The Dakota people came home for too short of a time to the land they were forcibly removed from by primarily White settlers and their military. A few weeks ago the 5th annual Dakota Gathering and Homecoming happened in
One of the most powerful experiences of the weekend was the Truth and Reconciliation circle. In principle, the circle is quite a simple idea. It is the intentional creation of a space to share personal stories and pain, give opportunity for those whose voices are drowned out to speak and for those who speak too much to listen, for history to be told from the perspective of the victim. But such a simple idea becomes a powerful moment. This was the first time I've sat in on any circle of this kind where oppressor and oppressed meet to share in something. For me, I was there mostly as an observer trying to understand the pains and sufferings that hundreds of years of history have granted me privilege and power while belittled and stripped the life and dignity of others.
I just want to share some things I wrote down as I listened to powerful witnesses of pain, stories of hope, and prophetic calls for redemption.
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History: It needs to be learned. Stories of genocide and crimes of humanity are what this country is really built on.
Maintenance sobriety, language, and spirituality are of the utmost importance.
Treaties are a thing of the past, made between “governing” bodies. They are impersonal and static and allow for oppression and injustice. A covenant is about relationships and learning and growing with each other.
Oppressors can learn much from those they have oppressed. They can help us understand ourselves. And the more we learn about ourselves, the more we learn about reality. We need to step out of our ignorance and ASK OTHERS TO TEACH US.
Our minds have been numbed by a materialistic culture. We have no imagination. Our minds are contaminated. The minds of the youth are pure, do not destroy or brainwash their imagination.
The consciousness for our ethical judgments was conceived and developed through an imperialistic mentality; it seeks to control and mold the way we think.
A number of women shared their personal stories and the pain of patriarchy and sexual abuse within their lives on the reservations. The voices of the oppressed within the oppressed are what hold together life and salvation. Create space for the autonomy of women and youth to be exercised, both within native culture and the dominant culture. “A Nation is not defeated until the hearts of its women are lying on the ground.”
The Earth is retaliating for all the poisoning we have done it her. She does not care if you are brown, or white, or red, or black. We all need to become part of the Earth Community and ask the question of ourselves: Who or What comes first in your life? Is the answer the Creator? God? The Earth? My Country? Myself?
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------It seems to me that, as folks become more and more concerned about environmental issues (such as the Mississippi River Revival and BLEW's Save Our Bluffs), there is an inherent connection that emerges to issues of human and indigenous rights. It is obvious the the life of a people is connected to the life of the land when the spirituality is rooted within an Earth Community understanding of life. The way to address the systematic and capitalistic development of natural places and open spaces is by returning them and granting access to the lives of the people who have the closest connection to the land. Many of these spaces are sacred burial sites and if shut up and listen to the stories of our unlearned history, rather than looking for government documents to "prove" what the land is, relationships and community with displaced First Nation people and the land will be restored and protected.
