Wednesday, July 22, 2009

i have not been attending to this for the past several weeks - it's not that I am no longer interested it's just that I'm going through a very dry time and need to replenish my energy so I can get up and be creative. I will be back soon and will have lots to share for the next several months. I have not done anything but play solitaire and do cross word puzzles. I am trying to read but that doesn't even cause me to be very interested. So I will be back and when I do I will be back with a vengeance with lots to share.

Sunday, July 5, 2009

Poem About the Statue of Liberty

I have issues about certain symbols of American life – they of course represent what I have come to believe after years of thinking about these things. It hasn't just happened over the weekend. They are not posted in an attempt to change anyone's mind but to give people something to think about. Thinking and reaching conclusions is an important part of maturing. So in this vain I am presenting a poem I wrote after thinking about the Statue of Liberty and what she represents.


Ms Liberty


She stands with arms open wide.

Proclaiming liberty & justice
for all who crawl onto these shores.
Ironically I’ve always thought
her back is turned away from us.
Has she ever turned and smiled
allowing us to be encompassed
in her strong arms.

She is a cold iron statue green with age.

She stands at our eastern door
blessing all thieves who enter
A sacred thing brought
to these shores by strangers.
To proclaim freedom and liberty to the world
the rights so clearly denied to the caretakers.

From sea to shining sea blood sacrifice
is laid at her alter - Land of Liberty, Land of Lies
The bounty of each acre has lined their pockets
as they raped each inch.
Killing all life that stood in the way of progress
While there goddess looked the other way.

French woman, french whore
set up as some goddess to rule this land
Who gave you the land to give to a people who
only pillage and plunder.
You've taken from the children of the great
Corn Mother and White Buffalo Woman.

Turn and look at the destruction your-open door policy has
wrecked on this beautiful land.

Mary Lee Johns
Lakota

This is a poem I wrote about the people who Ms. Liberty does not embrase.

Poverty Clutching At You
(In memory of all my uncles who let alcohol rob them of life)


Poverty clutching at you
pulling you into despair
looking at the world
through eyes of hopelessness

Wishing for the old times
knowing dreams
have flown like old torn ribbons
into the icy northern winds

You can still remember
tender childhood moments
from a storehouse
of old memories

Shutting them out
you cringe inside
knowing happiness
is a thing of the past

Your left with the
cold breath of reality
breathing down on you

Sitting you look out
at the streets of mud
your spirit screams
with silent sorrow

While poverty
clutches at your soul

Mary Lee Johns
Lakota


Shadow Land


They are
the grey ghosts
of urban streets and allies
spiritually starved
desperate
passing by unseen
avoiding eyes
hiding within
cement tombs
clutching sweaty
brown paper bags
filled with sweet
poisoned pleasure
shamed and sickened
by an insatiable need
bleary eyes
heads pounding
like drums
pain screaming
like pow-wow singers
guts twisting
like snakes from hell
the past only
a blur of forgotten dreams
today’s battle
is for one last bit of sanity
a world of nightmares
and shadows
an end to a long
endless spiral of pain

mary lee johns
Lakota

The Walking Dead

walking through an indian bar
is like walking through a cemetery
everyone is in some stage of death

Saturday, June 27, 2009

Poem about the making of a Lakota Dessert

Lakota Dessert
When I was a small child one of the activities the grandchildren who spent their summers with our grandmother at the Poor Buffalo ranch was gathering traditional food. This was then stored for the winter. I attempted to capture this activity in the following poem. I hope you enjoy it.

Wojapi


I

Just like everything else in our world
there are two kinds of Wojapi the
traditional and the modern kind
I’ve made both.

Because I now live in today’s world
of computers, E-mail, FAX machines
and fast cars,
I can’t remember the last time
I’ve even made the modern kind.

I do remember that several years ago
I taught a niece how to make it over
the telephone
it’s real easy all it takes is a can of
blueberry pie filling (my family’s favorite flavor)
some water and cornstarch.

But to make the traditional wojapi
takes planning especially if you want to fix it
when the snow is blowing at sixty miles an hour
and its forty below and you want to prove
how really traditional you are to some
white sociologist who is sitting at your table
all starry eyed looking beyond your head to 1868
trying real hard to experience the “Real Lakota Way”.

You can’t hardly grab a can of blueberry pie filling
and prove your a real Indian by whipping up
a batch of modern wojapi
No way - he won’t fall for the can.

II

To do it right you would have
had to go out in the middle
of a hot sweaty August day
among the flies, grasshoppers
and rattle snakes
and find a black cherry tree.

You would have had
to spend hours straining
your muscles reaching up
and picking the little black berries
that stain your hands and teeth for
days afterwards.



III

Now if you were really going to do it right
so you could recount the tail to your
starry eyed guest you would have taken
along the proper equipment. An old lard pail
(the two quart variety) hanging on a piece of
string to allow you to use both hands.

If you were a good fast strong Lakota women,
in a very short period of time, you would have
picked several cans but if you were like me
it would take you hours.

Hours of sweat running down the pits of your
arms, down your torso, down the backs of
your legs and all across your forehead while
being bit by every blood sucking insect around
for miles.

IV

Having finished the first phase of making
traditional wojapi you would now be ready
to move on to the second phase.

This, of course-- should have been completed
under a shade assembled next to your house
because no self respecting traditional Lakota
home went without an old fashion traditional
shade where all activity was conducted through
the hot summer months -from cooking to sleeping.

