The Native Blog

Notes from Indian Country

Oglala Sioux Tribe Bans Abortion, Suspends Tribal Chairperson

Nightmare Song

I had a nightmare last night

I had plenty of nightmares

 since my combat tour of duty!

But this one last night was different

The country I came back to was under surveillance

All the phones were tapped

Like George Orwell’s “1984” novel had came true!

I turned on the TV news and the dead media

Kept saying:

“War is Peace.”

“Ignorance is Strength.”

And then would show hours of infotainment!

Outside my window

There was an old man on the street corner yelling

“The German people back in the 1930’s

 lost their rights one by one

 until they woke up one morning and had none.”

But nobody listened to him!

I saw in my nightmare

Veteran benefits being cut

By those who never served a day in defense of this country.

There were veterans just back from the war homeless & living on the streets

 and nobody cared about them!

I woke up from my nightmare

And although I know what this country did to my people;

All of a sudden that constitution looked

 pretty good to me!

Memorial Day '06

The Oprah Show on the Navajo Rez?...But it was not to be!

    No Oprah Show

Voice of a Native Son

There are not many Native American blogs out there, but I did came across a good one!  Voice of a Native Son covers a lot of ground and is a good read.

On Banishment

Leech Lake Band split on revival of banishment

"You can't give [a tribal council] the power to banish; they'll abuse it all over the place," said one Leech Lake tribal member.

The Trail of Death

College Professor walks to remember  Potawatomi Trail of Death

From the Fulton County Historical Society of Indiana...On Trail of Death:

"In September 1838, more than 850 Potawatomi people were rounded up and marched at gunpoint from their Indiana homeland. Many walked the 660 mile distance to Kansas, which took two months."

Sixty years ago

The Elders on my rez

 had this prophecy sixty years ago:

They said there will come a time

When our people will kill each other over an evil spirit

 and it will not be alcohol!

Now I hear about our people fighting and dying

Over a drug called ‘Meth’

Families are falling apart.

Their houses become like poison.

Young girls teeth are rotting and falling out

 Over this drug.

Some stay awoke for days lost in violent paranoia!

It is not just on my rez

But it is happening all over Indian Country!

Native people are dying here in the Twin Cities

 over this drug.

This devil drug leaves a path of violence and sorrow

 and is a threat to our survival as a people!

The elders on my rez

 had this prophecy sixty years ago!

'06 Graduation

I am a proud uncle 'cos this past weekend my nephew, Tug Wamego, graduated from Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas. I was unable to attend his graduation, but I did send him some pocket change for his accomplishment. Now this fall he is going for a Master's Degree. In this day and age you have to get as much education as you can!

Congratulations to our nephew. We are proud of you, from your Uncle and Aunt in Minnesota.

Happy Mother's Day

Mother's Day (Begun by Julia Ward Howe in 1872 as anti-war holiday)