In the last few days as Graham’s trial draws near there’s been some talk of possible benefits that will remain if he is acquitted. I’m a little surprised by that and assume it’s about preparing people for the worst case scenario. Personally I won’t even entertain the thought and think the evidence is overwhelming, but then I’m not on the jury or the presiding judge- I just don’t believe what ifs are constructive at this point.
What if this should in fact eventuate? Then if this isn’t pursued in a wrongful death suit in civil court, or in federal court under provisions applicable in the Rico statutes it won’t matter much what has been exposed, as those involved will gain new currency as the result of not being convicted and the entire conspiracy thing will be waved about again, including Peltier, who wouldn’t miss such an opportunity to dust off his routine and present the latest version.
Graham would write a book or someone else would, possibly another movie or documentary, maybe even speaking engagements. The Rol made conspicuous by it’s silence would come out of hibernation with letters to Obama or someone else that would be perceived as a vehicle to gain attention, more video taped meandering homilies, and this entire situation would become even more ridiculous than it has been.
There is more to justice than what is revealed, if that were all there were to it the concept of justice would have no retributive aspect to it-it would be enough to know, no one would ever be held accountable, and having walked would proclaim in the strictest legal sense eternal innocence.
Case in point, Dick Marshall walked, and unless he is pursued in the above manner it is a done deal and all that is known, discussed, or speculated about has no tangible effect, no justice. I doubt merely knowing is enough for Denise or Debbie, or for that matter for those who are advocates-if it were what is known has been known for some time and the knowledge itself would have sufficed.
No, I think it is time to hold the line, not waver or qualify “possible” scenarios.Winning is what this is about, it is everything. That’s where justice lies and there is no substitute or consolation prize.
I felt from the beginning that to try Marshall in advance of Graham was a a major tactical error and wasn’t surprised by the outcome-not because I felt he was innocent, but rather I thought what there was in the form of physical evidence made it a toss up at best. Maybe the prosecution had no option as to the timing though.
On the other hand I hope he is called to testify in Graham’s trial-if he takes the fifth as he has said he would I believe it will have a negative impact on the jury, understanding the implications that whether it is a constitutional right or not it is well known “taking the fifth” is a device to avoid incriminating oneself.
There is a legal fine line in this though as technically Marshall is immune from prosecution now having been found “innocent”-the provisions of the Fifth Amendment do not allow invoking the privilege to avoid implicating others with the exception of spouses in some instances. He could quite conceivably be found in contempt if he does.
I think too this ploy of a victim being seen after the fact having been attempted unsuccessfully in other trials will be recognized for what it is-misdirection and very transparent. Maybe I’m just doing the Mulder thing and want to believe, and wisdom is to err on the side of caution, but I’m not going that route.
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All posts for the month November, 2010
In the beginning we were made of the elements known to us- earth, wind, water, and fire, stone from the earth-we were a strong people, made tough and able to endure like stone. Our understanding grew and we fashioned stones into sharp edged instruments to employ in our daily lives, to defend and to hunt. We did this and found our place within the circle-we had no need of steel or the grief that always accompanies it. The age of steel had not yet come to us, and when it did we would be decimated.
In stone there is an affinity, an animism we recognized-in steel there is none-it is cold, impersonal, and above all indiscriminately deadly, belonging to a people completely unlike us, alien and different in ways we could not begin to understand. We are trapped in this age of steel now and we may never be the same again.
Our forward march was always in tune with the elements we were kindred to, a natural progression that went with the flow rather than against it, and so all things remained in the original balance Creator made.
The earth, the land, was the loving and beneficent mother whose breast we clung to and were nourished. We respected her, listened to, and understood the things she spoke to us. We neither pillaged or raped the land-we constructed no barriers, decimated the forests, befouled the air she exhaled for us to breathe, or ravaged her body for monetary gain. We were brother and sister to all who shared her bounty.
Now in our separation we do as others do, those places we live show the same blight as the inner cities-vacant abandoned buildings where the night crawlers gather, broken down rusting cars and trucks, refuse piled in proximity where we eat, sleep, and go about our lives with poorly clad children scrambling about the monuments of decline in play, and perhaps in search of some meaning.
