Are you an Indian Activist?

[WhoMe]

Last week a young women came by telling me she had just finished reading two books about Indian history. She was not Native but had grown up in Grand Forks, North Dakota and had witnessed acts of racism and descrimation first hand toward the Indians on her campus. This young woman was full of energy, genuinely concerned and willing to dedicate her life to helping Indian people as an activist.

She was asking for advice on how to get involved as an activist of Native issues.

I let her know that Indian activism had it's heyday in the 1970's and that most Indians and Indian organizations today seek attention to their issues in more conventional manners such as email communications and personal visits to policy makers and gatekeepers who affect the future of Native people.

My personal opinion is that Indian activism (Red Power and the American Indian Movement) had its place alongside the Black Power and the feminist movements of the 70's. The unconventional means of Native take overs and protests brought the media and ultimately the American public's attention to issues long withstanding and affecting Indigenous people.

Do you know of Indian activists that I may direct this young person to?
If so, what issues are they championing?

Should Indian activism through protests and takeovers be revived?

Is Indian activism a passe' thing that has outlived its time?

How else can Native people raise social awareness to critical issues including but not limited to: High unemployment, poor health care, high infant mortality, estreme drop out rates, substance abuse, inadequate housing, domestic violence, inequitable economic disparities compared to other Americans, etc, etc, etc?

[SuzzeQ4]

Send her to Canada. June 24th is this years National Day of Action where Indians all over canada hold protests bringing attention to issues such as unceeded land, land claims, the 60's scoop, residential school, lack of safe drinking water and schools on rez, etc. There is also the walk for Justice. I think it's based in BC but it goes across canada. There are often blocades, especially in the summer. I am waiting to hear if one is happeneing up in central Ontario this summer...can't say where yet, waiting on one Last meeting to be schedualed before it's a go and strangers are not on the call list, to likely to end up with infiltraters that way. I think if she searched Shawn Brant on facebook there are some groups that support him that will be able to direct her.

[Grits & Beans]

does anybody know if they still do the mankato run the day after christmas to remember the 38 dakota?

[Oldernighthawk]

Are , how about the so called teachers in the schools that take it upon themselves to change a childs name because they do not know how to spell it? Then they obtain another birth certificate to hide their ignorance. Is unreasonable to push that every one be treated the same , and fairly? Any teacher who cann't find out how to spell a childs name is un fit to hold a teaching certificate . May be I have disliked the power that teachers too much from the time that I wrote my answers in cursive to a spelling test in the first grade and even though I didn't mispell any words I got a zero on the test and a whiping when I got home . The teacher said that if anything I turned in was not printed then it was a zero .

[dabunnywabbit]

I am an activist

I am a daily activist for the Native American in my area. I don't protest, but speak positively about issues that come to my attention. I have many Native American friends (Odawa, Chippewa, Cherokee) that I have attended our local college with. Many are actively speaking out on issues that affect them and their families. Many have had drug problems, alcohol abuse, and other medical issues in their families. Activism is a day-to-day living process. It is speaking out against the injustices that Native American and non-natives face.
I am from Chippewa-Cherokee backgrounds and have been learning more and more about my past family. I encourage everyone to take a stand against all injustice that they come up against or see concerning anyone. That is what each one of are to do. We must begin seeing all people as they are, not with color. "the loving eyes of the LORD are blind to color; HE only sees the heart!"
"Trust in the LORD with all thine heart, and HE will give you the desires of your heart!"
Chris Seibel
Petoskey, Michigan
[email protected]

[dabunnywabbit]

this is not tolerated in our schools here

This broke my heart when I read it, and I just want you to know that it would not be tolerated in our schools here in my city. I just received my Assoc Degree in Early Childhood Education, and did my student-teaching in one of our local elementary schools here. We had 2 Native American children and we had to learn how to spell and pronounce each one correctly. They are very intelligent children and they are treated no different than all the other non-native children are. We also had one special needs child in our classroom.
I believe that our population for Native Ameircans here in our city is quite high, almost 50 percent of the population. They have many advantages here that they would not receive in a larger city. Our natives don't live on a reservation here, but most live amongst the rest of the population.
I am from Chippewa-Cherokee background,and feel privileged to bring some teaching to the students in my classroom. I will always endeavor to stop any kind of discrimination of any child that is having difficulty in their lives. It is most unfair to judge any child by their culture or color. I will always be a child advocate wherever I go or serve.
I am sorry that this had to happen to you and hope that you will not allow this to stop you from being the person that the LORD intended you to be. You can be anything you want, and you can achieve anything you want to in your life, if you just believe in yourself! :-)
Chris Seibel
Petoskey, Michigan
[email protected]

[OLChemist]

You really should not post personal information including email addresses publicly. Internet security aside, websites are routinely scanned by a variety of data gathering bots. By posting email addresses you're inviting a ton of spam.

