In 1991, i was at Plymouth Rock, that by that time had been encased with an iron cage due to vandalism that included an ambiguous, spray painted swastika. People from all over the planet came to support the mourning displayed by Native Americans for all that followed that first day of thanks so many hundreds of years ago.
2 years ago, i traveled across the San Francisco Bay to Alcatraz with thousands of others for a sunrise ceremoney by Indigenous people, many of whom participated in the occupation there by Indians in 1969. I was astounded by the numbers willing to brave the windy cold for the traditional Azteca dancers, the prayers, the talks by elders, including the multicultural Alice Walker, the drummers and the singers. I learned that day of the death 2 days before of my dear friend, Janet McCloud, fierce defender of the fishing rights of the Puyallup people. It was one unique and powerful experience that defies the happy ignorance of so many Americans.
Typical attitude from a sadly typical white (right) dude. It is so easy for those who have more than enough to ignore the suffering and genocide that continues against Indigenous people of the Americas. People may display uncharacteristic generosity on this day, but it is also telling that the desperate situation facing dwellers on Indian reservations is among the country's worst.
As one who has devoted the bulk of my energies in the past 22 years to addressing the silenced reality of slow motion genocide never stopped against Native Americans, i find the continued glaring ignorance of even leftist activists about the troubling conditions foisted upon Indian peoples to be one of the most disgusting examples of white skin privilege.
In peaceful struggle, swaneagle
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