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UISO Blog
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Mormon Church changes view on indigenous people |
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Written by Administrator
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Thursday, 08 November 2007 |
Single word change in Book of Mormon speaks volumes
By Peggy Fletcher Stack
The Salt Lake Tribune
Article Last Updated: 11/08/2007 09:52:47 AM MST
The LDS Church has changed a single word in its introduction to the Book of Mormon, a change observers say has serious implications for commonly held LDS beliefs about the ancestry of American Indians.
Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believe founder Joseph Smith unearthed a set of gold plates from a hill in upperstate New York in 1827 and translated the ancient text into English. The account, known as The Book of Mormon, tells the story of two Israelite civilizations living in the New World. One derived from a single family who fled from Jerusalem in 600 B.C. and eventually splintered into two groups, known as the Nephites and Lamanites.
The book's current introduction, added by the late LDS apostle, Bruce R. McConkie in 1981, includes this statement: "After thousands of years, all were destroyed except the Lamanites, and they are the principal ancestors of the American Indians."
The new version, seen first in Doubleday's revised edition, reads, "After thousands of years, all were destroyed except the Lamanites, and they are among the ancestors of the American Indians."
LDS leaders instructed Doubleday to make the change, said senior editor Andrew Corbin, so it "would be in accordance with future editions the church is printing."
The change "takes into account details of Book of Mormon demography which are not known," LDS spokesman Mark Tuttle said Wednesday.
It also steps into the middle of a raging debate about the book's historical claims.
Many Mormons, including several church presidents, have taught that the Americas were largely inhabited by Book of Mormon peoples. In 1971, Church President Spencer W. Kimball said that Lehi, the family patriarch, was "the ancestor of all of the Indian and Mestizo tribes in North and South and Central America and in the islands of the sea."
After testing the DNA of more than 12,000 Indians, though, most researchers have concluded that the continent's early inhabitants came from Asia across the Bering Strait.
With this change, the LDS Church is "conceding that mainstream scientific theories about the colonization of the Americas have significant elements of truth in them," said Simon Southerton, a former Mormon and author of Losing a Lost Tribe: Native Americans, DNA and the Mormon Church.
"DNA has revealed very clearly how closely related American Indians are to their Siberian ancestors, " Southerton said in an e-mail from his home in Canberra, Australia. "The Lamanites are invisible, not principal ancestors."
LDS scholars, however, dispute the notion that DNA evidence eliminates the possibility of Lamanites. They call it "oversimplification" of the research.
On the church's official Web site, lds.org, it says, "Nothing in the Book of Mormon precludes migration into the Americas by peoples of Asiatic origin. The scientific issues relating to DNA, however, are numerous and complex."
Mormon researcher John M. Butler and DNA expert further argues that "careful examination and demographic analysis of the Book of Mormon record in terms of population growth and the number of people described implies that other groups were likely present in the promised land when Lehi's family arrived, and these groups may have genetically mixed with the Nephites, Lamanites, and other groups. Events related in the Book of Mormon likely took place in a limited region, leaving plenty of room for other Native American peoples to have existed."
In recent years, many LDS scholars have come to share Butler's belief in what is known as the "limited geography" theory. By this view, the Nephites and Lamanites restricted their activities to portions of Central America, which would explain their absence from the general American Indian genetics.
Kevin Barney, a Mormon lawyer and independent researcher in Chicago, welcomes the introduction's word change.
"I have always felt free to disavow the language of the [Book of Mormon's] introduction, footnotes and dictionary, which are not part of the canonical scripture," said Barney, on the board of FAIR, a Mormon apologist group. "These things can change as the scholarship progresses and our understanding enlarges. This suggests to me that someone on the church's scripture committee is paying attention to the discussion."
Peggy Fletcher Stack can be contacted at
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or 801-257-8725.
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[In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107, this material is distributed without profit or payment to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving this information for non-profit research and educational purposes only.]
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Tribal gaming enterprises play a winning hand in bolstering OK economy |
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Written by Administrator
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Thursday, 08 November 2007 |
November 07, 2007
by: Patti Jo King
NORMAN, Okla. - Although Indian gaming remains controversial, states such as Oklahoma are increasingly turning to tribal casinos to bolster state economies. According to the National Indian Gaming Association, Indian gaming generates some $1 billion annually for states through employee income, payroll, vendor taxes and revenue sharing agreements.
Some experts predict that by 2009, the tribes in Oklahoma will be the major employers in the state.