The shade was built using young cottonwood trees,
with the first Y’s in their trunks, these held up
cross logs tied tightly together with more branches
added to make a loosely woven roof. On top of all
these strong limbs, willow branches were added
with their leaves in full bloom.

Babies were hung in their cradle boards and
drifted off to sleep to the rustling of those leaves
and all manner of gossip being discussed
to pass away the hours.

V

The tools we used had been handed down
from great, great grandmothers two sets of
beautifully hand-crafted mortar and pestle
made from Black Hills pink quartz. In the
center was a small indent about the size of
a small fist. This is where you would place
the berries and proceed to smash them
seeds and all making a beautiful purple paste.

If you measured just right each handful of
berries smashed would make a small flat patty
when rolled and patted out.

You would then place all of these little patties
on a flat card board and put them out in the
hot sun to dry. They would eventually become
flat little hard disks – easily stored for the winter.

VI

This is what you would bring out to impress
your sociologist guestthat your
“A Real Indian – of the Traditional Variety”
and make the real wojapi.

But if your like all the rest of us who live on
the fast track. You’ll call for a pizza to be
delivered and still make him believe your
traditional while checking your messages
on your cellular phone.

Mary Lee Johns

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Thoughts on Victory Day

Victory Day
(Little Big Horn - June 25, 1876)

I wrote this several years ago and thought it would be appropriate to post it on this day that the Lakota call Victory Day. It's Victory Day because if we had not been successful there are many of us who would not be here. This includes my family - my great grandmother was a six year old little girl who was watching this battle take place. So for the fact that we are here it is a day to acknowlede as a day of victory for all of us who would not be here without the courage of our warriors.

To All My Friends & Relatives:
On Tuesday - "Victory Day" - I wanted to write to everyone with something to say but was unable to. Nothing profound seeped into my thoughts and I didn't want to bore you with anything that wasn't. You know how that can be - when you try to force yourself into being creative what you get is old warmed over two day or even year old thinking. And of course being the day of remembering the heroic actions of our unci's and lala's of our past I didn't want to write anything that would'nt give them honor - so I stayed quite and thought of them instead.

But today I do have some things I want to share with you. I was reading an article written by a brand new friend, Charles Peek, professor of English at the University of Nebraska - Karney. He writes about the day Crazy Horse was assassinated. He quotes Touch the Cloud and Nebraska State Poet - Bill Kloefkorn. I want to share these with you and some of my thoughts.

Touch the Cloud - remarks after covering the body of Crazy Horse. (Crazy Horse refused to lie down on a cot he chose to lay on the floor - defying the U.S. Government even as he was dying from the fatal wounds inflicted on him by one of his own.)

"That is the lodge of Crazy Horse. Lying where he chose, Crazy Horse showed the rest of us where we are standing."

Bill Kloefkorn, in his poem "Crazy Horse, Final Reflection, Number 7"
It does not matter where his body is,
for there is grass;
but where his spirit is,
there it will be good
for all of us to be.

My thoughts are:
We need to realize that our great leader Crazy Horse did show us not only where we are standing but how to stand. He admonished the weak hearts, the fools, the selfish and any of those who did not think of the people to stay in the rear - he only wanted the Brave Hearts to be in the front to meet the full force of the enemy. If we take his statement and use this as a way of living. We can use this as a standard to measure the men and women who want to lead our people. Are they willing to meet the challenge of today's enemies do they have the skills to be in front with our leaders from the past. My great grandfather, Edward Dupris' Indian name was "Eats No Meat" which meant He made sure everyone was taken care of before he took care of himself - he fed everyone first and if there was no meat left then he ate no meat.

Crazy Horse thought always of the people - he showed us how to stand, he showed us how we are standing. When we think of how we are standing would he want us to be beside him facing our greatest enemy or would he tell us to go to the rear.

Bill Kloefkron's poem is a reflection of the fact that the Spirit of Crazy Horse is still here among us - "but where his spirit is, there it will be good for all of us to be." Could we feel good to be where Crazy Horse's spirit is? Would we feel able to stand without feeling shame?

It is good to be a Lakota, it is good to walk this road but while we are walking we need to ask ourselves are we living the true life of a Lakota. When we pray, or when we speak - is it for the good of our people. The Sundance Prayer "Hecel Oyate Kin Nipi Kte" --- "So that the people may live." - should be one of our guiding principals for our work and our commitment to our people. Sitting Bulls statement "Let us put our minds together to see what life we can make for our children" should be another.

The old Lakota war cry "It is a good day to die" can be used as a third principal. We need to live to the fullest so when we do leave to be with our relatives "who live beyond the ridge" will they welcome us knowing that our lives were lived in a manner that we would not regret or leave things un-tended or that we lived a life creating strife, chaos and disruptions - and instead of love we were jealous hearted and made people feel bad.

We need to be a good relative to each other - but most important we need to be good to our children and our grand children. This does not mean that we let them do anything we need to give them good advise so when they become adults they can take their place as strong Lakota - they are who will lead our people in the future and will Crazy Horse want them beside him or to the rear.

Yes Crazy Horse - showed us where we are standing - and it will be good for us to be where his spirit is.

With wishes for your good health and safety this summer.
Your relative and friend,
Mary Lee
Grows in a Day
(Touch the Cloud was my great grandfather, Matthew Poor Buffalo's first cousin)

Monday, June 22, 2009

Poems about the Plains -

Poems from the road.....
I wrote the first one in the 1980's after driving towards Eagle Butte on Hwy 212. This is where you can enjoy the plains in all of its glory. Espically in the spring and there has been a lot of rain and the grasses have grown tall. It looks like a green sea. I love this time of year and want to be there on driving. What is so great is the beauty and the fact that I'm driving towards a meeting with family. What a wonderful sence of freedom can find you.

