Winter 2001 - 2002 Rona Moore

The Echo Of Life

A man and his son were walking in the forest. Suddenly the boy trips and feeling a sharp pain he screams, "Ahhhhhh." Surprised, he hears a voice coming from the mountain, "Ahhhhh!" Filled with curiosity, he screams: "Who are you," but the only answer he receives is: "Who are you?" This makes him angry so he screams: "You are a coward!" and the voice answers: You are a coward!" He looks at his father, saying, "Dad, whats going on?" "Son," the man replies, "pay attention!" Then he screams, I admire you!" The voice answers: "I admire you!" The father shouts, "You are wonderful!", and the voice answers: "You are wonderful!" The father shouts, "You are wonderful!", and the voice answers: "You are wonderful!" The boy is surprised, but still can’t understand what is going on. Then the father explains, "People call this ‘ECHO’, but truly it is ‘LIFE!’ Life always gives you back what you give out! Life is a mirror of your actions. If you want more love, give more love! If you want more kindness, give more kindness! If you want understanding and respect, give more respect! This rule of nature applies to every aspect of our lives.

Life always gives you back what you give out. Your life is not a coincidence, but a mirror of your own doings.

-Author Unknown

We Are Our Land

I am the Nakina River. Most of you don’t know me. As a human (Ojubway), I am the river and do not see myself as separate from my river because when my tlingit jusband barried me, I married him, his land and his People. The Nakina River has come to define me as human as it defines the humanity of the Tlingit. You don’t know me and what I have to shate is that I try my best to achieve humility by "knowing" that I am not above my rivet in a superior position as a ateward of my river. I simply am my river. With that in mend, I value my river as I value myself because without my river I would cease to exist as the human that I am - as the human that the Nakina River has made me.

What my eclogical and wxperiential integrity requires me to do is see myself as unavoidably inseparable from my river because it defines my jumanity. Thus, for me ecological and wxperiential integrity means that I must achieve the fullest relationship with my river. One which does not destroy me or my river because we need each other. I know my river misses me and I mess my river. I know my river is here with me today.

When I used to seperate myself from "wilderness", I was always arrogant. Now that I know I am the wilderness and that without it I will cease to be human, I have a lot more respect for the the silderness and work as a part of it instead of sepatate even as it’s "protector".

I am here to share with you then that I have no business trying to protect my river because in terms of my ecological and experiential integrity, what I am really doing here is protecting myself and "how" I, as a human, need to relate within my river. This is my sorld view and this is the world wiew of many indigenous peoples. As my husband, Watsait/Bryan Jack, once said to me about something I was saying "That’s good Joan. And, if they don’t here us, the land will speak for itself." So, honestly, I am selfish.What I am here to do is protect myself as an indigenous person in terms of my being able to continue to relate within my land, with or without your or our park.

We are never invited to speak as a part of the main plenary. We, as indigenous peoples are forced to compete for air time as a part of the audience. Was anyone asked to consider and speak as a part of the panels to define ecological and experiential integrity from on indigenous peoples perspective? If this would have been done, our worldview would not be marginalized. Until you start inviting us into your Circles of Power, to shate our power, the masses ate going to continue to remain uneducated about what we know and how we see things. To loose our experience of lofe, as indigenous peoples, is to loose a part of yourself because my people are the heartbeat. I am your heart. Together, as humans, we are all one being. One form of life and we need every part of the juman body to experience life without limits. When we loose one part of our human body, out experience as human changes. Some say it becomes richer as a consequence of the physical limitation and there are also parts of the body that we cannot live without. I am the heart. In my language we say ODA AKI- heartland and that is who I am and how I am trying to live.

Who wants to read this? who wants to hear these words? I ask the Spirits to bring them to me and to show me when to say these words. Meegwetch I am not afraid. I am safe. I am not threatened. My tail is down. I was taught yesterday by Ron Chambers that when the Caribou feeds, it has it’s tail down. I am here with my tail down. I am here with you to sustain myself through my relationship with you. I am here to benefit and feed my soul, mind and heart through the richness of hearing and respecting your human experience and I am here to feed you with mine.

-Joan Jack

Have you ever heard that voice in your mind the one that speaks your very soul? It’s just trying to teach you how to take control to fulfill all your desires an start living all your dreams. Please don’t geel I’m trying to sell you anybodies half baked schemes. For all I want to give you with my songe is just another look at me. An maybe of you look inside there is something more to see

All I said shall come to pass, an all I do will be true. And when I’m gone I will still be here, for my voice will echo and my words you will hear.

But I don’t want what you have not, for I have some of this too. Just let me give you what I want, if. . .you will give this to me too.

