Lakota Indians Withdraw Treaties Signed With U.S. 150 Years Ago (live, fence)

[DannyBanany]

I think bhdreams' post sums up the entire issue. The Native Americans are no longer anything remote to a threat. Why would we be afraid of them? It is not an issue of race, but of behavior.

My boss hired an Indian kid who fits the description of a "thugged-out wannabe gangster" he drove a beat up van, and had sneakers with holes in them, and yet he always had money for marijuana . He got caught smoking at work and my boss still did not fire him. After the kid got his paycheck, he split for Pine Ridge and left my boss hanging. Needless to say, he was no longer on payroll.

There is another Indian girl working for my boss. She has worked for him for 12 years and has never missed a day. Her appearance is clean and neat and she is very polite and professional. She even has a second job at a nursing home.

See???? Native Americans can actually make something of themselves and contribute their talents to the world. I actually think that Indian artists are some of the best in the world. Their creativity is far beyond that of the average Caucasians. But I guess that would be racist for me to say...

[blackhillsdreams]

Originally Posted by DannyBanany

I think bhdreams' post sums up the entire issue. The Native Americans are no longer anything remote to a threat. Why would we be afraid of them? It is not an issue of race, but of behavior.

Thank you for the support DannyB.

How's the weather out there tonight? It's going down into the high 20's here tonight in Florida.

[Chris19]

Originally Posted by DannyBanany

I think bhdreams' post sums up the entire issue. The Native Americans are no longer anything remote to a threat. Why would we be afraid of them? It is not an issue of race, but of behavior.

My boss hired an Indian kid who fits the description of a "thugged-out wannabe gangster" he drove a beat up van, and had sneakers with holes in them, and yet he always had money for marijuana . He got caught smoking at work and my boss still did not fire him. After the kid got his paycheck, he split for Pine Ridge and left my boss hanging. Needless to say, he was no longer on payroll.

There is another Indian girl working for my boss. She has worked for him for 12 years and has never missed a day. Her appearance is clean and neat and she is very polite and professional. She even has a second job at a nursing home.

See???? Native Americans can actually make something of themselves and contribute their talents to the world. I actually think that Indian artists are some of the best in the world. Their creativity is far beyond that of the average Caucasians. But I guess that would be racist for me to say...

Very good points. Good examples, which illustrates that one should not paint the entire race with the same brush.

[smitter]

Finally, I don't hear the screaming in my ears (through my eyes). Thank you Chris and Danny.

Sorry black hills dreamer, unfortunately, for everyone alot of unjustice things are still happening because of race.

I am talking about actual living breathing human lives that have been gone not so long ago. The 16yr old girl found dead beaten in ditch. No investigation. My cousin who was raped by a man who then killed her that never saw the inside of a jail. He was never the same. My 8yr old cousin hit by a drunk driver who was never prosecuted. The men beaten by police. The police who told them if anything was said it would be taken out on their families.

You tell me how rational you would be if you got spit on, not by adults, by a school bus full of children screaming "dirty indian" (personally happened to me).

What are those children going to teach their own children.

I am glad for you that none of these things have ever happened to you. I really am.

Tell again about eons ago. Tell again how I am not treated different because of the way that I look. Maybe if you tell me enough I will believe.
Maybe if you tell it enough it will be true.

I would really like to know that the value of one native life is seen as equal to.....anyone else's one life.

Eons ago?

[DannyBanany]

Well, to anwer your question, I believe that all human lives are equal in importance. I am very sorry for what has happened to you in regards to growing up differently, but that kind of thing has happened to all of us.

Not just YOU.

Everybody is different and has been persecuted for it. Some people are fat, skinny, short, pale, red headed, blonde, etc... I have been called ugly, dumb, stupid, YOU NAME IT! But I move past it and do not let it influence the decisions that I make and who I am. If people have a problem with me, my race, how I look, that's their problem. All any of us can do is be the best person we can be and respect one another regardless of differences. Placing blame and hate on each other is just a waste of time and it solves nothing.

I hope that someday, the trespasses that we have done to one another can be forgiven and forgotten. We've all made mistakes, what can you do to solve them?

Look forward.

[SCGranny]

So you think that these incidents just happen to you, your family, or Indians in general?

DB is right - these things happen to everyone. Hubby who is blackhaired and darkskinned had to put up with harassment his whole youth - til the girls realized he was different, BETTER, kinder, funnier, and more comforting to be around. Why? because he didn't let the "dirty Indian" slurs make him into exactly what they said he was. He would not give them that power over him.
He was always the one the cops blamed for everything - drug sales, stolen property, breakins, etc. HAD to be him and his longhaired Indian cousin, George, right?

When we were accused of abusing our children by the snotty white girl with a Saviour complex, it took us three years, a lawsuit, and many court appearances to clear our name. By that lawsuit, we ended up seeing her fired as well as two of her bosses, and the entire State's child welfare system revamped by the Legislature. We didn't sit back and say they were prejudiced - we proved that they were and demanded that it change. Turned out there were a lot of other people of all different races who had had the same problem but not enough courage to stand up for what was right.

IF YOU LET THEM TURN YOU INTO EXACTLY WHAT THEY SAY YOU ARE - THEY WIN.

Why would you let them win?
Stop whining already.

[blackhillsdreams]

Originally Posted by smitter

Finally, I don't hear the screaming in my ears (through my eyes). Thank you Chris and Danny.

Sorry black hills dreamer, unfortunately, for everyone alot of unjustice things are still happening because of race.