Including the state lottery, in 2006 Oklahoma's gaming industry took in an average of $617.87 per capita, nearly three times higher than in 2003, according to the North American Gaming Almanac. State per capita income increased nearly 23 percent between 2003 and 2006.
Nationwide, nearly 400 Indian casinos have created hundreds of thousands of jobs. More than 100 of those casinos are located in Oklahoma, making the state's Indian gaming revenue the third largest in the nation. Thirty of Oklahoma's 38 tribes participate in Class II casino gaming or off-track betting.
The state has also approved ''racinos,'' facilities that combine racetracks and electronic games. In addition to revenue payments to the state, racinos also pay tributes to racing organizations such as the Oklahoma Quarter Horse Racing Association. These revenues are expected to top $9 million annually in the next few years.
Oklahoma's first Indian racino, Blue Ribbon Downs, is owned and operated by the Choctaw Nation, a tribe that also operates nearly a dozen casinos. The Choctaws invested some $2 million in this state of the art facility, which also features live horse racing, reel games and fine dining.
The Chickasaw Nation, with 17 casinos and nearly 6,000 employees throughout all of its ventures, and the Cherokee Nation, with seven casinos and nearly 4,000 workers in its enterprises, are two of the state's largest employers. These dynamic tribes are engaging in new ventures and will employ more workers as they expand.
''We are always looking for opportunities to partner with the state on various economic development projects because it gives Oklahoma the edge over other states,'' said Brian Campbell, administrator for the Chickasaw Division of Commerce. ''The end result provides benefits for Oklahoma and Chickasaw citizens.''
Last year, the Cherokee Nation, which is constructing a $125 million hotel and casino, paid the state $16.3 million, a direct boost to public education and the state's horse racing industry. A recent impact study by the Metropolitan Tulsa Chamber of Commerce estimates that Cherokee Casino Resort will have an annual economic impact of $52.9 million.
David Stewart, CEO of Cherokee Nation Enterprises, said, ''We expect both the economic impact and money for Oklahoma schools to keep growing.''
The Chickasaw Nation, owners of the state's two largest casinos, WinStar and Riverwind, engaged 44 contractors - about half from Oklahoma - in building Riverwind in the town of Goldsby. While operations such as these are spawning growth in state employment, tribal business planners are now sharpening their focus to include a more complete entertainment package.
Winstar Golf opened in August 2006, attracting attention from golfers across Oklahoma and Texas. The Chickasaws are now planning to add RV parks and other amenities to some of their facilities.
Oklahoma ranks third in the nation in overall gaming revenues, according to the North American Gaming Almanac.
Revamping casinos in Oklahoma to create a more affordable travel destination along the lines of vacation hotspot Las Vegas is a new focus for the tribal casino industry. Future ventures are being planned with an eye toward multiple attractions such as golf, swimming, resorts, spas, live entertainment, convention and meeting facilities, and family amenities.
''We are tripling the size of Cherokee Casino Resort in Catoosa to add an events center, spa, 21-story hotel, more nightclubs and dining. Our most notable new restaurant will be a Toby Keith's I Love This Bar and Grill. There will be something for people of all ages,'' Stewart said.
Reinventing Oklahoma as an exciting place to visit will positively affect the state's economy in other ways as well.
''We're bringing in tourism dollars that weren't here before,'' Stewart said. ''Many out-of-state conventions are now choosing Tulsa because of its proximity to casinos.''
Industries that would also benefit include construction and maintenance services, real estate development, education and training facilities, tourism and satellite support services.
''Gaming revenues have a ripple effect in the economy with the increase in revenue for vendors and disposable income of employees,'' Stewart said. ''Capital investments by the tribes increase land values in surrounding areas and investment opportunities for real estate developers and local business. For the cities and counties, this creates a larger tax base and increased sales and real estate taxes.''
Tribal development also sustains important state infrastructure such as fire and emergency services, water, utility and road services.
The Chickasaw Nation, in partnership with Multimedia Games, constructed a $1.7 million sewage treatment plant for Goldsby and a $2.1 million water tower for Newcastle. Improved infrastructure in both towns will reap dividends for all of McClain County, according to the July 2006 Indian Gaming magazine.
According to Campbell, ''It makes sense for us to be partners and good neighbors with communities where we have built facilities. We know they appreciate the job opportunities we bring, the amenities we provide for expanding tourist traffic in their areas. But in a few instances, we've gone further and provided critical infrastructure, which has made all the difference to the area's ability to grow.''
