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by infidelpig
The other night reading ghostdancer's diary, I was overcome with rage, not anger, pure out and out rage such as I have not known in many years.
It was not at the diary, it was about the treatment of the Native American Human Beings and the general American Public, in relation to current and past events against human rights. It brought back a memory, of a time 33 years ago when I took my brother's body home for burial on his reservation in Wisconsin. He was a Menominee Indian, and we had served together in the Marine Corps, and in every sense of the word, we were Brothers. Not by the same parents, but both our bloods flowed through each other's veins, from transfussion's after combat injuries, and spiritual bonds. We had shared everything, food, shelter, crying, laughing, life, soul spirits, and death. When I arrived in their hometown, I was greeted by the elders of the tribe, and his sister, and they made me a part of the family. I stayed on the reservation with his grandfather, grandmother, and a uncle.
I only had my uniform with me, for the luggage was lost during the flight, so his sister offered to take me to town to buy some clothing. We traveled into the little town and she pointed me towards the clothing store as we passed it walking down the street. We were busy talking about our brother, and his life, and before we knew it, we had entered the store when she stopped abruptly and whirled out the door. Just then I noticed a man approaching at a very fast pace from across the store with his arm extended and a finger pointing towards the door. I turned to see her standing back on the street with a look of terror on her face, and I asked, "what is wrong" She replied, "we are not allowed in the white man's store" At that time I went totally black inside. I mean I did not know where I was, nor what I was doing, all I remember was them pulling me off that man, and another for I was truly going to kill them, make no mistake about it. I had just returned from 4 years in the jungles, with my brother always at my side, and now with his greiving sister at my side, and they, (the Menominee and all Native Americans,the only true Americans) were not allowed to go to a public store? In my mind, we had been fighting and dieing, for what we truly beleived in, Rights, Freedom, Democracy, not just ours, but for our country and the Peoples Republic of South Vietnam. It was a very Idealistic time. I was devastated at this action by the white people in that town, and in later years, all of our counrty, for we are all, Americans They hustled me back to the reservation, and tucked me away in a log cabin, where I remained until the funeral, and then the flight back to base. Nothing was ever said about the incident in town, but when I got back to the reservation, there was a group of the elders that stayed with me, and we talked for two days, and then the third day, I was honored with a ceremony accepting me into their clan. "Wolf Clan" I remained on the reservation for a little over a week, and found true respect for the Human Beings. So the other night reading ghostdancer's diary, it hit me again, that black rage, like so many years ago, and I had to STOP. I knew if I let that overcome me again, it would do harm, to me. For at that time I remembered what an old friend of many years, a great Choctaw medicine man had taught me about my heritage, (Cherokee) and my spirit guides. I went back to my Ancestor's folk lore, and here is part of what keeps me going:
Cherokee Lore
Let me tell you a story. I too,
It is like taking poison and He continued......
It is as if there are two But the other wolf, ahhh!
He is full of anger.
He cannot think because his
Sometimes it is hard to live
The boy looked intently into Which one wins, Grandfather?
The Grandfather smiled and The one I feed. Now, some of your may know why my comment was short, and strange, but I could not feed the wrong wolf, anymore. I have seen many diaries, and comments about the effect current events are having on so many, their family, and loved ones, and it is a time to bond, and not a time to disband, for all of us who know what is truly right, and what is wrong. So let us feed the good wolf, and stay the true path for our people. For at the end of the journey, there will be light. Mitakuye Oyasin Wado Ghostdancer Wolf
The Two Wolves Within | 75 comments (75 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)
The Two Wolves Within | 75 comments (75 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)
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