Merry Christmas and Happy New Years

http://youtu.be/_U8RMEC5RR8

 

 

Racist City, South Dakota

 

Racist City, South Dakota is starting to get the headlines because they are brutalizing American Indians/Lakota on the streets.  I wrote a few weeks ago about the young man who was in North Rapid City and the police Jump Squad showed up and the young Lakota was not going to get a beat down again with the fight and he killed two officers.  If you drive an older car with 65 plates which designates the Oglala Sioux County, you will be watched and checked over also known as racial profiling.  Most of the Lakota live on the North Side and usually the only time you see the guys in the Jump Squad outfits is in North Rapid. 

When the Old Chief of Police retired and the Mayer wanted a Mexican American the Council rejected him.  Then they put in the new guy.  Now during the LNI when thousands of American Indian families will come to Racist City, SD to spend their money and enjoy sporting and cultural events. There is a rally to protest the treatment or the police brutality, which occurs often in the Mississippi of the North.  Ok they did not want a Mexican Chief of Police which would have bridged many gaps.  I was debating a friend and we talked about the police who are trying to work their jobs.  But if you watch Rapid City Journal’s comments, there are lots of ignorant racist people in and around the Hills.  The council may or may not have had their reasons to stop the Mayor but I assure you there are many people who do not like the Indians in the Community. 

So the Rally Should happen under the United States Constituition and the Police are idiots and I believe the chief is just a puppet.  Heck the Central High School students might just join the rally.  It is all Cowboys and Indians but I assure it is not the cowboys who won the war; it was deceptive policies of the government and the killing of the food source.  Well we now have the WWW and they can stop the movement to make changes, look I do not like thugs and they need to be jailed.  But if you look at the County Jails around Racist City, SD there will be mostly Indians.  Get your head out of the sand!

There are many good people in Rapid City but I believe the police are bad because they go after Indians.  I have heard from ex-police who are Lakota and they realize even the higher ups have kept a blind eye to the treatment of American Indian Police Officers.  I am saddened when I have heard the treatment because I know when they go after the Indians on the Streets they do it with Racism.  When the Police should try to stop all the Drugs just toward Wyoming on I 90 every August they focus on the Indians.  The list can go on and on and but the facts are there and Rapid City is a Haven for Hatred.  

So yes the Lakota and Friends of Lakota should rally and we should bring International Attention to the Racist City County and the whole Town.  I like the Mayor Sam but he was fighting a beast and it is because the Land of Racist City is cursed because of the Innocents and the stealing of land, so yes Rally for Change and forget about what the White Racist City Police department wants to make happen.  We have Rights I hope you have the AP and any other news orgs that will cover the event.  It will be December 19, 2014 at 3:00 pm at the fifth street at the center or in front of the Holiday Inn!



Indian Giver and Indian Sell Out Out

 

                Ok I was researching what it means to be an Indian Giver. Of course I remember Seinfeld when Jerry was dating Kimberly Norris, who by the way is a friend of mine.  They were dealing with a cigar Indian and Kramer comes by the end of the episode and holds the cigar Indian/statue and does the war hoop. Jerry is caught telling his Indian Girl something about being an Indian Giver.  I loved seeing Kim doing the show and I had an opportunity to ask Kim how it was doing the show.  She told me Seinfeld wanted to get together in more ways than just coffee.  I do not know if you watched the episode but Kim is actually Indian and was doing great things in her day.

                So Indian giver Historically came from the 1700s when the gift was thought to be reciprocal and the White Man did not understand. When the White man came to America the Indian brought gifts and felt like the gift should have been returned.  Ok if you do not understand you probably did not get the gold watch in Johnny Depp Tonto’s when he stole the watch.  In the understanding birds cannot tell time neither does a ranger hold value to bird feed?  So we had cultural issues in the beginning and the white man does not understand generosity.  I liked the Lone Ranger after watching for the fifth time but it really makes sense now that I get it. 

                We can understand we have different cultures now but in the end we are far apart.   It is all about money with the Europeans and we need to understand this value.  Our Indigenous people allowed them to live because of who we are as human beings.  After that happened the Euros took advantage of the east coast tribes.  It is sad they did not know what would happened to the tribes  after the original settlers were brought back to life.  They did not know how to keep their people alive and the goodness of the eastern tribes help them.  But in the end there is no Indian Giver because the white people eventually brought death to the Indigenous people of the Western Hemisphere. 

                Sell Outs is something else when we look at Native America or the American Indian..  Sad we see the code talkers at the Game of the R Word game of the football game.  Shocking but the Sell Outs might just be the ones who sits with the Billionaire in the private box.  I even heard about something with Red Cloud Indian School but of course that is a Jesuit School, another story, but the idea of mascots is crazy but no smart Indian should be wooed by the Billionaire because they become Sell Outs. Wow the Navajo and the Cherokee were fooled by the DC team and probably given a nice room but it does not exchange for our dignity.