[WhoMe]

Yesterday, a man and his two sons came by. The man was wearing an American Indian Movement (AIM) t-shirt. I asked him where he is from and he said El Salvador. This kind of took me back as I thought he was a Native from N. America.

I asked him how he got the shirt. He said he was an activist in his country. He was also involved internationally with the Free Leonard Peltier Coalition. He said he had hooked up with AIM members to bring international attention to human rights abuses in his country.

One of these abuses was his government's ability to hire traditional enemies of a tribe that did not support the President and make them military police. In turn these military police were murdering the Indigenous opponents of the government thoughout his country.

As our conversation progressed I asked him what he did for a living. He said he was a master percussionist. I told him that I was also a percussionist. I brought two of my drums out. One from the Pacific Northwest and one from the Pueblos of the southwest.

He shared the rhythms of one of the seven tribes of El Salvador. Then he sang me a song using these unique drum rhythms. It was a song of rememberance that was mean't to be passed along to future generations so that they would always remember the abuses of the Conquestadors on his people.

The song spoke of a conquestador who impregnated a native woman. When the child was born, it became a spirit and went to live in ashes. This child's spirit is still seen today in the fires of his people.

Hiding important cultural information in nonthreatening ways seemed to be a trait of the indigenous people of the Americas as a form of activism and survival. I shared with him that at one point the US government forbid Native peoples from conducting ceremonies and confiscated religious articles. In order to insure the survival of these ceremonies, many tribes continued their important ceremonies during the 4th of July telling government representatives that they were doing these ceremonies to celebrate America's independence!

[Zeke]

How else can Native people raise social awareness to critical issues including but not limited to: High unemployment, poor health care, high infant mortality, estreme drop out rates, substance abuse, inadequate housing, domestic violence, inequitable economic disparities compared to other Americans, etc, etc, etc?

Well, we could:

1. Become trainers.
2. Become doctors.
3. Become teachers.
4. Become counselors.
5. Become contractors.

(sigh)

"Raise awareness?" So that what, the Great White Father will throw us some table scraps to impact our problems?

Look, I realize that I can appear shrill, but this -- beyond the senseless violence and criminality of its members -- is, also, why AIM didn't work. Regardless if done in a pan-warrior and proto-aggressive manner, "activism" is a short-term solution to a long-term problem: our inability, or lack of desire, to be responsible for ourselves. As I've said before, the Old Way isn't coming back and the Black Hills are Federal.

That's reality.

So, passe? YES. A failure to begin with? SURE. Generated a backlash that lasts to today? YOU BET.

What do we do, now?

WE GROW UP.

I have a degree (multiple), a job, no felonies, pay my mortgage and smoke a couple of cigars per day. I am responsible for my OWN actions, success, failure and growth.

So, am I an Indian Activist?

I think that's a "yes."

Wearing a t-shirt doesn't cut it.

[AmigoKumeyaay]

T-Shirt Message

Wearing a t-shirt doesn't cut it.


Let's get some t-shirts that say that!









Shirts vs. No Shirts...guess we're no shirts?

[AmigoKumeyaay]

Last week a young women came by telling me she had just finished reading two books about Indian history. She was not Native but had grown up in Grand Forks, North Dakota and had witnessed acts of racism and descrimation first hand toward the Indians on her campus. This young woman was full of energy, genuinely concerned and willing to dedicate her life to helping Indian people as an activist.

She was asking for advice on how to get involved as an activist of Native issues.

I let her know that Indian activism had it's heyday in the 1970's and that most Indians and Indian organizations today seek attention to their issues in more conventional manners such as email communications and personal visits to policy makers and gatekeepers who affect the future of Native people.

My personal opinion is that Indian activism (Red Power and the American Indian Movement) had its place alongside the Black Power and the feminist movements of the 70's. The unconventional means of Native take overs and protests brought the media and ultimately the American public's attention to issues long withstanding and affecting Indigenous people.

Do you know of Indian activists that I may direct this young person to?
If so, what issues are they championing?

Should Indian activism through protests and takeovers be revived?

Is Indian activism a passe' thing that has outlived its time?

How else can Native people raise social awareness to critical issues including but not limited to: High unemployment, poor health care, high infant mortality, estreme drop out rates, substance abuse, inadequate housing, domestic violence, inequitable economic disparities compared to other Americans, etc, etc, etc?

Send her to Twa-le Abrahamson at KYRS or Martha FastHorse website.

[AmigoKumeyaay]

Yesterday, a man and his two sons came by. The man was wearing an American Indian Movement (AIM) t-shirt. I asked him where he is from and he said El Salvador. This kind of took me back as I thought he was a Native from N. America.

I asked him how he got the shirt. He said he was an activist in his country. He was also involved internationally with the Free Leonard Peltier Coalition. He said he had hooked up with AIM members to bring international attention to human rights abuses in his country.

One of these abuses was his government's ability to hire traditional enemies of a tribe that did not support the President and make them military police. In turn these military police were murdering the Indigenous opponents of the government thoughout his country.

