While I have no clear answers for her religious dilemma, I am glad to see her raise the question. We are living on borrowed land it is one we all should ask ourselves. As far as I can see there isn’t any more land being made and we all shepherds of what we haven’t already ruined.
This is a question we all should be asking ourselves. Since I worked as a therapist in mental health in Montana, some of my clients were Native people and struggling with generational trauma. To do my job I had to research directly with tribal elders and medicine people to learn some of the solutions to this dilemma. For me personally, I came to believe education was a road to personal power and power within the dominant culture, so I contribute as much as I can to higher education of native people. I’m proud to say that a few of my teenage clients were not only the first to graduate high school, but to complete degrees in college as well. These people have learned to live within the system and still maintain and advocate for important values of their ancestors which I believe may be our only salvation for us as humans to coexist with nature. The organization of my choice is the American Indian College Fund,
How we went about creating America was wrong. The problem is, what do we do now? Do we give back the land and leave America or do we come to some kind of agreement with the natives? The past can not be redone nor can we fix that part of our history we can only reform the policys. Yet, what everyone does not know is, the natives gets a check from our government every month. How do you think there are some casinos on reservations? They were smart enough to "pull their money together" and build them. Do you also know, natives do get "taxes" on any money they earn, whether it be from the casino or working off the reservation? That's right they are not taxed. Sounds pretty good to me especially when there is a tribe that each and every member makes $1 million dollars a year just from the casino. So let stop with "oh poor babies" crap and let's move on already. Most natives have and those who haven't well,,,, they want to live in the past and stay angry at "whitey".
Every land has been taken by subsequent generations. The Lakota took it from somebody else. Her grandparent’s land in Odessa or somewhere prior was taken from them. Pre-modernity was not fair and it is folly to ask kids to pay the sins of their ancestors
People have been stealing land from each other, and property, and can't get enough money, land, power. Cultures seem to do best when there are shared values and goals.
I think I can safely predict this post won't be popular. I find the contemporay handwringing about "stolen land" emotionally self-indulgent and historically uninformed. Yes European settlers took land from the Lakotas. Similarly the Lakota Empire took land from the Cheyenne, the Kiowa, the Crow and many others. Certainly the Lakota never felt badly about. Quite the contrary. They quite liked their "stolen" land and fiercely defended it. Until Western science formed the basis for material progress unimaginable to earlier humans, one group had taken land and other things from other groups throughout the entire course of human history. Why would it be that European settlers would have some special cross to bear? Yes it's great we've finally reached a point where we are able to organize society so this in an aberration to be condemned (e.g. Ukraine) rather than a constant feature of human existence. However, going back and selecting one particular past human land grab over all the others and "acknowledging it" or "apologizing" for it seems designed (albeit unintentionally) to make those who do the "acknowledging" and "apologizing" feel good about themselves and morally superior. I realize there are good people who do it, but count me out.
Wow, a book to read and support; a conundrum.
Some would say karma to be addressed. Thank you.
While I have no clear answers for her religious dilemma, I am glad to see her raise the question. We are living on borrowed land it is one we all should ask ourselves. As far as I can see there isn’t any more land being made and we all shepherds of what we haven’t already ruined.
This is a question we all should be asking ourselves. Since I worked as a therapist in mental health in Montana, some of my clients were Native people and struggling with generational trauma. To do my job I had to research directly with tribal elders and medicine people to learn some of the solutions to this dilemma. For me personally, I came to believe education was a road to personal power and power within the dominant culture, so I contribute as much as I can to higher education of native people. I’m proud to say that a few of my teenage clients were not only the first to graduate high school, but to complete degrees in college as well. These people have learned to live within the system and still maintain and advocate for important values of their ancestors which I believe may be our only salvation for us as humans to coexist with nature. The organization of my choice is the American Indian College Fund,
www.collegefund.org/support.
How we went about creating America was wrong. The problem is, what do we do now? Do we give back the land and leave America or do we come to some kind of agreement with the natives? The past can not be redone nor can we fix that part of our history we can only reform the policys. Yet, what everyone does not know is, the natives gets a check from our government every month. How do you think there are some casinos on reservations? They were smart enough to "pull their money together" and build them. Do you also know, natives do get "taxes" on any money they earn, whether it be from the casino or working off the reservation? That's right they are not taxed. Sounds pretty good to me especially when there is a tribe that each and every member makes $1 million dollars a year just from the casino. So let stop with "oh poor babies" crap and let's move on already. Most natives have and those who haven't well,,,, they want to live in the past and stay angry at "whitey".
Every land has been taken by subsequent generations. The Lakota took it from somebody else. Her grandparent’s land in Odessa or somewhere prior was taken from them. Pre-modernity was not fair and it is folly to ask kids to pay the sins of their ancestors
People have been stealing land from each other, and property, and can't get enough money, land, power. Cultures seem to do best when there are shared values and goals.
I think I can safely predict this post won't be popular. I find the contemporay handwringing about "stolen land" emotionally self-indulgent and historically uninformed. Yes European settlers took land from the Lakotas. Similarly the Lakota Empire took land from the Cheyenne, the Kiowa, the Crow and many others. Certainly the Lakota never felt badly about. Quite the contrary. They quite liked their "stolen" land and fiercely defended it. Until Western science formed the basis for material progress unimaginable to earlier humans, one group had taken land and other things from other groups throughout the entire course of human history. Why would it be that European settlers would have some special cross to bear? Yes it's great we've finally reached a point where we are able to organize society so this in an aberration to be condemned (e.g. Ukraine) rather than a constant feature of human existence. However, going back and selecting one particular past human land grab over all the others and "acknowledging it" or "apologizing" for it seems designed (albeit unintentionally) to make those who do the "acknowledging" and "apologizing" feel good about themselves and morally superior. I realize there are good people who do it, but count me out.