300

Closing in on 300 signatures on the Annie petition and moving forward-gratitude and respect to all who have signed.

300-no exclusive men’s club here, men and women standing together and defending.

A number Russell became so enamored of following the movie 300 he even began claiming there were no more than 300 warriors at the Big Horn-this despite eyewitness accounts of those who participated- accounts coming from our own.

Wonder how he’s liking that number now-wonder if he will liken this 300 to the 300 Spartans-what about when it doubles, triples, what then- more silence, another e prayer, another matriarchy rant or project in the hopes of creating a diversion?

Welcome to the new Homeland Security Russell, Dennis, and Leonard.

 

 

CIVILIZATION AND CHRISTIAN SOLDIERS

NO PIPE WITHIN………………A CHALICE, BATHED IN THE BLOOD OF OUR PEOPLE

ALTAR AT ST.IGNATIUS ON THE FLATHEAD REZ

Sometimes when hiking about I have found myself in an area that seems so remote as to be primeval, and entertain a momentary thought that maybe it is a place no one has been before-but then reality and the understanding sets in that it is doubtful so much as a single place exists that hasn’t felt the footsteps of man, heard his voice, the voices of women and children, witnessed their  comforts and afflictions.

It is an innocent little fantasy though, a momentary daydream that then leads to wondering about those who passed through before.

What were they like, where were they going? Were they on the hunt-did they live or seek shelter nearby? Were they pursuers or being pursued?

Did they view their surroundings with the same appreciation and awe as I do? The same  wonder?

Sometimes evidence is found-a dime size shard of pottery, a large flat rock where a few flakes may be found left from the making of arrowheads, even a meticulously crafted bird point on one occasion.

But I leave such things as they lay-because they belong to the land now and the memory of other children it gave birth to-a mother’s mementos, keepsakes perhaps to be stumbled upon but never to be taken, never to be stolen.

I think there is a value in examining such things-something to learn and appreciate,and in safeguarding them, but who would take that lock of hair, an old toy, a mother they know may have saved and in doing so violate the memories?

And what of the living memories of earlier children, the uncontacted tribes that are seen as an impediment, novelties, that stand in the way of progress and greed?

When the connection to the land is broken, either by choice or force, it is the first step in a journey to decline-for indigenous people this foreign version of civilization has been anything but progress, it is increasingly making orphans and caricatures of us.

Not just us, but everyone should ask themselves what is civilization?

Is it an orderly community living harmoniously within it’s environment, or concrete buildings, wires and pipes running everywhere, the noise  and stress of it all, smog, blaring boom boxes,  genocide, and being surrounded in the majority by nameless faces you will never know?

Is it, has it been, the burning of books, Inquisitions, polgroms, toxins, polluted ground water, never ending wars, and nuclear waste?

The dependency upon others for lighting, heat, water, clothing,food, or even the ability to travel?

We have always had an awareness of time-the passage of days and seasons- we’ve lived and been influenced according to them-but never down to the hour and minute-never so controlled by the second, minute, or hour hand- the date on the calendar.

Never having to wait for the first of the month to roll around so we can eat or pay those bills that define us as hostages to a system referred to as civilization.

But then here we all find ourselves…civilized, and trying to make the best  of it. No longer savages, saved from ourselves to endure a greater savagery.

Delivered by the hands of Christian soldiers marching off to war…..hallelujah and thank you Jesus-when do the good times begin-how far are we from the land of milk and honey?

Onward Christian soldiers, marching as to war
With the cross of Jesus going on before
Onward then, ye people, join our happy throng
Blend with ours your voices in a triumph song

“join our happy throng”

If there are Christians reading this and they take offense I would say if they bear no personal responsibility they shouldn’t-if they do then their offense has no value.

http://ravallirepublic.com/news/state-and-regional/article_d3fb23a3-6a43-5c78-87e1-0e2649e50c8f.html

FULL CIRCLE

Been having a few exchanges with a friend about phytoremediation and related topics-and in that vein just received some links regarding the state of Oregon’s reaction to permaculture from another.

Doesn’t surprise me much despite the audacity, as I’ve long held that people who stress going green overlook what will be the response to it if it isn’t a corporate windfall. If they aren’t able to manipulate, control, and charge for it.

