Post by blackcrowheart on Mar 18, 2008 11:07:56 GMT -5
I have to say some stuff and then I will shut up for a while.
I was taught that unless one can write from a collective perspective with the "we" in mind, whatever needs to be said is probably not valuable enough to put to paper. However, I have spent several days and some sleepless nights on my own role, responsibilities and relationships within the Native two-spirit movement and HIV/AIDS advocacy work. Increasingly, I feel that not only am I not making a noticeable contribution to these activities, but that the entire movement may inadvertently be distorting the goal of preserving our traditions and way of life that I think is the most critical part of what we do. (When I say traditions and way of life, I'm not limiting that to two-spirit traditions. I'm talking about the life ways and cultures taught to us by the ancestors of our Indigenous nations. My instruction has been that we are responsible to "all the relations" and once we start dividing ourselves into movements we are finished.)
Back in the early 1990s I was a member of WeWah BarCheeampe, the original New York two-spirit organization. I was fairly new to the city then and anxious to become active in the community. I worked hard for the organization, publishing several issues of Buffalo Hide (our two-spirit newsletter) and attending our few functions. However, I was also there to witness the eventual destruction of the organization because some individuals, actually I would say most of us, were more concerned about who was the "most" Indian, what qualifications were needed for "membership", and betraying or being betrayed by our leadership. An organization of support turned into one of assault and denigration. It was very sad.
A couple of years ago I began to work with the NorthEast Two-Spirit Society. I was, and still am, extremely impressed by the enthusiasm and dedication of its co-founder, Harlan Pruden. Thanks to Harlan and his efforts we have been able to host many functions and impact a number of other communities getting them to incorporate the Native two-spirit voice and contribution. However, 90% of the work has been done by only a few people (primarily Harlan and, to a much lesser extent, Melissa, Adam, and myself). But more disconcerting is that we (or especially he) are experiencing attacks and disrespect from outside New York from certain individuals who seem jealous of our efforts (they provide no reason for their insults). Sadly though, these problems are not just coming from outside New York. Within our own New York community something much more than criticism is ongoing and when we ask constituents to actually become involved they are, at best, apathetic.
In the decade between We Wah BarCheeampe and the NorthEast Two-Spirit Society, I continued to work with my Lakota people as well as the Native HIV/AIDS advocacy groups in New York and New Mexico (where I briefly made my home). I participated in several different advocacy organizations, advisory boards for federal and state agencies, innumerable conferences, surveys, data collection, report writing and even inclusion of the HIV/AIDS issues in Indigenous international human rights forums. For 15 years I have been attached to this "movement" on a very active level.
There is no question that our colonizers, be they English, American, Canadian or, what we call, Fort Indians, have put innumerable obstacles in our path and that those obstacles directly affect the two-spirit and HIV advocacy movements. But that is only a part of the problem. I've seen our intellectual property used by academics to enhance their own careers. I've seen artists, in and out of the community, do exactly the same thing. I've seen disruption and destruction of our processes by one or two-individuals whose only purpose seems to be to prevent relationships from turning into action. I've seen other individuals, unsupported by any constituency, pretend to speak for "Indians" both in the community, to the domestic governments of the colonizer, or in international forums. I've been told by "activists" working for colonial (US or state) agencies, that they won't attend conferences or meetings on weekends because they won't get paid or receive credit. I've even been told directly that "I'm not interested in the 'movement' but what it can do for my music career." With respect to two-spirit gatherings, the anniversary celebration has become a fight over territory led by individuals not even from that territory and despite the fact that this is to be an international gathering (i.e., Indians from many nations). These examples of erosion come not from the colonizer. They come from our brothers and sisters!
I know what the traditional response to these situations is. And when it comes to that humble tradition, I am as guilty as those I condemn. The traditional response is to pray for the others, to be silent in the face of their dysfunction and move forward. As my leader, mentor and relative Tony Black Feather always said, 'let the spirit lead.' Unfortunately, my own trauma and anger rarely permits me to do that.
