounding our Center and dedicated an area to our past chiefs, honoring each one by planting an apple tree in their memory.

> We also use our Center to hold our Elders' dinners, which they have become accustomed to. It is a way to bring them all together for an evening of food, games and fun. The Center is also used to host many of our charity events, where as a community we raise money for social issues in our area. We currently host an annual haunted house, walk for cancer, and several fund raisers throughout the year, where 100% of the dollars generated is donated to charity.

> We rezoned our community and added residential development and subdivision as a means to protect our sacred grounds.

> Complete renovation on our 8 family apartment complex, with paved parking.

> We supported our members in bringing the culture back into the community and now have our sweat lodge. Our dancers and our drummers represent our Nation proudly.

> Fixed drainage problems in several areas of our community.

> We worked with the city of Edmundston and we have now connected to the water and sewer system of the town for all our businesses and homes that are currently in the community as well as for those to be built in the future.

>We added emergency house lighting to all our homes for the purpose of identify houses within our community for ambulance, police and fire department crews.

> We applied for funding and used that money to bring sidewalks into the community for the safety of our pedestrians.

> We created a night security team to continue to ensure the safety of our entire community.

> Through the funding of our programs by band owned businesses, our Elders have their rent and utilities paid for, whether they own their home or live in new and well maintained band housing.

> We increased jobs by 200% with our business ventures, administration office, and community projects. We created over 1/3 more jobs that make our Nation move and I am proud to say currently we have only 3% of our band members utilizing the welfare system.

> We created the position of Housing Director, which oversees any housing issues in the community and assist in housing for band members who wish to return to the land.

> We created the position of Education Director to oversee the educational needs of all our students in school and post secondary school.

> We created the Hot Lunch Program where all children in school get a hot lunch.

> We purchased a new school bus to transport our children, and recently have applied for funding to purchase a larger bus. There is a need for this new bus with our members moving back into the community over the last several years.

> We fund $500 a year per child for extracurricular activities, whether it is a dance class, learning an instrument, or taking a class on pottery. We also fund $250 per child yearly for gym clothes, school supplies, etc. We have a 0% drop out rate.

> We cleaned up the playground and brought it to provincial standards and now operate a daycare center.  This service is essential to our working parents who have young children in the household.

> We sponsor summer games to keep our children's minds active and to bring them out of the house and into nature, where what we believe is the true lesson in nurturing our children for success in their future.

> We produce and publish a newsletter for all band members on and off reserve to keep us all connected with what is happening within our community. Two band members run social media sites for the community to keep us all connected. We maintain a website that represents our Nation and regularly send out memos in our efforts to produce a sound foundation of communication within our Nation.

> I have added 3 flag poles in front of our Administration Office. We proudly fly the Maliseet First Nation flag on the center pole, which flies above the Canadian flag and the Providence's flag.

> We created the position of Health Director, which oversees our Health Center and the medical needs of all band members residing within the community.

> We applied for and received $150,000 to complete our Community Health Center, where we work on the health issues of our band members within their own community.

> We established an agreement with a doctor and we bring in our doctor once a week, where all band members are looked after in the community, now at their own health center.

> We used to employ a nurse just two days a week. We now have a nurse coming in four days a week to ensure that we are addressing our members' health needs.

> Through our programs we fund non-insured health benefits for our members. This fund ensures our members that prescriptions not covered by the Providence are still paid for in addressing their medical needs. This fund also helps members with travel expenses when they must travel outside the local area for medical assistance, testing or treatment.

> We built a state of the art fitness center to be used by band members and we employee a fitness instructor to assist members in a workout program.

> We worked with the ATR Policy to join a section of land purchased on the outskirts of the reserve, where we housed our Hatchery. We also worked with the ATR policy to assure easy access for band members to receive their CP (certificate of procession/title) to their homes.

> We successfully renovated our hatchery into a lobster processing plant, where we process the lobster for our own restaurant and another one outside our community.