This country more than any other on the face of this planet is about greed-everything is either a “service” accompanied by  a charge or it is viewed as taxable-everything has a cost.

The airways are already controlled by who is able to broadcast and how much it costs for the “privilege”-likewise with air traffic.

The government has a history of claiming mineral rights and a priority to land with things like imminent domain.

Interestingly the “law” at the same time recognizes that if you have a neighbor with a fruit tree that intrudes on your property you have the right to avail yourself of fruit on your side of the fence -you can also trim the  “offending” limbs and branches-but apparently such things like rain, that neither the state or government produce, is now said to belong to them and access isn’t the way of it.

The reality is that people are viewed in only two ways-a ballot, and a source of revenue, with just enough crumbs tossed to them to create the illusion of being free- of being “represented”-and you have to admit it is a formula with a remarkable longevity.

As an indigenous person I can only say we created none of this mess, that “honor” falls to the “critical thinkers”, party sycophants, politicians,and the intellectuals who have placed the ring in everyone’s nose and the manacles on anything they might own or earn.

So how’s that working out for all of you? Your ancesters came and took everything they could lay their hands on and now their progeny are taking it all from you. Is that ironic or what-has it come full circle?

Remember that the next time you swoon over a candidate-look at the voting records, legislation, and understand they serve others than you.

We’ve seen for generations what they can do, and “it ain’t nothin’ nice”.

STABLE BOWS

Your children will become who you are; so be who you want them to be.

I saw this quote and believe it is true in the vast majority of cases-it’s something to think about.

We set the examples for our children-we are the role models-they are sponges that absorb everything-the good and the bad. There is a time in their life when in their own way they want to be us.

It is a huge responsibility and the most important one adults will face.

Some may overcome an abusive childhood, but it will leave permanent scars they will carry with them for the rest of their lives.

Some will be born with fetal alcohol syndrome or drug addictions, some will be born into crushing poverty, some will be cast aside or seen as burdens, some will never have the opportunity to draw that first breath-but  in the end not a one of them asked to be born into such conditions-not a  one of them wants to be a burden or cast aside.

They desire one thing-to be loved, and for the parent(s) to do the best by them they are capable of-doesn’t seem like much in comparison to what they give in return does it?

Our children need us desperately, they need us to provide the right examples and place their welfare above our own-they need to know they are loved and have our approval,that their home environment is one of stability and free of negative influences, that their parents love and respect each other and share common goals.

They need to know that it is always better to do the right thing and lose than to do the wrong thing and win.

“You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth.
The Archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite, and He bends you with His might that His arrows may go swift and far.
Let your bending in the archer’s hand be for gladness; for even as He loves the arrow that flies, so He loves also the bow that is stable.” Kahlil Gibran

Stable bows and a sacred trust.

 

 

THE SACRED LAND 2

Some of my blogs get linked around the net and are either favorably received or not-seems as though many comments regarding differing opinions are expressed elsewhere-I don’t have a problem with that, but sometimes after being notified of such I feel compelled to address them in some manner here.

I find it interesting that comments related to The Sacred Land focus on the issues of meth and suicide  while failing to acknowledge or mention that this occurs under the “watch” of “mighty  warriors” and “liberators”.

Or that these mighty warriors and liberators, unlike warriors and the akicita of old, aren’t doing much to address them-I can’t help but wonder how it works that such a title could be given to them -how such a claim is made?

What part of tradition is this supposed to represent other than  the internet version?

What part of tradition is it that allows the abuse and rape of women and children, of gangs roaming freely and holding their communities hostage?

What part of tradition is it to blame everything and everyone in lieu of the perpetrators and taking personal responsibility?

What part of tradition glorifies the murderers of any woman, the  destruction of a community,unmarked graves, the makeover from a common thug to imprisoned martyr, any silence in the pursuit of justice, theft, drug use and dealing, scamming, kidnapping, or taking hostages of your own people?

Those who apparently think this is all part and parcel of what it means to be “mighty warriors” have no understanding of traditional  values or what defines a warrior-only the standard internet line,  AIM fables, or some concocted version they’ve been told that for whatever reason resonates with them.