This is where I fear that my continued participation may be causing more harm than good. How can I expect others to learn and practice tradition when I cannot? And I firmly believe it is the tradition that must survive because without the tradition, we are no longer Lakota, or Dine'h or Cree or Seneca or Ho-Chunk. We are just brown (or some variation thereof) Americans that have an interesting history. We are not sovereign, self-determined, indigenous or responsible to our people and our territory. I was recently at a meeting where I heard one "Indian" say, "I'm not Canadian Indian, or Mexican Indian or any Indian but American. I don't care about those Indians because I live in America." All I can say to that is, "what?" This is how our cultures will be destroyed – when we fail to understand the need to search for and practice the traditions of our Native nation – not American Indian – but our Native nation: Lakota, Cree, Seneca or Ho-Chunk.
The proverbial last straw though has to have been a recent meeting in Minneapolis. There were four or five people there whose reputation and experience in working within our communities is well-known and well-respected and it was an honor to be with them. An outside organization (NMAC) brought us together, admittedly at our own request, to develop a policy paper for tribal councils, local and federal governments, and their related agencies (i.e., the colonizers with the money). Sadly, the process was damaged from the beginning. Many considered that a "cultural" description and discussion would only serve to confuse the intended audience because they would not be interested in our peoples' history or traditions. One individual refused to participate because the process did not agree with her methodology. Another insisted that committee work-product was private and could not be used (I won't even try and understand that one). A tribal outreach committee that boldly considered itself the most important part of the report never even made an attempt to contribute. In Minneapolis, where we tried to bring all this dysfunction together into an "outline" for a policy paper, constant challenges to the process, the participants, the approach and even the note-taking came from one person with the support of his uninvited non-Indian partner who, constantly speaking, said, "I know I'm not suppose to talk but…" More support for this disruptive individual, despite repeated protest from many participants, came from NMAC's administrator and open and direct criticism of him was met with dismissal by NMAC.
Of course, the traditional elders and wise leaders in the room did exactly what I previously mentioned: they simply listened, ignored the comments, and moved on. Also, in a traditional Lakota community, tradition could have resolved the situation because the women would have taken this person aside and set him or her straight. I've been on the sharp end of that chastisement and it isn't fun but it sure is effective. Our "warriors" would also speak up and challenge such inappropriate behavior. Now though many of our men are more concerned about offending the sources of federal funding than fulfilling their roles. But alas, we rarely work with those traditions anymore and sadly many of our own people don't want to learn the discipline involved in practicing our lifeways. A lot of us talk about being "traditional," but how many of us really live that way? Clearly, I am one of those individuals who cannot live the way of sacrifice and responsibility required by Lakota tradition within the HIV/AIDS and two-spirit Indigenous movement(s). If I could be quiet, take the blows, and tolerate the ignorance, I wouldn't be writing this. But I am. So, I think it is time to step aside.
I am very blessed though. Throughout my active participation in Indigenous human rights, I have been honored to be mentored by some of our greatest Lakota leaders. Most of these people are unknown outside of small, specific circles because of the humility and selflessness with which they do their work. In that world, for whatever reason, I am able to practice the way more effectively. I have been honored to receive three eagle feathers for my work. I will continue to work with my own people through an organization on Pine Ridge called Owe Aku, which means 'bring back the way." These are some of the most incredible people I have ever met. The completeness of decolonization and community living is present in their every action. When working together, I always feel I have a role to play and that I am capable of fulfilling my responsibilities to the people and all my relations. I believe this is because of the completeness of the community. We are collective and trying to practice collective values in as an individual cannot work. I therefore believe that the answer to many of our problems is to revitalize the system of roles and responsibilities. Most importantly, I believe, we need to make sure that people in positions of authority and decision-making are connected to their territories, to their communities and to the traditions that make us distinct. We can and should welcome everyone who identifies as Indigenous without regard to background or blood quantum. But at the same time, we and they have to realize that the colonial values we are all taught are potentially disruptive and inappropriate if our objective is to revitalize our tradition. And that is the objective of the work we do in the organizations where I find myself most valuable and valued. If that is not the objective, I don't think I belong. I think part of our path in this life is to find the role in which we are to be of service and then follow that path to the best of our ability. That is all I am trying to do. Mitakuye Oyasin.