> I was successful in obtaining 4 fishing licenses and 4 fishing boats with full gear for the Nation.

> We began a forestry thinning project, where we cut trees and produce firewood for sale. We receive the royalties from these sales and we use this money to help our community band members heat their homes in the winter months.

> Through the referendum vote of the band members, pertaining to the land claim settlement, we implemented our Business Complex/Highway Project at the beginning of Trans-Canada in New Brunswick, where we will house many businesses that will produce taxes. Through agreement with the Providence, 95% of these tax dollars will be returned to the Corporation to be distributed to the program accounts that continue to move our Nation into the future. Band members will work in these jobs tax free.

> Also in this agreement we were able to persuade the city of Edmundston to not only build but to maintain the ramps on and off the highway, saving our nation $5 million dollars and the maintenance cost. We also received 33 acres added to our reserve surrounding the area of these ramps, when the band members agreed in a referendum vote to exchange 10 acres of land on the opposite side of our reserve.

RL: What is your proudest accomplishment on behalf of your People?

Chief Bernard: My proudest accomplishment is of course the highway development project and the governance that has been in the works for past eight years under my mandate, starting from the various policies and bylaws we implemented, and the work that still continues in writing the constitution of the Madawaska Maliseet First Nation.

RL: What remains to be completed in the current mandate?

Chief Bernard: Before I finish my mandate as chief, I want to see the first check from the province on the tax returns of our corporation. I will then know that what I started has begun to bear fruit, meaning that every year that check will increase, year after year for the rest of our lives, our children's lives and all descendants to come.

RL: When you finish this mandate what are your plans for the future?

Chief Bernard: When I retire from politics, I may go into business for myself. But, in the mean time, I would like to run for council next term and continue fine tuning things. As a councilor, I will be able to stay home and sleep in my own bed every night.  As Chief there is a lot of traveling involved to be sufficient in your call to duty.

RL: As a Leader to your Nation, can you share with us the message you wish to deliver to our young Native women and men?

Chief Bernard: I believe that staying in school is one of the most important things that our youth need to know.  Be proud of who you are. Take pride in your life and be the best you can be, in school, at home, wherever you are, in whatever you do. This would be my message to either gender of our youth.

RL: What is your vision for the future of the Maliseet First Nation?

Chief Bernard: That the people will come together for what is best for the whole and for us to be self-governed.

RL: In generations to come, what do you believe will be your legacy?

Chief Bernard: That I have made a difference; this is a hard question.

Woliwon for this interview, Chief Joanna Bernard. I am very proud of your accomplishments and I am honored by your commitment to our People as a whole. In my opinion, you are truly the definition of a leader.

I invite our readers to our website, where you can see firsthand what we are doing and some pictures of our community. www.madawaskamaliseetfirstnation.com

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Feathers

FEATHERS  ~ Millie Chalk  ~ {Archive July 2010}

You’re walking along a path one day with a problem weighing heavily upon your mind so much so that you almost step upon a perfect single feather lying gently at your feet.  You bend over, picking up the feather and with closer examination you realize it’s an owl feather, a symbol of wisdom and tenacity.

Or, you’ve recently found yourself among the ranks of the unemployed.  Worried and concerned you wonder how you’re going to manage.  The responsibilities resting on your shoulders seem overwhelming as you step outside your door one morning on your way to a job interview and a large black and white striped feather lies across your lawn.  It’s so large and attractive you can see it from a distance and don’t hesitate to run over and snatch it up because you recognize it as the wing feather of a wild turkey left for you as a sign that prosperity and bounty is in your future.