It is not enough to accept and embrace the conditions the nations find themselves in, pride lost can be pride regained. Unwilling tribal councils should be circumvented and vacant decaying buildings razed- a tribal movement should begin to remove all this litter and the rusting monuments to the age of steel.
There is an undeniable responsibility that lays in accusation at the door of the oppressor, but likewise there is one that lies at the door of the nations-it is one thing to be beaten down and live in squalor without pride, it is another to be beaten down, live in squalor, and fight to retain some measure of pride.
It is fools errand to mark the days and wait for another to do something, it is a fools errand to mark the days and in an unwarranted act of reliance plead for the great black father to send a few blankets and trinkets to his distant children.
On this day while others gather at their tables to feast and give thanks for the destruction of the land, for a history fraught with betrayal, death, conquest, and greed, pause for a moment and remember who you are, where you came from, and more importantly where it is you would go-for now we have become like orphans, separated from the mother and not able to hear her voice as we once did-no longer nourished and suffering the loss for it. Casting about looking for direction, for the way home-failing to recognize that the mother dwells within us as is the way of all mothers, and in looking inward to find her we will find ourselves as well.
In the latest ruling by the presiding judge in the Graham trial common sense prevails
over the questionable motions of Graham’s defense. His discussions concerning his role
in the murder of Annie Mae with an individual he claims is a medicine man (which others
have disputed) will not be excluded under the same privilege of silence invoked by the
Catholic church in the rite of confession.
There will assuredly be the usual wailing and gnashing of teeth by the defense and the
Grahamites who will claim it is a violation of some sacred right that must upheld
at all costs-even at the expense of justice. This will come from the same crowd who
will, and have, railed against the Church and the injustice of boarding schools. They will
conveniently close their eyes to the past history of the slavery and wholesale slaughter enforced by this very entity the moment it set foot on this continent. They will ignore the Papal Bulls of conquest and develop a sudden ideological affinity with their former oppressors.
In the midst of this I would like for one of them to step forward and provide a single
example of when it was ever the way of any our spiritual leaders to condone or facilitate
rape and murder by invoking this ritual of the church to protect or remain silent in behalf
of anyone accused of such heinous crimes.
Grand jury testimony given by Gates in 1994 who died in 2003 will not be heard by the jury but nonetheless this opens several doors as you will see in following the link below.If they believe so strongly in this then let them get saved, become Christians, confess their sins, repent, and leave it all in Jesus’ hands.
http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/news/article_e44c045a-f6ca-11df-9bca-001cc4c03286.html
OPPRESSION:
1a : unjust or cruel exercise of authority or power b : something that oppresses especially in being an unjust or excessive exercise of power
2: a sense of being weighed down in body or mind :
There should be a designated blank space in this definition as presented in Webster’s labeled add name here-it would be a long and revealing list. Five hundred plus years of it, entire nations gone, languages lost, traditions and cermonies undergoing change, the ongoing theft of land.
Everyone is well aware of the familar antagonists-the government, the church, and hopefully an awareness of the new oppressors. Those who ransack and pillage communities like Wounded Knee and then flee the destruction while pointing the finger of blame everywhere but it’s righful place-themselves.
During one of Russell’s homilys about AIM, retirement, etc he made the statement he was proud of what AIM had “accomplished”, of his association with it. By extension that can only mean pride in the misery visited upon the Lakota people, pride in the suffering visited upon those of WK2 at his hands and those of AIM during that period.
That raises the question for me is there also pride in the abduction, beating, rape, and murder of Annie Mae? Is there a sense of pride for the murder of Ray Robinson and those who lie in unmarked graves? Was it pride that precluded attendance at Annie Mae’s burial and the ensuing decades of silence? What manner of pride motivated AIM to gather huge amounts of money in donations and what amounted to little more than coercion
in playing upon guilt and from which no real tangible results can be seen?
Is Dennis Banks proud of his association, his “service” as well? Is he proud of his silence on the issue of Annie Mae? Or his well known reputation for running when trouble comes? How about the children left behind, is that a source of pride, or the placing of women in harms way? Is he proud of the legacy of AIM, this entity he helped to create?
There is oppression and oppressors, both equally recognizable. In the desperation born of centuries of neglect and oppression trickster insinuated himself in the guise of those many self proclaimed heroes and did what he always does.The question is were the lessons learned?
