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by Marlon Crump/PNN
"We are all living in an imperialistic country, an imperialistic government, in an imperialistic world."
These words came from the rumbling voice of Munyiga Lumamba, a member of the All Afrikan People’s Revolutionary Party. His words had the power on this Indigenous People’s Day to reach all of us, especially those of us subjected to the ever-oppressive elements that plague people living in poverty locally and globally; racism, classism, fascism, capitalism, war, gentrification, famine, mis-education, displacement, Jim-Crowism, etc, etc. All of these hideous divisions that's plagued every non-white culture and indigenous people, motivated lifelong movements towards ultimate annihilation of the above KKKolinizing categories.
The sweltering sun beamed down on my back and forehead, as I sat on the steps of the United Nation Plaza at the Civic Center, on 8th and Market St. It was near-noon and people were already gathering for this very important day. I began my surveillance of everyone in attendance, and spotted my POOR family, just a few feet away from me, as they stood in the center to hear the speakers.
Tony Gonzalez arrived from Argentina and expressed the importance of what International Indigenous People's Day is all about. "I'm speaking on behalf of the American Indian Community,” he said. “One of the goals for this very special day is for everyone to join together," he added. This year celebrated thirteen years from it's origin, August 9th, 1994.
A female speaker/facilitator for the event introduced a Native American named Gilbert, who dawned the traditional headdress and garbs for what was called fancy dancing. All of us watched in awe and enjoyment, as Gilbert performed for nearly a half hour.
As I watched his beautiful dancing, my mind drifted off to my early days of elementary, middle, and high school in what "I learned" through my many years of reading countless books.
As a child, I often came across toys that pitted cowboys and Indians against each other. I even watched a few western movies, here and there, most of which, portrayed Indians as the "villains" and the cowboys as the "heroes." It wasn't, until my teen years when I started to see things in a more broader light, than what corporately enfranchised into a child's mind, from TV shows, movies, coloring books, toys, cartoons, maybe even video games for that matter. What a scary, disgusting inhumane brainwash from European KKKoliners and KKKorporations, polluting young minds, even today.
One of the few classic movies I enjoyed, as a teen, was "The legend of Billy Jack"(1971) a story of a man of Indian Descent, that possessed a military background, and deadly martial art skills, who protected his sister's "Freedom School" from a racist sheriff and bigots.
My native town, Cleveland, Ohio, the” Buckeye State," is well known for the Cleveland Indians Baseball team. Its mascot is a red-skinned, buck-toothed feather-dawned image of an Indian. In 1915, Chief Wahoo was chosen to honor it's first American Indian baseball player, Louis Francis Sockalexis. In 1998, members of the American Indian Movement (AIM) protested the Chief Wahoo image, because it was a racially symbolic stereotype of real Native Americans, and they denounced it. Five were arrested and have since filed suit.
No matter how much we fight, denounce, and protest, one can NEVER underestimate the evil powers of racism, and all of it's imperialistic KKKapitalism. The U.S.A has a holiday, a monumental statue, books, maybe even an anticipated currency at the U.S Mint, honoring Christopher Columbus who led the slaughter of many Indian Tribes, and theft of treasuries, throughout his voyages to please kings and queens.
This day also reminded me of how global governments have capitalized off of Columbus's holocaustic irreparable damages, of Indian tribes: THE NEW WORLD. Over five centuries later, I think NEW WORLD= ORDER would sound more sufficient.
The fancy dance as defined by the speaker/facilitator, is geared towards "healing and balance." Every single race, creed, gender, and religion was enslaved at one time, or another, so for those in struggle dancing isn’t just a means of expression, but also a release of the negative energy that plagues a person's mind, body, and soul.
"In the early 1970s, we (American Indians Movement) advocated for African Descendents, in retaining their rights. We kept at it, with the Human Rights Commission, until 1982. It's not just a struggle for Indigenous People, but for everyone all around the world. If we don't get that much needed vote, it will shut down all our rights,” the dancer said to the crowd.
Martin Sanchez, General Counsel/Representative of the Venezuelan Government read a letter, which honored the importance of the International Indigenous People's Day and various articles that were decreed in the General Assembly of the United Nations. He read through Articles 119-125, which were an equivalency to the United States Constitution, The biggest question and concern came to my mind was how strictly enforced these laws would be towards indigenous people, and would every global government honor these Articles, when people seek to retain their rights, in the face of oppression?
Milo of the Ma Pucha People, from South America, gave a historic account dating thirty years back to 1977 when they confronted and demanded their rights to be retained from the control of the colonists.
"We are celebrating thirty days from that very day, and still fighting displacement, from an insane government (U.S) that's profiting from mining corporations," Milo exclaimed.
At the end of the event, Bob Kelly recited a poem by Leonard Peltier, a revolutionary/ political prisoner and member of the American Indians Movement who was involved in a protest, at a small town called Wounded Knee, in 1973 South Dakota. Their protest on a variety of issues erupted into violence, where two AIM members were killed, and a U.S Marshal was paralyzed from gunshot wounds. Peltier was arrested and is now serving a life sentence. A youth group called Rainbow Warriors began rapping to the crowd, urging peace and solidarity towards everyone, worldwide, regardless of race.
As they began to rap their song called "United Snakes of America,” I walked over to Munyiga and thanked him for his inspiring speech and Bob Kelly, in his recital of the poem by Leonard Peltier.
He gave me a flyer that showed pics of people in the AIM struggle, Leonard, himself, in the center, with a bald eagle, a spear, a bison, and the flag of Great Britain.
The words under FREE LEONARD PELTIER, were: "It died in blood on Buffalo Plains, and starved by moons of rain, it's heart was buried in Wounded Knee, but it will come to rise again." (Bobby Sands, The Rhythm of Time, 1981.
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