Reflections
from the Ahnishinahbæótjibway (We, the People)
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September 1, 1993
[unpublished]
Indians
have always accused the Whites of racism, using
racism as a bludgeon of guilt to keep Whites from looking at who the
Indians
really are. These accusations of racism
keep people separated and polarized, rather than talking to each other
and
solving the problems. Indians’
complaints of racism are also used as an excuse to justify their
failures
caused by living out the Indian stereotype.
What the Indians are complaining about is not racism, although
there is
discrimination.
The
Indians should look in the mirror before they say a word
about racism. It’s always been the
Indians and the Whites, who have been racist towards the Aboriginal
Indigenous
People. Racism is there so that the
average person will not see the social and genetic engineering that is
being
done to American society. Racism
prevents dialogue, discussions, and having people from all backgrounds
get
together to make this a better world.
Racism works to the advantage of the policy-makers at the top of
the
social hierarchy—that’s why it’s there.
Simply going by the identity of Chippewa Indian is racist. To call the Anishinabe Ojibway, “Chippewa
Indians,” is racist and apartheid.
An
example of the White and Indians’ racism is the
environmental destruction of the Anishinabe Ojibway homeland, by the
Indians. If this was Indian land, the
Indians wouldn’t be destroying it.
There
is not one issue that the Indians can get together on,
in solidarity. Their identity is one
manufactured by outsiders, and it’s pretty hard to live out a
stereotype and a
projection. The only issue that there
isn’t any division in the Indian community about, is destruction of the
environment—they’ve gotten together on stealing and destroying the
Aboriginal
Indigenous Peoples’ land. The Indian
identity perpetuates and promotes racism.
The time has come for the people who call themselves “Indians”
to be
honest about who they are.
BOARDING SCHOOLS: On Sunday,
August 29, 1993, the Bemidji Pioneer ran a quarter-page ad
promoting
Wahpeton Indian School, which according to the ad is “Honoring Old
Traditions.” Which old traditions? The racism, and the violent abuse which
characterized the Indian Boarding Schools for three generations—are
these the old
traditions that Wahpeton wants to honor?
When
I was in boarding school, it was U.S. Government policy
to beat young children for speaking our own language. I couldn’t
mention my
grandfather’s name without getting whipped with a strap.
Now, the ad says that the Wahpeton Indian
school wants to teach “Whole language” and “Native language,” as well
as
“Singing.” At Wahpeton, they’re not
teaching the Anishinabe Ojibway language; they are going to teach the
pidgin language
of Chip-away Creole, which is a bastard language made up from stolen
words. Rather than being an egalitarian
Aboriginal Indigenous language, Chippewa is an hierarchical
Indo-European
language. Why waste valuable
educational time teaching nonsense? Why
not teach these children English, so that they have a language to
defend
themselves from United States Government crooks?
The
curriculum at Wahpeton includes Home Economics, Arts and
Crafts, and Industrial Arts. It is not
advertised as including History, Chemistry and Science.
If the children attending Wahpeton are the
élite of the Indians’ future generations, then it looks like the
future of
these children is termination and abrogation of the crooked Treaties. It looks like Wahpeton Indian School is
still trying to hide the genocide (in which this school played a part),
and the
grand theft of the land.
The
ad says that Wahpeton Indian School will be “Teaching
Indian Values,” including “Honesty.”
The very name Indian is dishonest, an identity which perpetuates
the lie
that European people with European values, called “Indians,” are the
Aboriginal
Indigenous People of this land. Indians
don’t have Aboriginal Indigenous values.
To see what Indian Values really are, all you have to do is step
out
your front door and look at the terrible destruction of the ecosystem
done by
Indians. All you have to do is look at
the “Indian Communities,” which are filled with crime, alcohol, and
violence. Indian values are reflected
in the corruption and racism in Indian Organizations such as Tribal
Government,
the Indian Health Board, etc. These
conditions reflect Indian values, and, my friend, Indian values are no
different than European values. Indian
values are not the values of the Aboriginal Indigenous People.
TREATIES: At the
Treaties, there were some honest White men, who said, “these Treaties
will come
back to haunt us.” These men knew that
the Indian Treaties made by the United States Government were
fraudulent and
fake, and that the Indians who signed the Treaties were not the
Aboriginal
Indigenous People who own the land. If
the people in this country want to call it, “The Land of the Free,”
then they
have to come to terms with the genocide and grand land theft that was
committed
here. Americans can no longer hide
behind their brokers, the Indians.
RETROACTIVE TAXES: Your
President is talking about balancing the
budget with retroactive taxes. Under
the Clinton tax plan, taxes will go back retroactively to January. I wonder if the legal basis for
retroactivity also applies to the presidential elections?
Does the legal philosophy that Clinton is
using mean that he can be recalled—retroactively? I
don’t see why the leaders who raided the U.S. Treasury
shouldn’t be the ones who are paying for the deficit.
Reagan’s cronies in the Savings and Loan industry, Bob Dole’s
friends—these are the people who should pay retroactive restitution to
the U.S.
Treasury, with interest.
My telephone number
is (218) 679-2382 and my mailing address is P.O. Box 484, Bemidji, MN
56601.
Wub-e-ke-niew
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