Friday, March 30, 2007

 

Friday, April 6 Potential Start of U.S. Illegal War Against Iran

Looks like next Friday is the potential day for the U.S. illegal war against Iran. Hold on tight, folks. If this happens, I sure the world will be in for a bumpy ride.


Operation Bite - April 6 Sneak Attack By US Forces On Iran Planned - Russian Military Sources Warn

General Ivashov Calls For Emergency Session Of UN Security Council To Ward Off Looming US Aggression
By Webster G. Tarpley
3-25-7
WASHINGTON DC -- The long awaited US military attack on Iran is now on track for the first week of April, specifically for 4 AM on April 6, the Good Friday opening of Easter weekend, writes the well-known Russian journalist Andrei Uglanov in the Moscow weekly "Argumenty Nedeli." Uglanov cites Russian military experts close to the Russian General Staff for his account.

The attack is slated to last for twelve hours, according to Uglanov, lasting from 4 AM until 4 PM local time. Friday is a holiday in Iran. In the course of the attack, code named Operation Bite, about 20 targets are marked for bombing; the list includes uranium enrichment facilities, research centers, and laboratories.

The first reactor at the Bushehr nuclear plant, where Russian engineers are working, is supposed to be spared from destruction. The US attack plan reportedly calls for the Iranian air defense system to be degraded, for numerous Iranian warships to be sunk in the Persian Gulf, and the for the most important headquarters of the Iranian armed forces to be wiped out.

[get the rest of the article at http://www.rense.com/general75/bite.htm]

Wednesday, March 28, 2007

 

Vigil 3-27-07

We were down there again. Even without any inflamatory signs we were flipped off, thumbed down, and shaken heads at more than usual. We also had some very enthusiastic supporters.

To you war supporter folks, you know the routine: Never support a war you are not willing to take up arms in and fight in yourself because you are asking others to do your killing for you.

That said, reading a great book, "We Band of Angels" by Elizabeth Norman. It is about the 99 American nurses who were on Bataan during the WWII battle there. Nothing is as anti-war as an honest book about the shit. Recently, Imogene "Jeanne" Kennedy Schmidt passed away, leaving three of these amazing women still alive.

Sunday, March 25, 2007

 

Free Speech Issues.

I found this article on Commondreams about the crushing of free speech. Y'all should read it.

Play About Iraq War Divides a Connecticut School

http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2007/03/24/56/

This is bullshit. This is crushing of free speech. What this particular princilple is saying if you produce a play that says "yeah! Get out there and kill some folks!" they could do it. But since this challenges mind sets, ideals, patterned ways of thinking, gets people to think and question the world around them...Then it must be stopped.

I would never tell anyone that they cannot come here and challenge my ideals and what I say. That is why I do this. What if I'm wrong? What if my ideas are truly indifensible? That is why I put myself behind my words and ideas. I either find better ways of defending them, change them, or find better arguments in dealing with those who disagree with me.

Free speech is being crushed around this nation. This is just another example.

 

Spring 2007



And the flowers are calling me
to write poetry about them,
Yellow petals
and cups to collect the rain and Love
Bugs and bees flying around pollinating
The colors...
OH the colors!

But there is a war going on
here on my blog
in Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran...
Here I am safe
and must do what I can.

And there are yellow blossoms of Daffodils
purple blossoms of crocus that poke through the earth
flowering trees lining the streets
in pink and purple and white and yellow.

In the Sunday paper
a headline reads of a man named RJ Anheier,
once homeless then successfully housed for 8 years
falling dead on the streets of Portland
and being disected by OHSU
even though he has ID in his pockets
and his birth certificate
this classist society
considered him unworthy
as he looked homeless enough
to sell for $37.50
though he was greatly Loved
by folks like Sisters of the Road.

My sweetie and I Love
with all the passion we can muster
which is a lot
Love is a beauty to bathe in
and regenerate the soul
and it is spring
and Beauty surrounds us.
Beauty always surrounds us.

At Saturday Market
a tall skinny young man walks up to me
whispers something in my general direction
as the crowds continue to stroll
blindly by.
"I'm really hungry and haven't had anything to eat,"
he says.
"Can you help?"
"Sure," I say with enthusiasm.
I set down my recently purchased honey
pull out my wallet,
and find three ones
and hand them to him.
"Sweet!" he says joyously,
and I swear I hear his stomach filling.

I don't write this to toot my own horn,
fuck tooting horns.
Tooting horns wont feed the folks.
I write this
because America should be fucking embarassed
that we have people living on the streets at all.
I'm embarassed that America
doesn't even know that it is a violation
of human rights
here in this occupied territory
currently known
as the United States of America.

And don't give me
any of your holier than thou shit...
Because you know what I'll fucking tell ya!

It is spring.
The time of rebirth
renewal of energy
and I hear stories of the goings on in the world
the beauty of struggles and challenges
the beauty going on in others lives
the beauty going on in mine.

I bought a very beautiful Pashmina yesterday.
Purple paisley in a brown/gold.
It is beautiful.
I Love cloth
it seems tribal to me
though I don't know why.
I could change my room several times a day
feel like I'm traveling through
some psychic universe
like a nomad of sorts
honor something ancient within me.
I Love the feel of these things on my skin
the joy they bring to my eyes.

My daughter
who grows into a young woman
will be 12 in just a few weeks.
When I first met her
she was three months old
and she held my finger from Woodburn
to Oregon city
like it was a walking stick
to keep her balanced along her journeys.
My tears of joy
were the creek of water
to sustain her on her journey.
And here we are.

Today...
Today...
The front will come
or I will journey there
and be safe
as these fronts are of words and ideas
and everything begins and ends
and is recorded
in words and ideas
and I pray
that somewhere
somehow
we can water our seeds of peace
change the world
and stop all of the killing.

Friday, March 23, 2007

 

Hindsight Being 20/20

Looking back at when Zek made his comment, I realize now I immediately reacted to his comment with rage. For me, this institutional racist shit hurts and I really felt blindsided and in sudden self-defense mode. After this particular battle and hindsight being 20/20, I believe I have learned to behave differently toward folks who perform such institutional racism toward me.

"by your own words then, you have nothing to complain about 'amerkans' killing your ancestors as the killers were after all only 'duped', hence not responsible."

After Zek made this comment, I could have said something like:

Zek, here you have an unfair advantage over me. You know quite a bit about me as I am not afraid to put my face and opinions out in public. You know my race, I have a radio program, TV program, my work, my relationships with others, etc., because I am very open about these things. I know very little to nothing about you from the comments you have made on my blog. You have thus made a comment about my race to make your point. That is UNFAIR and INSTITUTIONALLY RACIST. I cannot take advantage of anything I know about you as I have very little knowledge of who you are and doubt you will ever offer any.

By saying you're are using my words, you have given yourself a plausible deniability as to what you really believe. You tell me then, I have nothing to complain about what Americans have done to my folks considering troops were duped. (Again, let me point out the unfair advantage of you knowing my race and me knowing virtually nothing about you). You fail to take into consideration that you have many advantages in this nation yourself due to the fact that my people were slaughtered by the millions and you benefit heavily. I, however, wake up everyday and face this style of institutionalized racism. I wake up to the imperialist colonialist government that occupies my land and I can't kick them off and they continually destroy everything that is ours. And, Zek, what gives you the right to take away my rights as an indigenous person to complain about what happened to my indigenous folks. That makes you just as imperialist but in a small scale as the folks that currently occupy and destroy my land and destroyed my folks to get it. You are willing to take away my freedom in whole or in part and using my race to do so, but I don't even have hardly and idea about who you are. That is institutionally racist and I won't stand for it.