Or, you’ve been deployed to Afghanistan.  It’s your first experience with combat and although you’re trying to put on a brave face the fear you’re feeling is something you don’t recognize within yourself and hate because of what it’s doing to you.  All alone on your horse you ride into the countryside trying to get a grip on the emotions welling up inside of you.  The warm summer day’s beauty would normally have met your eyes with appreciation to the Great Spirit, but instead is lost from your attention because of your mind’s focus on what might be.  You find yourself riding toward a grove of trees when there at the base of one of the tallest pines you see it.  It’s the feather of a Hawk or maybe even an Eagle?  You’re not certain which but you do know it’s a rare treasure, gifted to so many in our culture as a token and symbol of extreme bravery, courage and strength.  You also know there were many hours spent by some of our greatest warriors in search of such a sign and here it is laid before you!

There are those that consider such precious finds trivial.  I used to be one of them until it happened to me in a way that was far too obvious to deny.  It was early last year when I was faced with some life altering circumstances bringing me to the lowest point in my existence.  My entire world had imploded; financially, romantically, as well as physically, and I was facing a possible move from a place that for some time had brought me great comfort and security. Just when I thought it couldn’t possibly get any worse, for I felt I could sink no further, a very special person walked into my life bringing me inspiration to the degree that I felt compelled to write a novel. 

The story that began to unfold as I hurriedly typed away for weeks brought to me amazement for I had never read anything so wonderful or engaging.  I didn’t doubt for an instant where this story was coming from but I greatly doubted my ability to write it.  I was not an author, not even a writer and I felt the story was so important that I could possibly do it dishonor attempting to put it into words. That’s when the feathers started to appear.

Always directly in my path, almost daily and too obvious to refuse I found feathers, all kinds of feathers.  Sometimes a crow’s (symbol of magic), a quail’s (abundance), doves, pigeons, just about any kind you can imagine even a red tailed hawk’s!  I started collecting them as I would ask my friend to explain the significance of each one as they guided me out of my darkness and encouraged me to continue my work with the book.

Looking back I realize I still took them for granted as though they were some fun novelty, thinking they had been there all along in my life and I simply had not paid attention, but the question of the feathers’ meaning was answered the day I finished the book.  No more did they appear to me and although I’m quite sad and miss the wonderful miracle of their gift, I now know how truly precious they were and that they were intended for me.  I will never forget their influence and how they gave me hope and courage, instilling within me a sense of worthiness and recognition that what was coming to me and through me was an important work.  I never want to forget them and I keep them in a collection destined to someday be woven into a prayer fan.

So next time you find yourself deep in thought wrestling with some insurmountable problem or facing a noteworthy challenge and a feather appears, remember it is a message sent to you!  Do not doubt its significance just appreciate it. Take into your heart its message that you are known, you are loved and there are many who watch over you.  Listen to their inspiration and be the best YOU that you can be for truly that will be your greatest accomplishment!

Please note:  It is a federal offense for anyone not of Native American descent to own an Eagle feather and is punishable by fines up to $25,000.  Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act (16U.S.C.668-668c)

Native Spirituality

The Commercialization of Native Spirituality

~ Corine Fairbanks ~

The selling of sacred medicine and the commercialization of Native Spirituality has been going strong now for a few decades, but it seems to have hit its pinnacle recently with people paying as much as $9,000 to participate in a sweat lodge ceremony.  That is a huge shift from the 1882 Bureau of Indian Affairs directive banning Native people from participating in "heathenish dances."  Native American Religions were outlawed under the Federal “Civilization Regulations” from the 1880s to the 1930s.  Traditional Native people were not allowed to go to or pray at their sacred places.  Back then, tribes took their ceremonies underground; some, because of persecution were driven to the point of extinction.

Non-Native participation was unheard of.  

[1]For over 10,000 years Native Americans lived and died throughout the vast, rich continent of North America. Our people were communal, and practical.  The philosophy was “take what you need and use everything you take.” This was in contrast to what amounted to the “Manifest Destiny” idea that the Europeans imported to our continent, and the brute military force that came along with it. 

It wasn’t until 1978 that the US government acknowledged this part of our Holocaust, and even then, it was ever so minimized. 