AIM has never realized it’s potential and there is a great tragedy in that, not only for the people, but for the good hearts who labor anonymously within it’s ranks. When you find these good hearts among you offer them the praise and expressions of gratitude they so richly deserve, be supportive of them-for those others rebuke them and look away, close your ears to them and offer what they so richly deserve-nothing, save justice. As Joann Spotted Bear said-” to hell with Russell Means”, and I would add to hell with the entire bunch.
I think anyone familiar with the murder of Annie Mae and Wounded Knee 2 likewise
has some knowledge about Ray Robinson and the long standing accounts of unmarked graves.
Robinson’s wife had the devotion and courage to venture into the AIM stronghold seeking
answers when she personally met with Clyde Bellecourt and Dennis Banks in what could only be described as an exercise in futility. If they hadn’t been by the time of Annie’s and Ray’s murders the well rehearsed alibis and ensuing cover up were in full swing.
One would think Vernon, Clyde’s brother, and so called head of security would have had
a presence in that discussion and I’ve always wondered why he wasn’t there.
Vernon Bellecourt the former hairdresser, having set aside combs, hairspray, and favored clippers had proven that nepotism can be found anywhere in his ascension to a position of power within the ranks of AIM. I’ve always had this image of Vernon in the midst of strategy meetings and security concerns suddenly, compulsively, whipping out a comb and scissors to snip a little here, a little there, and coif the hair of those in attendance-kind of multi-tasking if you will.
What a motley crew this group comprised of former hair dressers, dance instructors, and ex cons who would lead AIM.
Cheryl Robinson, Ray’s widow, was abruptly left to struggle and raise their children on her
own and to this day has been unable to apply the healing balm of knowing the truth and where it is her husband lies.
There have been several accounts of a confrontation within WK between members of AIM and Robinson that led to him being shot at least once and apparently left to bleed out and die that can be found on the net.
Of interest is that a friend of Ray’s by the name of Janie Waller accompanied him to WK along with Emily Gordon and Gordon’s then boyfriend. Little if anything is heard of these individuals and I am of the opinion they quite possibly could shed some light on events as they occurred. In the aftermath I have often wondered why organizations like the NAACP or individuals like Sharpton and Jackson haven’t made an issue of the murder of Ray Robinson-they have considerably more influence than indigenous people do and that translates to political attention.
The CBFC-Congressional Black Caucus Foundation- not only has access to the power brokers in Washington but also represents a large voting demographic that unlike indigenous people can bring pressure to bear.
Of secondary importance is who leads this charge of discovery,whether it comes from indigenous people or any other ethnic group- what ultimately matters is the truth be known and those responsible be held to account.
Take a moment and visit their site at http://cbcfinc.org/ and request that they take an active role in this campaign for justice.
I never met Ray Robinson and it’s doubtful any who read this did-I also never met Annie Mae and think the majority of those who support justice for her ever did either. But that isn’t the issue, the issue is recognizing what people have done with their lifes, injustices done, and focusing on those.
Prejudice existed during the seventies just as it does now, and by all accounts their were those at WK who felt Ray was too “uppity”, that he should just bow his head, shuffle along, and say yasser massah-the very mindset that was proclaimed to be one of the reasons that gave rise to the birth of AIM.
WE all have our foibles and shortcomings, I’m sure Ray and Annie did as well, that makes them human and what they did accomplish all the more meaningful. A transcendent and moment of epiphany may come to each of us during our lifetime, whether we act on them or not will define us as human beings just as it did Ray and Annie………..likewise as it did the petty warlords of AIM who were satisfied to wallow in their lesser humanity.
“I took part in every firefight of the whole occupation while still carrying on my duties as a leader; I met with the other leaders, to help negotiate, to make decisions about food, clothing, housing, who we should let in or out, informers, supply trains, outside help and support and other activities I could be involved in for the success of our new nation. During the last few days I went alone to the bunkers at night to talk loudly or shine lights around to fool the enemy into thinking the bunkers were still occupied. During every firefight I
was either in the the bunkers or at the command post fighting. I was always available to the people for any decisions that had to be made. I had to make the decision not to bring in Buddy Lamont until late afternoon after
I knew he was killed in the early morning. I had to leave Ray’s life to fight alone in eagle bunker after he was shot through both legs. I did these things to save other Indian lives. I suffered the humiliation of the final surrender when I would rather have died on free Indian land.” – Carter Camp
Suffered humiliation? What of the dispossessed people of WK whose homes and personal possessions were ravaged?