I Live this form of racism everyday: imperialist colonialist government that occupies my land, racist sports team names, racist product names, being generally invisible as a race of folks on our own land, etc. So I won't put up with anyone such as yourself coming here and taking UNFAIR advantage of information you know about me, which is a lot, and me having almost no information about you as you choose to remain anonymous to continue to take advantage of that unfair advantage, and tell me what I can and cannot do as far as my RACE is concerned. It just doesn't happen that way, brother, so you better find another way to phrase what your saying, or you can just FUCK OFF!

........

Serephim later made the comment after she took this argument to Indymedia: "The troops get what they deserve." This implies a superiority over the troops on her part. Like imperical light. To me, it seems Serephim seems to have given herself the right to decide who does and doesn't DESERVE to die, be maimed, etc. Who made you the God or Goddess of these folks, Serephim? So, here stands the question that no one seems to want to answer: How did you lose that part of your humanity and what makes you think you are any better than "the troops" other than the fact that you don't do your own killing?

It makes me think of the war supporters I hate so much. Never support a war you are not willing to take up arms and fight in yourself as you are asking other people to do your killing for you. It is the HEIGHT of arrogance. What arrogance you have, Serephim, in giving yourself the power over deciding who does and doesn't get to die. Why aren't YOU out there doing your own killing?

I am against all killing.

I knew a man that had a vision of his own death. In that vision, he saw all the things he did in his life and how they effected the lives of others around him and many folks he did not know. He had to take responsibility for ALL of his own personal actions GOOD and BAD. These troops will have to as well. You will have to as well, Serephim. I will have to as well.
And so will you, Zek. I am against all killing, I want it all to stop, then we can bring justice in whatever form to those that have committed or are truly responsible for the crimes. Killing them is out of the question, however. KILLING IS WRONG! ALL KILLING! EVEN BEING COMPLICIT IN ANY FORM OF KILLING!

Thursday, March 22, 2007

 

Marilyn Vann Interview

Just finished interviewing Marilyn Vann of the Descendents of the Freedmen Association. Oddly, turns out that the history states that the Black Cherokees were wanted in the tribe back in the day of the treaty. The Cherokee were not forced into taking their blacks, they wanted them. They Loved them as Cherokees, as their people.

Turns out that their are even WHITE Cherokee. White folks recognized as Cherokee that have NO indigenous blood in them at all whatsoever. So, the argument that they want an Indigenous Cherokee Nation is moot because...as it turns out...the Cherokee folks didn't go after the white folks, they went after the blacks.

Turns out the issue started when the Black Cherokee voted for the opponent of a person who became the Tribal Chairman and had a big campaign against him. The Cherokee Chairman started a campaign filled with lies and got many people who were not informed other than what the council told them to vote against exterminating the blacks from their tribe.

It will be going to federal courts soon as the Feds have already considered the vote illegal. The Cherokee Council says they can do whatever they want to their blacks. What if the Feds said they can do whatever they want to the Cherokee?

Should be an interesting battle in the months, possibly years to come.

 

One Last Thing

I apologize for the personal attacks. Not excusing my behavior but attempting to explain it, this is the type of racism I hate the most, experience the most, and it hurts the most.

Allow me to make one last point here:

You, Serephim and Zek, have an advantage in this forum over me. All I know about you, Serephim, is that early in the discussion you said you are "not white." Late in the discussion I discover you are skinny and small framed. All I know about Zek is he is probably the man that left a $20 at Grendel's for me to have some coffee. One ohter thing I know about you two, mostly you, Serephim, because Zek hasn't come out and outright stated what you did, is that you and to a lesser extent Zek, believe the troops get what they deserve: familial destruction, death, homelessness, suicide, PTSD, etc.

What you know about me is pretty much everything. I am very open about who I am. I don't hide behind pseudonyms. My face is on television. I produce a radio program. I am an Indian. If you've been reading my blog, you already knew my three names, a little about my familial history, etc., etc., etc.

Now...let's take that all away. All you know about me is my view on "the troops." All you know is that I want these guys to quit pulling the trigger. You know I have vets for peace friends and that I believe "the troops" currently can be converted to stop killing. Now, would Zek have said to me:

"by your own words then, you have nothing to complain about 'amerkans' killing your ancestors as the killers were after all only 'duped', hence not responsible."

That IS institutionally racist. Zek also has his "plausible deniability" by using my words against me instead of just coming straight out and saying what he obviously believes: Eugene, you have no right to complain about what America did to your people because you support the troops. "Plausible Deniability," excellent tool, because he would not have even mentioned it had he not actually believed it himself. I got the same type of shit from Peter Bergel when he said that "some people" think of certain races as this or that. What he really means is I see certain races as this, but can't say it outright because that wouldn't look good, and therefore use my plausible deniability and say that it is "some people" and not me. (I've had about 3 years of forced study in psychology and its various forms as well as life experience).

Would Zek have said that to me if, say, you both knew I was a Jew, Black, Asian, Middle Eastern, etc.?

Would Zek have said to a Jew, for example, "Since you support the troops you have nothing to complain about what the Nazi's did to your people."

If I was Black, "Since you support the troops, you have nothing to say about the military abuses of your folks in South Africa during apartheid."

There are many forms or racism. There are many forms of racism against Indians that prevail in this socieity as a whole: racist sports team names, racist product names, our issues NEVER brought up in the mainstream, education about Indians is non-existent or limited at best, we have apartheid light in the reservation system, we have an imperialist colonialist authority that uses force to keep us in our place and continue to steal our resources and kill our people to this day, and all of this and more is a piece of the U.S. society as a whole and that seems to allow Americans the simple idea that they can bring up our race and use it against us at their convenience. That is racist. That is what is known as institutional racism.

And, one last time I will ask that question again: You say that the troops get what they deserve. How did you lose that part of your humanity and what makes you believe that you are any better than the troops (being complicit in their killings, etc.) than they are other than the fact that you don't do your own killing?

Also, my offer still stands about the Inga Muscio book!

Wednesday, March 21, 2007

 

The Good Fight

I get my fight from my Grandma, Violet (Smith) Johnson. She was Alsea and Klickitat. She never quite made it to five feet tall. She was very Loving and one fierce bar brawler up into her 60's. She usually won. She had only one good arm. She also stood down some very big men on many an occasion. She also raised 40 children besides her own 6, 5 of whom she sadly outlived.

I get my sense of humor from my father, Louis Wilbur Johnson. He used alcohol and humor to medicate his depression and wound up dying when I was 17, basically from liver failure. It took two years, and it wasn't pretty. He was very Loving and caring and helped raise many of my cousins and his grandaughter.

I get my leadership bloodline from my very Loving grandfather, Louis Johnson. He was the last chief of the Lower Umpqua. I don't believe in bloodline leadership so much as I do in proof that you are a leader, since I can't organize, I don't consider myself much of a leader. So I struggle using my big fat mouth as a tool to bring about change.

The white folks of my family were pretty much racist, except for the kids, though some of the kids did participate in the "institutional racism" that me and my three sisters were forced to live out. I don't hang out with these folks. Haven't for years, which includes my mother who lives only a few miles away.

Just so you know, with these things in mind, you come to my blog with your institutional racist bullshit acting holier than thou or attempting to become my own personal fucking dictator like Serephim and Zek, you will be in for a good bout, even if you take it to Indy, like that asshole Serephim.

Offer still stands, sister. I'll buy you a copy of "Autobiography of a Blue-Eyed Devil" by Inga Muscio.