 This was under the [2]American Indian Religious Freedom Act.  This act was created to protect and preserve the traditional religious rights and cultural practices of American Indians, Eskimos, Aleuts, and Native Hawaiians. These rights include, but are not limited to: access of sacred sites, freedom to worship through ceremonial and traditional rights, and use and possession of objects considered sacred.

[3]President Jimmy Carter said the following in a statement:

“In the past, Government agencies and departments have on occasion denied Native Americans access to particular sites and interfered with religious practices and customs where such use conflicted with Federal regulations. In many instances, the Federal officials responsible for the enforcement of these regulations were unaware of the nature of traditional native religious practices and, consequently, of the degree to which their agencies interfered with such practices. This legislation seeks to remedy this situation.”

President Carter’s statement above does not cover the pain and suffering that Native people endured during the period of time our ceremonies were outlawed.  Ceremonies were raided; food provisions were rationed and kept away from those that would not give up their ceremonial ways. 

 [4]Medicine and holy people were sent away and in some cases, imprisoned or sent to asylums as a way to further the oppression and hinder those from participating in ceremonies.  Women were sterilized. Children were kidnapped and sent to boarding schools where they were forbidden to speak their own languages, beaten if caught praying and forced to convert to Christianity. 

Native people died protecting these sacred ways.  The scars left behind of this intentional genocide are still open and only now beginning to heal.

Even with the American Indian Religious Freedom Act of 1978, Native Nations continue to fight for religious freedom rights.  New Age "scam artists" and other exploiters of Native spirituality continue to get rich off of the commercialization of it. This has become a billion dollar industry.  Selling sacred objects, herbs, and even ceremonies has become a common practice that can be found in popular stores, online, mail order catalogs and even at local Pow Wows.

[5]At an international gathering of US and Canadian Lakota, Dakota and Nakota nations, about 500 representatives from 40 different tribes and bands of the Lakota unanimously passed a "Declaration of War against Exploiters of Lakota Spirituality." The summit was held from June 7 to 11, 1993.
 
Wilmer Mesteth, a traditional spiritual leader and Lakota culture instructor, told the summit participants that he was aware that sacred ceremonies were being imitated and even sold by non-Indians as well as certain Indian people. "We have to put a stop to it," Mesteth said. "Sacred traditions like our Lakota Pipe ceremony, Vision Quests, Sweat lodge ceremonies and the Sundance were given to us by our Creator and have enabled Indian people to survive a 500 year holocaust. Those sacred traditions are precious to us and (we) can't allow them to be desecrated and abused."

Often - when New Agers practice their version of Native Spirituality - they do it in a way that “waters down” the ceremony and that’s when people get hurt. Most Native Americans are offended by the mockery these bastardized versions make of their sacred ceremonies. Some of the incidents denounced as most offensive include: buying ready made sweat lodges through Ebay, spas and resorts offering “traditional sweatlodges,”

[6] Sun Dances held on Astroturf, sweats lodges held on cruise ships with wine and cheese served, and sex orgies advertised as part of "traditional Cherokee ceremonies.”

There are thousands of Native Nations found through out Canada and the United States. Most of them believe that sacred objects or medicines are “spiritual beings.” These spiritual beings are alive, breathing; they are in fact, and we are relatives. These elders protect us from negativity, teach us our ways, and help us when we are sick. They bring recovery and clarity in our lives. They listen to our prayers and direct them to the Creator. When medicine is gathered or harvested, that usually involves a ceremony in itself. Roberta Weighill, of the Chumash Nation states: “You have to acknowledge the life of that plant, ask that that plant be used, then give an offering to that plant; you can’t just go out and pick sage and then go sell it somewhere; you have to go yourself and give an offering to that plant.”  