The economic development tribes undertake in depressed areas may also help ease state welfare burdens. In the past few months, the Chickasaw Nation has held ribbon-cutting ceremonies at three newly constructed facilities: Tishomingo Wellness Center, Marshall County Chickasaw Community Center and the Ada Community Center - facilities that benefit the entire community.
New educational opportunities are also being created. Oklahoma State University's School of Hospitality is now one of the most popular career program choices in the state.
Approximately 6 percent of all current gaming revenues in the state help support education in Oklahoma. Approximately $30 million in exclusivity fees were collected by the state in 2006.
Opponents of Indian gaming in the state perceive a rise in compulsive gambling behavior. The Oklahoma Association for Problem and Compulsive Gambling recently reported that both the numbers of problem gamblers and treatment specialists in the state has risen in recent years.
Yet, they admit that while casinos provide opportunities for gambling, they do not in themselves create the problem. Oklahoma legislators reserve $750,000 annually from gaming proceeds to address the problem. Tribes help, too. The Chickasaw Nation is a founding member of the association. The Cherokee Nation introduced the ''Play Smart'' program, placing information in various places around the casino that shows players how to get help.
Overall, Indian gaming has played a winning hand in Oklahoma's economy.
''It's evident that gaming is still increasing in its acceptance across the state,'' Stewart said. ''We're now seen as a very important industry in Oklahoma, one that's growing quickly and employing a lot of people. The citizens of Oklahoma see how important that is.''
© 1998 - 2007 Indian Country Today
[In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107, this material is distributed without profit or payment to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving this information for non-profit research and educational purposes only.]
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 08 November 2007 )
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Time for intertribal alliances, economic diversification has come |
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Written by Administrator
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Thursday, 08 November 2007 |
November 07, 2007
by: Gale Courey Toensing / Indian Country Today
MASHANTUCKET, Conn. - Four leaders of successful gaming tribes convened at a ''state of the nations'' panel at the Seventh Semiannual Native American Finance Conference at Mashantucket recently played variations on the same theme: The nations must plan now for a secure financial future for the next seven generations, using economic diversification and intertribal partnerships to create an irresistible strength-in-numbers impact.
Michael J. Thomas, chairman of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation; Ray Halbritter, Representative and CEO of the Oneida Indian Nation of New York; Maurice John Sr., president of the Seneca Nation; and Jamie Fullmer, chairman of the Yavapai-Apache Nation, comprised the panel at the conference, which took place at Grand Pequot Hotel at the Mashantucket Pequots' Foxwoods Resort & Casino.
(The OIN owns Four Directions Media, parent company of Indian Country Today.)
Paul Critchlow, counselor to the chairman and vice president of Merrill Lynch & Co.'s public markets division, introduced the panel, lauding the leaders and the nations' arrival in the financial world.
''Certainly, from a Wall Street perspective, but from any perspective, these leaders are in the vanguard of a momentous shift in the political and financial landscape,'' Critchlow said. ''They represent a historic inflection point in the growth of tribal financial and political influence, stewards of tribal sovereignty, catalysts of economic growth and captains of industry for the tremendous market power they wield - an estimated $95 billion in tribal assets in the U.S. and all with unlimited potential for growth.''
Indian casinos alone generated $25.7 billion in gross revenues last year, according to the National Indian Gaming Association. The bulk of the revenue went toward paying salaries, benefits and employment taxes for the 670,000-plus American jobs created by Indian gaming. The industry also provided the federal and state governments $11 billion in the form of employment, income, sales and excise taxes, and revenue sharing agreements, according to the NIGA report.
Changes in federal law and politics - ''many of which, as we know, are often contradictory and often discriminatory'' - have shifted the focus from enforced dependency to self-determination, which in turn had led to ''great credibility with the credit rating firms.''
''You've earned increasing recognition of your financial strength and earnings potential. You're increasingly viewed as good risks. You won respect for keeping your word and honoring your agreements,'' Critchlow said.
Thomas, who spoke first as host of the event, stressed the importance of nurturing and exercising tribal sovereignty.
The success of tribal economies has increased the acceptance of ''our governments as governments that have the stability, integrity and legal checks and balances, and certainly all of the capabilities of any state government - and to be accepted as such is much more difficult than to simply make a statement that you belong in those groups,'' he said, adding that the financial world needs reminding of the ''timelessness'' of tribal governments and that ''the strengths are not new strengths as much as they are newly noticed strengths.''