Went to the vigil last night and exercised some of my humanity. Serephim, since you said that "the troops get what they deserve" as far as all the damages go with their end of war, I again ask you, where is that part of your humanity. What makes you any better than that which your claim to struggle against other than you don't do your own killing? And still, what made you believe you and Zek had the right to tell me what I can and cannot do as an Indian on my own fucking land? What an arrogant fucking racist asshole you are.

See you in the trenches.

Tuesday, March 20, 2007

 

Dictators, Great and Small

Serephim, Zek, what "watery tart lobbed and sword" in your general direction allowing you to become my own personal dictator.

Oh great and holy Serephim, how come you continue to defend this as not being racist when you only have given yourself and Zek the right to tell me what I can and cannot do as an Indian on my OWN FUCKING LAND, ASSHOLE? Explain that one to me.

Explain how you and Zek have the RIGHT to tell me what I can and cannot do. What makes you any different the the other fucking dictators I keep fighting to get off my fucking land let alone the reservation.

As you have said on our continued argument that you carried to Indymedia, that the troops "get what they deserve." That means you have lost part of your humanity, like the troops do in battle. What makes you any different than those folks other than the fact that you don't do your own killing?

And again, give me the name of the "watery tart that lobbed a sword" in yours and Zek's general direction and made you my own personal fucking kings? And again, explain to me how it ISN'T racist to tell me what I can and cannot do as an indigenous person ON MY OWN FUCKING LAND, ASSHOLES!

AND AGAIN, I still hold up my offer to buy you your own personal copy of the Great Inga Muscio's book, "Autobiography of a Blue-Eyed Devil." You and Zek and David are indeed INSTITUTIONALLY RACIST.

Monday, March 19, 2007

 

Sunday Night Fights

Rhonda and I (see her photos on Portland Indymedia) went to the march together. We ran into many people we knew down there and it was rather joyous and sad at the same time. There's a war going on, and here we are kinda celebrating our desire for it to stop.

We hooked up with my friend Heidi and her neighbor and we all marched together. We got rather hungry during the march, and near the end, we ducked into Pazo where a friend of Heidi's worked and enjoy a delicious and rather spendy meal and discussed hoping that next year we would be celebrating the end of the war instead of marching in desire for it to end.

When we got back outside, everything was torn down and there were a handful of folks drumming and dancing and having a good ole time, probably energizing up to again find whatever methods that can work in order to stop this monster known as war.

As Rhonda and I were heading out, we noticed there was action at the front of the justice center. I guess the park is called Chapman Square. It is the park with that statue of the white folks that came over to kill us Indians off and steal our land and resources while carrying the bible.

Rhonda parked the car and we went to see what was going on. We went into the park. On the sidewalk in front of the justice center was a long line of very menacing looking ready for violence riot cops. We talked to some of the people we knew who were in the thick of it and asked what was going on. I guess what happened was some young folks decided to put their bodies on the line and sat down in the street in a peaceful non-violent protest and were then beaten and arrested by the cops.

A large crowd, 150 maybe 200 folks, mostly young folks, a few just caught up in the action not knowing exactly what the heck was going on, formed in the square. The faced off the riot cops from their side of 3rd Avenue.

The horse cops came up behind us and I was ready to leave at that point. But Rhonda, defiant wonderful woman that she is, wanted to stay, and I wasn't about to leave without her.

At one point, I was messing with my camera and suddenly there was screaming and people running all around me. I started running and looked behind me to see the riot cops nabbing a few folks to beat on and arrest. They retreated with their booty, and the rest of us folks lined back up again.

I have to admit, the tension got rather exciting. Don't think the cops will follow along with the upcoming police state (this was the kinder gentler version), you have another thing coming. It was very invigorating. I started to really feel alive. It was like facing down the 7th, and Chivington, though with a "kinder gentler machine gun hand." So we knew we wouldn't get slaughtered, but we definitely had the potential to be severely hurt by these folks.

Fucking work. I have to be up at 2, so I told Rhonda I really needed to go. However, as we got to the Northeast corner of 3rd and Main, we noticed more tension building as a few of the protesters stepped into the parking area of the street. Defiance in the face of fascism.

The people around us were saying things like "We're the peaceful protestors, I don't know who they are," referring to the folks in the park acting in defiance. This type of stuff really pisses Rhonda off, this arrogance and divisiveness amongst people who should be united. It was pissing me off as well, so I started pointing to the protesters saying very loudly, "Unarmed peaceful protestors," then pointing to the cops and saying just as loudly "Heavily armed very violent and dangerous cops." I kept repeating this action very loudly.

A young man in a red t-shirt tried to cross the street toward the cops from our corner, and the cops were gracious enough to push him repeatedly until he fell to the ground. They didn't arrest him.

Had to get to bed, so we geared up to leave. We drove in front of the action, but before we could get across, we say a couple of defiant younguns lay in the middle of the street, quickly get up, and go back into the crowd. As we drove up, the cops charged, pulled out the young folks, threw them down, and brutally arreseted them. Rhonda got out the car screaming, "MOTHER-FUCKERS!" She was told to get back in the car or we'd be arrested. I filmed as much as possible and was screaming, "FUCK YOU PIGS!" We pulled around to the other side of the park, but it was getting late and I had to get some sleep, if I could.

There is a difference between the peaceful folks on the corner and the peaceful folks in the park. The peaceful folks in the park are willing to put their bodies on the line.

 

Racism

"not much different than your earlier answer to me, Eugene."

This comment, Zek, would suggest that you have been thinking about your answer for a while, am I correct, Zek?

"by your own words then, you have nothing to complain about 'amerkans' killing your ancestors as the killers were after all only 'duped', hence not responsible. and they also did it to 'get ahead', escape poverty, find adventure, whatever."

Here, Zek, you used my race in order to make a point. You know this type of insult would indeed get a reaction out of me. You could have used a general term, but chose to use a RACE SPECIFIC term for my race specifically. That...IS RACISM!

"'Our' troops don't need to be 'understood', they need to stop being tools"

That is what I am trying to do with recruiters, trying to get them to stop being tools. Tom Hastings, a white man of peace, used to come down to the recruiting station and SCREAM in the faces of these men...and that never stopped them from pulling the trigger. In my opinion, as well, screaming in someone's face IS violence, and considering people like Tom enjoy considering themselves non-violent, I would suggest that you and serephim enjoy considering yourselves non-racist...while living on my land...in a white imperialist colonialist society...where white folks, such as you two, can come here and tell me what is and isn't racism.

You used the words, Zek, that I "have nothing to complain about American's killing [my] ancestors." Here, using the word "have," you are IMPOSING your white male colonialist imperialist viewpoint upon me. You "have" narrowed the scope of the arguement and used my race against me. I don't vote. I have been told numerous times by people that if I don't vote then I "have no right to complain about the government." Yet, these same people will tell me this is the land of freedom. So, I am free to live under conservative fascism, or liberal fascism. There are always plenty of imperialist colonialists ready to tell me how I can and cannot live.

"I have never seen anything that could ever be remotely construed as racist..."

Of course not. You are white and part of a white imperialist colonialist society. To explore institutionalized racism, you may just have to look at things in yourself that are not too pleasant.

"The behavior of Eugene and Ms. Loving was eerily similar to the type of behavior manifested by every right wing lug nut I've debated with. You know the drill: First they attempt to debate with you - next they get angry and start calling you names - then ad hominem attacks and suggestions of mental instability and/or drug use - finally, ominous threat of violence. I expect to hear this stuff from the likes of Hannity, Larsen and Coulter but not from progressives."

