I read a comment from someone on a friend’s Facebook page today that spoke to her truths. I then read a response from someone else to her post and felt compelled to write some words to address what he was speaking to and what many across the globe are holding as their truth at this time.
I understand the frustration, the anger… and insight. Many of us feel what you are feeling. When I look at America and where it began, and where it is today… I see a lot of bloodshed, terror and people who have struggled and still struggle today. I also see centuries of hate and bigotry, and when it all began people coming from other places to our shores fighting to get a piece of it.
We sit and argue because President Trump has done what many couldn’t or would not do… he pulled off the rug on what has been swept under it for a very long time. What was underneath is that we have not grown as people who wanted to put blinders on us all, or that we have not progressed with humanity as they would like us to think. We are no longer using “Political Correctness” Which is fine by me… I thought not dealing with emotions would eventually cause a powder keg anyway… and oh look it has done just that.
However the question of “Who are Americans?” we are the same people that our Ancestors were, people who are struggling for their own personal desires. So have we learned anything?
Well lets take a short look at this, my Ancestors where the Original People, and we welcomed everyone in… to be followed by my Ancestors being stripped of all they owned, all of their way of life, they were lied to over and over by the government and still are today. It took until Native American Free Exercise of Religion Act of 1993 To Assure Religious Freedom to Native Americans. AND NATIVE AMERICANS WERE the Original People in what is now considered the United States. Think about that for a moment… everyone else could practice religion any way they wanted to… but the Native Americans could not.
There will always be people who hold hate, racism, and other negatives within them. As will there always be people who harm others, war with others. Who says it is right for the United States to involve themselves in other countries battles when they have not been able to achieve a peaceful and positive solutions to their own problems? So put yourself in the place of immigrants seeking a better life or immigrants wanting to lash out at the power that has destroyed their own homes in their own countries… and I am not saying they are right anymore than I am saying we are right. I am simply pointing out that we can look from our point of view, their point of view and that what lies in between the two is often the cold hard truth of the matter.
So my point is this…. What is fair? Fair should be that we find our Humanity again, that we take care of our own yards before stepping into others. Fair should be that every human has a right to practice their own way of life, even when it does not line up with others beliefs. We all are born with free will and have the ability to choose.
We all need to put the swords down verbal or otherwise if they harm others, they are weapons to show superiority, they are of Ego stepping in. Think about it, if we all spent the time and energy that we do spewing and acting out in negatives …caring for self, caring for others, caring for the Great Mother Earth… perhaps we would find our compassion and humanity once again. Perhaps we could be happier people…. Yup perhaps…
I am bear Medicinewalker and I am dedicated to Educating and sharing the lessons, teachings and culture I have been taught by my Elders and journey with the World. It is not enough merely to learn the ways of our Elders. We must honor those traditions by sharing and educating the World. Inspiring others …Inspiring our Youth. Through the Music… the Arts…the stories…”
“Join Me as I continue the Sacred Hoop Project throughout this Year 2017…the year of Atonement!”
Mitakuye O’yasin!
~ bear Medicinewalker
Music provided by Chris Ferree and available at http://www.chrisferree.com as part of the Wolf and the bear Network @2017
