The specifics of my ancestry are uncertain at best. I know only the broad plain upon which my ancestors lived. In part, this is literally true. Part of my ancestry is Cree, from the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. Another part, which resonates most strongly within me, comes from what is called the desert southwest. The beauty of the land that includes such places as Canyon de Chelley, Monument Valley and Window Rock, brightens my very soul every time I see it.
I am a self-avowed Learnaholic. I love to learn. I always have. It's a hunger that cannot be sated, a thirst that cannot be quenched. I know, too, the source of this affliction. My Mom. Biologically she was my maternal grandmother, but I didn't know that until I was 15. She always encouraged whatever academic endeavor I tackled. That also meant that I was pursuing several different disciplines at any one time. It probably explains why I sometimes I feel a bit scattered. :)
Since learning of my indigenous heritage, I have been consumed by my thirst for knowledge of my ancestors. Not my specific lineage, for that information is unavailable to me. No, I must be content to learn about the history, the culture, the spirit of them. Today was such a day. I spent some time cruising YouTube. Part of me calls it a mistake.
Mistake is really incorrect, however. So how did that word come out at all? Because what I've learned was painful. As it has been for so many descendants of the indigenous peoples of this land, history is filled with painful stories of how early "Americans" treated those who lived here first. Today was such a day for me. I knew about The Long Walk of the Navajo. I received a bit more information. I knew about the atrocities called "Indian Schools". I learned more today.
I also learned today about "Public Law 93531" initiated by President Ford, repealed, then reinstated by President Clinton. Just the thought makes my stomach churn. My ancestral home, known today as the Navajo "Reservation", is home to atrocities perpetrated by the US Government, on behalf of Corporate Greed, much the same as it is on other "reservations" on this continent. Because the Government wants the natural resources of the land of our ancestors, they wrote their treaties and pass laws, even today, that allow the Government to shove the indigenous people aside for the benefit of The Corporation. Public Law 93531 does just this. It is a forced relocation program to get the Dine out of the way for the mining interests of one of the worst polluters on the planet.
I'm not sure if I'm angry, depressed, shocked, sad or what. All of the above? I just know it doesn't feel good. Worse yet, I feel powerless to do anything about it. At this point, I'll do the best I can think of, and that's to raise my voice with others who feel the pain of this situation.
It's hard to love and respect those who seem to have no understanding of those two words.
