Truth hurts

[fireopal]

This is a poem by a Native American author/poet by the name of Wendy Rose. Her words hurt like hell, but I have to take them into consideration. I have no Native blood myself... and things like this can be discouraging. I can only hope the Great Spirit watches closely and recognizes our souls before our lineage. I have to wonder how many others out there share Rose's stance on this, and if so- who am I to blame them?

"For the White poets
who would be Indian

just once
just long enough
to snap up the words
fish-hooked from
our tongues.
You think of us now
when you kneel
on the earth,
turn holy
in a temporary tourism
of our souls.

With words
you paint your faces,
chew your doeskin,
touch breast to tree
as if sharing a mother
were all it takes,
could bring instant and primal
knowledge.
You think of us only
when your voices
want for roots,
when you have sat back
on your heels and
become
primitive.

You finish your poem
and go back."

[blackfootedgirl]

`You can only own your actions and feelings and take responsibility for them, every one else must do the same. If you are respectful of the old ways and walk an authentic path I would not take it personally although I feel it would apply to some who cheaply commercialize and profit from something that many hold sacred with out taking into consideration what was lost along the way. I feel she neglected to point out that many cultures, even her own prostitute their own cultures and ways for profit.
Poetry is an expression of many things, feelings, experiences of your own as well as others ,the list is long.

[(deleted)]

`You are what you feel. I f we can come back in the form of animals or spirits then why can't we come back in the form of people too even if we come back with a different blood lineage are spirits are still the same. Once you have felt what it is to be native and the spirituality you can never deny it no matter haw many generations have passed. Don't let anyone put you down. You have a strong spirit and that spirit will make you soar no matter what people say.

[fireopal]

`Blackfootedgirl- I definitely hear you and appreciate your frankness. "many cultures...prostitute their own cultures and ways for profit." ...I totally agree with that as well. I think there are those who really reflect upon heritage and spirituality (in any walk of life), and those who don't pay it much heed or respect.
And I'm grateful that you'd condone efforts if they're done so with sincerity.

[fireopal]

`Kimimila23- Thank you so much for the kind words. I can't even elaborate what a similar wavelength we share on those thoughts. Spiritual roots, to me, are just as valid as the roots that can be documented. =)

[blackfootedgirl]

`Your sensitivity and empathy towards others feelings and pain says a lot about you as a compassionate person.
Some times the author of poetry and literature do not take everything into consideration when they create using written skills and where there is a lot of emotion involved, some may feel that the offending party will know it is about them and others who live with respect to other cultures will see the authors point and understand where they are coming from with no words exchanged from either of the different parties.
Given the past and present History between both the red and white worlds I can understand why you would feel the way you do, and given the odds I am sure others do feel the same way as the Author for hers as well as other reasons.There are so many ways to interpret what has been written as there are people reading it. It all comes down to everyone owning their actions and feelings, and living in a mindful way with concern to others.

[(deleted)]

`Seems to me all people of color blame the white man for everything.. Things happen good and bad, but we must move on can't keep blaming whites for everything wrong in your life. I believe if you live in the past you can never move forward. I have no time to blame any other race of people for where I am now in life. Everything I do is of my own choosing, I can not go back and change history.. IT IS WHAT IT IS!!

N.W.A.A.

[squinto (deleted)]

`I am Native and I am white..The bashing of whites has gone on long enough.. These words I read a long time ago thought I would share them...

How many are actually paying attention to this? There are African Americans, Mexican Americans, Asian Americans, Arab Americans, Native Americans, etc. And then there are just Americans.

You pass me on the street and sneer in my direction. You Call me "White boy," "Cracker," "Honkey," "Whitey," Caveman" ..And that's OK.
But when I call you, Nig..., Kike, Towel head, Sand-nig..., Camel Jockey, Beaner, Gook, or Chink...

You call me a racist.

You say that whites commit a lot of violence against you, so why are the ghettos the most dangerous places to live?
You have the United Negro College Fund.
You have Martin Luther King Day.
You have Black History Month.
You have Cesar Chavez Day.
You Have Yom Hashoah
You have Ma'uled Al-Nabi
You have the NAACP.
You have BET.

If we had WET (White Entertainment Television). We'd be racists.
If we had a White Pride Day ..You would call us racists. If we had White History Month
We'd be racists. If we had any organization for only whites to "advance" OUR lives

We'd be racists.

We have a Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, a Black Chamber of Commerce, And then we just have the plain Chamber of Commerce. Wonder who pays for that? If we had a college fund that only gave white students scholarships ... You know we'd be racists.
There are over 60 openly proclaimed Black Colleges in the US. Yet if there were "White colleges" ..
THAT would be a racist college. In the Million Man March, you believed that you were marching for your race and rights.
If we marched for our race and rights.

You would call us racists.

You are proud to be black, brown, yellow and orange, and you're Not afraid to announce it. But when we announce our white pride ..

You call us racists.

[fireopal]

`To huggeroftrees and squinto-
I can't resent anyone for remembering the past or even current offenses- ('cause surely they're not over), and feeling passionate about it (whether it provokes sympathy OR anger). But I agree with you both that it would be nice to move forward, despite how many bridges have been burnt. It may be idealist- and I think at the end of the day blackfootedgirl is right. We can forgive if not forget, and maybe we can't achieve either- but we are responsible for own our actions. Judgment is inevitable human nature, but I think it can be agreed here- we must judge the individual for their own deeds, not any ethnicity as a whole.