I am talking about actual living breathing human lives that have been gone not so long ago. The 16yr old girl found dead beaten in ditch. No investigation. My cousin who was raped by a man who then killed her that never saw the inside of a jail. He was never the same. My 8yr old cousin hit by a drunk driver who was never prosecuted. The men beaten by police. The police who told them if anything was said it would be taken out on their families.

You tell me how rational you would be if you got spit on, not by adults, by a school bus full of children screaming "dirty indian" (personally happened to me).

What are those children going to teach their own children.

I am glad for you that none of these things have ever happened to you. I really am.

Tell again about eons ago. Tell again how I am not treated different because of the way that I look. Maybe if you tell me enough I will believe.
Maybe if you tell it enough it will be true.

I would really like to know that the value of one native life is seen as equal to.....anyone else's one life.

Eons ago?

SC Granny and Danny are right. Stop whining. Just because I didn't mention incidents like that doesn't mean I didn't have similar experiences.

When I was growing up in the 60's, the black/white issues were huge and I was terrorized by black kids many times, beaten up at a bus stop in front of a group of laughing children, and so forth. Later in life, I studied Martial Arts for 12 years and was a pro kick boxer for a little while. I never had another problem in that area, but...

When I was 18-19, I was close to homeless and actually went out with my brother to pick oranges and grapefruits in our neighborhood from peoples trees so we could eat. I tried to get a college grant, I couldn't. I tried to get a college student loan, wasn't available. I had two jobs day and night from the age of 17 to 30. If I was black or was an "enrolled member" there would have been funds available.

More recently, I have a pretty good job but I'm not the skinny, good looking college boy, corporate type. I've seen guys that have less experience, less knowledge, and talent than I do get promoted and make more money than me because of the way they look, dress, what college they went to etc... I can tell you that I didn't enjoy any of those and dozens of other experiences in my life. I've had hard times, I've had great times, I'm not sitting here blaming society for it.

As for the extremes you mention, I'm sorry for you and those they happened to. To blame all White people in general for those kinds of things and make statements "blond Cherokee's doing great because of the way they look" is just ignorant and foolish. Stop looking for pity for the bad things in your life and work for the good things. Stop blaming everybody else for your problems and move on.

This is my last post on this, I refuse to waste any more time on your weak arguments and search for pity. I truly wish you all the best, your life will be what YOU make of it, just like everyone else. Sure, Luck, Race, and others issues all affect the course, but attitude, perseverance, and behavior can overcome any obstacles as long as you keep trying.

[ElkHunter]

I lived between Bateland and Wounded Knee in 1973. I worked a ranch. Spent 20 hours in the saddle every day. I spoke with Mr Wilson every couple of days. You sir, shoud be ashamed of yourself. Russle Means and Dennis Banks caused more touble then what they were worth. Until they come along, us folks, got along. I'd be riding and roping and somebody would join in. We'd ride together. At the end of the day we'd meet and greet. But we worked hard all day. I'd meet and greet and find I was working with a Lakota Sioux all day. We were saddle partners. I learned a lot from those folks. They knew the land, they knew the livestock.

Charley Red Feather was my mentor. Few will know what that meant to me.
He's on the wall.

We would like to surround you and embrace you. But you won't let us. Why?

[smitter]

I posted in order to share a little of what I as an individual saw personally. I posted because, I didn't see a native voice from SD. I failed to expand my post , mainly because it takes me so long to post because I was trying to weigh each word so carefully. I forgot that sometimes, people don't want to see the ugly side of humanity. Especially, if it strikes a place where it is close to home (themselves). Maybe because the internet is so anonymous. I don't know, it is more acceptable to rag on someone else. Not a good thing, big drawback.
I also ( like all of you) believe that it takes an individual to lift themselves up by their bootstraps and keep going some how.

It would be irresponsible of me not to mention, that the offenders I mentioned, are probably dead by now of their own devices or of old age. When I spoke of those matters, I felt like I was speaking for a people who were so frightened that they had no where to turn. So you individuals that have been discriminated against, may or may not see, that when a whole community lives in fear, it is a altogether different matter, as far as discrimination goes. This was in the past. It is not like it used to be, we as people tend to get along more. Of course this is where I am from, I am not lakota but am dakota, a mere cousin. The lakota are a little different, strong hearts from that neck of the woods. They have a hard cross to bear, but are a strong people. They are strong enough to bear that cross hopefully with not to many losses(their real enemy is alcohol in my mind). There are of course individual's on both sides who just don't seem to get it. I just didn't like all the negative posts that seemed like screaming and turned into a snowball effect. Sorry if you think I misled you, but in a way I am not, because it was a matter that needed to be said. Have a good life, just try not to be so judgmental (like me). Thanks elkhunter you are a good(was`te) man in my eyes . Yes, Means probably more so than Banks ( although I am sure he did his share) starts trouble. (just like I did on this forum, so it seems).

[ElkHunter]

I put in a lot of hours working with my brothers. I didn't know there was a difference until it was pointed out when I was in Highschool. There was no difference. We were cowboys, working the ranches. We had fun. Then, when I was a senior in high school I was told that we were different. Why? We were brothers that worked together. Sure, we had some differences. More then once I tried to break a nose. More then once, my brothers tried to break my nose. hahaha But come the next day, we was saddle tramps again. Our differences were set aside.

Alcohole is a big problem. But it's not to blame because it's available, it's to blame because they use. There are liquor stores on every corner, but I don't go in them. Just because they are there, doesn't mean a person has to frequent them.

But you are correct and I appreciate what your saying. If the stores weren't there, they wouldn't be used and abused.

Kind of a catch 22 for all involved. But we can't blame it on the store owner that wants to make a living. We have to point at the person abusing.