And if I give you all I have, will you taje ne fir a fool? If I promise you tomorrow, will you build me a school? If a love that keeps growing is shared with all. Will all share, this love that is growing ? If I showed you where to look, would you look deep inside? If i helped you live your dreams, could you take your dreams on ride?

Welcome to my life won’t you come on in its my game of chance and I play to win. Welcome to my world share the secrets of my soul live this life of dreams the one’s that you con hold. How can I help you make it happen deep inside? I can’t do everything for you but at least I’ve tried. For I have found the way to do it right the first time and if you do not listen well I’m about to lose my mind. But I don’t have a dime to call someone I care I am put on hold long distance with the future waiting there. So step into my life won’t you come on in its my game of chance and I play to win

Well I just can’t believe what you’re saying to me in your letters on the phone it can never be . Well of you seek to go your own way I can change nothing with all that I say. And when you leave please remember this your tender love I’m gonna miss. Because I can never stop loving you its just one thing I can never do. Yes I’ve paid my due an I’ve sung my blues but I’ve got so much yet to learn. I’ve given my love to everyone I meet now the time has come for my return. And all I ask is that you believe, in the dreams I shate with you. For when they are real, you will soon know what you are living, and you will know it is true. Becau7se I’m always right, and I never lie, I’m the best you’ll ever know believe in me . I believe in truth and in beauty but most of all I believe in honesty.

And I’d like to thank you for this moment in time we could share an we did live. I just wish before I go, there was something more I could give. To express the love I feel in my heart, for the friends with which I have grown. For I know I will always return to the only home I’ve known. But the time has come for me to go fat away, and I must bid you all farewell. But you can believe I will return, if I have to fight my way thru hell.

I’ve had to travel a long way to take a look at you, dressed up an saw you dressed up too. And I saw you there living a facade, to perpetuate your youth. While the people became tired of waiting for Armageddon, they would rather listen to some truth. But nothing is free, so of the price is right, how much are you willing to pay? I’ve seen the light, I know the truth, I will show you the way.

I have my dream. . .believe this true. . . it is the potlach way

-Michael James Dunlap

For tens of thousands of years we’ve lived upon this land. Now you cross the Great Ocean to lay claim to a foreign sand. You tell me I’m a savage and a change must come in my ways. To your Christian point of view which your followers betray. For your Paternalistics policies from treaties to termination. Has proven to be a benefit for you’ve acquired a whole nation.

For five hundred years we’ve endured your oppression in our home. Five jundred years of stealing and you still won’t leave us alone. Killed my people in the name of God to teach them the American Way. Created a debt that all the money you made will never be able to repay. You spend a billlion dollars a year through a joke called the B.I.A. Whose real interest lay in the Interior Department who controls our land away. From you Land Allotment Act to your Relocation Program, you have done my people wrong. Then you hide behind your laws and your puppet Goverments, and try to string me along.

And for so long, you have held us in chains. And for so long, we have felt the shame, of your vanity and insanity and your power mad games. The proverty and illiteracy portrayed as Civilization are still the same.

The reality of atroscities has never dawned on you. The dishonesty of your own treaties is still left to undo. So pass another law and hide the truth away. The goverment knows the Indians best interest, well thats what they always say. You can declare the genocide is not your concern. But present goverment policies prove there’s a lot that you must learn.

Assimilation into the nation this idea must be preserved. Manifest destiny is the lew of the land, it’s also absurd. Answer me this if you can my friend, looking at past events. How is murder of women and children vetal to the nations defense. You hide you guilt for the things you’ve done by degrading the ones you’ve wronged. Your own justice has been abused but for some its been centuries prolonged.

Through all the lies and deceit there is only one thing i can see. That is I’d like to wish you a very unhappy two Hundredth Anniversary.

-Michael James Dunlap

Keepers of the Sacred Tradition of Pipe Makers

"The Nation’s hoop is broken and scattered. There is no center any longer, and The Sacred tree is dead."

For centuries a select few have been given a gift from the Creator to maintain a sacred tradition of pipemaking. This sacred trust was honored and accepted by many tribes for it was never unique to one tribe or one people. Now, due to the misplaced efforts of a handful of Native American hetetics, this ancient tradition is threatened with extinction.

The Indian people have a long-standing resentment of the government and the churches because of their historic opposition to tribal spirituality and ceremonies. In 1887, the U.S. Government passed laws forbidding many tribal practices. The church’s abuses go back to the time of Columbus. The shocking abuses including mass-murders in the name of God was well documented by de Casas.

