Opinion

Charles Trimble: Taking a lesson from reader Rodney Little Bird

Monday, February 28, 2011

The responses I get from readers offset the sometimes drudgery of meeting a weekly deadline as a columnist. Some are critical of my stands on any subject, some are complimentary, and some are humorous. I learn from them all, and I appreciate them.

One reader, especially, is Rodney Little Bird, a Dakota man who lives in the California Bay Area. I don’t know much about him, not even his immediate tribal affiliation. He hasn’t told me, and I haven’t felt a need to ask. I know he is well on the road to sobriety after problems he has faced with alcoholism, and he is dedicated to helping others with that problem. On the other hand, I feel I do know him well from his frequent emails. Out of mutual respect, I suppose, we have taken each other as brothers.

He writes with depth, passion, and untrained skill. His emails are usually long, and I almost always print them out to reread them off-screen, as it were, to get a better appreciation of his thoughts and his excellent way of expressing them. I was very impressed – indeed, moved – by his latest missive, and asked his permission to use it extensively in my column. Here it is, only slightly edited:

“Wow, what a month...with Egypt in the process of reform, with Libya revolting and promising prison for its worst. There is no end in sight and there should not be, when I look around for the terrorists I see the good ole USA at the helm, what are (we) to think when they got away with it here and have much knowledge toward how to handle tribal governments.

“The way I see it is that we pretty much play into their hands, we allow groups, interested parties to lead us to yet another dead end; i.e. Cobell, et al. And local tribal agencies corrupt at every turn – lack of accountability from the councils; nepotism like never seen before; throwing good money after bad; in fact sealing our fate with every lawsuit that is filed.

“However from all of this seemingly unending parody of the dog and pony shows, I get one thing and that thing really haunts me: We have long outlived the usefulness of a Tribal Council. We are too large in membership; together we can get things done…sheer numbers always works. And further Nations should come together to work on issues that require sheer numbers...find Solidarity through national unity...a solid voice of opposition to this ongoing denigration of our People...We have nothing more to Lose...for it has all been bargained away.

“A scene from Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee keeps haunting me, where Tatunka Eyutaka is asked to observe how the government is still allowing our young men the right to hunt…and they are in a corral pursuing an old cow, its ribs sticking out. Hau, Hauuuu…

“I make the male Grizzly bear sound...when it turns to face its enemy and rises on its hind legs and roars at its enemy with claws distended, and rakes the air in a violent rage. Upon overtaking the intruder it will violently shake the remains and tear it to tiny pieces and bits and scatter them to and fro. After repelling the intruder it will rise again on its haunches and bellow the bull sound to remind those who are in hearing distance “Come on...bring it on.”

“That is my heart sometimes,Tiblo, as a matter of fact more often than not. Creator taught us righteous rage in this way. But that rage is to serve us, not to offend, never to use as a simple warlike maneuver. For the Male Grizzly he worries not until he is thoroughly offended; but when he responds it is with finality. He will always win. We should all take up this power imbued in our brother the Mato Wichasha...and hold that to be our sovereign right to self-determination. And fight like him and be understood. In battle formation our people fought by lines of bravery. Some led, others behind them, still others who were not so brave fought from behind trees and thickets and whatever helped them to be present at the battle site.

“Our Ancestors fought and now for what? We must re-empower our brave inner selves to come to realization that often we allow leaders to walk in and take the reins of something they know nothing about – babbling uselessly about something they themselves are paying lip service to. “Sounds good so I will say it” – no Chante in the Eyapa. Egduskecheapshni, they do not strengthen nor empower themselves. Right away you know that it is not of a good way.

“Up to this day no one has asked me about my opinion in their journey – which they call sacred – to speak for me in Washington. Even that sounds old doesn't it? Yes, it should because it is...that’s where we are still back in the stone ages.

“Since the time of my first hour of recovery many of the Spirit Warriors that have accompanied me throughout my illness, my profoundly sad journey, have now gone on. They have been relieved that I have returned to the Good Red Road, When I met with Red Crow, Kanghi Duta, he spoke with me as if time had never passed, as if from the crowd he expected me. He held out his arms and said to me “Misun, welcome home.”

“The Ancestors have now taken their leave for they waited just on the other side of the void, waiting should I have taken my journey home. But now assured that I will enter into at the time so appointed for me, they have gone to the Grandfather. They took the best news to those who await it, that Misun has decided that he will choose to live, help his people as much as he can. So it is with Kanghi Duta – he too had the very best news for all of Our Relations.

“Within months Kanghi was gone. White hair billowing in the soft wind, no longer the small yet burly man who was always humorous and omnipresent; tho age had bent him down yet he held his head up high. That day we reserved the best for ourselves...through the use of our language…we talked from the Chante...I joined him in Prayer for our Oyate...he prayed for me...I prayed for him and all of our grandchildren to come. I prayed for our relatives who await something...someone...who will reform our Tribal process and return it to the rightful owners...the Oyate.

“One day Tiblo I too shall be sad no more for I too shall be with our Relations, and even unto that time I too shall remain just on the other side of the void and be watchful of those who suffer themselves in their search for peace…for understanding. I shall not hear their sad songs but sing to them of a time when we were strong like our Tiblo the Grizzly Male Bear...and in their suffering they shall hear me in the night make the Bear sound. And only upon their safe return shall I too then complete my journey home to my Relations...home to the Trilling of all of the Grandmothers. They will know me because I will be arriving in full regalia...with Eagle adornments fluttering in the mild breezes. In that place, Tiblo, no one has aged, all are in good health and shape, vibrant, alive...in the stillness of forever.”

Ho…hecetuwelo.

Charles "Chuck" Trimble, was born and raised on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, and is a member of the Oglala Lakota Nation. He was principal founder of the American Indian Press Association in 1970, and served as Executive Director of the National Congress of American Indians from 1972-1978. He is retired and lives in Omaha, NE. He can be contacted at cchuktrim@aol.com and his website is www.iktomisweb.com.