Cheryl Little Horse aka Kent Lebsock aka Tetuwan Okshila
Kent Lebsock
iamkent@verizon.net
917.751.4239
I was taught that unless one can write from a collective perspective with the "we" in mind, whatever needs to be said is probably not valuable enough to put to paper. However, I have spent several days and some sleepless nights on my own role, responsibilities and relationships within the Native two-spirit movement and HIV/AIDS advocacy work. Increasingly, I feel that not only am I not making a noticeable contribution to these activities, but that the entire movement may inadvertently be distorting the goal of preserving our traditions and way of life that I think is the most critical part of what we do. (When I say traditions and way of life, I'm not limiting that to two-spirit traditions. I'm talking about the life ways and cultures taught to us by the ancestors of our Indigenous nations. My instruction has been that we are responsible to "all the relations" and once we start dividing ourselves into movements we are finished.)
Back in the early 1990s I was a member of WeWah BarCheeampe, the original New York two-spirit organization. I was fairly new to the city then and anxious to become active in the community. I worked hard for the organization, publishing several issues of Buffalo Hide (our two-spirit newsletter) and attending our few functions. However, I was also there to witness the eventual destruction of the organization because some individuals, actually I would say most of us, were more concerned about who was the "most" Indian, what qualifications were needed for "membership", and betraying or being betrayed by our leadership. An organization of support turned into one of assault and denigration. It was very sad.
A couple of years ago I began to work with the NorthEast Two-Spirit Society. I was, and still am, extremely impressed by the enthusiasm and dedication of its co-founder, Harlan Pruden. Thanks to Harlan and his efforts we have been able to host many functions and impact a number of other communities getting them to incorporate the Native two-spirit voice and contribution. However, 90% of the work has been done by only a few people (primarily Harlan and, to a much lesser extent, Melissa, Adam, and myself). But more disconcerting is that we (or especially he) are experiencing attacks and disrespect from outside New York from certain individuals who seem jealous of our efforts (they provide no reason for their insults). Sadly though, these problems are not just coming from outside New York. Within our own New York community something much more than criticism is ongoing and when we ask constituents to actually become involved they are, at best, apathetic.
In the decade between We Wah BarCheeampe and the NorthEast Two-Spirit Society, I continued to work with my Lakota people as well as the Native HIV/AIDS advocacy groups in New York and New Mexico (where I briefly made my home). I participated in several different advocacy organizations, advisory boards for federal and state agencies, innumerable conferences, surveys, data collection, report writing and even inclusion of the HIV/AIDS issues in Indigenous international human rights forums. For 15 years I have been attached to this "movement" on a very active level.
There is no question that our colonizers, be they English, American, Canadian or, what we call, Fort Indians, have put innumerable obstacles in our path and that those obstacles directly affect the two-spirit and HIV advocacy movements. But that is only a part of the problem. I've seen our intellectual property used by academics to enhance their own careers. I've seen artists, in and out of the community, do exactly the same thing. I've seen disruption and destruction of our processes by one or two-individuals whose only purpose seems to be to prevent relationships from turning into action. I've seen other individuals, unsupported by any constituency, pretend to speak for "Indians" both in the community, to the domestic governments of the colonizer, or in international forums. I've been told by "activists" working for colonial (US or state) agencies, that they won't attend conferences or meetings on weekends because they won't get paid or receive credit. I've even been told directly that "I'm not interested in the 'movement' but what it can do for my music career." With respect to two-spirit gatherings, the anniversary celebration has become a fight over territory led by individuals not even from that territory and despite the fact that this is to be an international gathering (i.e., Indians from many nations). These examples of erosion come not from the colonizer. They come from our brothers and sisters!
I know what the traditional response to these situations is. And when it comes to that humble tradition, I am as guilty as those I condemn. The traditional response is to pray for the others, to be silent in the face of their dysfunction and move forward. As my leader, mentor and relative Tony Black Feather always said, 'let the spirit lead.' Unfortunately, my own trauma and anger rarely permits me to do that.