The second was also written about the same place when I observed the hawks.

Prairie Wind



Wind across the prairie,
blowing, intertwining,
touching everything
in its breath

caressing each blade of grass
as it passes whispering to the flowers
weaving through the branches

moving,
ever moving
flowing over all

creating the beautiful music
for the dancing of the grasses
green and green and green some more

it awakes me to my reality
reminds me of my tomorrows

my thoughts are as the wind
the wind as it is
the substance of the high plains
the strength of the land

my dreams are as the wind
cascading across the night
seeping into my sleep

caressing my thoughts
blowing the past into my memory
whispering about the future

the wind ever moving
ever changing
ice in winter
fire in summer

the wind the music
of the high plains
it makes the land sing

I know the song it is written in my heart
and the heart of my people
hear it softly sing

it whispers

listen to the whisper
it tells of our loved ones

who heard its voice
and have gone on
to walk upon the clouds

hear its mournful cry
crying for our people

it tells of places and
old forgotten names
names that still call out
the existence of our land

wind you are the freedom
that was stolen long ago
you blow it in our faces
whisper it in our dreams

the freedom that is still there
if we want to take it
reach out and grasp it

let our hearts flow
let us join our brothers
as they fly using the wind
to roam across the sky

sky and earth joined together
by the breath of our creator
who blows his blessing upon us

the wind
the beautiful wind
blowing across forever


Mary Lee Johns

Hawk



I fly on Hawk wings caught up
on strong currents across this mighty land.

Looking down my heart grows heavy
I see black ribbons that slash the earth.

I search for my strong black brother he is gone.
Only small herds of his children are left
In prisons of green pastures.

I search for and listen for the howl of my wise
gray brother and hear his song no more.

I search for my red brother and find him huddled
in lost dreams and hovels of loneliness.

The land is lonely for her children
who once fed upon her bosom and bounty.

Only feeble, weak little creatures are left,
their hearts and spirits are strange and sorrowful.

They do not know the language of our songs.

The strong and powerful who knew the songs of our land
have been cast aside driven out by strangers.

My wings grow weary in my search. I find only emptiness
the wind cries for our losses and I am alone.

Friday, June 12, 2009

Lakota Concept of the Family











The Lakota Family








These are excerts taken from a much larger paper I wrote for a class I took on the Family at the University of Lincoln.


The Lakota world had order and structure, decisions were made through consensus and because harmony was essential no one was ever forced to follow against their will. The social organizations were built around the intricate needs of the families and their relationships to each and were based upon long standing traditions developed over a long period of time. Although the individual was important the needs of the family was paramount. Individuals were always happiest when they were with their families—to be isolated was worse then death.

The family was a closely related group of siblings working together to assure the survival of their children and relatives. In their closeness lay their strength.

"…The Sioux conceived the family as an ever-living yet ever changing entity. As a body of individuals related through descent, it was enduring. Membership was a matter of consanguinity where each person reckoned his affiliation with respect to lineage of grandparents and parents, and with relatives—uncles and aunts, brothers, sisters, and cousins. While the individual might literally choose between belonging to his father's or mother's family, he was nevertheless, a member of both families.." (Hassrick 1964).

"The core of all kinship training" was the correct teaching of behavior and loyalty that was to be shown between brothers and sisters and boy and girl cousins. It was the responsibility of the boys to never "…embarrass his girl relatives but strive to only spare them and make them happy." They were taught, "Your sisters and cousins depend on you, and you must never fail them…" They were also responsible, as men, to train the sons of their female relatives in the ways of becoming warriors. In this way they continued to show honor to the "women of their generation who (they) had been taught to respect, protect, and aid." (Deloria 1988).

Girls were trained to always place their brothers and sisters and cousins above everyone else. A sister was the proper woman who carried her brother's war trophy, won in battle, in victory processions. (Deloria 1988). When a man dressed well—it was an indication that his sisters and female cousins loved him, because they were the ones who made his clothes (White Hat 1993). The women showed their male relatives honor by making them beautifully adorned clothing and making things for their children.

The respect shown between brother and sister was observed by complete face-to-face avoidance after they reached a certain age. They, however were expected to be completely loyal to each other and be prepared to help each other when necessary. Older siblings were responsible for watching their younger brothers and sisters. If a child did something that was considered inappropriate the older one was always admonished in its place. The older children were willingly to be scolded in this manner because of their obligation and love for the younger—knowing that this was the way younger children learned what was considered proper behavior without feeling discouraged. They then observed how their behavior caused problems for their older siblings and would behave accordingly from then on.

I was raised with these same values and behaviors and have incorporated them into the way I raised my children. I remember taking pains to iron my brothers' shirts and pants so they would be perfect. I was the one who ironed because I did the best job. They never left our house without looking like they were loved. They in turn did things that proved on a daily basis how much they cared for their girl relatives. We still flock around and try to outdo each other when they are around us. My sisters are my very dearest friends and their children are cherished and loved as well as their grandchildren. There are people who think the Lakota ways are found only in the past but this is totally incorrect. We still live these ways.

WORKS CITED

Deloria, Ella C. 1988. Waterlily. University of Nebraska Press: Lincoln, London.