I find this comparison very interesting. Again, like Zek using my race to get a reaction out of me, you, too, are using the same type of tool, except this time it is comparing Lisa and I to Hannity, Larsen, and Coulter, which, there again, excuses you having to listen to what I am saying about yours and Zek's racist behavior.

"I've listed to Positively Revolting Friday mornings where they have commented on this very thing (I wonder if Lisa Loving was there on those mornings)."

I have listened to this show many a time, and have been married to Melodie. Melodie has made many institutionally racist and classist comments on that show and has been called on almost all of them by Ani.

"I would agree this statement could be hurtful but it was hardly racist."

Obviously, here, you have a SUPERIOR understanding of racism from you white colonialist imperialist viewpoint... Uhhh, yeah.

"It's clear Zek was using sarcasm to point out a contradiction in your belief system." serephim

"Our troops...need to stop being tools." Zek

Oddly, that IS what I've been saying. Hello! LISTEN WHITE FOLKS! I could get up and scream at recruiters using the same alleged peaceful methods of Tom Hastings, or I could talk with these men, get to know them, hand them books like "War is a Racket" by Smedley Butler, and get into their heads to hopefully get them to stop being tools. OK, great all knowing white colonialist imperialist serephim, where is the contradiction in that. Seems to me that Donovan's song says pretty much the same thing I've been saying and putting my ass out there on the line to try to achieve.

"False accusations of racism weaken legitimate claims of racism and play into the hands of true racist who benefit from anti-racists seem shrill and phony."

And here again, a racist white imperialist colonialist occupier of my land has come here to tell me what is and isn't racism. Key word, TELL...

Here are three things I have found interesting in our conversations that just haven't come up:

1) Both Zek and Serephim I assume are pseudonyms for your own protection. I put my name out there, my birth name. I have no reason to fear the colonialist powers that occupy my land.

2) Both Zek and Serephim have NOT engaged me in conversation about this issue. You both just tell me how it is...of course, that comes from you white imperialist colonialist viewpoints toward my indigenous darkie viewpoint.

3) No one has asked how I knew Zek and David were white. Think about that one, folks.

Concerning your point about "legitimate racism," Serrephim:

David Liberty, a former Ph.D. candidate in the field of archaeology and co-host of "Mitakuye Oyasin," told me something very interesting about the Kennewick Man case. Alleged scientists stated that the size and shape of the skull meant Kennewick Man was not Indian. David informed me that skull size and shape varies more within the group than within the groups. In other words, Yakama skulls would vary greater amongst Yakama's than amongst all other racial groups. You can put this same pattern over many things, which I have done with racism, abuse, sexism, etc. Racism has many many forms. Some insideous, or, as Rhonda pointed out, very subtle. The institutional racist that both Serephim and Zek have portrayed is one of the MOST annoying forms of racism. But to say it is illegitimate is, well, illegitimate. In other words, you don't want to deal with this form of racism. You all don't want to be considered racists, and therefore you all NARROW the scope of the argument instead of discussing racism. And why should you have to discuss racism? You all could just tell me what is and isn't racism to avoid all such discussion. All you have to do...is tell ME how it is...which...in my opinion...serephim...is more like Hannity, Coulter, and Larsen than ANY of the comments I have made.

Everyday I wake up, I wake up the occupying forces of imperialist colonialism on my land. That imperialist colonialism is motivated greatly by racism in part. The most annoying form of racism to me is institutionalized racism. Those things that racist white folks do that they claim are not racist. And, when folks of color like me bring that to their attention, my accusations can be superiorly dismissed with the wave of the mouth by calling my claims "illegitimate." This is NOT the first time this type of shit has happened to me. It happens to all people of color that I know of. Personally, I'm fucking tired of it. Like I pointed out, the KKK dude and the Skinhead dude would have NEVER said the shit Zek did to me, nor supported it, such as Serephim.

All that said, I would suggest, Zek and Serephim, that you read "Autobiography of a Blue-Eyed Devil," by Inga Muscio. It deals with the type of racism you two portray. The racism known as "Institutionalized Racism." Read it, and learn something before you come here and tell me what is and isn't racism. I LIVE THIS SHIT EVERY FUCKING DAY! You can walk away at anytime and never hear of it ever again, using your white privilege...of course.

Saturday, March 17, 2007

 

My Apologies to you, Zek

Zek, I would sincerely like to apologize to you for my behavior toward you. I get really punchy when it comes to the type of racism you displayed. Now that I've calmed down, I've even gotten over my hatred. However, let me explain a few things.

You can walk away from this anytime you want. I live it. I face it every single day of my life. It wasn't until about six years ago that I finally just got tired of institutionally racists that I have started blowing up at many of them.

I lived three doors down from the Beaverton chapter of the KKK and I used to commute back and forth to work with a Skinhead. These guys would have never said shit to me like you and David have, and so many others throughout my 43 years of life.

I've become rather reactionary when this shit pops up. It's kind of like someone poking you with a sharp stick everytime you see them. You can only ignore the shit so long before you blow up.

I could use the type of logic you did to justify all attrocities of all kinds in all places and EVERYONE'S complicity in them in one form or another. It is simple and easy and a good way to keep us all divided where should be united.

That said, I don't hate you. But you definitely pissed me off and I did hate you for a few days there.

Here are a few other intensely institutionally racist statements made by a few semi-famous white folks:

Paul Watson of the Sea Shepherd Society on his way to protest the Makah whaling I believe in '99 stated: "We have become the Indians and the Indians have become the cavalry." This statement has earned him my hatred and I haven't stopped hating him not only because of this. He has also alligned himself with an anti-Indian anti-Environmental senator, Slade Gorton. He has also lied about being at Wounded Knee in '73 and being given the name greywolf clearwater by Wallace Black Elk. No one remembers him, however. There are many other things about that ugly cracker ass piece of shit as well.

When I confronted Peter Bergel of Oregon Peace Works about his sexism and racism, he had this to say to me: "We are all a little sexist and racist, Eugene, even you." Thus excusing all of his racism and sexism. When I brought up the fact that his racism is one of the reasons why people of color don't want to join him in the peace movement, he had this to say: "If people of color would quit blaming white men for their shortcomings..." then we would have unity.

With people like this on our side, we have virtually no chances at all.

Anyway, I get very reactionary about this form of racism. It can't be cracked. I don't expect you to change or necessarily even to see it in yourself. I have heard of Skinheads and KKK getting deprogrammed but so far NEVER any person with institutional racism. *sigh* And here it is...another fucking day...

 

Mayans Clean Up After Bush

[I usually don't reprint whole articles, but this one...I Love what these people are doing]

Activists 'Purify' Site After Bush Visit
The Associated Press
Thursday, March 15, 2007; 4:35 PM

IXIMCHE, Guatemala -- A whiff of incense, a sputter of candles, a hum of prayer. Mayan Indian activists on Thursday offered the gentlest protest yet to the Latin American tour of President Bush as they held a purification ceremony to drive out the "bad spirits" they said he had left behind during a stop at their ancient pyramid.

Bush visited Iximche, capital of the prehispanic Kaqchiqueles kingdom, during his daylong trip to Guatemala as part of a five-nation tour of Latin America.

The activists said the bad spirits were roused by Bush's policies, including the U.S.-led war in Iraq and an immigration raid last week in Massachusetts that netted several Guatemalan immigrants and left dozens of their children stranded at schools.

"Today is a special day on the Mayan calendar," said Jorge Morales, director of the Young Mayan Movement. "That's why we are taking advantage to do this special event to clean and get rid of the bad spirits and re-establish this sacred place's harmony."

The group of about a dozen ascended a partially restored stone pyramid to a central altar, where they burned incense, scattered holy water and bowed to the ground in prayer.