I use to not care because I know we have many issues on the Rez and what they do out there does not matter to me, but after understanding the history of REDSKIN I am 100% against the idea of being a Sell Out and it even reminds me of any Lakota leader who would even meet with the XL Pipeline.  No Lakota should ever meet with them because of the Oglala Aquifer knowing full well we support the people, against the pipeline.  There must be something else they can do whether it is a different route or way.  The Lakota would like to protect our water supply.  Water is life.

In the end we are not Indian Givers but the white man has always misunderstood us.  Lakota have not sold out and that includes my cousin Mel and how he lives his life.  We live, but there is no Sell out or Indian Giver you need know this fact.  Remember over 50% of the American Indian population live off the Reservation.  We need to understand people who live off the Rez are doing so because of housing and economic reasons. 

 

Sell out or what

Indian Giver and Indian Sell Out Out

 

                Ok I was researching what it means to be an Indian Giver. Of course I remember Seinfeld when Jerry was dating Kimberly Norris, who by the way is a friend of mine.  They were dealing with a cigar Indian and Kramer comes by the end of the episode and holds the cigar Indian/statue and does the war hoop. Jerry is caught telling his Indian Girl something about being an Indian Giver.  I loved seeing Kim doing the show and I had an opportunity to ask Kim how it was doing the show.  She told me Seinfeld wanted to get together in more ways than just coffee.  I do not know if you watched the episode but Kim is actually Indian and was doing great things in her day.

                So Indian giver Historically came from the 1700s when the gift was thought to be reciprocal and the White Man did not understand. When the White man came to America the Indian brought gifts and felt like the gift should have been returned.  Ok if you do not understand you probably did not get the gold watch in Johnny Depp Tonto’s when he stole the watch.  In the understanding birds cannot tell time neither does a ranger hold value to bird feed?  So we had cultural issues in the beginning and the white man does not understand generosity.  I liked the Lone Ranger after watching for the fifth time but it really makes sense now that I get it. 

                We can understand we have different cultures now but in the end we are far apart.   It is all about money with the Europeans and we need to understand this value.  Our Indigenous people allowed them to live because of who we are as human beings.  After that happened the Euros took advantage of the east coast tribes.  It is sad they did not know what would happened to the tribes  after the original settlers were brought back to life.  They did not know how to keep their people alive and the goodness of the eastern tribes help them.  But in the end there is no Indian Giver because the white people eventually brought death to the Indigenous people of the Western Hemisphere. 

                Sell Outs is something else when we look at Native America or the American Indian..  Sad we see the code talkers at the Game of the R Word game of the football game.  Shocking but the Sell Outs might just be the ones who sits with the Billionaire in the private box.  I even heard about something with Red Cloud Indian School but of course that is a Jesuit School, another story, but the idea of mascots is crazy but no smart Indian should be wooed by the Billionaire because they become Sell Outs. Wow the Navajo and the Cherokee were fooled by the DC team and probably given a nice room but it does not exchange for our dignity.

I use to not care because I know we have many issues on the Rez and what they do out there does not matter to me  but after understanding the history of REDSKIN I am 100% against the idea of being a Sell Out and it even reminds me of any Lakota leader who would even meet with the XL Pipeline.  No Lakota should ever meet with them because of the Oglala Aquifer knowing full well we support the people against the pipeline.  There must be something else they can do whether it is a different route or way.  The Lakota would like to protect our water supply.

In the end we are not Indian Givers but the white man has always misunderstood us.  Lakota have not sold out and that includes my cousin Mel and how he lives his life.  We live, but there is no Sell out or Indian Giver you need know this fact.  `

Race Issues Been Around A Long Time

  As you can see above there are many portraits of Jesus and people have tried to make him into themselves.  A few years ago I was thinking about a trip to DC and I visited an African American Church and found a post card of the Black Jesus.  Of course Jesus was born in Africa in a little place called Egypt but he was from Israel and most likely had darker skin than the Europeans.  Also, he probably did not have blue eyes.  When I thought about the Black Jesus I started to tell white folks they needed to embrace the Black Jesus, because Jesus was not white and it would help them to come to grips with their prejudices.  It was pretty awesome blowing the White People’s minds because they probably never thought about how their thinking affects others.   I have not been prejudice in most of my life in regards to race issues as I have seen people for people but sometimes I guess I do not like dumb people. 