What of the suffering and humiliation of Wilber Riegert, who aged and confined to a wheelchair was evicted from the trailer that was his home so the Assholes In Moccasins could have a little comfort, an office?
What of Agnes Gildersleeve, a Chippewa woman, and her eighty year old husband who were likewise evicted and held as prisoners while the sum total of their lives was destroyed? What of Annie and Ray-did they suffer? Is there a greater humiliation for a woman than to be beaten and raped?
Where is the shame, suffering, and humiliation that would prompt a human being to at some point in the aftermath make some effort of restitution, reconstruction, to assist those many who lost not only their homes and automobiles but the dignity no one had the right to forcefully take from them?
http://indiancountrynews.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=888&Itemid=66
http://legendofpineridge.blogspot.com/2009/05/perry-ray-robinsons-wife-cheryl-writes.html
The definition of a warrior-I think it a universal one: in the noun form it has been described as “a brave or experienced soldier or fighter”.
A single word in this definition excludes Dennis Banks-that word is brave. Warriors don’t flee with their tail tucked between their legs as has been the legacy of Banks every time a woman was at risk and a warrior would have stood his ground.
There is a long an honorable history of warriors forfeiting their own life for the protection of women-not handing them a weapon and telling them to cover their ass while they make good their escape.
Banks is the true marathon man, the true Forrest Gump, who tirelessly runs the length and breadth of the continent, running and denial are in his blood. I like that line from Gump about stupid is as stupid does-in Gump’s defense though he had a good heart and was a man.
Banks has been quoted as saying “When you have a spiritual foundation, you look at poverty differently then.” I would ask where is this spiritual foundation that seals the mouth of any when it comes to Annie Mae, or those who lie in unmarked graves at WK2? Where is the spiritual foundation that provides the comforts of a warm house and three meals a day when so many others have so much less?
Gandhi led an entire nation to freedom and owned only what he wore, a few books, a cup and a bowl to eat to drink and eat from-that’s a spiritual foundation. He didn’t brand and market Leech Lake rice or maple syrup under his name for personal profit.
He didn’t run from rez to rez seeking sanctuary, flee his country, or ever leave a woman in distress. An Ojibwe warrior? maybe when pigs fly.
Was this spiritual foundation bestowed by the “Professor of the Universe” Crow Dog, who has reduced himself to a website featuring him doing his pantomime with cloned in hawks flitting about in the background and faux thunder and rain in yet another attempt by that bunch to attach themselves to the gravy train? Let’s not forget that it was Crow Dog who in a fit of anger when Annie confronted him about the presence of alcohol at ceremonies that threw her out of “paradise” and branded her a snitch. Maybe it’s just me but I fail to see a spiritual foundation that would include a “monetary gifts” option and offer dvds for sale with the appropriate button attached to it. Sounds a lot like those televangelists.
Leaders lead, they don’t abandon and run. Leaders protect, not join in cover ups, or undermine the search for justice. And more importantly fathers are exactly that.. a father, and one who honors the mother.
“In sworn testimony, both Nichols and John Trudell, a former AIM chairman, have testified that in late February of 1976 Banks personally told them that a body discovered in the ravine was that of Aquash. This is curious, since the FBI did not positively identify the body until March 3.”
“In recounting his numerous encounters with celebrity, Banks proves once again what a truly bizarre country we live in. At one point, when he’s on the run from the law, Marlon Brando–with Harry Belafonte by his side!–gives Banks $10,000 in cash and the keys to his motor home. That act perhaps undermines Banks’s rather melodramatic characterization of his predicament at that time: “Kamook and I had become fugitives with all hands raised against us.” All hands, that is, except for those handing over 10 grand and an RV.” Money-a common denominator in all of this, and almost from day one.
Banks story is a common one as spoken by the AIM leaders of that time-their hands are clean, they are victims of a fed conspiracy, everything they ever did was the with best interests of their people, and ultimately they are modern day warriors in the finest tradition. If you don’t believe that just ask them. The truth of it is all such claims share a another commonality-that being their credibility is suspect.
