As the Sioux Say, Mini Wiconi — ”Water is Life”

Many years ago someone on my father’s side of the family fought on the American side of the Revolutionary War.

As the story goes, the colonies won some of the fightin’ and eventually independence from King George, as well.

Many of those who did actually participate in the fightin’ were supposed to be paid for their services. But after the British went home, Congress, similar to our representatives today, decided to shortchange the very people who actually fought the battles to win independence by withholding their rightful pay.

Years later, Congress did get around to paying their veterans, but not in cash. Congress gave some of the Vets title to Native American land in the Ohio Territory as payment for their service in the War for Independence.

Nothing has changed since those days, except, maybe, Congress’ skill level. Today our reps are even more expert at double-dealing and fleecing. Only the amounts fleeced are a great deal more than back in the early 1800s.

As for the double-dealing skills, our leaders have become outstandingly adept. For instance, they have signed a multitude of “treaties” with Native Americans and broken most — if not all — of them when it was convenient and profitable to do so for the “white” business people, politicians and settlers.

At every turn of our twisted, broken-treaty path, “profit” was realized by forcing Native Americans from their lands so that exploiters could control natural resources, i.e., gold, water, mineral rights, railroad right-of-way or land for white people to farm.

Not only were treaties broken or land stolen outright, our politicians approved or looked-the-other-way while our Army  and / or white gangs killed thousands of Native Americans in “battle” and slaughtered thousands more of defenseless women, children and elders in a multitude of massacres.

Today, we have added one more chapter of heinous crimes against humanity to the USA History Book of Atrocities: Standing Rock.

“Thousands of Native Americans and their allies have gathered on unceded Sioux land delimited by the 1851 Treaty of Fort Laramie to try and stand in the way of the “black snake” that could poison the Standing Rock Reservation’s water supply. Many have noted that the pipeline corridor was repositioned from its original route north of Bismarck after white citizens spoke up against the threat a spill would pose to their drinking water ― a threat duly recognized by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Yet the Corps failed its federal mandate for meaningful consultation with the Standing Rock Tribe before signing off on a route that moved the pipeline to their doorstep.”
A #NoDAPL Map, This pipeline could endanger the drinking water of millions, 
Carl Sack, Huffington Post, 2 Nov 2016.

Please go here for more of the story...
North Dakota pipeline: 141 arrests as protesters pushed back from site,
Sam Levin, Nicky Woolf and Damian Carrington, The Guardian, 29 Oct 2016.

One-Winged Hawk

Early one morning before sun appeared to light the darkness, I walked a path into a beautiful glen.

I heard the mocking cries of crows as I approached closer. Then, out of the darkness, I saw a group of cages, each protecting wounded birds.

The occupant of one cage, the last one, was the subject of the crows’ vengeance. Several were standing atop the cage while others were flying near by — all screaming mocking calls.

As I grew closer the crows flew off.

In the sudden quite I approached the cage, at first seeing nothing inside. Then something moved and I caught a glimpse of white and brown as hawk slowly moved toward me.

I spoke to hawk and asked her why the crows were harassing her — crows outside — hawk defenseless and imprisoned.

She gave me no answer as we stood together in the early morning quiet… me, a defender and her, a prisoner.

I asked her again for the crows’ ire. Again she gave no response; but then she slowly turned on her perch, revealing that she had but one wing.

Some time later I emerged from a Native American Sweat Lodge. In near exhaustion I made my way home, collapsing into a deep sleep next to my bed.

I dreamed I was walking a path high in the mountains in the southwest desert. I was fearful that I would make a misstep and plunge into the deep abyss below.

Hawk came to me, there in my moment of doubt. She had grown her wing back and landed next to me. Looking deep into my soul she told me not to fear, take my next step and stay my path.

All will be right.

To this day hawk is with me. At times she comes to me in my dreams, filling me with her wisdom and strength. At times of decision making I look for her, knowing she will be there, somewhere close by – her, a defender and me, no longer a prisoner of my fears.