The organizers of the protest are leaders of Indian rights organizations associated with the left-leaning National Indian and Peasant Coordinating Committee.

© 2007 The Associated Press

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/15/AR2007031501373.html

Friday, March 16, 2007

 

Marilyn Vann

Leslie Ross (left) and Marilyn Vann (right).

On Thursday, March 22, on "Mitakuye Oyasin/Indian World," KBOO 90.7fm, Eugene Johnson, David Liberty, Warren Robinson, and quite possibly John Tally, will be interviewing Marilyn Vann of the Descendents of the Freedmen of the Five Civilized Tribes Association. We will be discussing the recent decision of the Cherokee to exclue the Freedmen from the tribe and the impending court battles to reverse this Custerwork decision on the part of the Cherokee. Tune in from 1:30 to 3:00pm, 90.7fm or at www.kboo.fm. It will be the first indigenous membership drive show.

 

Linda's Indian Home

On "Native Nations" last night, David Liberty informed me that he met Linda Thompson, the great grandaughter of Tommy Thompson, the fishing chief at Celilo Falls for 84 years. He invited her down to the show, but wasn't sure if she would make it.

We started out the show discussing the wars with Iraq and Afghanistan and the soon to be coming war with Iran, when Linda and Marcella showed up.

As we four sat and talked about Celilo Falls and life around fishing then and now, Linda mentioned there were a couple of books that talked a lot about Tommy Thompson. One was "Linda's Indian Home," a book I have read several times to my daughter with lots of photos of an Indian baby named Linda. I had always wondered what happened to her, and then realized... I asked Linda if she was the Indian baby in "Linda's Indian Home." Turns out...SHE IS!

I can't find my copy now, but I am going to find it and have her sign it. I can't wait to tell Felicia about this also.

Wednesday, March 14, 2007

 

Vigil 3-13-07

It was quite a good vigil yesterday. It was a good turn out with a few people who only occasionally make it, the regulars, and a new one.

We got flipped off A LOT! Lots of people think war is great and are too chickenshit to do their own killing. We also got lots of support from passers by.

Bob, the WWII Vets for Peace guy has a sign that says "Our Military Are Terrorist." It's a quote from Howard Zinn and it kicks up a lot of controversy as it were. The fact is...they are. The only difference between U.S. led terror and what we are propagandized as terrrorism is that U.S. led terror is sanctioned by the government.

We even had a counter protester. An older black fellow was yelling that he was a Vietnam Vet. He seemed to be inebriated. He was walking through the traffic with his hat and almost getting hit numerous times. He held his hat as a counter protest sign and kept screaming "VIET-FUCKING-NAM! I'm a Vietnam Vet." I knew there was no talking to him but I really wanted to ask a few things: Did you know you fought for the same government that enslaved your people? The same system that upheld apartheid against your people into the '60's. The same government that had a sterilization system set up especially for your women. The same government that would allow lynchings of your people in the South so white citizens could have picnics beneath the hanged corpses of your brethren. The same government that in 2004 stole thousands of votes from blacks in the military. But I didn't.

A recruiter, however, came out and gave the man a hat. Wow! "I went to Vietnam, got PTSD, got wounds that didn't heal properly, got shit for health care, killed lots of people, and continue to suffer greatly, but at least I got this fuckin' hat." One word comes to mind about that recruiter..."embarrasin'."

A woman finally came around and talked to the man and they walked off. I could see his eyes were damaged and wondered if it was from the war. I wondered if he was homeless or struggling to keep a roof over his head. He definitely had a problem with alcohol or a reasonable facsimile thereof.

He was also screaming that we should support the troops. I don't know why it is that people think we don't support the troops. They just assume. Our troops are being exposed to depleted uranium. Our troops are suffering from PTSD severly. Our troops are getting shit health care when they return. Our troops have to pay for their own wounds. Our troops are committing war crimes. Our troops are away from their families often for years. Our troops are in Iraq and Afghanistan and soon Iran to enrich the coffers of already rich fucking assholes. We want our troops to come home, be with their families, get decent medical and mental health care, and be treated with respect by the same government that treats them like shit for killing for chickenshits to rich to do the killing themselves.

And the cherry on the whipped cream: One of the recruiters I have only seen a few times out there. Big guy, really tough looking, looks like he likes to kill. As we were leaving, he was heading into his recruiting office. I said rather loudly so he could hear, something like, "How's it going?" He responded with a "Shut Up!" Me and the few people left responded to that with laughter, and lots of it. What a rude asshole. One passer by, a pedestrian, told us these guys were slaughtering women, children, men, elders, and occasional insurgents in Iraq so we can sleep safely at night. So this rude recruiter killed lots of people in Iraq for me to get some sleep, comes back and treats me rudely. We all laughed at that pedestrian, too.

Tuesday, March 13, 2007

 

Not to be Left Out of the Custer Biz...

Custer amongst the sell-out traitors who Love him.


I just read the lead article on the Indianz.com website. Seems that the U.S. wants to cut out urban Indian health programs. I guess Dick (Custer) Cheney needs to add to that already heavily stockpiled masses of money to his former Halliburton Corporation, just my opinion of course.

And, here again, we have the Might Whitey defining who is and isn't Indian for their own benefit. Add that to the Cherokee Freedmen being cut away by Custer Work of their fomer tribal affiliates.

Custer Custer everywhere, and FUCK, I don't carry guns and I aint supposed to kill. Shit! Me and my fucking values.

You know, folks, it's about time we end the occupation of our nation, currently known as the United States of America. We need to get the illegal government currently known as the United States Government to stop illegally making laws and forcing people world wide to suffer under the horrific conditions imposed by it's empire.

This shit just has to stop.

http://www.indianz.com/News/2007/001803.asp

But wait, there's more!

Seems the governor of NY is still pushing his ILLEGAL tax program of taxing cigarettes sold to non-Indians on the rez. How can he do this? Because he is the Mighty Whitey Master of all Indian Nations. Would he impose such an illegal law on, say, Canada, Mexico, France, Britain, Whatever other nation? Of course not. But he will on an ALLEGED sovereign nation within the boundaries of the U.S. Why? Because they are the masters of the Red Nigger Race, and if we Red Niggers don't bow to their might, they will threaten military violence, as the former governor of NY, Pitaki did.

http://www.indianz.com/News/2007/001814.asp

And there is still more. I shouldn't just isolate the Cherokee for their Freedmen decision. The Enterprise Rancheria of California Indians disenrolled some 70 people from their rolls and because two women complained about their decision, they, too, were disenrolled. Thank you for those whitey definitions of Indians so we Indians can do the Custerwork for you and a few can corrupt away a bunch more money.

http://www.indianz.com/News/2006/017345.asp

Holy Fuck! Seems like a lotta tribes, especially in California, are disenrolling people left and right in order to amass corrupted tribal funds into their own illegitimate Custer coffers. The Pechanga seem to be one of those tribes. Lotsa Custer Lovers around here.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2006-11-28-tribes-cover_x.htm

Sunday, March 11, 2007

 

50 years and a day



On Saturday, Felicia and I went to the Celilo Falls Memorial at Celilo Village. Other than traffic noise, it is oddly quiet. We ran into Rhonda, David Liberty, Andy Norris, and a few other folks we knew there. We shopped around but didn't buy anything, then Felicia and I had to head to a concert in Vancouver.

We walked Rhonda to her car at Celilo Park, just across the freeway from the village and next to Chewana. We tossed rocks into the water and Felicia tried to skip a few with a little success. Rhonda, Felicia and I all had a good time by that calm river taking pictures and laughing.