The problem with being an Ostrich and thinking if you stick your head in the ground no one will see you is that your ass is left exposed for all to see- that’s enough to make a person go blind, so on second thought maybe the Ostrich knows something I don’t.
http://www.imdiversity.com/villages/native/news/dill_aquash_ostriches_AIM.asp http://www.swnkacangi.com/movies/movie_eng.html
“We can contend with the evil that men do in the name of evil, but heaven protect us from what they do in the name of good”.- Erodius
Seems as though Russell has been taking some hits lately and the silence is deafening from one who loves to hear the sound of his own voice. Little wonder though as yes Annie was taken to “kill’s” house a captive, and yes he has said the call authorizing Annie’s murder was received there, and yes Russell did say he knew who murdered her but upon his honor isn’t at liberty to say so.
Maybe it is unrealistic to expect anything more than silence at this date and better to leave him to his ruminations for the time being. No doubt there will be a knock at his door soon enough-if not maybe another look will be in order at the rumors that he is the real inside man as another has posted on the net.
I have heard people refer to Ronald Reagan as the Teflon man that nothing would stick to-
Russell’s enjoyed a long run of this Teflon coating himself, as has the Ojibwe Warrior Dennis Banks, but the veneer is peeling away and showing the rust beneath.
This time it isn’t Moses who gets to break the tablets of inspired and divine revelation but the ones he brings to them to, the people themselves. Humpty Dumpty has had a great fall and all of the cronies and cohorts are so concerned about taking a fall themselves they can’t put poor Humpty back together again.
On more than one occasion I have suggested that the AIM leadership of the sixties and seventies be prosecuted under the federal RICO statutes that deal with organized crime-there are a few in this number who seem tailor made for the godfather statutes.
I’m sure they would argue that isn’t in keeping with tradition, but the reality is little they
have done is in keeping with tradition and they can’t have it both ways-though they seem to think it is their due for exceptions to be made.
What this group has engineered over decades is nothing less than astounding and I am continually amazed at the prolonged free ride they have enjoyed. There is a Lakota word, wasicu, that translates to someone who takes the prime cut, the best for themselves. It is a favored word when speaking in a disparaging way of whites, but I think Russell, Dennis, and the rest of the bunch fit the definition well as they have dined upon the best cut and left the spam, peanut butter, and processed cheese for the people they claim to love and serve. So much personal sacrifice in being a champion and a patriot, and while it’s true their social security benefits might be small such a statement fails to address royalties,
residuals, and honorariums from those many public appearance, literary efforts, and theatrical ventures-not to mention the odd donation or two.
Hard to cry poor mouth when those are factored in and I think are there many who would exchange economic circumstances with them.
They eat well and sleep warm while children and old ones in their proximity can not make the same claim. Their houses do not have broken windows with cardboard taped over them or rags stuck in them that fail to keep the misery out. When the propane truck comes they never lack for money or are on the waiting list. If there is a delay for delivery due to weather or some other variable, or an electrical failure, they have the luxury of backup generators-which fittingly so I am given to understand are on occasion “liberated” by those of the lower income bracket. Not supporting theft in any manner, but I do support justice in it’s many forms.
And yet they do the walks for justice, shed the appropriate tears in taped interviews to show the extent of their grief over the poverty of their people, create countless videos proposing all the solutions only they have, and burden the world with their literary efforts and self promotion.
If I were able to I would send a supply of Preparation H to all of them in these trying times as surely they must be experiencing a profound and well deserved pain in their collective asses about now.
But as I am unable to do so the next best thing I can do is to offer an opinion that they should put a cork in it-literally.
There is talk now that those with information about the murder of Ray Robinson may be stepping forward at last. I hope this is the way of it and his family and widow can have closure and peace after nearly four decades.
Annie Mae has become the rallying cry, but we must not forget Ray Robinson and those who lie in unmarked graves as they were no less the victims of a criminal organization circa that era which engaged in criminal activities, and justice served does not end with Annie Mae, it begins.
