JoAnne Bird - Native American painting online gallery Beautiful Art! I am buying immediately!
Anyways, Howdy Y'all. It's me finally. I haven't kicked my thoughts for a while and thought today may as well be the day. (Lucky U!) Well alot and no so much has happened in the past couple weeks and months or whatever I don't know if I can remember much. Last week, my adopted parents (Linda and Will) came to see me. It was nice. They are so wonderful. They took me shopping and we went to Arlington Nat. Cem. I had never been to Arlington before so it was a new experience. The whole place is very serene. I got to see where JFK was buried. I got to see the changing of the guards @ the tomb of the unknown soldier. And I got to check out Robert E. Lee's pad. It's was quaint. They had the old slave quarters and all. It was hard for me to really grasp that this was actually part of history and there were actual slaves that lived right where I was standing. I know it seems strange comming from a Native (Just like non-Natives feel when they visit old Indian Bording schools) but it's still true. I mean it's a very significant part of history that I don't necessarily have to relate with but sometime I wish I could. Ya know? I'm still in the transitional phase in my life to where I need to feel like I really don't know who I am at all. I'm just drifting in a subdued sense of being. There has always been a big part of me that really wanted to connect with the my past, and my ancestors so that I could go forward with a sense of duty or purpose. And then one day when I was in my head something came to me...
One thing that I have always been proud of (besides being Native) is the fact that I am a direct decendant of Chief Black Kettle. And sometimes just saying it sounds empty, like I'm bragging that my dad is better than your day or something. Why? Because even though I know this fact about myself what am I really doing with it? Its always fine and good be proud of your lineage (sp?) but I have always felt that I have a special gift that I have not yet fully explored. I am a direct descendant of Chief Black Kettle. What exactly does that mean to me?
Chief Black Kettle was a leader for the Southern Cheyenne that stood with his people under the American Flag because he didn't wish his people to suffer any longer. He was promised that if he stood under that flag then no harm would come to his people. He stood under that flag for peace. Subsequently, nearly 200 people were massacared. Chief Black Kettle managed to escape with a wife. And even though he seen his people killed before his eyes, he still went back and advocated for peace to the council.
So what does all this mean for me? It means I have no right to take my life for granted when my grandfather stood for so much. I didn't have to be here and in some ways maybe I wasn't suppose to be. But my he stood for what he believed in...he stood for there being peace with United State and his people. He stood for his people to thrive and prosper. He stood for his daughters to have children and for their children to have children. And he stood for me having a better life and for my children to grow up in a peaceful world. And for all this, I should be grateful. And I am. Sometimes it's so easy to forget what it really means to be here, In this space, at this moment, in this world. Many other people stood for me to be here, not just him. But knowing this helps me to keep track of my vision for the world and what Iwant accomplish in this lifetime. I may have to be reminded from time to time, but at least I know this much.
Anyways, that's all for now. I didn't mean to go off like that but it's been on my mind for a while. And I wanted to get it down. My website is comming along nicely and I think I might be liking it. (woo hoo!) Feel free to leave comments if you like. If you have any suggestions lemme. know. <-:Peace:->
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