My People

                                                           

                  Brown Bear, Brown Bear 

                                  What do you See?

I See... 

 

My people, I call them that not because I have the right or have earned it simply because I wish it so. My people. The people who have loved and cherished Mother Earth from their beginning and taught their children to respect all things upon her. My people respect the winds, the waters, the rocks, the trees. Their behavior on this Earth lends compassion to all living things. These are “my” people. 

 

My people have endured great suffering these past couple of centuries and that suffering lingers, a scab picked again and again. Picked by all of us who refuse to take a stand. Stand up and say, I’m so sorry. Yes, I want to teach our young about what we’ve done to the native people in our country. Yes, at the very least they should know your pains. 

 

I am ashamed of the past, I’m ashamed of my government. I hate it that I was born a white person and all that goes with that. The intolerance, violence, ignorance, yes let’s talk ignorance.

 

How can it be in a country claiming to be so civilized that we have made no efforts to correct the huge injustice done in the name of civilization? The contradiction of beating civility into a child all under the umbrella of Christianity is atrocious. Unfathomable. Disheartening and truly disgusting. I cannot be proud to be an American until my government assumes responsibility, until our textbooks give accurate information about our country’s history instead of the chapters of lies fed to our children.

 

The facts are we stole your children, we lied, we murdered and raped not just the land but your people. We looked at you and called you savages. Who was it we were really seeing?  Who were the true savages? 

 

I mourn what could have been,  if only we could see!