But tribes need to focus on accessing the economic toolbox available to other governments, which is critically needed for long-range planning, he said. At Mashantucket, for instance, the nation has created an endowment structure that will provide for sustainable government.
''Fifty years from now, my grandchildren will be able to depend upon this endowment for their government and no longer be dependent upon Uncle Sam or even the gaming industry,'' Thomas said.
Despite the current good fortune, he warned of challenges ahead.
''We all understand these things. When things work for Indian country, enemies coalesce, they align, and they come after the mechanisms that serve our tribal communities, some for business competition reasons, some for racism-based reasons. Those who don't learn from history are condemned to repeat it.''
His advice to Indian country was to ''prepare itself in terms of access to financial markets, in terms of the ability to attract and safeguard outside investment capital, and for the end of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act.''
He urged the nations to work in unity.
''We don't work together as aggressively as we should or as often as we should. We tend to take tribal sovereignty in such an individual way that we don't build the kinds of special interest groups that attack us every single day so that we can defend ourselves properly and at some point in time, devote ourselves to collective action,'' Thomas said.
The road ahead is fraught with risk, Thomas said, but it also contains unprecedented opportunities for tribes ''to chase beautiful things together and even defend ourselves more effectively than we have in the past together.''
Halbritter and the other tribal leaders echoed and expanded on Thomas's remarks.
''We always have to remain vigilant about who we are and what we have. We're the only ones who can stand up for ourselves,'' Halbritter said.
But Indian country's newfound power ''can't just be a one-way street. We live in a country where politics is very important. We can organize the people who work for us. The vendors and finance companies and attorneys, they have lobbyists. They have relationships. We need to remind them we're the ones who are in business. They can write letters of support for our issues and go to meetings and do things on behalf of the issues that are important in Indian country,'' Halbritter said.
Halbritter suggested that the nations pool their purchasing power.
''Twenty-five billion dollars and more than that; if we pooled it into a nonprofit purchasing co-op and negotiated for better agreements for all of Indian country, look at the influence that would bring. That's the way this country works,'' Halbritter said.
The tribes need to help each other, John agreed.
''As we invest in our future, we're nothing if we can't help each other. We have no immunity. We're just another top 500 corporation and that's not our way,'' John said.
Tribes need to use their sovereignty ''as a tool for self-sufficiency and planning ''so we can exercise and utilize it together,'' Fullmer added.
''Define it in your community. What does sovereignty really mean amongst your leaders and your people? You need to know what it is to protect it,'' Fullmer said.
© 1998 - 2007 Indian Country Today
[In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107, this material is distributed without profit or payment to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving this information for non-profit research and educational purposes only.]
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Rep. Cole touts Native American 'renaissance' |
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Written by Administrator
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Wednesday, 07 November 2007 |
IndianZ.com
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
As the only Native American in Congress, Rep. Tom Cole (R-Oklahoma) is constantly educating his colleagues about tribes and Indian policy.
Cole, a member of the Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma, likes to tell fellow members that they swore to uphold tribal sovereignty when they took their oath of office. The U.S. Constitution recognizes tribes in the same clause as states and foreign nations.
"A tribe is not a genealogical association and it's not a fraternal society," Cole said yesterday in a speech at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. "It's a living, breathing entity that exists organically and its purpose is to improve the lives and protect the identity of its members."
But Cole, whose family has been active in politics for generations, said lawmakers of both parties don't always respect tribal sovereignty. Republicans are almost always concerned about gaming while Democrats try to extend federal oversight of tribes, mainly through labor unions, he said.
Both issues have been heavily debated during Cole's time in Congress. Just this year, he broke with his party to support to federal recognition bills -- one for Native Hawaiians and another for six Virginia tribes. In the past, he has co-sponsored bills to shield tribes from federal labor laws.
Despite the challenges, Cole said American Indians and Alaska Natives today are undergoing a cultural and political "renaissance." "It's an extraordinary time that we're living through right now," he told the well-attended forum.
Even that can pose problems for Indian Country. When tribes are at their strongest, the federal government often steps in to do damage, he said.
"My own tribe teaches me that times of great opportunity are times of great danger," he said, recalling the forced removal of tribes during the 1830s.
"They didn't send us from Mississippi to Oklahoma because we were doing badly," Cole continued. "They sent us to Oklahoma because we were doing well. There was a lot of jealousy surrounding us."
With Indian gaming a $25 billion industry and tribes expanding their economic horizons, these are "prosperous times," Cole said. Yet that doesn't always generate support from the American public, Cole warned.
"A lot of people like poor Indians," he said.