Hassrick, Royal B. 1964.The Sioux: Life And Customs Of A Warrior Society University of Oklahoma Press: Norman and London

White Hat, Albert, Sr..1993. Lakota Iyapiun Wowapi Nahan Yawapi (Writing and Reading the Lakota Language), edited by Jael Kampfe. Unpublished Document. Available from author at Sinte Gleska University. Rosebud, SD.

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Two books on Leadership

Two summers ago I took a class that is required to receive a Masters Degree in Lakota Leadership and Management at the Oglala Lakota College. The class was "Lakota Foundation for Leadership". It was an excellent class taught by a very skilled and knowledgeable instructor that I thoroughly enjoyed. The following is part of an essay that was a required assignment for the class. I mention two books that I recommend for anyone interested in the topic of leadership.

Lakota Foundation for Leadership/Management
06 July 2007
Essay

At the beginning of the class my understanding of leadership was basically in regards to what traits and values a good leader should have. I believed that great leaders were “servants” to their people and how a person achieved this altruistic ability was what we would be covering in the class. I also thought the Lakota concepts of Leadership would be the main area of study.
I still believe in the idea of the “servant leader” but my understanding of leadership has significantly expanded. Both books, Leadership Without Easy Answers (1994) by Ronald Heifetz and Real Leadership: Helping People and Organizations Face Their Toughest Challenges (2005) by Dean Williams gave me tremendous insight into what a leader had to do when dealing with difficult situations. The examples they used were excellent. I learned about the idea of adaptive work and how it’s a leader’s responsibility to find ways to help their followers began the process. The idea of real leadership requires getting people to face reality and dealing with tough problems was not new – but many of the ideas on how to accomplish this were. The manner in which both Heifetz and Williams broke the process down into understandable concepts gave me a better understanding of the role of leadership.

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Granduation

I'm on vacation – but will post some of my poetry when I get an opportunity. Today I'm leaving the readers with two poems I wrote for a niece when she graduated with her undergraduate degree and one when she recently graduated with her masters. This is for all of those who are graduating these next few weeks. In fact I will be attending my oldest grandchilds graduation this week. A very important occassion for my family.

Star Watcher

(In honor of my niece Marcella Gilbert for her college graduation)


I am Star Watcher
daughter of Rides the Wind

Who looks to the stars
to guide my heart

The stars they say
are the holy speech of Tunkasila

If your heart is pure
and your vision is strong

The way of life will come to you
at night in the dream world

Or in the early morning
when you first awake

The possibilities are endless
to those who dare

Swim out into the channels
that flow by

I am Star Watcher
daughter of Rides the Wind

I dare to watch the stars
and listen for the way

I have gone far from home but I know
the path of my returning for

I let the stars guide me
I am Star Watcher

(Lakota translation - Tunkasila : The Creator of all Things)


Honors

(for my niece Marcella Gilbert for
Attaining a Masters of Science in Nutrition)

The old Lakota saying
"the honor of one is the honor of all"
is in the song we sing today
for our daughter

this daughter
who has traveled many, many miles
towards goals that were as high
as the highest mountains

she's traveled
this road with the
same determination of the
old grandmothers
who knew they had to
learn new skills
so we could live

her vision
for her future was sure
it was connected
to the future of our people
she knew
this was the way
she could help

now our
family sings an honor song
for a medicine woman
who knows the secrets
of our food

the secrets
we need so our people and nation
will live

our daughter
has brought many honors
but for me
it’s the love she gives
that warms me

Mary Lee Johns
December 5, 2008

Thursday, May 28, 2009

Historical Statements to Provoke Thought

Statements to think about:

"Requerimiento" drawn up, in 1537 by the Spanish court and was to be read to the Native populations by priests who accompanied the conquistadors.

"…we ask and require [that] you …acknowledge the Church as the Ruler and Superior of the whole world and the high priest called pope and in his name the King and Queen …our lords and kings of these islands… But if you do not do so, I certify to you that, with the help of God, we shall forcibly enter your country and shall make war against you in all ways and manners that we can, and shall subject you to the yoke and obedience of the Church, and of their Highnesses…"

The English had this to say in 1670:

"They are extraordinarily charitable one to another, one having nothing to spare, but he freely imparts it to his friends, and whatever they get by gaming or any other way, they share one to another, leaving themselves commonly the least amount…"

Powhatan, father of Pocahontas asked in 1609:

"Why will you take by force what you may obtain by love? Why will you destroy us who supply you with food? What can you get by war? …We are unarmed, and willing to give you what you ask, if you come in a friendly manner…"

In 1867 General William T. Sherman stated:

"The more [Indians] we can kill this year the less will have to be killed the next war, for the more I see of these Indians, the more convinced I am that they all have to be killed or be maintained as a species of paupers."

After the Little Big Horn battle Crazy Horse said:

"We had buffalo for food, and their hides for clothing and for our tipis. We preferred hunting to a life of idleness on the reservation, where we were driven against our will. At times we did not get enough to eat, and we were not allowed to leave the reservation to hunt. We preferred our own way of living. We were no expense to the government. All we wanted was peace and to be left alone. Soldiers were sent out in the winter, who destroyed our villages.

The "Long Hair" (Custer) came in the same way. They say we massacred him, but he would have done the same thing to us had we not defended ourselves and fought to the last. Our first impulse was to escape with our women and children, but we were so hemmed in that we had to fight."

Sitting Bull stated the following after he was released from Fort Randall were he was held for 19 months as a prisoner of war:

"White men like to dig in the ground for their food. My people prefer to hunt the buffalo as their fathers did. White men like to stay in one place. My people want to move their tipis here and there to the different hunting grounds. The life of white men is slavery. They are prisoners in towns or farms. The life my people want is a life of freedom. I have seen nothing that a white man has, houses or railways or clothing or food that is good as the right to move in the open country, and live in our own fashion."