Felicia and I headed to our car, back across the freeway and on the ride home, I knew how to get the idea through to the little girl just what the shit face American government did in order to kill off more Indians as well as salmon and a huge eco system.

"You know that film footage we show at the beginning of [Native Nations TV] show? You know, of the Indians fishing the big falls?"

"Yes," she said.

"That's where we were," I informed her.

Felicia's was confused.

"You know where Rhonda parked her car? You know where we were tossing stones into the river?"

She nodded.

"That is where the falls were, well, are, buried under all of that water."

Her jaw dropped.

As we drove by The Dalles Dam, the machine that murdered the falls, and the U.S. government, the monster behind the machine, we flipped it off in defiance. I wondered when the falls will be heard again. The dams won't last forever, but it looks like we Indians will, much to the disfavor of the U.S. genocidal government.

We also heard of a woman whose family has lived in the village for many hundreds of generations. She will be removed and her home bulldozed because her family dared to defy the U.S. genocidal government and refuse to sign up with a federally recognized tribe which would have meant moving to that rez for a certain period of time. They didn't want to leave. Now the Corps of Engineers will be kicking them off and bulldozing their home. That, my friends, is why white men like to have control over our identity. They can more easily terrorize us into submission should we uppity red niggers get out of hand, or, they could do it just for the fun of it, like it seems they are doing to this family. Thank you whitey! Thank you for telling us what is and isn't Indian. Thank you for terrorizing our peoples to this day. Just kidding! I really mean to say FUCK OFF! Like you haven't stolen enough from us already. Us and so many others. When will it be e(fucking)nough already! Jesus FUCK! Is their no end to your fucking cruelty...? I didn't think so.

 

Self-Esteem

Now, onto a totally different subject.

I am currently having serious struggles with self-esteem.

My housemate recently told me some guy called KBOO and said he hated hearing her on the air. This hurt her a lot. I reminded her that there are thousands of us who Love hearing her on the air so she shouldn't put too much weight in the words of a single asshole. I guess I should take my own advice.

Recently, a friend described me as pretty much one of the most misogynyst people she knows. She told me that since I talked about some 8 or so women that MAY have shown interest in me, some sort of attraction, that I now believe that all women want my body (if you seen pictures of me or met me, you know damn well sure that it is amazing if one woman wants my body let alone all). How 8 or so became all, I have no idea.

She also informed me that she does not Love me for who I am. Now here, I also had this stupid fucking idea that your friends above all others should Love you for who you are. I guess that I'm not only the most hideous monster in the world, but one of the most fucking stupid as well.

So, I've gotten into this angry rut that is hard for me to get out of. At times, not all the time, but very intensely when it happens, I again think of myself as the fat ugly horrible monster that I believed myself to be when with my first two wives. The first one often told me how ugly I was, the second reminded me that it was my soul that was the ugly part. When I left both of these women, I suddenly became the greatest guy in the world...yeah...right.

So, when I start thinking about those words my friend...alleged friend...told me, I start to feel like that ugly horrible hideous monster that I believed myself to be when with the first two wives. I'm too fat and ugly to be Loved. I too misogynyst. There is plenty of shit wrong with me, and so many people seem to expect me to be some form of Jesus instead of the horrible hideous monster I used to feel like all the time and keeps creeping more and more into my life as the days have passed since receiving those horrible e-mails.

I start thinking things like the two women I thought felt some sort of attraction to me during Christmas were really thinking they should call 911 and inform the cops something just escaped from the zoo. Maybe they were sussing out the danger of their horrific situation of me being in the same proximity, the danger level of this hideous monster. I mean, afterall, how could they be attracted to something as hideous as me.

So, I've been struggling against this shit, quietly and privately, until this moment. I'm hoping that if I write about this shit, it will help someone else in struggles such as these. One thing I always know is that I am not the only one. And, maybe, hopefully, it will help me in my struggle with my self-esteem.

I think of that one person making that mean phone call about my housemate and the thousands of others who Love her. Not that thousands of others Love me, but there are a few, and this alleged friend is the only person who has ever said such horrible shit about me other than my first two wives. So, anyway, there you go, for what it's fucking worth.

Saturday, March 10, 2007

 

Who and what is a 'Real Indian'?

Who and what is a 'Real Indian' ?
by Jim Craven/Omahkohkiaayo i'poyi

In his play "The White Plague", Sean O'Casey's main character notes: "Nothing is so passionate as a vested interest disguised as an intellectual conviction." Indeed that appears to me to be what's going on here. Here we have the "Vichy Indians" (in academia, BIA/DIA, corrupt BIA/DIA "Tribal Councils" and elsewhere) intent on more smearing of Ward Churchill, hiding their own treachery and academic sycophany, while trying to use a real issue--thefts of Indian Identity/Voice--to try to do it.

My mother used to quote Chief Lame Deer of the Lakota often who noted: "You can tell a real Red Indian by how he [or she] lives his [or her] life and not blood percentage." She used to say to all three of her children that:

... "blood-quantum, whatever it may mean or not really mean, comes from Creator; no one chooses his or her blood quantum, and thus it is a mere fact and not an accomplishment to be proud of or a sin to be ashamed of. But what one can "choose", and thus it is what someone is responsible for, is whether or not one walks 'The Red Road' and serves one's People
versus outright betraying them and/or not standing up in their defense."

And then my mother would look intensely, and my brother and sister can can also remember this vividly as she said all of this so many times to us, and she would say:

"Any Indian who does not keep the Sacred Sacred, any Indian who does not protect the children, any Indian who does not respect the Elders, any Indian who does any kind of corruption, ain't a real Indian no matter what his or her purported blood quantum; and he or she, like one of Custer's Scouts, is doing 'Custer Work' and aiding and abetting the extermination of what he or she DARES to call--and trade-on--his or her OWN BLOOD or OWN PEOPLE..." (she would add emphasis where I have)

Well let's see. Ward Churchill, whose research his detractors continually refuse to take on directly, has gone where few scholars, and certainly where none of his "Vichy Indian" detractors in academia and elsewhere have ever dared to go. He has not only exposed the genocidal conditions past and present that Indians (and many non-Indians as well) have had to endure and still have to endure, he has also exposed, in their own words and documents, the clear genocidal intentions, consciousness of guilt, cover-ups, double dealing etc of, and behind, the various governments, private interests, institutions, laws and agencies of those places where Indigenous Peoples are being exterminated. I find no evidence of Ward Churchill ever covering up, euphemizing, spinning, profiting from, rationalizing, parcing words, grant whoring, naked sycophancy or any other form of support for genocide and those agencies like the BIA/DIA and Acts like the Indian Act/Indian Reorganization Act set up to facilitate, legitimate and cover-up genocide against Indigenous Peoples. Seems to me that Ward Churchill meets the tests of the likes of Chief Lame Deer and Ohiyesa, or Dr. Charles Eastman ("The Soul of the Indian") as to who and what is a "Real Indian"?

Now some of these "Vichy Indians" of pampered academia, the BIA/DIA and various BIA/DIA Tribal/Band Councils, say that the only real test of who and what is a "Real Indian" is BIA/DIA registration or enrollment. So here we have the creations and toadies of occupiers, clearly intent on the assimilation and/or extermination of Indian nations as nations and Peoples as Peoples, called Tribal or Band Councils, (and this is not an indictment per se of everone who has been on a Tribal Council) often occupied and dominated by the most predatory, narcissistic, corrupt, ignorant and least regarded of the "Tribes or Bands they dominate, often the least like "Real Indians", and they are supposed to be the ones to certify who and what is a "Real Indian". And of course, surprise surpirse, they only regard as "Real Indians" those certified as such by themselves and the governmental entites for which they act as concubines. And sadly, those Indians so proud of being "BIA or DIA Enrolled", and regard that as some kind of legitimacy and validation for their own personal "identity", are like a French person in Nazi-occupied France saying "I am a real Frenchman, see here, I have a DFA (Department of French Affairs) card certifying my blood and loyalty issued by the Vichy Government under the authority granted it by the Bureau of French Affairs of the Government of the Third Reich."

