{"id":4401,"date":"2020-11-10T19:07:18","date_gmt":"2020-11-11T01:07:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.indianz.com\/News\/?p=4401"},"modified":"2020-11-10T19:07:42","modified_gmt":"2020-11-11T01:07:42","slug":"ivan-star-comes-out-there-are-people-with-that-feeling-of-native-kinship","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2020\/11\/10\/ivan-star-comes-out-there-are-people-with-that-feeling-of-native-kinship\/","title":{"rendered":"Ivan Star Comes Out: There are people with that feeling of Native kinship"},"content":{"rendered":"\"oglalalakotaveteransmonument\"\r\n
The Oglala Lakota Veterans Monument is located at the Piya Wiconi Administrative Headquarters on the Pine Ridge Reservation in Kyle, South Dakota. Photo: NESRI<\/a>\r\n<\/figcaption>\r\n
Discovering what a putz I\u2019ve been<\/div>\r\n
Tuesday, November 10, 2020<\/div>\r\n
By Ivan Star Comes Out<\/DIV>\r\n
Native Sun News Today Columnist<\/DIV>\r\n
nativesunnews.today<\/A> <\/DIV>\r\n

<\/p>\r\nOn October 22, 2020, the \u201ctribal\u201d council here on the Pine Ridge Reservation enacted a week-long lock-down to address the rising COVID-19<\/a> cases. Travel was banned within the reservation boundaries. \r\n

<\/p>\r\nResidents were required to stay at home. Food was delivered to 525 families in Oglala District. \u201cPasses\u201d were issued to essential workers to meet the logistical functions of the lock-down.\r\n

<\/p>\r\n The lock-down began at 10:00 p. m. Friday (10-23). I had re-ordered my emergency oxygen from Northwest Respiratory Services earlier in the week, however, the weather prevented delivery. A half cylinder of oxygen was all I had left. A \u201cwinter storm advisory\u201d was issued for the area on Saturday (10-24) and Pennington County called their snow plows in out of the storm.\r\n

<\/p>\r\nI decided to hold onto that half cylinder in the event the electricity got knocked out. A large oxygen concentrator in my home is adequate but the tubing limits my movement to my bed, bathroom, refrigerator, kitchen sink and table. Without power, my oxygen level could drop to dangerous levels within a few minutes of activity, such as taking the trash out. This is what the oxygen cylinders are for.\r\n

<\/p>\r\n

\r\n
<\/IMG> <\/DIV>\r\n
Ivan F. \r\nStar Comes Out. Photo courtesy Native Sun News \r\nToday<\/A><\/FIGCAPTION> <\/DIV><\/DIV>

<\/p>\r\nAnyway, I honestly did not expect anyone to help me with my situation. I was going to handle the situation alone. To ask for help with my dilemma is something I would not do. My perverse attitude resulted from a life-time of challenging and enervating experiences.\r\n

<\/p>\r\nMy schooling was fine except for the vindictive situation that was attached to it. My peers constantly ridiculed my Lakota language, my last name (Star Comes Out), and my culture. They even made fun of the fact that my family was poor. I dropped out of high school in 1965 as I was getting into more and more trouble.\r\n

<\/p>\r\n I joined the military in 1967 with a plan. I would train for a \u201csafe\u201d job and acquire a General Educational Development (GED) certificate during my enlistment and go on to college with my earned educational benefits. Kaiserslautern, Germany was my first duty station and things started out as planned. Then my unit (3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment) was deployed stateside to Fort Lewis, Washington and the troops were sent to Vietnam.\r\n

<\/p>

<\/ins>