On December 20, 1890 (just nine days before the Massacre of Wounded Knee occurred) L. Frank Baum, creator of the "Wizard of Oz" wrote in an editorial in the Aberdeen Saturday Pioneer:

"Why not annihilation? Their glory has fled, their spirit broken, their manhood effaced; better that they should die than live the miserable wretches they are…the whites, by law of conquest, by justice of civilization, are masters of the American continent."

The significant of the date and statement showed that even after we were placed on the reservations and were completely dependent upon the federal government for our very survival some Euro-Americans still wanted us destroyed.

The question I ask today is – Has this changed?

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

A Story About the Relationship of the Lakota Concept of "Kola"

“Kola”

Among my people there is a type of relationship between men called “Kola.” In today's world, it has lost its true meaning. This happened because everyone uses it as you would use the word friend.

The term friend however does not describe the true meaning of the Lakota concept of Kola. A Kola was much more then a friend. It was a term that meant that your Kola was closer to you then your brother. If the opportunity ever arose you would literally lay down your life for your Kola.

The best description that I know of personally was the story of my Uncle Buddy Red Bird and his Kola Norman Red Thunder. This relationship was the personification of the Lakota concept of the Kola.

My uncle was a single man with a big smile who had an infectious laugh that would make you want to join in even though you didn’t know why he was laughing. He was a friendly, outgoing, happy person who made you feel important and always welcome to sit, drink coffee and visit. He was a person who shared what he had from stories to food in the true Lakota way.

He and Red Thunder met while in boot camp during World War II and fought in five battles. To understand how significant five battles were. The men of the 101'st Airborne Division of which the "Band of Brothers" is based on were in three battles.

The story I was told, as I was growing up, was that before each battle Red Thunder would say to my uncle. “Kola, if anything happens to me—I want you to marry my wife and raise my son.” My uncle, of course always would respond by telling him that he would be alright and that they would make it home together. Well Red Thunder didn’t make it; he was killed during the last battle they were in.

Being the true Lakota and living up to the true concept of the Kola. When he returned and was discharged he went to Montana, married Red Thunder’s wife and raised his son.

As a child I loved this story – it was so romantic and yet so very sad. I've thought about my Uncle Buddy over the last two days – I wished I could have spent time with him and asked him questions about his experiences. But like so many of the men who fought in WWII he is now a memory. So during the Memorial Day weekend I try to watch a movie about that war. So this year I watched the entire ten episodes of the "Band of Brothers."

Monday, May 25, 2009

Memorial Day and What it Means to a Lakota Woman

Memorial Day

Memorial Day was always an important event in the lives of my family. When I was a little girl I remember the hours and hours the women of my family would spend making flowers out of crape-paper. Even as a small child I was involved. They taught us how to make the simplest flowers. Those simple little flowers were set aside and on the day when the adults left for Greengrass, were most of my family is buried, we kids would walk to the "little boy's grave". The little boy was my mother's older brother who died before she was born. He died of some childhood illness when he was still a baby and was buried on a high hill over looking the Moreau River. We would walk there stand around with our little flowers, sing some songs, say the Lord's Prayer and place our flowers on the little grave, walk back thinking about what would have happened if he would have lived.

As we grew older we then made the more complicated flowers, like the red American beauty roses. A family tradition was for the person who could make the best roses would make four that would be put together and those four would be placed on the grave of my grandfather, Douglas Daniel Dupris whose favorite whiskey was Four Roses. When you consider that the women who dedicated themselves to this activity were opposed to any type of drinking. I no my grandmother never allowed an ounce of alcohol to pass by her lips – but in this tradition she was one of the main supporters. I cannot tell you how it started but it is still something that is being done today by women who still do not drink. Why? Because it's a family tradition that has been passed on for three generations and will continue through the next 10.

Memorial Day is a time when I think about all of those who have gone on and are waiting for me and my generation to join them. I also think about the changes that have taken place from the time I would make flowers from crape-paper to the beautiful silk flowers I send home to be placed on our family's graves that lay together on a hill overlooking the Moureau River Valley. My great, great grandmother Cleans As She Comes lies near her great, great, great, great grandson Benton (Hoakie) In The Woods. This little cemetery is made up of family groups. Each year the adults will tell the younger ones who is who and how they are related. Stories are told and children understand why this activity is important to continue following.

I don't know what will happen tomorrow or next year – but there is no doubt in my mind that when the time comes for me to leave my family and join the others – this is where they will bring me. I will be placed here besides these same people that I love and remember. It gives me great peace to know this. The traditions that have been passed on from one generation to the next will continue because the family will know what to do and how to do this. So each Memorial Day will come and go just as our family does – but our family will continue and this of all things gives me a sense of understanding the idea of continuity. The continuing progress of a family that goes on despite everything that can happen.

There is a Lakota saying – it goes like this. "A Lakota will always belong to a family. They may lose their mother, father, brother, sisters, etc., but they will never lose their family". To understand this you have to understand one of the simplest things about us as a people. The, Lakota unlike many other tribes do not call themselves "the human beings." We refer to ourselves as the "Allies" we are made up of families – the most important thing in the life of a Lakota is their relationship with their family. In fact that was one of the assimilation goals of the federal government was to make a Lakota realize that they could actually view themselves as separate from their families. When this happened it was easier for assimilation to take place. But this has failed just like so many of their plans and on Memorial Day is a time to celebrate the fact that we remain as families.