It is the new tradition of conspiracy, feds, victimization, rats and moles that wipes the slate clean.

I’m all to familiar with the conditions and problems our people face  on and off the rez -but I have not, nor will I ever resort to employing them as a cover story or exoneration for any wrong I might personally do.

Neither will I enable another to exonerate themselves via the victim defense or utilize it as a marketing ploy in my presence.

No one owns me but me-no one can make me commit a wrong-I am not a puppet with strings attached that allows me to be manipulated against my will.

I am a man, and responsible for what I do. As a man I’m not into denial or looking for an easy out.

I will not refer to anyone, man or woman, who perpetuates such conditions through silence or their own actions as a warrior or a liberator, and I could give a damn what their name is, their ancestry,  who they think they are, or any title they may carry or have given themselves.

These problems are familiar miseries on every rez -it should be obvious that no nation is being singled out by me-only those within each who are deserving-and so again, if that’s a problem for anyone I don’t give a damn about that either.

ADDENDUM:

A reality is that two daughters are fighting for justice for their mother and the best the mighty warriors have to offer is to call them pigs and feds-another reality is that hair braiding pie patrollers choose to ignore the reality of what their “sisters” face and in doing so dismiss the plight of indigenous women-that is the definition of  sell out.

I had a discussion with three indigenous women today and it really opened my eyes-the sense of insecurity and apprehension they have directed towards men in their own community-the understanding that statistically they are a candidate for rape or abuse more than any other ethnic demographic, and the need they feel to always, always, be aware of their surroundings when out an about.

If that is what being a “warrior” has come to mean then I’ll burn my red card-it is a disgrace, an indictment against communities that allow it exist.

Are there good men among nations? There sure are, but they are  increasingly becoming outnumbered, and it is past time to take a stand to save what is left.

All this denial, this internet bs is killing us-it is another one of the stakes the liberators have been trying to drive into the back of the nations for decades.

And all of it for what? Some celebrity, money, petty fiefdoms, the chance to make and upload a video talking about being a warrior, a liberator, a traditionalist, what?

THE SACRED LAND

“Such the big shame this is and we have done nothing to deserve to be treated for this way.”

This above comment made by M+J in The Most Victimized Group In America blog that indigenous women have done nothing to deserve the decline in status and the abuses that followed has haunted me.

I see it as a plaintive cry, an expression of a collective misery given voice, a mourning song sweeping across Indian country-and a great shame heaped upon the nations that is suffocating us one and all.

We speak of the land as the mother who gives life and sustains us-it is the ultimate truth-and among the nations our women are the land-land where seeds are planted, land that nurtures and produces our continuation, and insures that we will remain.

A land that has always been the repository of tradition-and always respected for the gifts it provides.

For all our talk of a spiritual awareness, of love and respect for the land and our women-we are showing little evidence of it-the rez is littered with trash-beer cans and wine bottles everywhere, rusting broken down vehicles, garbage piled up and left for children to play in-vacant crumbling houses whose sole purpose now is to be inhabited by the night crawlers.

Little wonder then that women are shown the same “love” and “respect” in this type of environment. Little wonder they are being buried under a pile of garbage by men who talk about native pride and warriors.

But all this talk of spirituality, matriarchy, pride, and warriors is the internet standard while the reality is something entirely different isn’t it?

It serves a purpose to stand in defense of sacred sites-to notify the media to insure their presence-but I say it is a charade when we will not stand in defense of the sacred land our women represent.

THE MOST VICTIMIZED GROUP IN AMERICA

Rebecca Joe (Left) and Lucinda Redhouse (Right) of the ‘Navajo Nation Advisory Council Against Domestic Violence’ lead the ‘Stop Violence Against Women’ walk in Window Rock, Arizona.

The documentary , Rape on the Reservation, of June 2010,was up for a while and then taken down-Vanguard has elected to make it accessible again and it should be required  viewing.

It is important for people to watch this, and then in doing so ask themselves why those who are attempting to own the matriarchy issue for notoriety and profit aren’t proactively involved in addressing it.