One BIA document quoted by Patricia Lemark reads:

"Set the blood quantum at one quarter, hold to it as a rigid definition of Indians, let intermarriage proceed, and Indians will eventually be defined out of existence. When that happens, the federal government will be finally freed from its persistent Indian problem."

Adolf Eichmann could have written that. And the Vichy Indians would have us accept that the very agencies set up to facilitate and cover-up genocide against Indigenous Peoples, and the very policies they set up to facilitate Indians being "defined" or exterminated "out of existence", are the very ones to be used to determine who and what is a "Real Indian". And further, they either have nothing to say about, in some cases are involved, in the clear corruption routinely going on in official BIA/DIA enrollments in the US and Canada with propertied whites being enrolled as "real Indians", while even "full-bloods", born and raised on the Rezes, without a clear one-quarter from a given Nation, are denied enrollment in order to limit the claims on shrinking pies of lands and resources. In fact, when you see some of the grants and papers that these academic types questioning Ward's background produce, when you have been to as many conferences with these sycophantic creatures (I was with a few at a conference in China) as I have, it comes as no surprise to me that they question Ward Churchill's background as they typically lack the preparation and intellect to take on, God forbid, the actual content of his highly distrubing--to their interests and those of their patrons--work.

Now the issue of theft, misappropriation of Indian "Identity" and "Voice", in academia and elsewhere is an important one on several levels. First of all, narrow, often superficial, identity politics, along with some of the narrow identity-based programs in academia, often push the notion that to be truly "qualified" in some identity-based academic program, one must necessarily be from the group on which specialized research is being conducted. The presumption is that merely "being" whatever (Native, African-American, LGBT etc) is not only a credential in and of itself to be in that narrow identity-based program, but a necessary one at that in order to be taken as "credible".; the notions and criteria of who and what is a "real" whatever, however, are "themselves often quite superificial and suspect.

We just had many Blackfoot, born and raised on Blackfoot Rezes, fluent in Blackfoot language, staunch practioners of traditional Blackfoot Spirituality, who have never betrayed Blackfoot People, notify DIA in Canada that they are not to be considered "DIA/Indian Act Indians", will not carry or recognize DIA ID cards and will not accept "Treaty 7 Money". Are they no longer "Real Blackfoot" while members of Blackfoot DIA/BIA Tribal Councils, under heavy investigation for apparent rampant corruption and collusion with genocide, are the "Real Blackfoot"?

But I would suggest that these academics questioning the authenticity and bona fides of others be also examined. Do what all Indians do: "Who is your grandmother?" What Rez do you identify with and why? Who knows you there? What have you done tangibly in service of what you call your People? When and by whom were you first identified as being from a given People? What is the name of your People in your language (you would be surprised how many supposed descendents of Cherokee princesses do not know what Tsalagi means)? Do you speak your People's language and if not why not? Are you trying to learn your Nation's language to help to preserve it and if not why not? Have you been painted and named and if so when, where and by whom? These are some of the questions I ask.

But if someone shows me a BIA/DIA card, and especially if they have never lived on a Rez or even seriously been on one, if they have no present contacts or tried to forge them on the Rezes of the Nations they claim as their own, and they are proud of having a BIA or DIA card and regard that as "evidence" of their "Indianness", that is the last person I will regard as a "Real Indian" anymore than I would regard as "Real French", a French person proud of beinng certified "Real French" by the Vichy Government of nazi-occupied France.

But this issue is too important to be left to those Vichy Indians, in academia, BIA/DIA, Tribal/Band Councils and elsewhere, whose own backgrounds, interests, work, alliances, allegiances, agenda and backroom machinations leave them far more suspect of not being "Real Indians" than Ward Churchill no matter what their phenotypes (do they "look" Indian) and purported "blood quantums" or "legends" of their own that they claim often without the "proof" they demand of others. Indeed I have run into respected Elders from Rezes and areas that some of those in academia in Canada and elsewhere in Native Studies programs say they are from, and either not one of the respected Elders knows them, or, they know OF them but have not seen them for a long time, or, often their opinions of them are not very high at all.

Jim Craven/Omahkohkiaayo i'poyi
Blackfoot Nation

Thursday, March 08, 2007

 

MO

Yesterday, I was delivering produce to Legacy Meridian Park Hospital.

One of the cooks whom I chit chat with occasionally asked me that question:

"Are you American Indian?"

These questions can go anywhere and I was very apprehensive.

"Yes," I told her.

"And you work at the radio?" she asked

This didn't sound too bad.

"Yes," I said.

"Did you know a guy, musta been about five years ago, his name was Mo?"

"Mo Simmons?" I asked, rather surprised.

"Yes!" she said. "Mo, well, Michael, was my brother. Well, my foster brother."

Mo, for those of you who don't know, was a homeless Grande Ronde poet who would come down to KBOO when Jim Craven was still co-host of "Mitakuye Oyasin" and read. Mo would read some of the most amazing and powerful poetry. He was, as I often told him, a god amongst men. One day, while walking through Colonel Summers Park (I hate that name), I saw Mo stumbling. His liver was swollen and he was walking ver slow. We talked for a bit and I knew it was too late, but I told him that thing I always told him when I saw him and he had been drinking. "Mo, please try to stop. We need you here, Brother." "I know," he would usually respond with his beautiful smile. And I remembered that smile as he joked with his siblings on his death bed in the hospital as they'd reminisce about their history. A history that had the darkness of genocide mixed in with it as they were all separated after that Genocidal General FUCK of an alleged president, Dwight D. Eisenhower, signed the termination of the Grand Ronde Nation in '56. 8 siblings, split up into several different chunks (or was that 12 siblings?), a father, a former tribal chairman, so depressed at the alleged completed genocide of his people by that piece of shit Ike. And there was Mo, joking (as best he could) and smiling and remembering events from his past with his siblings.

And Colleen must have been there and I must have met her, but I don't remember. She told me she was in the room when Mo took his last breath. There were tears almost forming in her eyes, and I knew I would cry sooner or later, but best not at work. She was at his funeral, too, and I must have seen or met her there as well, but again, don't remember.

She told me that she was going to try to find a picture of Mo, former God Amongst Men, and pass it on. I promised to renew my efforts to get copies of the Mo tapes from Jim and make her copies as well.

MO! I MISS YOU BROTHER! SEND REINFORCMENTS! MANY BLESSINGS TO YOU WHEREVER YOU ARE!

Monday, March 05, 2007

 

Who Needs Custer



Who needs Custer? The Cherokee's have committed autogenocide and kicked out the Freedmen with an impressive 77% vote. Who needs custer? Not the Cherokee. They have no problem living up to the mans expectations and destroying their own people. Read the article on Indianz.com.

http://www.indianz.com/News/2007/001669.asp

Saturday, March 03, 2007

 

Crow Hop



Walking through a beautiful meadow, "hey!" spirit calls to me from the high limbs of a tree. I look up and see him crouching up high on a limb. He jumped and turned into a crow and landed at my feet. I found myself turned into a crow. We looked at each other for amoment, then the meadow filled with crows; in the grass walking around, in the limbs of trees, flying in the sky.