Saturday, May 23, 2009

Sovereignty

"An Inherent Right to Self-Determination"
Sovereignty is the most fundamental concept that defines the relationship between the government of the United States and governments of American Indian Tribes. The following are very good explanations of what the concept of Sovereignty is:
"When the legal concept of sovereignty was first challenged in the Supreme Court by the state of Georgia in the 1820's, Chief Justice Marshall took pains to examine this legal apparatus and to explain how it functions... "Sovereignty, explained Marshall, exits as a pre-condition among self-governing entities and acts as a legal shield protecting all rights and privileges reserved and implied by nationhood. In fact, treaties were a granting of rights from the tribes, to the federal government."
-Paul VanDevelder; 1999
"...Indian tribes must act like Indians. That's the only justification for preserving internal sovereignty... if we don't bring those traditions back, then the problems those traditions solved are going to continue to grow. Then we'll have to get funding to set up programs to deal with those issues... When you set up programs, you are exercising your internal sovereignty, but the funding sources determines how the program is going to operate and then the funding source defines internal sovereignty."
-Vine Deloria
"Indian sovereignty is the principle that those powers which are lawfully vested in an Indian tribe, are not delegated powers granted by express acts of Congress, but rather inherent powers of a limited sovereignty which can never be extinguished."
-Felix Cohen, New York Supreme Court Justice, 1942
In Worcester v. Georgia, the Supreme Court ruled that Indian tribes are "distinct political communities, retaining their original rights as the undisputed possessors of the soil from time immemorial...the very term nation, so generally applied to them, means a people distinct from others, having territorial boundaries, within which their authority is exclusive, and having a right to all the lands within those boundaries, which is not only acknowledged but guaranteed by the United States."
" From its earliest days, the United States has recognized the sovereign status of Indian tribes as domestic dependent nations. Cherokee Nation v. Georgia, 30 U.S. (5 Pet.) 1, 17 (1831). Our Constitution recognizes Indian sovereignty by classing Indian treaties among the "supreme law of the land," and establishes Indian affairs as a unique area of federal concern. In early Indian treaties, the United States pledged to "protect" Indian tribes, thereby establishing one of the bases for the federal trust responsibility in our government-to-government relations with Indian tribes. These principles continue to guide our national policy towards Indian tribes."
-Office of the U.S. Attorney General, 1995
I hope this has provided enough information to began to understand the concept of American Indian tribal sovereignty.

Friday, May 22, 2009

The Lakota Belief Regarding Our Babies

This is a picture of my sister's grandchild who in the Lakota way is also my Grandchild we would say he is our "takoja" He was welcomed into our family in the Lakota tradition way before he was born. We always spoke to him when we saw his mother to let him know we were happy he chose us. The following description regarding our beliefs is described by my hunka Auntie Pat Locke.


"Wankan Yeja"

"The birth of a child was very important to the Lakota. Their word for infant is "Wankan Yeja" (Waa-kan Ya-ja) which means sacred one, consecrated one, the being endowed with a spiritual quality. The Wankan Yeja is viewed as a gift from the Creator. The ancient Lakota belief was that the Wankan Yeja looked down from the spirit world to search for its parents and family. Then, when the Wankan Yeja chose and was born, girl or boy, for the family it was a time of joy and being thankful because the family was chosen by the Wankan Yeja to come to their family. Throughout the life of the child, he or she was loved by the parents and the "tiospaye" (extended family). The parents' role from before and after birth was to convey unconditional and genuine love to the "Wankan Yeja".
(Pat Locke- Hunkpapa Lakota Tribal Elder)


As you can see by his wonderful smile and happy despostion that emanates from this picture he is happy he chose our family to come to. He will be cherished from now on. It's not just because we love him but he is the child of a beloved daughter, and the grandchild of a beloved sister.

Thursday, May 21, 2009

American Indians Need To Write Books

Indian Leaders Step Up

Jodi Rave stated the following on her blog – "As Native people, we need to express our thoughts and knowledge more often." This is so true. Too often we allow others to interpret our world for us. How many books have been written by American Indians? Not many. I remember when I was in college back in the late 60's – there were none. And then all of a sudden Custer Died For Your Sins: an Indian Manifesto by Vine Deloria, Jr. showed up in book stores. I cannot describe to anyone how that made me feel. I wanted to tell everyone around that I knew him. A real Indian author. When you're young and proud of who you are its important to see and read pride reflected back to you. The easiest way this can happen is for us to write our own books.

Go to any book store and look at the Native American section. The majority of books you will find are historical books about the 1800's written by a non-Indian who is interpreting this information from a Euro-American point of view. As Indian people we complain that the people in Congress don't understand us and we have to re-educate them each legislative session. Well if they have only read about a people who existed in the 1800's do you blame them for not knowing who we are.

How do others educate these same individuals? They do it through the use of the pen. Thomas Bacon said "the pen is mightier then the sword". So how do we go about educating Congress? We hire – high cost non-Indian lobbyist to do this for us. This is not a very cost effective way of educating – we have to return and do the same every thing when someone new is elected. I'm sure the lobbyist loves the opportunities but this is not a real effective way. I'm sure there are tribes who have written there story and are effective using the pen – but they are not the norm.