Besides having the distinction of being the only Native American in Congress, Cole chairs the National Republican Congressional Committee, whose goal is to increase the number of Republicans in Congress. His efforts didn't go so well last year, as Democrats took over the House in addition to the Senate.
Cole also serves as one of five Republican vice chairs of the Congressional Native American Caucus, a bipartisan group of lawmakers that advocates for Indian legislation. The caucus has more than 100 members.
Cole represents Oklahoma's 4th Congressional district. His constituents include a number of tribes in the southwest region of Oklahoma.
Yesterday's speech was the keynote for Native American Heritage Month at the Library of Congress. A number of other events are being held throughout the month.
Relevant Links:
Copyright © Indianz.Com
[In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107, this material is distributed without profit or payment to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving this information for non-profit research and educational purposes only.]
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Oklahoma Indians to protest on Statehood Day |
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Written by Administrator
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Wednesday, 07 November 2007 |
Oklahoma Indians to protest on Statehood Day
Some Oklahoma Indians won't be celebrating November 16, the 100th anniversary of Oklahoma's Statehood.
A group is organizing the Survival Walk and Protest on the Oklahoma Centennial. "We don't want people to forget how our ancestors were treated and brought here, that this was our land first," Brenda Golden told KOCO News.
The walk will start at 9am on Friday, November 16, at the State Capitol in Oklahoma City.
For more information, visit: http://www.koco.com/news/14524129/detail.html
Native American Group To Protest On Okla. Statehood Day
POSTED: 12:49 pm CST November 6, 2007
OKLAHOMA CITY -- A group representing some Native Americans across Oklahoma plans to protest the state's centennial on Nov. 16.
Events are planned all day and all across the state that day. Oklahoma became a state on Nov. 16, 1907.
However, Brenda Golden said Native Americans have been absent from Oklahoma Centennial Commission promotions.
"Everything that I had seen in the press was cowboys, astronauts, land runs (and) oil wells. Where is the history of our people?" she asked.
Oklahoma Centennial Commission Deputy Director Jeanie McCain Edney said her group was careful to include everybody.
"Oklahoma history is certainly Native American history," Edney said.
She said Statehood Day will begin with the first Oklahomans on Nov. 15.
"A very special ceremony, a sunset ceremony in which all 39 tribes and nations in Oklahoma will come together," Edney said.
Golden said her group still plans to protest, and with no objection from the centennial commission.
"In fact, I think it might strengthen and add to that event because, again, we're hearing from another vantage point or viewpoint about Oklahoma history," Edney said.
"We don't want people to forget how our ancestors were treated and brought here, that this was our land first," Golden said.
The protestors said they plan to walk to the state Capitol next Friday morning, although they haven't decided from where that walk will begin.
Copyright 2007 by koco.com
http://newsok.com/article/3164749/1194286563
Indians plan centennial protest walkThe Oklahoman
Nov. 5, 2007
Not everyone plans to celebrate Oklahoma statehood day Nov. 16.
A group of American Indians is planning to protest the celebration with a "survival walk” to the Capitol, to remind everyone what happened to their ancestors and the "real history of Oklahoma Indians and Indian Territory.”
Brenda Golden, member of the Muscogee Creek nation and protest organizer, said she could not sit quietly while the only mention or acknowledgement of the victimization of her people was a re-enacted land run and mock wedding ceremony, between Mr. Oklahoman Territory and Miss Indian Territory.
She started organizing members to try to bring awareness to what American Indians lost, with the settlement and statehood of Oklahoma.
Marching under the banner of "Why Celebrate 100 Years of Theft” the protestors will gather at 9 a.m. Nov. 16 at NW 16 and Lincoln, and then walk to the Capitol, she said.
One of the more outspoken members of the protest is Gerald D. Tieya, of the Comanche Nation. He compares asking an American Indian to celebrate the Oklahoma Centennial with asking a Jew to celebrate Kristallnacht, the night of broken glass in 1938 when Jewish homes were ransacked in numerous German and Austrian cities.
"Our part of the story, the part where our lands are invaded and stripped away from us, and the part where our cultures are attacked, the part where our peoples' lives are trampled and forever altered by this encroachment of land hungry invaders is always conveniently neglected or overshadowed,” Tieyah said.
For information on the protest, visit www.myspace.com/mvskoke_lady or contact Brenda Golden by e-mail at
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or by phone at (405) 570-7752
©2007 Produced by NewsOK.com
[In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107, this material is distributed without profit or payment to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving this information for non-profit research and educational purposes only.]