I looked at crow spirit. "I give you my desire to be Loved for who I am by a Lover," I said.

A think smoky essence poured from me into spirit crow who then shared it with all the other crows. he laughed after this was done.

"It's not a good idea to cling to your ideas," he said and laughed. I felt free.

"Now what?" I asked.

"What is it you always say? ...Oh, yeah! Things don't always work out the way we expect them to, but they always work out."

All the crows laughed and headed for the skies, blackening it, leaving me and spirit crow.

"Let's do a little crow hop!" I told spirit crow.

I hopped around and found myself human again and spirit gone. I was alone and happy and crow hopped around the field until I was exhausted.

I laid in the grass and imagined shapes in the passing clouds.

Night came and with it, the stars and moon. I imagined worlds far and near...and was happy.

 

Shadows




"Lovers will always chase your shadows,"
Spirit told me.
"Especially at dawn
when they see how long
and tall
you could be
but when noon comes
and reality hits
and they see what they've gotten themselves into...
they will ALWAYS be disappointed."

I'm sad and depressed.
I have over 40 years left in this life.
"Does it have to always be that way?"

"Look,"
Spirit says.
"You will live a long,
happy,
and productive life.
Just because you won't get
the one thing you've always wanted:
to be loved for who you are
by a Lover
doesn't mean life will be bad.
Just lonely.
Big deal."

My shoulders hunch forward
in my own disappointement.

"Lovers will always chase your shadows
at dawn and at dusk
but when reality hits at noon
and there are no shadows to be cast
they will always be disappointed in the reality
of who you are.
Lovers will always Love the fantasy
and not the man.

"No big deal, Brother,"
spirit says.
"Life is Good!
There is power in that knowledge
like the power in the knowledge
of knowing you'll live into your 80's.
You know two things now:
You'll live into your 80's
and no Lover will ever Love you for who you are.

"You could stop spending your energy
wanting that fantasy to come true.
You could stop chasing shadows and lies
yourself.
You can use that energy for something else.
You yourself
can stop chasing shadows of a fantasy world
and live long and happy
without a lover to share your heart.
You have friends that can help with that.
Live your life well
and do what you can to change the world.

"Stop chasing shadows,
Eugene.
You'll never get what you want from a Lover.
No one will ever Love you for who you are.
You will ALWAYS dissapoint.
Now you have knowledge.
Hold your head up
and walk through your life.
Live well.
Stop chasing shadows
and you will be happy.

"Of course,
I know you will have to heal from this.
You've wanted Love so strongly
You've worked hard to achieve it
and to no avail.
You did good...kinda,
but it is not for you.
Knowing you should give up that idea
is a hard and good thing.
You get to mourn the loss
of something you've always wanted
but will never have.

"So when the tears come
let the come,
but when you are done crying,
you will always be happy
and your friends
will always Love you for who you are.

"It's OK.
It's time to stop chasing shadows."

Thursday, March 01, 2007

 

CHIEF!



Aint no one as Indian as a White Man dressed like one, especially as a team mascot.

A week and a half ago, I had to spend two of my workdays sitting in a box known as the cab of a truck with a racist asshole whom I've previously mentioned started out our relationship with an extremely racist comment. Decent enough fellow...I guess. But what a racist and sexist fucking asshole.

Yesterday, I had to take that fucking route again and one of our customers called me "chief." It is a good things I don't carry weapons. I let it slide as confrontation in the workplace can often lead to getting the shit slammed in my own face. Racism, it's just a part of life.

So I played a song on "Mitakuye Oyasin" with the wonderful help of Kathleen Stephenson who helped solve all the technical problems that came with playing the soundtrack of a DVD on the air. Garrett Morris sang those wonderful words that I always think when I have to put up with racist bullshit:

"I'm gonna get me a shotgun and kill all the whities I see.
I'm gonna get me a shotgun and kill all the whities I see.
When I kill all the whities I see, whitie will quit bothering me.
I'm gonna get me a shotgun and kill all the whities I see."

There is a certain satisfaction, a sense of self-defense when I play songs like this. A sense that I am still alive and I am still here to tell you I WANT IT ALL BACK! AND I WANT YOU TO CLEAN UP YOUR FUCKING MESS!

Chief Iliniwek is gone now, a thing of the past. The University of Illinois was forced to retire their racist mascot they claim was honoring Indians. Do you really want to honor Indians? Give us back our nation and get your fucking shithole genocidal U.S. government off of our land. This racist fucking bullshit is NOT honoring. It is purely racist fucking bullshit so you don't have to deal with the horrific bullshit y'all have heaped on us. We should just get over it because y'all don't want to deal with the fucking crimes you've all participated in. Then you call this racist bullshit honoring...FUCK Y'ALL!

Just venting a bit from all the racist shit I face for being this color.

Sadly, however, those who pass (as it were) face it from both sides. They aren't Indian enough for whitey and many indians commit autogenocide and tell passers they aren Indian enough from Indians. And like Chetco Jennie's dad said, it's decendency.

And then their is the autogenocide the Cherokee are committing by ethnically cleansing the Black Cherokee's known as Freedmen. Autogenocide! Nobody kills Indians like our fellow Indians, as I'm fond of saying. We don't need Custer anymore, we can do the work for the man.

So many reasons to keep us divided, and damn, if I aint feeling pissy now.

Big fucking deal...

And Carlos Chavez talked with me as I wrote and told me he was in Black Hawks neck of the woods where there was a wonderful honoring of the pioneer folks that colonized our land and slaughered all of us red nigger folks. The sacred area where Black Hawk and his people watered their horses, a spring fed cave, had graffitti and trash strewn all over. He also visited a spot where Black Hawk prayed, sitting on a sacred stone on a sacred site. This too had graffitti all over it and had trash strewn all over the place. But not the place honoring the truly good white folks who slaughtered us less than human red folks. I told Carlos of an article I read of the Sitting Bull memorial, graffittied and bullet ridden and strewn with trash. And I'm supposed to feel honored when I see whitey playing a red nigger for a bunch of other whities and white identified folks. yeah...Ok...fuck you!

I am feeling a little pissy...OK...A LOT PISSY!

Good riddence you fucking piece of shit mascot! Rot in fucking hell then get your fucking government off of my fucking land and clean up your fucking mess ASSHOLES!

 

I have no right

The sky opened up and sang a song
in its dark cloudy day
as I again decided to journey
across the Burnside Bridge
to buy tobacco at Rich's.

My thoughts are consumed
by my failures at Love.
I consider not doing it again
and remember the last time I thought that
I fell in Love with a woman
who became a great friend.

It is dangerous to say
one will never try something ever again
as they may find their ideals challenged
as I had that day
because I had vowed never to fall in Love again.

So I am careful as I
put my secrets in my pockets
and let them slip through the holes
and into my river
commonly known as the Willamette
as I offer her tobacco
and pray for her Beauty.

I have no right
to receive what I desire in my life.
This has been pointed out to me
by experience
and a friend.
I have no right...
and that is OK.

And I stand across the largest canyon
of two pieces of the same bridge
that will never touch
but will always be in each others presence
and I realize
I am unworthy.
I am not worthy.

I make my prayers
and offer my tobacco with a smile
as I return from my journey
and clearly realize this.

I smile as I see my relatives,
two geese,
fly beneath the bridge
above the water
so in sync
so Beautiful
and it is good to see
that it works with other species.
It is good to know
that it works with my fellow humans.
But I...
I am not worthy...
And that is OK...
and I smile
and walk into the rest of my life.

This page is powered by Blogger. Isn't yours?

Subscribe to Posts [Atom]