The effects on the tribes were traumatic. Many no longer have Medicine Men, Shamans, Holy People, or Spiritual Leaders. The struggle to carry on tribal sovereignty is an ongoing one. Ironically, the technological advences of society have also had a profound effect on creating change among indigenous peoples. The siren call of T.V., video games, and the computer age all call out to our young people, like the flute of the pied piper, to march into an uncertain furure--a future devoid of traditional spiritual values.

To fully understand the issue it is important we take a historic view. According to noted anthropologist, Dr. Peter Furst. The Incas of eastern Peru wore first to cultivate tobacco more than 5,000 years ago the cultivation of plants led the development of agriculture in this hemisphere, rivaling that of the fertile crescent of the middle East.

The use of tobacco rapidly spread to the north where the people used it in a variety of ways, doctoring, ceremonial and social. More than 4.000 years ago the rudimentary pipes were fashioned to facilitate the use of tobacco.

How the pipe came to the various tribes is the stuff of legends which were then handed down, generation after generation, to this very day. The pawnee, Mandan, Aridara, Sioux, Omaha Chippewa and many others, all have a spiritual and historic claim to the pipe. The variety of ceremonial use of the pipe varied with each tribe according to their custom. No one tribe has the right to dictate that use or custom on other tribes or people.

Ten years ago a movement started in South Dakota to end what they perceived to be the commercialization, exploitation, and sale of pipes. They have demanded the Great Pipestone Quarries to the Yankton Sioux as well as closing down the gift shop operation run by the Pipestone Indian Shrine Association--the principal outlet for the pipemakers.

To add to the urgency of their demands they have conducted protest marcher from Greengrass South Dakota, some 300 miles away, the the quarries in Minnesota. Greengrass is where the Sacred White Buffalo Calf pipe is maintained and it is Arvol Looking Horse, Keeper of the Sacred Pipe, who makes many pronouncements denouncing what he says is the desecration of the quarries.

That movement has had a short, but lingering effect for during that time the Yankton Sioux Tribes has made a declatation of War and the National Congress of American Indians Has gone on record against the ancient tradition of pipemakers.

Its interesting to note that Native American Rights Fund (NARF) in Boulder Colorado tacticly supports this petition as they represent the legal interest of the National Congress. John Echohawk, Executive Director of NARF is a member of the Pawnee tribe. One hundred and fifty years ago the Pawnee were a northern tribe. Their pipemakers were highly skilled and innovative, ceremonial dances included the peautiful Calumet dance--pipe dance. After they moved to Oklahome in 1874. Pipemaking went into rapid decline. A Pawnee Chief, one of four bands, told me he could vaguely remember the Calumet dance and the last elderly Pawnee pipemaker died many years ago have left no one to carry on the ancient tribal tradition. The cultural loss to the Pawnee people is obvious in this instance. The spiritual void has been filled to an extent by the Native Ametican church and other organized or Christian religions. A similar story flows from tribe to tribe. "The Nations hoop is broken and scattered for them."

What these Native people have chosen to oppose us failed to realize or consider is the consequences of their actions. The tribes and individuals who still use their pipes in the ceremony still tely on the pipemakers to provide those pipes. Old pipes get worn out with age or are broken. Some are buried with those that carry the pipe. Many people obtain a pipe for family use. Many more collect the pipe as a historic memento or a beautiful piece of contemporaty art with an ancient heritage.

It is also important to understand the spiritual role of the pipe. It is an instrument of prayer or ritual. We do not worship the pipe, we worship with the pipe. According to many tribal beliefs, it is the tobacco which is used as an offering to the sperets and the smoke of the tobacco carries our prayers to the creator and our ancestors. The ceremonies with the pipe bond the people togerher in the Sacred circle of Life. It helps us to walk in balance and beauty--it is for health and help. Without the pipe, the sacred tree will surely die.

Knowing all this, in the summer of 1996, the small group of pipemakers decided to organize in pipestone Minnesota--the site of the Great Pipestone Quarries, our holy place. Although no Native American group has sought federal recognition like that of other organized religions. Since 1924, the Native American Church, the lone example. They adopted elements of Christianity to be accepted as a church. We choose to seek federal recognition on purely tribal-spiritual terms. If and when we do recieve federal recognition, it will probably be a "first" in this country.

With federal recognition we get the umbrella of protection of the U.S. Constitution; and as I understand it no one spiritual belief can be held above any other spiritual belief.

"To be a pipemaker is a gift of Grandgather, the Creator. Many of our pipes are used for health and help, others to show the beauty and skill of our spiritual craft. The stone people are good to us and they take care of us."

-Dr. Adam Fortunate Eagle