Each year thousands of books appear on the book shelves and if there is one book by an American Indian I would be surprised. So why are we not taking up the challenge and using the pen to educate? I asked one of our leaders several years back - why more of our educated Indians were not writing books. He didn't have an answer. Well I challenged him to write – here was a man who was incredibly talented, was involved in some of the most important legislative activities, highly innovative and he had not written a book. This would be an outrage in the non-Indian world were every one and his uncle or auntie would be rushing to there publisher to get a million plus to write what they knew or didn't know, or point fingers and those who they say knew and failed to act.

So I have an idea. Let us say to our national Indian leaders that they will be required to write a book after they have been around for four or more years or they need to leave the stage and quite telling us what to do. This will put them in a spot if they want to stay they have to create. We could identify ghost writers who will be available to anyone who needs one. Maybe we can set up a non-profit to do this.

But the second question is who will publish these great books. Well, we know we can't depend on the large publishing houses. So my next suggestion will be to have several of the big casino tribes to get together and start a publishing company. This way we can have are frybread and eat it too. Let's get started! I can think of a number of Indian Leaders that need to stand up and produce…. This is our children's legacy that needs to be captured by us and not interpreted for us. Jodi Rave is standing up and being creative and she has my admiration for this.

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Who is Responsible for the Protection of Tribal Sovereignty

This is an letter to the editor I wrote as part of a Tribal Leadership course I was taking 2 years ago. The idea of all of us being resposible for the protection of Tribal Sovereignty still is as important to day as it was when I wrote it. When chaos prevails and infighting is rampid people lose sight of the important things. By staying together the Buffalo were always able to protect the herd. They did this by working together and being able to count on the each other. Let us began to work together.

Who is Responsible for the Protection of Tribal Sovereignty

One of the most important issues facing every tribal leader in Indian Country is the protection of tribal Sovereignty. So how do they do this while trying to solve the problems of poverty, unemployment, drugs, etc.? This is not new; every generation has had to face this problem –from the very beginning –of first contact with the aggressive Euro-American.

So what has changed from say 100 years in the past to the present time? Well one thing –we are no longer running for our lives. Or are we? Sometimes I wonder if we still are, running for our lives – I think we are, it’s just a different type of running. We now run in circles trying to pay our bills, keep food on our tables, get to the clinic when we are sick and then wait for hours.

So how do we stop? There are answers to many of these problems, but we have to be willing to participate in solving them. One of our biggest problems is the threat against tribal sovereignty. Without sovereignty we are at the mercy of the state governments and the political whim of the day. Tribal members may believe that the protection of tribal sovereignty is the responsibility of the elected tribal leadership rather then theirs.

When one thinks about what the old hunter/warriors of our past did when they were attacked on June 25th 1876 by the 7th Calvary. Not one of them said “it’s not my responsibility it’s our leaders who have to protect our camp. No, they grabbed their rifles, bow & arrows, and jumped on their horses and charged into the battle. They never once thought about their safety, only thinking about the protection of their families.

So how does one compare the battle of the “Greasy Grass” to the battle for the protection of tribal sovereignty? The comparison is based on the idea of responsibility. Tribal members have the same responsibility for protection of tribal sovereignty that the hunter/warrior had.

So how would a tribal member protect sovereignty? One of the main ways is to “become a good relative” towards other tribal members. Robert B. Porter speaks about the critical issues that are a threat to a tribe’s sovereignty in his paper “Strengthening Tribal Sovereignty Through Government Reform: What are the Issues?” (1997-1998). One of the main problems he points out is infighting –he believes that this is a major problem for tribes and that it can literally cause the destruction of a tribe.

So if tribal members are willing to take the responsibility to be “Good Relatives” to each other infighting will become a thing of the past and people will began to work together, to solve the other problems facing the reservations. The concept of being good relatives is not new to the Lakota it is one of the main foundations of our tiyospayes. By being responsible for our behavior towards each other we can protect the sovereignty of our tribes.

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

something I picked up from www.lifetrainingonline.com/blog/the-emotional-bank-account.htm that I thought was a great teaching. If we all could follow this advise our life would be so much easier and our families would be so much happier. I am trying to apply this to my life.

EMOTIONAL BANK ACCOUNT

When it comes to improving and maintaining our relationships with others, Stephen Covey’s metaphor of the Emotional Bank Account

is probably one of the most powerful ideas ever created for the development of interpersonal relationships. If you’ve never heard of this, it basically means that anyone with whom we have a relationship with, whether it be our coworkers, family or friends, we maintain a personal “emotional” bank account with them. This account begins on a neutral balance. And just as with any bank account, we can make deposits and withdrawals. However, instead of dealing with units of monetary value, we deal with emotional units.
The emotional units that Covey speaks of are centered around trust. When we make emotional deposits into someone’s bank account, their fondness, trust, and confidence in us grows. And as a result our relationship develops and grows. If we can keep a positive reserve in our relationships, by making regular deposits, there will be greater tolerance for our mistakes and we’ll enjoy open communication with that person. On the contrary, when we make withdrawals and our balance becomes low or even overdrawn, bitterness, mistrust and discord develops. If we are to salvage the relationship, we must make a conscious effort to make regular deposits.
This post will discuss Covey’s six major ways of making deposits into these Emotional Bank Accounts and how we can avoid making withdrawals.

1. Understanding the Individual
In Covey’s book, seven habits of highly effective people, one of the seven habits is “seek first to understand then to be understood”. Truly understanding what others are feeling is not always that easy. We must remove ourselves from our egocentric viewpoint and put ourselves into the minds and shoes of others. I say minds and shoes because we must try to first understand the thought patterns and second walk in their shoes or empathize with them.
One of my major faults when communicating with others is, while they are talking I tend to think what I am going to say next. Truly understanding someone requires us to wholly and completely concentrate on what the other person is trying to say, not reloading, just waiting to fire off your response

2. Keeping Commitments
Certainly when we break our promises to others, we make major withdrawals from their Emotional Bank Accounts. However, keeping commitments is not just relegated to promises. It also includes things such as arriving to work and appointments on time, fulfilling our duties, and living up to every word that comes out of our mouth.