Inevitably someone is going to bring up the question of accessibility. One person wrote me and stated, “I live in an area where I can’t get sage or sweet grass, I have to buy it.”  No, I disagree. You do not “have to” buy it.  First research what the Native/Indigenous people used in that area.  Is using these sacred herbs/ancestors even used in your Nation or Tribe? Not all Nations used sweet grass and many different Nations used different types of sage that was available in their area. Find out what was used in your Nation, find out what was is indigenous to your area. 

If you're from a Nation that used sage and sweet grass and you do not have some, pray for some. Prayers will be answered. These sacred relatives will find away to reach you.  However, we live in a society that is one of immediate gratification.   

“Have a headache? Take an aspirin.”

“Have a stomach ache? Drink this Pepto-Bismol.”

“Hungry? Use the microwave to heat that.”  

Challenge yourself with some patience instead of lowering your standards and allowing sacred relatives to be exploited. Some traditional ways teach that these sacred beings choose where they want to go; they choose who is to house, protect, and use them.  It is a humble honor to be chosen.  If you have not been chosen as of yet, research your traditional ways to learn what you need to do to given this honor.    

Here is another excuse I recently heard. “If thousands of Natives are at Pow Wows buying sage, or other ceremonial objects, how could they all be wrong?”  Using this argument is about as juvenile as if I would respond back with “well if thousands of Natives jumped off a cliff, would you do it?” Obviously, this not a numbers game, it is not about the “majority” being right and the minority being wrong.  Capitalism and “free enterprise” are not traditional concepts among most Indigenous peoples on this continent.  It is this self-serving agenda that has a chokehold on our people and is being force-fed to our children the minute they take their first step in the public school system. If we use sage or any of our sacred medicines to pray with, then we are acknowledging that they are “sacred beings,” and by doing that, how can we then in turn participate in the exploitation of our relatives?  If you shift the paradigm to see these relatives as living, breathing spiritual beings, like grandparents- could anyone be so callous and financially challenged to sell a grandmother?

 Where does the money go when someone sells Buffalo Skulls, Eagle Feathers, Sage, Sweet Grass or other “sacred relatives?”  Does it go back to Native people?  With a little bit of research you can go online and read about how our people are still struggling with issues of poverty, suicide, homelessness, freezing weather and lack of resources for heat.  Do any of these vendors, Native or non-Native, give money back to our people? What steps have these vendors taken to ensure that whatever sacred medicines are harvested are done so with the dignity befitting a spiritual entity that listens to prayers? What have these entrepreneurs done to make sure that these sacred relatives have not gone into the hands that will use them in even more negative ways? What justification are they using to desecrate “sacred relatives?” In fact, I would challenge that someone else’s spiritual needs are the furthest from these exploiter’s mind.  At the end of the day, do these people laugh at the rest of us while counting change from all the sales they have made?

Anytime someone stands up and states they are Native American, they are making a political statement because of the political relationships between our Nations and the United States & Canada.   When you say that you are Native American, what you are really saying is that you and your family, have survived a holocaust.  By saying you're Native American, you are also saying that the government’s effort to exterminate you and your family FAILED.  There can not be any compromise with allowing our spiritual traditions, medicines and sacred relatives to be bought or sold.  To watch a sacred relative be disrespected, mistreated, sold, and desecrated, is a violation against all of us. By doing this, we cosign the inevitable loss of one of our last resources, which is our connection to our creator and our ancestors.

©Corine Fairbanks

April 2010

Corine Fairbanks is Oglala Lakota and is the Development Director for theAmerican Indian Movement Santa Barbara Chapter, is active on the Board of Directors for the American Civil Liberties Union Affiliate Santa Barbara chapter, and also on the Grant Making Committee for the Fund For Santa Barbara.  

Letter to The Editor About Mascots

(Archive~April 2010)

In the Dec. 1, 2009 Cherokee One Feather, there was an article by Charles Trimble about the "Redskins" debate. This "debate" has been going on for a long time. And I think maybe it will be still going on long after I am gone. But I would like to add something that is not so intellectual. But is more on the gut level of my thought processes.

