IT AIN’T EASY BEING INDIAN: Jan 2018

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BY RICEY WILD

I’m bringing back the greeting, “Happy New Year!!!” This very important wish was taken from us last year and anyone who was caught saying it was promptly shut down in light of the evil emanating from the White House. The darkness that engulfed us was too much to bear and most Americans were depressed and shamed at what our country has come to, a factual dystopian reality.

So, HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! We have time to get stuff right now that we are awakened and motivated. So anxiety ridden was I of current events and the entire nasty, corrupt U.S. administration that I lost my joy for life. Every single freaking day brought new disgusting events and psychotic tweets from the ishy #45 person in D.C. I believe what we are witnessing right now is the complete eradication of capitalism. Stop laughing! It doesn’t seem like it right now but in time we good people are going to rid ourselves of the monsters in power. So there, ppbbbthss!!!

For the record, I have absolutely no lofty goals for myself personally this year. I think it’s good to make them; do more of this, less of that, write that book, etc…but I refuse to stress myself out anymore than I already am. So if anything I pledge to ‘just BE’. When stuff happens as it does, I will deal with it in the moment. Oops! I think that is a resolution. Oh well. Ok, one more: I plan to FIGHT THE POWER!!!

I can’t do it alone. We need a Dumbledore Army to rid the world of evil and set aside our indifference and apathy for the sake of our own comfort.

I read on Facebook that there are people depending on us Indigenous People to save the world. For real! I had to laugh at the naiveté and despair at the White Peoples’ posts – saying that we are their last hope, when it is them and their ancestors who put us all in this position in the first place! I would love to hear feedback on this. (My email is at the top of the column.)

May I remind you again that Indigenous People had all of what is truly important in life already figured out. We lived with Earth and thanked her for her many gifts. We had already had many urban civilizations that had risen and fallen because that way of living was not sustainable. What we were left with is an understanding that you never take more than you need, respect your neighbors, and cherish family. Our spirituality was personal and we prayed daily, having no rules that we must attend churches or mosques or temples.

Those rituals are all well and fine for other cultures but we choose to communicate directly to our ancestors and the spirits all around us. And here, in the land of the free, where immigrants came to worship their God without censure, the government did not let us do so until 1978: The American Indian Freedom of Religion Act. Yeah, really.

What I’m trying to get across here is that ya’ll got us into this mess; ya’ll are gonna have to take up the heavy load to get us out, yooz have the numbers. Indigenous People are tired from fighting for our own existence for 525 years now, without having to take up the white man’s burden. Get off your flat, white buns, toughen up and hit the streets to demonstrate. “They” can make all the laws they want to inhibit us, and buy heavy riot gear, but we have mass media (at least for now) to provide the real story.

Dang! I’m getting myself all worked up now, thinking of how I can make a sandwich sign for Mitzi to wear when we march. Probably only good for two blocks but at least we will be there. I’ll have use my walker though. Sigh. It’s like when I used to work for the Rez, showing up is half the battle. LOL!!!

So, here we are back at the top of the calendar with all those empty boxes to fill with appointments, birthdays and more appointments. I know I’ve been slacking for months now but it’s awful to schedule my entire life around going to the clinic to see the doctors and dentist – and being weighed after taking off my heavy winter boots. I am grateful I receive good health care here in Rezberry. I am. But it totally sucks not being able to dance and move like I used to.

It’s like my Gramma Rose and I are near in age, what with all our physical ailments and diseases. Im’a spend New Year’s with Rose and Im’a dance anyway! I love you all and wish yooz well and healthy! Mwah!