7/4/13

Independence Day

I celebrate independence anywhere it happens. The question here is how. When a diversity of peoples is destroyed or diminished in a holocaust of outrageous proportions for independence, does this truly result in liberty, justice and freedom for all? In a few generations indigenous peoples of America have been reduced to one-half of one percent. Imagine Africa with one-half of one percent Africans. We have been essentially disappeared in the story of America. Our massive libraries of knowledge, rich cultural and intellectual gifts have been disparaged, destroyed and broken by interloper religions and a hierarchical system of thought in which indigenous people exist only as savages. What then does this say about liberty and justice in this country? 

For healing the wound needs to be opened, purged and cleansed. Our stories need to be allowed. Our traditional ways and languages need to be honored. This country needs to apologize and reparations must be made. We all need to come together, every one of us to make a true plan for liberty and justice for all. As long as indigenous peoples are disappeared and disparaged, or surface only in Hollywood movies like The Lone Ranger, this country will remain as a child without parents, who has no sense of earth, history or spirituality.

3 comments:

Unknown said...

I just watched a reading of a speech Frederick Douglas gave on the 4th of July. His feeling as an African American, certainly don't tell a happy story of the 4th.

Many just think waving the flag, a bar b que and fire works means everyone celebrates.

Your comments are very thought provoking and profound.

White BUffalo Calf Productions said...

Joy, keep shaking it up to wake 'em up!!!

Anonymous said...

The statistic is in your book, and I happened to read that the same day. It took me a month to begin my FNS classes due to circumstance and felt down. When reading your book, it put meaning into much of the other, and helped me recall a thousand details in my past. Thank you.