[squinto (deleted)]

`You missed my point I resent no one, but at the same time blaming must stop somewhere. I have the right to my opinion as you do and if you want to feel shame or hurt feelings for something you did not do then ok that's your choice, but I do not live in the past, and forgiveness is better than carrying around baggage that can not be unloaded. Doesn't mean I forgot, just means I moved on and live in the now...My mom grew up in horrible times, orphanage, foster homes taken from her family,shamed for being Native, but you know what she never taught me to hate anyone and to live life to the fullest.She is a strong Native woman who does not live in her past..

It really does not matter what the issue was, whether slight or life-shatteringly traumatic. If you want to move on you must let it go. To do this we must forgive. To forgive someone does not mean that that you condone their behavior simply that you forgive them, and release them. By releasing and forgiving them, you release yourself.

Remember, life is in the now, the past is already finished and dead and cannot be changed. Nothing you can do now, can ever change the past, yet it is amazing how many people squander their emotional and life energy, consumed with anger or guilt about the past. In this moment now, you have your power, the power to make your choices, take your action, to make a difference. You have no power in the past and you have no assurance of power in the future.

[blackfootedgirl]

squinto wrote: `I am Native and I am white..The bashing of whites has gone on long enough.. These words I read a long time ago thought I would share them...

How many are actually paying attention to this? There are African Americans, Mexican Americans, Asian Americans, Arab Americans, Native Americans, etc. And then there are just Americans.

You pass me on the street and sneer in my direction. You Call me "White boy," "Cracker," "Honkey," "Whitey," Caveman" ..And that's OK.
But when I call you, Nig..., Kike, Towel head, Sand-nig..., Camel Jockey, Beaner, Gook, or Chink...

You call me a racist.

You say that whites commit a lot of violence against you, so why are the ghettos the most dangerous places to live?
You have the United Negro College Fund.
You have Martin Luther King Day.
You have Black History Month.
You have Cesar Chavez Day.
You Have Yom Hashoah
You have Ma'uled Al-Nabi
You have the NAACP.
You have BET.

If we had WET (White Entertainment Television). We'd be racists.
If we had a White Pride Day ..You would call us racists. If we had White History Month
We'd be racists. If we had any organization for only whites to "advance" OUR lives

We'd be racists.

We have a Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, a Black Chamber of Commerce, And then we just have the plain Chamber of Commerce. Wonder who pays for that?
If we had a college fund that only gave white students scholarships ... You know we'd be racists.
There are over 60 openly proclaimed Black Colleges in the US. Yet if there were "White colleges" ..
THAT would be a racist college. In the Million Man March, you believed that you were marching for your race and rights.
If we marched for our race and rights.

You would call us racists.

You are proud to be black, brown, yellow and orange, and you're Not afraid to announce it. But when we announce our white pride ..

You call us racists.


To answer a only a small part of your post regarding the Chamber of Commerces,
At last I knew when I owned my own business the town of Bremerton in the State of Washington had a "African-American Chamber of Commerce" it was open to everyone who wanted to join and work together to better the downtown business community of Bremerton. One way of generating funds is that the different Chamber of Commerce offices collect dues from businesses who want to join based upon the number of employees you have as well as if you are a non-business owner there is are "family" dues too, the ones do here collect funding that way but each Chamber has it's own way of doing things. But it was one of the nicest chamber groups I had been to,everyone was made to feel welcome without any reference to skin color, we were all there to better the business community.

[blackfootedgirl]

squinto wrote: `You missed my point I resent no one, but at the same time blaming must stop somewhere. I have the right to my opinion as you do and if you want to feel shame or hurt feelings for something you did not do then ok that's your choice, but I do not live in the past, and forgiveness is better than carrying around baggage that can not be unloaded. Doesn't mean I forgot, just means I moved on and live in the now...My mom grew up in horrible times, orphanage, foster homes taken from her family,shamed for being Native, but you know what she never taught me to hate anyone and to live life to the fullest.She is a strong Native woman who does not live in her past..

It really does not matter what the issue was, whether slight or life-shatteringly traumatic. If you want to move on you must let it go. To do this we must forgive. To forgive someone does not mean that that you condone their behavior simply that you forgive them, and release them. By releasing and forgiving them, you release yourself.

Remember, life is in the now, the past is already finished and dead and cannot be changed. Nothing you can do now, can ever change the past, yet it is amazing how many people squander their emotional and life energy, consumed with anger or guilt about the past. In this moment now, you have your power, the power to make your choices, take your action, to make a difference. You have no power in the past and you have no assurance of power in the future.



I agree with you forgiveness is better than carrying around baggage, but if the horrible things that were done to others in our History are forgotten ,then History has a good chance of repeating itself, if not here but some where else on this planet in a similar fashion. I think moving on and not forgetting are two different things.

[rosesandwine2_PREV (deleted)]

`i believe that people should move on, but remember the past to not repeat it. i understand that there have been a lot of injustice but most of the white people of today didn't do these injustices. Even if it were their ancestors, they themselves didn't do the injustice so why treat them badly for what their ancestors may have done. not all white people are bad, i get that and so do most other people. but that does not stop most of us people of color from having some bad feelings towards them for simply being white.

[squinto (deleted)]

`well then if they carry bad feelings because someone is white and live in the past they will always be miserable .I choose to go forward and I never would judge anyone for the color of their skin.Remember we are all related take away our color and we are all the same..

[rosesandwine2_PREV (deleted)]

`i agree that we are all related, take away our color and we are all the same. but that does not stop a lot of people even on this site from judging someone by the color of their skin. i have read past posts that were not so nice about some white people. and i'll admit that i'm guilty myself for calling someone a white bi**h or using some other white slur. i think we all have at some point in time if we are honest and admit it.
i think we need to preserve our culture but if we fall in love with someone not of our culture then we will still be judged for that by some. sometimes it seems to be a no win game.
not so sure what to think anymore. i've learned alot from this site in some ways and in other ways it's still the same.