Vince Two Eagles
The Rez of the Story
"A Native Worldview Still Relevant"
By Vince Two Eagles Hau Mitakuepi (Greetings My Relatives), The tapestry of multiculturalism making up our human community is absolutely, without question, relevant to today’s conversation about the ongoing development past, present, and future of collective mankind. Clearly, ideas about maintaining purely homogeneous cultures without absolute isolation and an ensuing singularly scripted worldview is unequivocally unattainable nor is the idea sustainable or even desirable. The relatively recent history of efforts by organized religion to convert Natives to Christianity, and it’s attending dogma, has been devastating for many aboriginal people around the world. Just another share by one of the great thinkers and writers of our time, namely Vine Deloria Jr., who writes from his perspective: “The average Christian when hearing of the disasters wreaked on aboriginal peoples by his religion and its adherents is quick to state: “But the people who did this where not really Christians.” In point of fact they really were Christians. In their day they enjoyed all the benefits and prestige Christendom could confer. They were cheered as heroes of the faith, enduring hardships that a Christian society might be built on the ruins of pagan villages. They were featured in Sunday school lessons as saints of the Christian Church. Cities, rivers, mountains and seas were named after them. “And if the explorers of old were not Christians, why did not the true Christians rise up in defiance of the derogation of their religious heritage and faith?" Deloria continues. "If the leaders of the Brazilian government are not Christians, where are the Christians coming forth to disclaim their actions? If exploitation of the Amazon for commercial purposes purposed by American investors results in the un-Christian activity of poisoning thousands of Indians, why were not the true Christians demanding the resignations of the heads of American corporations supporting Amazon development? Deloria writes: “At this point in the clash between Western industrialism and the planet’s aboriginal peoples we find little or no voice coming from the true Christians to prevent continued exploitation. Instead we find rhetorical assertions that the Christian God is controlling history and fulfilling His divine plan for all mankind. In the face of world events this assertion is fraudulent at best, an insult to the intelligence of mankind at worst. It is time to call a halt to the unchallenged assumptions of the Christian conception of history. This conception is even breaking apart in the national strongholds of Christianity. The various tribal peoples of Europe that were bludgeoned into accepting super-nationalism a century or more ago are flexing their muscles in resistance to continued oppression. The Irish, Welsh, and Celts are demanding freedom. In France the Bretons have a national movement, the Flemish are reviving their ancient customs, Italy is a virtual conglomerate rebelling at the continued supremacy of national government. Even Russia has problems of ethnic restlessness and the desire for freedom. Not only is Christian history at an end but quite possibly the end is in sight for its secular manifestation--manifest destiny of Europeans to rule the world. “The first step in this process should be recitals by sincere followers of the Christian religion admitting their guilt for past wrongs. We have already seen a multitude of tears fall over the demise of Dee Browns Indians, for example, without a corresponding change in attitude or treatment of American Indians. Further confession of sins is useless and avoids the central question of history: Why must men repeat past mistakes? Being guilty for remote sins is easy, accepting responsibilities for current and future sins is difficult. It is this contemporary attitude toward aboriginal peoples that must be changed rather than compensation for past wrongs. “Christians must disclaim the use of history as a weapons of conquest today. In doing so they must support the fight of the aboriginal peoples wherever it exists. They must demand protection of Natives and of their lands, cultures, and religions. They must honestly face the problems of the Western societies and consider what real alternatives now exist for those societies to survive in a world that is growing smaller--a world that must contain a great number of smaller groups whose existence is guaranteed and whose rights are not to be trampled underfoot," Deloria concludes. As I believe Dr. Martin Luther King once said, “A threat to justice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” Hetchetuado! And so it is! And now you know the rez of the story. Doksha (later). . . Find the award-winning Lakota Country Times on the Internet, Facebook and Twitter.
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