BEFORE THE WHITE MAN

BEFORE THE WHITE MAN

NO PEOPLES ON EARTH EVER ENJOYED A FREEDOM LIKE WE INDIANS ENJOYED BEFORE THE WHITE MAN CAME TO THIS COUNTRY. EVERYTHING WAS FREE. WE WERE FREE AND SO WERE THE ANIMALS AND THE BIRDS AND THE RIVERS AND THE WHOLE WONDERFUL LAND FROM END TO END. ALL FREE. ALL PURE. ALL HAPPY. THIS WAS THE FREEST AND PUREST AND HAPPIEST PLACE IN THE WHOLE UNIVERSE. WE WERE THE GREAT SPIRIT'S FOREST CHILDREN, LIVING FREE ACCORDING TO HIS LAW.

THEN COLUMBUS AND HIS GANG HIT THIS COUNTRY BY ACCIDENT. WE'RE SORRY THAT THEY DID. OUR INSTRUCTIONS DIDN'T TELL US WHAT TO DO ABOUT THE WHITE MAN. WE WELCOMED HIM WHEN HE CAME HERE. WE FED HIM. WE TOOK CARE OF HIM. WE BELIEVED GOD HAD SENT HIM TO HELP US. GOD GAVE THE WHITE MAN POWERS WE NEVER SAW BEFORE-MATERIAL POWERS. HE WAS SUPPOSE TO USE THE MATERIAL POWERS TO MAKE LIFE BETTER FOR ALL OF US. HE WAS SUPPOSE TO USE THE MATERIAL POWER IN THE SERVICE OF THE SPIRITUAL POWER. HE DIDN'T. INSTEAD, HE USED HIS MATERIAL POWERS TO STEAL OUR LAND AND OUR FREEDOM.

NOW THE GREAT CHIEFTAINS ARE GONE. OUR BUFFALO ARE GONE. THE COUNTRY WE LOVED IS LOST. THEY BUILT ROADS OVER THE FADING TRAILS WHERE WE ONCE WALKED. OUR WEAPONS, OUR BOWS AND ARROWS, OUR TOMAHAWKS ARE IN MUSEUMS. THEY SELL OUR ARROWHEADS AND EVEN OUR BONES FOR SOUVENIRS. MAYBE IF WE DIDN'T REMEMBER HOW IT ONCE WAS IT WOULDN'T BE SO BAD FOR US. WE COULD JUST BECOME LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE. ONLY ONE THINGS SADDER THAN REMEMBERING YOU ONCE WERE FREE, AND THAT'S FORGETTING YOU ONCE WERE FREE. THAT WOULD BE THE SADDEST THING OF ALL. THAT'S ONE THING WE INDIANS WILL NEVER DO.

~LAKOTA WISDOM KEEPER ~ MATTHEW KING ~

Just a little history.
PEACE AND FREEDOM AGAIN FOR ALL!
TARA