As our conversation progressed I asked him what he did for a living. He said he was a master percussionist. I told him that I was also a percussionist. I brought two of my drums out. One from the Pacific Northwest and one from the Pueblos of the southwest.

He shared the rhythms of one of the seven tribes of El Salvador. Then he sang me a song using these unique drum rhythms. It was a song of rememberance that was mean't to be passed along to future generations so that they would always remember the abuses of the Conquestadors on his people.

The song spoke of a conquestador who impregnated a native woman. When the child was born, it became a spirit and went to live in ashes. This child's spirit is still seen today in the fires of his people.

Hiding important cultural information in nonthreatening ways seemed to be a trait of the indigenous people of the Americas as a form of activism and survival. I shared with him that at one point the US government forbid Native peoples from conducting ceremonies and confiscated religious articles. In order to insure the survival of these ceremonies, many tribes continued their important ceremonies during the 4th of July telling government representatives that they were doing these ceremonies to celebrate America's independence!

My years on Guam in the 70's we had out-dated schoolbooks donated from stateside. The best education I got was local Guam history. Guam was strategic for Spanish galleons loaded with gold and silver from Mexico, and the Incas. The ships replenished food and water at Guam, and traded.

The centuries of Spanish rule, by military and Jesuits was well-documented. The struggle of the indigenous Islanders continued despite brute force, and religious coercion.

My "awakening" was reading about the genocidal Spanish governor Quiroga, who slaughtered so many Guam Chamorro people that he had to raid other nearby islands to "re-stock" the native population of Guam. This actually turned my stomach.

The Spanish galleons were preyed upon by pirates from other European countries, mainly the English. So much human misery based upon greed.

As the world economies shifted, and Spain lost it's power, the tiny remote island of Guam lost it's importance....until WWII and brutal Japanese occupation of 2 years. Guam people still celebrate Liberation Day, July 21, 1944 when U.S. forces began the fight to re-take Guam.

It's a wonder that any Chamorro people are left in this world, let alone on their home island.......but the spirit always lived on. The Jesuits could not convert and control all islanders.....some went deep into the jungle to avoid contact. These people were the taotao halom tano' "strong jungle spirits".

South American music - for years we were blessed in San Diego with Jilakatas and Duchicela indigenous groups from Bolivia and Ecuador. The are from the Aymara people of the Andes Mountains and have beautiful music. I would sit my kids in front of them to absorb the harmonies and rhythms.

South American politics - life in a 3rd World country is always hard. This started with Spanish occupation and the racial caste system "La Casta" that ranked people's social position by amount of Indian and/or Afro blood.

So, all these issues have been on my mind since Jr. High years, and impacted upon my thinking, my core values, and my goals.

Activism through peaceful means, education, and awareness.

[soopashinaab]

Well, we could:

1. Become trainers.
2. Become doctors.
3. Become teachers.
4. Become counselors.
5. Become contractors.

(sigh)

"Raise awareness?" So that what, the Great White Father will throw us some table scraps to impact our problems?

Look, I realize that I can appear shrill, but this -- beyond the senseless violence and criminality of its members -- is, also, why AIM didn't work. Regardless if done in a pan-warrior and proto-aggressive manner, "activism" is a short-term solution to a long-term problem: our inability, or lack of desire, to be responsible for ourselves. As I've said before, the Old Way isn't coming back and the Black Hills are Federal.

That's reality.

So, passe? YES. A failure to begin with? SURE. Generated a backlash that lasts to today? YOU BET.

What do we do, now?

WE GROW UP.

I have a degree (multiple), a job, no felonies, pay my mortgage and smoke a couple of cigars per day. I am responsible for my OWN actions, success, failure and growth.

So, am I an Indian Activist?

I think that's a "yes."

Wearing a t-shirt doesn't cut it.

Good words Zeke!!

[SuzzeQ4]

While I agree that eductaion and jobs are an important way to fight back I also believe that more is sometimes required. Are the Pines a golf course? No because the blocade prevented it. Has land been reclaimed? Yes in Upstate New York and Ontario and BC...thanks to protests and blocades which forced government to negotiate...and luckily there were those with the education to know the words and documents to help aide the process.
I know there will be another one this summer. Will it get all the land they are going to blocade?....no but it will get back the ceremonial land they want, the government already showed thier hand in initial talks when they said they don't want another Ipperwash. Education and jobs (if they got them where you live) improve some of your standard of living but it won't be enough money to build a school or put in proper water treatment...thats not scraps thats basic stuff. If we are to provide that ourselves (although education is in the treaties) as independant people then we should be making independant decisions in economy to pay for it (casinos, cigarettes)
After all thats some of how the government pays for those same things! And a land base is needed. Negotiate all you want but with out a blockade to "encourage" negotiations the government will just ignore ignore ignore. It takes many ways, not just one pretty, tidy quiet way, and not just one loud messy way, it takes both.

[NorthofAda]

Good words Zeke!!

I agree!!!!