This is where I fear that my continued participation may be causing more harm than good. How can I expect others to learn and practice tradition when I cannot? And I firmly believe it is the tradition that must survive because without the tradition, we are no longer Lakota, or Dine'h or Cree or Seneca or Ho-Chunk. We are just brown (or some variation thereof) Americans that have an interesting history. We are not sovereign, self-determined, indigenous or responsible to our people and our territory. I was recently at a meeting where I heard one "Indian" say, "I'm not Canadian Indian, or Mexican Indian or any Indian but American. I don't care about those Indians because I live in America." All I can say to that is, "what?" This is how our cultures will be destroyed – when we fail to understand the need to search for and practice the traditions of our Native nation – not American Indian – but our Native nation: Lakota, Cree, Seneca or Ho-Chunk.
The proverbial last straw though has to have been a recent meeting in Minneapolis. There were four or five people there whose reputation and experience in working within our communities is well-known and well-respected and it was an honor to be with them. An outside organization (NMAC) brought us together, admittedly at our own request, to develop a policy paper for tribal councils, local and federal governments, and their related agencies (i.e., the colonizers with the money). Sadly, the process was damaged from the beginning. Many considered that a "cultural" description and discussion would only serve to confuse the intended audience because they would not be interested in our peoples' history or traditions. One individual refused to participate because the process did not agree with her methodology. Another insisted that committee work-product was private and could not be used (I won't even try and understand that one). A tribal outreach committee that boldly considered itself the most important part of the report never even made an attempt to contribute. In Minneapolis, where we tried to bring all this dysfunction together into an "outline" for a policy paper, constant challenges to the process, the participants, the approach and even the note-taking came from one person with the support of his uninvited non-Indian partner who, constantly speaking, said, "I know I'm not suppose to talk but…" More support for this disruptive individual, despite repeated protest from many participants, came from NMAC's administrator and open and direct criticism of him was met with dismissal by NMAC.
Of course, the traditional elders and wise leaders in the room did exactly what I previously mentioned: they simply listened, ignored the comments, and moved on. Also, in a traditional Lakota community, tradition could have resolved the situation because the women would have taken this person aside and set him or her straight. I've been on the sharp end of that chastisement and it isn't fun but it sure is effective. Our "warriors" would also speak up and challenge such inappropriate behavior. Now though many of our men are more concerned about offending the sources of federal funding than fulfilling their roles. But alas, we rarely work with those traditions anymore and sadly many of our own people don't want to learn the discipline involved in practicing our lifeways. A lot of us talk about being "traditional," but how many of us really live that way? Clearly, I am one of those individuals who cannot live the way of sacrifice and responsibility required by Lakota tradition within the HIV/AIDS and two-spirit Indigenous movement(s). If I could be quiet, take the blows, and tolerate the ignorance, I wouldn't be writing this. But I am. So, I think it is time to step aside.
I am very blessed though. Throughout my active participation in Indigenous human rights, I have been honored to be mentored by some of our greatest Lakota leaders. Most of these people are unknown outside of small, specific circles because of the humility and selflessness with which they do their work. In that world, for whatever reason, I am able to practice the way more effectively. I have been honored to receive three eagle feathers for my work. I will continue to work with my own people through an organization on Pine Ridge called Owe Aku, which means 'bring back the way." These are some of the most incredible people I have ever met. The completeness of decolonization and community living is present in their every action. When working together, I always feel I have a role to play and that I am capable of fulfilling my responsibilities to the people and all my relations. I believe this is because of the completeness of the community. We are collective and trying to practice collective values in as an individual cannot work. I therefore believe that the answer to many of our problems is to revitalize the system of roles and responsibilities. Most importantly, I believe, we need to make sure that people in positions of authority and decision-making are connected to their territories, to their communities and to the traditions that make us distinct. We can and should welcome everyone who identifies as Indigenous without regard to background or blood quantum. But at the same time, we and they have to realize that the colonial values we are all taught are potentially disruptive and inappropriate if our objective is to revitalize our tradition. And that is the objective of the work we do in the organizations where I find myself most valuable and valued. If that is not the objective, I don't think I belong. I think part of our path in this life is to find the role in which we are to be of service and then follow that path to the best of our ability. That is all I am trying to do. Mitakuye Oyasin.
Cheryl Little Horse aka Kent Lebsock aka Tetuwan Okshila
Kent Lebsock
iamkent@verizon.net
917.751.4239