3. Clarifying Expectations
There is nothing more frustrating in a relationship than not understanding what is expected of you. Although many of us wish we could be, we are not mind readers. And because each of us sees life differently and has different backgrounds and life experiences, expecting someone to just “know” is not only unfair but completely unrealistic. It’s important that the person with whom you are dealing with, knows exactly what is expected of them. Doing this will keep them out of the dark and allow them to relate you confidently, knowing that what they are doing is in line with your expectations.

4. Attending to the Little Things
Little courtesies, kind words and warm smiles are at the heart of the little things that brighten up a relationship. It shows recognition and an awareness of others. It’s interesting, but within our relationships, if you want success, it’s the little things that really become the big things.

5. Showing Personal Integrity
Nothing is probably more damaging to a relationship, then a lack of integrity. Being that the Emotional Bank Account is based upon trust, you could essentially be doing all of the previous things, but without trust, it is to no avail. Integrity means wholeness, completeness, or soundness. In this case soundness of moral character. Integrity is the rock-solid foundation upon which all successful relationships are built.

6. Apologizing Sincerely When We Make a Withdrawal
Granted, we are all mortal. We make mistakes. That’s part of life and learning. Knowing when you are wrong and admitting your mistakes prevents the wounds that you’ve caused in others from festering and allows them to heal. When appropriate, sincere apology will keep your relationships accounts in the positive, allowing you to maintain the balance that has been created in your application of all of the previous steps.

I hope this has given everyone something to think about.......

Sunday, May 17, 2009

Since I began by mentioning my Aunties I'll continue on this subject by posting a poem I wrote.

My Mother and her Sisters



My mother had four sisters who liked to laugh
when they got together. Big hardy laughter
that came all the way from down deep inside.
From a place that stored both happiness and pain.
they didn’t laugh they roared.

I sometimes wonder what it was that they laughed at.
I never listened to the talk. I just loved to listen
to their laughter.

In fact the term laughter seems to constrict what
came out of these women. It doesn’t seem to capture
the hurricane force of the sound these women could
make together. Maybe female Elephants trumpeting
comes close, but not really.

This sound that still reverberates through my mind.
It makes me want to join in after all of these years—
I can still see them sitting around my aunt Helen’s
living room. Like large lionesses lounging around
in the hot sun under some large shade tree. Licking
their young and roaring.

My mother would throw her head back and let out
this incredible sound of pure unrestricted and
un-inhibited music from way down deep. It would
literally explode into the air.

That sound gave me such an amazing sense of joy
when I heard these five powerful women laughing.

I wanted to wrap myself up and roll around the floor
with that sound. I would find myself giggling
uncontrollably never knowing what they were laughing at.
You see they spoke to each other in the Lakota language.

Trying to describe them to someone seems to diminish
them. It’s just beyond my grasp. I find my mind reaching
or big words that can describe big women.

They were big in every sense of the word big. They all
tipped the high end of the scales. All together making
up at least a thousand pounds with ease. You can
safely say they loved food as well as laughing.
But even more important was their pride in being Lakota.
In the days that they had come of age this was not
acceptable –they were suppose to have been assimilated.
After all they had gone through the assimilation factory
called the Boarding school. The one place that was given
the authority to “kill the Indian to save the child.”

These women embodied the spirit of Lakota Womanhood
in the truest sense of the concept.

The new Lakota woman who was needed so our people
could survive. The kind that could grab on to the future
and push their children through its doors while retaining
as much of the Lakota philosophy and traditional beliefs
possible.

I loved each one of these women and thank them for the
gifts they gave me.

My aunt Aurelia gave me love.
My aunt Helen taught me courage.
My aunt Alberta taught me respect.
My aunt Eunice gave me wisdom. And
My mother, Marie blessed me with the
gift of love for my family.

They all showed me through their example to love and
care for our people.

So these are the gifts that I have carried through my
adult life and when times are hard they also gave me
the most beautiful gift of all and that is the ability to
laugh with out restraint. To laugh with the explosive
force that will make other people smile when they hear it.

Mary Lee Johns
Lakota

Saturday, May 16, 2009

Title Change

I must admit I was so excited to get started I made a mistake and renamed my blog. So this post is to make sure I have the name straight. The name of this Blog is "They Come To See Her" in honor of my Aunt Aurelia.

Comes To My House

Comes To My House
My son has encouraged me to start a blog for years and share what it is I share with many of my friends on an ongoing basis. Both he and my daughter believe I have something to share with others. So here it is. My Blog.My two Aunties Aurelia Reddest and Eunice Larrabee had similar Indian names. My Aunt Aurelia's was "They Come To See Her" and my Aunt Euncie's was "Comes To Her House". In honor of both of these women who meant so much to me and influenced who I am - I've named this blog "Comes To My House". The idea is to encourage people to come to this blog as a place to visit and see what I have to say about subjects I'm interested in sharing. It will be a place to come and share your thoughts and ideas about subjects that are of interest to you. The idea is to have a place I'm describing as follows: An American Indian Humanities blog that deals with art, history, poetry, philosophy, politics, personal stories and everyday home life of a Lakota Grandmother.