I would point out for any of those who follow the link that the Mohawk Industries mentioned in the article is not related to the Kanienkehaka nation or any of the others that comprise the Six Nations Confederacy.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racketeer_Influenced_and_Corrupt_Organizations_Act
http://legendofpineridge.blogspot.com/2008/01/grandma-gildersleeves-words-rise-from.html
I think it’s fairly obvious why the LPDOC and Free Graham insist on attempting to link themselves to the pursuit of justice for Annie Mae despite being told repeatedly to take the dog and pony show elsewhere.
Apparently it is intended to be a smokescreen and make people think they really are on to something about the innocence of the sorry specimens they advocate for. Another more mercenary motivation may have to do with donations to the “fund”, as I’m of the opinion if they had to rely solely on Peltier and Graham as poster boys they might well be eating lunch at the soup kitchen.
What really interests me is knowing how much has been generated over the years and exactly where it has gone. I’m assuming they operate as a 501c and if this is so then I further assume they are subject to some form of oversight and audit.
Are there salaries, expense accounts, per diems? If so who benefits from that and why? Are there career considerations in this advocacy-is it a job to be held onto in this time of financial chaos? Are there perks like benefits packages containing health insurance, vacations, and accrued time off? Is the structure modeled after AIM with titles? Maybe something along the lines Minister of Defense, the Office of Procurement, Director
of Propaganda, Overseer of Off Shore Accounts?
Another thing I wonder about is are there any indigenous attorneys, any tribal attorneys, who lead the defense in the court rooms? If not I wonder why-are they not perceived as being qualified, intelligent enough, or do they merely wish to associate themselves with valid causes?
The state of Peltier’s health is made mention of often, if we are to believe it to be factual minus exaggeration I would say no person should be denied proper treatment just as no man or woman should be murdered in cold blood.
If any entity, local, state, or federal, assumes and exercises the authority to imprison a person there is an inherent responsibility in doing so in a humane way that insures that proper living conditions and health care are provided. If they do not they have the same liability as does any individual who fails to do so and can claim no moral ascendency.
It is not cruel and unusual punishment to imprison someone for the cruelty of cold blooded murder, it is if this imprisonment fails to execute it’s duty. Thirty plus years is a long time behind bars, but then it’s along time as well to lie moldering in the ground and those you loved to suffer.
This thirty plus years is often presented as a grave injustice but I submit it is not, that the real injustice is the identical time the victims were denied to live their lives and the joys and experiences it could have brought them.
This was a double murder that received two consecutive life sentences-that’s consecutive, one to follow the other, and these thirty plus years though often touted as some sort of record are not. Robert Stroud, also known as the Birdman of Alcatraz, spent a total of 54 years in federal prisons until his death in 1963 I believe it was. He shared many of the characteristics and violent history of Peltier, and like Peltier a movie was made portraying him as something other than what he was.
This is a man who was on the run from charges of attempted murder in Wisconsin, add to that Williams and Coler, the charges in Oregon, and the episode involving the interrogation of Annie Mae where he stuck a gun in her mouth and what is left? Are we all to assume Peltier has been a perennial victim his entire life, that the powers that be just didn’t like this poor soul? That’s bs and we all know it- it’s time for the pocket books to close and the money tree to wither for it surely is stuffing money down a rat hole that could actually help those more deserving. More than that it’s time for Peltier to be a man.
And Graham, what of Graham? Another loser who can’t maintain either his story or his alibi over time. A bottom feeder who was little more than a gofer and a pawn for those who didn’t have the guts to do their own dirty work.
This pathetic caricature of a man, this miserable woman beating, rapist, murderer who has the ignorance and audacity to speak about his rights when he denied Annie Mae the most fundamental of her own-the right to live.
The saddest of commentaries is that any woman would advocate for this piece of trash. My sympathies lie not with him but with his family-they are the ones who will need help, and they suffer the injustice he makes claim to.
A giant from another dark skinned race, a man from Lebanon, Kahlil Gibran, authored several books of prose like Sand and Foam, and A Tear And a Smile, The Broken Wings, among others. The one he is most noted for is entitled The Prophet, and the message it carries transcends the boundaries of race and culture. I’m not sure but I think it can found in it’s entirety on the net.