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McElhenie: Andrew and the Indians |
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Written by Administrator
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Friday, 02 November 2007 |
Posted: November 01, 2007
by: Teresa McElhenie
I have a friend who tells me to write of my pain. My friend is a storyteller, an Indian. To people of the white race, a storyteller is just a person who tells stories. To an Indian, a storyteller is a special person, revered by the clan. They hold the past in their heads, and the gift of seeing unseen things.
My mother was born on what is today known as the Poarch Creek Indian Reservation outside of Atmore, Ala. My mother never talked about being an Indian. It was ingrained into her as a child not to let that be known. ''Hide your heritage.'' Her home was not a reservation when she was born there.
The U.S. government said she didn't exist as an Indian.
Why did she not exist as an Indian? Because Andrew Jackson, one of the heroes in every child's history book, said she did not exist as an Indian. That hero, who killed a thousand of my people in only one day at Horseshoe Bend, made this decision. This man, this president, said the American Indian did not deserve to be treated as a human. He stated that they should be herded like sheep or cows and put into pens. My mother's ancestors did not understand his reasoning, and hid out in the dense forest of southern Alabama to escape this indignity. As a consequence, they later suffered the indignity of being denied their heritage, their birthright, and their right to exist as an Indian because they were not listed on the ''proper'' roles.
My mother was made to feel small in school because she knew that she was a ''dirty'' Indian. She learned to deny being what she was. She learned to ''pass.'' When I was a child, she whispered to me that she was an Indian. ''Shh,'' she hummed in my ear, ''don't tell anyone. It's our secret.'' Suddenly, I realized why, during games of Cowboys and Indians, I always wanted to be the Indian, even though it meant I had to be the one who died. We all watched Tom Mix, Roy Rogers, the Lone Ranger and other cowboy heroes. The cowboy was always the good guy wearing the white hat. The Indians were always the stinking coyotes, sneaking up on people and doing dirty deeds to poor, unsuspecting white settlers who were just minding their own business. Here comes Hopalong Cassidy, and he saves the day. Bang, bang! ''You're dead, you dirty Injun.'' Still, it didn't feel right to me to play the cowboy, or even Annie Oakley.
My mother was never allowed to be proud of her heritage, not only as a child, but for most of her adult life. I have an older brother who was born in Alabama. His birth certificate states his race is Indian. I was born later, after my mother moved to Louisiana. No one knew she was Indian. It was easy enough to ''pass'' in Louisiana with so many dark-skinned people there. My birth certificate even denies me my heritage. I am white. My birth certificate says so.
Time moves forward. Views change. Things once hidden are released to the liberal sunlight of acceptance. Your sins will find you out. Genocide, that horrible word associated with Hitler, never happened here in our wonderful land of the free. But it did. Ask the Creek, the Choctaw, the Cherokee and the other two ''civilized'' tribes who adopted the ways of the white man only to be betrayed and murdered by their mentors. Long before the ''death march'' of Bataan, there was the ''Trail of Tears.''
The white man does not understand how I feel about the attempted genocide of my peoples. When I say my peoples, I am not just speaking of my mother's Creeks; I am speaking of the Cherokee, Choctaw, Seminole, Comanche, Apache, Ute - every tribe that suffered the same indignities. Here in the home of the brave and the land of the free, we were not allowed to be brave or free. This country, founded on religious freedom, took away our most sacred ceremonies and declared them illegal. Yet, they say it happened a long time ago; and ''get over it. You can't expect us to keep making it up to you.'' I feel unsettled when I hear these things. Why is that? They didn't do those things to me personally, and they cannot understand why it affects me. Why do I feel this pain? I have no real answers, but the pain is there. It is real. It hurts.
I recently stood on the steps of the Riverwalk in New Orleans - a beautiful place with lots of ambience. Across the distance there was a bronze statue of a man riding a horse. This man must be a wonderful person for them to raise a statue in his honor, to name a section of the city after him. This man was Andrew Jackson.
I stood in Jackson Square. By my side was my friend, the storyteller. When I looked at him, I saw the same pain written on his face that was on mine. We did not need to speak. Each knew what the other felt.
Teresa McElhenie, Muscogee Nation of Florida, resides in Spring, Texas. Her mother is Muscogee Creek from Atmore, Ala.
© 1998 - 2007 Indian Country Today
[In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107, this material is distributed without profit or payment to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving this information for non-profit research and educational purposes only.]
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