Believe What You Like But Know What You Must

People are free to be consumed with contemplating their existence, their origins, the origins of the universe, supreme beings, controllers of destiny or anything else. But solving "the Great Mystery" is neither a requirement of being Ohnkwe Ohnwe nor does it provide a path to righteousness. I maintain that spirituality does not require faith or the leaps that faith requires but rather awareness. If it helps to believe that "God has a plan" and we just must have faith that "He" knows what "He" is doing, then walk that path. My interest is in taking the mystery out of life by pointing to the obvious that is ignored everyday in the midst of fanatical ideology and the sometimes not too subtle influences of promoting beliefs over knowledge. I have said it before: “beliefs are what you are told, knowledge is what you experience”. I support a culture that prepares us to receive knowledge and to live a life with purpose. I am certainly not suggesting there is only one way to do that.

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Tuesday, August 17, 2010

A Submission from an Anonymous Reader

Judge Arcara’s ruling is in. The glimmer of hope is distinguished. It really should come as no surprise that once again, and for hundreds of years, the Native American Indian has not be given a favorable decision by the white man’s court.
As if to add insult to injury, yet again, bumbling Bloomberg is suggesting that State officials need to put on cowboy hats and use shotguns this time, when asked about the possible violence which may come to pass after this ruling. This could be likened to the “show of the rifle” and to the usually peaceful native, this is a great violation of the universal Indian code of conduct. Bloomberg has shown himself to be an untrustworthy, dishonest adversary.
Have we really come no farther than the 1800’s when the court of New York was heard to say, “ Let us forget once and forever the word 'Indian', and all that it signifies"?
Are we to hear again, the words of general Sherman when he was quoted as saying, “ the only good Indian is a dead Indian”?
Or even the words of President Teddy Roosevelt who would not go as far as to repeat the above, but said, “ I don’t go as far as to think that the only good Indian is a dead Indian, but I believe nine out of ten are and I shouldn’t like to inquire too closely".
This USA has done nothing but rob these people since we set foot in the Americas and it continues everyday. The white people wanted the Natives to take care of themselves but, not too good. They never wanted them to do too well. The State of New York has their hands out ready for the casino earnings but that isn’t even enough they also want to heap State taxes on their tobacco. The natives didn’t create the mess this State and country are in but they are being asked to remedy the situation at the cost of their sovereign rights. Shame on the people of American, who cry, ”cultural diversity”, but would forsake the very founders of this land.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

What would happen if we were to withhold casino proceeds. As I understand it, some Tribes do not pay anything to their states.

Anonymous said...

I see my post wasn't put up, so this is just another 'native' blog that sees fit to censor the peoples words if they dont conform to one persons criteria. Be taking you off my favorites and spreading the word to others to not waste their time coming to this site.

John Kane said...

I will put up any comment that adds to the conversation. I neither expect everyone to agree with all my views all the time nor do I expect to aggree with every comment. I don't want my words to be the last word on any subject but rather to help a conversation to start or continue.

John Kane said...

Regarding the first comment:
I just heard that the Saint Regis Tribal Council intends to hold back casino payments until the State backs off from their efforts to force us out of the tobacco business. Articles in the paper last month in Central New York suggested that the State should use this tax issue to force the Oneidas to give a share of Turning Stone's revenue to the State (Oneida pays no slot revenue to the State). Senecas insisted several years ago that payments be held up to the State, they may have even passed a resolution in council to that effect, but the SNI executives sent the check anyway.