The Prophet is divided into chapters that deal with the aspects of life like work, children, and justice as an example. Some may be dismissive based upon the word prose but this is not your standard roses are red violets are blue, what is contained
within the pages is a lyrical, easily understood, and deeply profound essay about the elements of humankind-the words have an undeniable and universal application.
I am not a fan of poetry in general but I have a well worn, earmarked copy of this book The Prophet and a sense that there is a sacredness about it. I would encourage any to read it.
“Work is love made visible. And if you cannot work with love but only with distaste, it is better that you should leave your work and sit at the gate of the temple and take alms of those who work with joy. “
There has been enough of this sitting at the temple of subsidies, there is a great purpose and honor that comes with work and the ability to provide by ones own efforts. I know job opportunities are scarce but work can also be defined by helping others or tilling and planting a small personal garden, better yet a communal one where all share in the labor and the rewards. Communal efforts to clean up an area will promote not only strong bonds but instill a sense of pride and maybe lighten the load a little- it will have a direct impact on children and provide an example for them that even in darkness a candle can be lit , and it has always been the way and the responsibility of the people to do so.
“Generosity is giving more than you can, and pride is taking less than you need.”
This has always been the great strength of the nations-to give and to put others first. There is no more meaningful effort than personal sacrifice-it is the basis of the sun dance and the willingness of every warrior who ever rode forth in defense of his people. Bullets, arrows, or a stick to dig in the ground to plant in the hopes of feeding a child-I see little difference in the motivation. “You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give.”
“You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth. Your children are not your children. They are the sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself. They came through you but not from you and though they are with you yet they belong not to you.”
This too is a thing the nations have always known-that children are not property but a sacred trust and duty. A duty paramount above all others. I have heard an axiom that you will know a man by the manner in which he treats his dog or his horse.
There is a truth in that but the greater truth will be seen in the manner he treats his children and the mother of those children. Likewise a woman as they are not exempt from this responsibility. We are this bow that draws the string that sends the child forth
and our aim must be purposeful and with good intent. Any fool can produce children, but to be a father and a mother is a different matter, and if one is not up to it better to be a eunuch than to condemn an innocent to a half life. “Keep me away from the wisdom
which does not cry, the philosophy which does not laugh and the greatness which does not bow before children.”
“The most pitiful among men is he who turns his dreams into silver and gold.”
People of the nations are neither fools nor ignorant -history that stretches back to the beginning of time attests to that as do rich and vibrant culture and traditions. We have not gone Where White Men Fear to Tread-they have gone every where, even to the moon-the difference is we have not left a path of destruction in our wake.
There should be a sense of pride and comfort in this-we seek balance, harmony, and coexistence in those places we live-not dominance and the raping and pillaging of the land or of our brother. Anyone can be fooled and there is no shame in being human in
that aspect-the shame comes in being tricked and embracing it.
This biblical story of Judas who sells himself and his brothers for silver has not been an isolated incident, there have always been ones such as these, a Judas goat to lead their people in the wrong direction, and it is an eternal truth they are the ones who profit. You have a mind and a voice- use them. You would claim the strength and wisdom of heritage-then let it be so. Broken wings can be healed.
A great man, aged and wise, who the women affectionately refer to as memeehe said it is better to dig with a stick in the ground to plant than to let the little ones go hungry. Among the Onondaga they have a saying-one bowl, one spoon, that speaks to the relationship between a man and a woman and by extension their family and people.
These simple words speak volumes and address not only food but the nourishment that is required for a people to survive.
One bowl, one spoon, better to dig with a stick- this is about responsibility, paternal, maternal, and communal. Too many times in the resistance to farming I’ve heard
it said “we aren’t farmers”, my response to that is neither is the hungry child, or the old one who can not feed themselves, so is it better for them to suffer because “we aren’t farmers”? Will talk of past glories and different times fill an empty belly?
“We” aren’t a lot of things we once were-like free and independent, but it’s for damn sure we were never intended to be allotment, commodities, and handout recipients.”We” were never drunks, substance abusers, wannabe gangbangers, or willful absentee fathers.
Our women were never abused or abused themselves with the same evils. It is an easy choice, some form of dignity or dependency?
Well fed children and families, or hunger and deprivation.? Is the provision of these basics like adequate food, warmth, and a stable family enviroment the warrior way so much air time is given to? It sure as hell is.