Why so called warrior societies opt to focus on the low hanging fruit of other issues and not this.

Nine percent of the population and forty percent of all the sexual assault cases in SD. What does that say to the reader-what does it say about the liberators who avoid addressing it? Is this your idea of leadership, of noble warriors?

“How often do you answer a sexual assault call”…….”almost every time I go out”

This shunning of sexual assault victims spoken of in the video sounds a lot like what goes on in the Middle East where a rape victim can be imprisoned, stoned, flogged, or expected to commit suicide.

The next time you hear someone liken Palestine to the rez consider the similarities they share in this area-that and the fact that it is  perpetrated by a patriarchal code of male dominance.

Consider also the talk of loving and respecting women-of matriarchy as a for a profit commodity…. and know it all for the sham it is.

The game is to externalize all blame-on the one hand claiming to be mighty warriors and yet presenting the mea culpa that the warrior is so weak as to be driven by everything but a warriors code.

“Of Native American women murdered, over 75% were killed by a family member, an acquaintance, or someone they knew.”

“Native American women are the most victimized group in America”

 

http://aihc1998.tripod.com/violence.html

http://current.com/shows/vanguard/92468120_rape-on-the-reservation.htm

JOKERS WILD

I don’t play a lot of card games, and of those I do Poker isn’t one them.

But I’m given to understand that sometimes the Joker, or Jokers, are included and introduces an entirely different element to the game-a certain unpredictability, and even tension.

Shape shifters in a sense, capable of wreaking havoc and separating one from their money in short order-their presence and intent is only know when they are turned face up and their intention is declared or exposed. An intent that can be devastating or comical.

Ordinarily a deck of cards comes with two jokers, but the nations have found themselves confronting a stacked deck filled with Jokers-none of them innocent, none of them playing a harmless game.

But then I’ve seen “Genuine Native American” Tarot cards as well.

DISTRACTION

How easily distracted people can become-for some is it that ninety nine cent burger offered by the Liberators and Peltierites -their sleight of hand involving a deck of cards they shuffle and deal from.

To the best of my knowledge no toys or trinkets are offered with the .99 center-only a book of fairy tales.

It’s that pink slime we’ve heard so much about lately-their version of Soylent Green packaged as USDA prime with one hand on the scale as they dispense it, and the other in your pocketbook.

Real tradition- an example of that “spirituality”  and “patriotism” they love to drone on about.

Some people are addicted to junk food-to ingesting everything that is bad for them-the logic in doing so escapes me, but it is nonetheless a reality.

Some parents will give their children alcohol or drugs-I see little difference in that and giving them the liberator .99center, as both are destructive, and neither adhere to truth in labeling.

Don’t forget to opt for the fry bread dessert of E-prayers and books-maybe a little syrup to pour on it as well.

A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT

( Click to enlarge and then zoom)

I’m inclined to view life as an ever changing landscape we traverse -filled with wonders, mountains to scale, and valleys to rest in.

Sometimes lush and sometimes arid, but the motion is always forward in that we age, that we haven’t the ability to stop or reverse time.

This journey is subject to many variables and influences, some of our own making and others not- but our state of mind, the person we are, will determine their influence and how we deal  with them.

If we are grounded then we will bend and not break-if we are not we will be uprooted and swept away.

Even in the midst of difficult  times I attempt to maintain a positive outlook-to understand that life is a river that carries us along from the moment of conception until our departure.

Sometimes we swim against the flow out of necessity or due to making the wrong choices-but if we know where it is we would go  the current can become a friend traveling with us until we reach our destination.

The above photo has always been a favorite spot of mine-a place to swim, to explore, and to share with others-added a little HDR processing to it to make it “pop” as they say.

I read a book once by Hermann Hesse titled Siddhartha-it’s about a man seeking to discover himself, to understand the meaning of life-in his old age after having spent his life searching for the answers the story concludes with him sitting on the banks of a river watching it flow by and understanding.

I’ve come to understand many things in sitting by this river or in wandering the forests-life and the river, both with lessons to teach-both speak to a continuity of our people-of belonging and being an integral part.

That we cannot construct dams or obstacles for ourselves, nor allow others to.