                I wrote about there not being a White Savior for my Lakota people because just like in many cultures they do not like the darker skin.  Mexicans do not like to be called Indian because it is the lowest class of people in Mexico.  I cannot tell you how many times I have come across people who swear they are Spanish even though their skin is darker than mine.  It has happened because of the Imperialism and the colonization has wreaked hell upon the earth.  The greatest plague on the Western Hemisphere has been Europeans as they came and killed 100 million people who were made in the image of God.  The last 35 years I have seen how our Lakota people have treated the White Man and I am sorry to say to the people looking for the White Jesus or White Savior there is no such thing.  The White Man has his own culture and it is different from the ways Jesus walked.  Case in point is when Jesus said to sell all of your possessions and follow me.  The Rich Young ruler walked away because it was too difficult.

                Our Lakota people are generous to a fault and will help you with their last five dollars.  I have seen and they have compassion.  Wausila is a value in Lakota Culture that says we must be compassionate with others because it is our duty.   Our lives in many of our cultural ways do not need to change but we must seek to live in the 21^st Century and it must be a choice of life.  When people begin to think there is no hope than death becomes real in our lives.  You will hear people talk about things not getting better it might be a sign of depression.  I assure you when the sun comes up there is hope in a better day.  We must strive to live today and not the past because the past will keep you from your future.  I have great friends around me and believe they are helping me to get through the difficult times.  Storms pass and the sunshine will be seen again and as the Winter Comes and the Spring brings life to the plants and the trees we can trust there will be better days ahead.

                I believe we must begin to talk about the racial inequality and seek justice in all areas of our lives.  The American Indians who are here today are survivors of one the worst genocides in the history of the world and I know they come from strength and power.  Truly said if you are waiting for White person to save you, it is because of the Colonization and the affect it has had on our people.  Look I am not against the White Man or Black Man, I am against Stupid and racial bigotry is wrong.  Heck some of my best friends our Non-Lakota.  So the picture below depicts the Jesus I appreciate because he truly is not White and Blue Eyed.  So the question I have for you, Can you handle the Black Jesus.  Note: If you would like read more please order a Book on Amazon, “Rez Ramblings”.

 

 

Racial Tensions in American

Ferguson, Missouri is a hotbed of racial tension because there are still racist actions in and around our cities.  When the civil rights movements were raging in the fifties through the seventies people were seeking equalities.  The above picture shows two things that I would point out; first the US Army sweat shirt was being worn because he was a soldier.  The African American people were fleeing the southern states because of the Jim Crow Laws.  These laws were set up mostly in Southern States for the segregation after the reconstruction of the South.  It was for the purpose of keep the Blacks separate but equal but when they moved north, guess what happened?  The White Folk started rioting and because the African Americans were taking jobs and moving into neighborhoods which were usually all white. 

                The Second thing about this picture is it mentions one riot in particular The Watts Riot of 1965 in Los Angeles.  I have the opportunity to be a part of history and it is interesting because I was born in August of 1965 and I was born in LA County and when the riots started my Father told my mom there were going to drive and see the riots.  So you could say as a 9 day old baby my parents took me to the riots.  Wow it is mind blowing when you think about the racial hatred and struggles we have been faced with. 

                Now when we think about what happens today you must seek to understand what it means to be a person who is not European descent or white in America.  I know I have been racially profiled many times and it is part of growing up in all areas of our society.  The conservative network FOX News is one of the worst outlets for news I have ever seen.  When you look for prejudice practices one must only look at hiring practices and bank loans where the minorities are struggling.  The education levels of the poorer districts struggle because of a lack of property taxes.  Look at one point most of the Black People were in the inner city and then were pushed out to places like Ferguson because gentrification where the minorities and poorer people can no longer stay in the older homes because people are coming in and remodeling and then the taxes go up.  So now we have a suburb of St Louis which is mostly Black with a mostly white police force and the police believe it is us against them. 

                So when you realized South Dakota or more exactly is western South Dakota is like the Mississippi Burning.  We as American Indians have more incarcerations in the surrounding county jails and we are only 10% of the population.  But because it hard to get a job, which builds dignity the Lakota people are mistreated and racially profiled.  A couple years ago a young Lakota man was stopped with his friends in North Rapid and a gun fight with three officers and the Lakota man happened and two police officers died along with the young man.  I was saddened and kept watch and tried to listen to the community.  I do not know all of the facts and would never act like I know them, but the paper painted the young man as a repeat offender with lots of problems.  I heard from the community the police previously brutalized him and he was not going to let that happen again.

                Rapid City does not recruit American Indians and it the mentality of Us against Them.  Back in September of 2014 some shots were heard and it took at least 30 officers in SWAT gear and a Humvee to look for a man who was not in the house.  What do you think happens to little children in Lakota Homes Inc. think when they have to see an army come into their communities?  One last comment about hiring practices in Rapid City.  I went to the store with the bull’s eye in red and white and looked around and I only found one Lakota on the floor and one Lakota in the Starbucks.  Wow, it is true but not always as there are some great places where you can find many Lakota working.  Open your eyes.