Let me begin this by saying to any sports team, Indigenous or otherwise, that is respectful, understand that the following is not about you.

When I was a young man some Lakotas came to Atlanta. They wanted us to join them at the Atlanta Braves stadium because the Braves were playing the Cleveland Indians. Well, we decided to go see what it was all about. We got to the protest and they had us all roped off to "protect" the baseball fans from the dangerous Native American protesters and their supporters.

Atlanta had called out the Red Dog Police Unit to surround us and keep us separate.

Outside of the rope were drunken Cleveland Indians fans. Some were wearing animal skins and pretending to do war dances like "savages". One had a mock "peace pipe" and he threw and hit me in the chest with it, as I stood their quietly watching the ordeal. I guess he picked the second biggest guy there to pick on, because the Lakota guy in charge was just a little bigger than me. The "Red Dog" just looked amazed that I just stood there.

They shouted nasty things about Indigenous People and generally made a mockery of the culture. Basically they reduced Indigenous people to caricatures that were subhuman savages. But the protesters just stood there quietly, except for the drum that was playing the real Indigenous heart beat (not the one made up in Hollywood that they play at these games) and singing real songs (not the phony chants at the games).

When we left, the "Red Dog Unit" stood in a line at attention and saluted us for our calm demeanor under fire, and I do mean "under fire."  Except that the darn fake "peace pipe" just somehow flew right back at that weird Caucasian guy with the "war paint" on and hit him in the back of the head. The weird guy yelled, "He hit me!" to a "Red Dog" officer. The officer, who had his back to us also, said, "Who hit you?" The weird guy stared for a minute, shrugged his shoulders and walked away. Then the Drum played and sang an honor song for the "Red Dog" unit. We left quietly. On the way home I asked my wife, who had been real quiet during the whole thing, "Who are the real 'savages’?" She just said, "The ones who acted like savages." 

You know I remember that they used to hunt Indigenous People for the bounty on them. Then they would skin them and take that back to collect the bounty instead of taking the whole body. That is where the term "Redskins" came from, making reference to the color of the Skins they were bringing in for bounty. What a wonderful way to honor Indigenous People by reminding them that their ancestors were hunted and skinned.

I tried an experiment last month. I put the words to the "Jubilation T. Cornpone" song from the musical "Little Abner" which made a caricature and a mockery of southern heritage. I got outraged people telling me off and cussing at me. I could do the same stereotype mockery of any group, north, south, east or west, and I bet I'd get the same outrage and cussing.

So let me ask you this. If it's not okay for me to do a characterization of other groups of people, why is it okay to do this to Indigenous People?

Is it because Indigenous People are really less than other people?

I don't think so. But the centuries of conditioning could certainly make some play into that mindset. Just remember this. Just before Adolph Hitler began his campaign to exterminate the Jews, he began a publicity campaign with caricatures of Jews in cartoons with big noses. He hoped the public would see them as less than human and not deserving of anything, much less life. Ask any Jewish person who escaped that holocaust what it means when they caricaturize you and make you less than human.

So go ahead and let them mock Indigenous People. But the next time that Indigenous issues don't get the serious recognition that they deserve, don't ask why. Just look at the big nosed cartoon of the "savage." And then you'll know why you didn't get taken seriously.

But what do I know? I'm just an old guy who has maybe seen more than he should.

S'gi,

Dave KitchenTownsend, Ga.

Raven

The sky is where I fly, 
and Raven is my name. 

Watch out for me 
when I come into your realms 
oh Creator, 
for I am a child 
who has seen the darkness 
where nobody should be.

Have pity on me, 
for I have broken my wings 
to see the beauty of life.

Help me get them back, 
so I can again see myself fly, 
where all who see me 
will be helped by my visions.

Creator, help me fly to my destiny, 
so i can see beyond the darkness 
and become proud again to be me.

Where the light will help my spirit, 
and my wellness 
will become my strength....

 ~ Chris Herodier Snowboy