<+>=<+>KOLA Newslist<+>=<+>
 

[source: NativeNews; Sun, 20 Feb 2000 09:30:32]

From: ErthAvengr@xxx.xxx

The following was handed out at the Red Cloud Building.
Kici ota yuonihan
With much respect
Erth

"A  GREAT  SOCIETY"

United We Stand    Divided  We Fall
(Excerpts)

     Today we sit on the brink of a new era, a new age for all mankind; a dawn
of a new century and millenium. We look upon ourselves and think where do we
fit into this world? Who are we as a people, nation and society? We look back
at our history as a people and who we were as a society in previous times. We
look back at all things that led us to the present state in which we are
today. In our past we had leaders who exemplified greatness on every level;
we had leaders who led without prejudice and led with integrity and honor.
They held our basic beliefs that People; Community; family and yourself last,
with the highest degree and with the greatest diligence. We look back at
people such as Crazy Horse, Red Cloud, Sitting Bull, American Horse, and
other leaders who led us in times of great hardship and detriment. They led
us against a society that is plagued by corruptness and intolerance against
other races, societies, and other cultures that are different then their own.
We as a people, nation, have been cheated out of our own progress,
development and advancements like other nations have had the chance to do on
their own. We were forced into a world that has changed so drastically within
a relative short time in the scheme of things.

     If you really take a real good hard look and see what problems plague us
now you would find, despair, rampant use of drugs, alcohol, unemployment,
crime, suicide, teen pregnancy to name a few. For we as a people have had it
bad for the last 150 years since the first Europeans stepped foot on our
ground. We look back and think to how we could have avoided all things like
this and took preventative measures to change the course of our own history
and had a chance to develop into a society of our own design, we could have
done many things to change our history. Time is an ever moving factor; it
doesn't stop because of atrocities against us as a people for we all know
this. The events of the past, the history of what happened to us will never
be forgotten, but it is time to move forward now.

     It is time we as a people take measures to prevent events that keep
plaguing us as a nation and society.We all know that we hold the key to our
own future and our children's children's future. We need to take matters into
our own hands and make our future what we want it to be. We have a chance to
make our society of our own design, and what we want it to be. For time is of
the essence and the time for action is now. Time for talk is over ; we need
to take measures now instead of putting them off until tomorrow or the day
after that. For today is a great day to start! and make things better for us.

     There are many problems that plague us today, as a society, the most
prevalent are alcoholism, drugs, crime, corrupt governmental officials,
corrupt people within our own ranks and unemployment. Other problems that
face us today are an erosion of our own society, such as the loss of our
language in our younger generation, bickering and fighting amongst ourselves.
We try and keep things all level with us and amongst the ranks for fear that
one person's success is our own demise to ourselves and what we have
accomplished thus far as a person. Things of this nature have kept us from
accomplishing goals and achievements from a collective mind set as one
nation, one mind and one body of people. We have lost the core thing that
defined us from all other societies and people, the very fact that our nation
came before our own well being. That is what was the most important factor in
our past is now the most irrelevant in today's society. It is one of the
leading factors to put us into the state in which are in today.
Below are problems that we face today:
1. Alcoholism
2. Drugs
3. Unemployment
4. Welfare
5. Leadership Inadequence
6. Erosion of culture
7. Inability to keep a balance of old and new

Many of these problems are individual problems that each person, family or
community has to face themselves for no one can make anyone do anything in
which he/she doesn't want to do for one's self. These problems and the
solutions that must be dealt with are mainly targeted at our leaders of
today. What have these leaders in which we elected from a democratic forum in
a general election done as of yet to attack these problems and find solutions
to these problems that face us today? You look at the first problem at hand
is alcoholism; this is the most prevalent factor that has led to our demise
as we now stand. How do we attack this problem? That is a question that has
plagued us for countless generations ever since this drug was introduced to
us over 100 years ago. I have heard the argument, " if the Whiteman never
brought this to us we wouldn't have this problem today" that is a great
argument if we where back in the early 1900's. But it is the year 2000 and
that argument is old and outdated. There are many solutions to this problem,
but it won't come easy, and it will take time, as we all know. In a society
that is plagued by generation upon generation of alcoholism many people lose
hope. One has to be optimistic for there are many ways to solve this problem
but the main area we must target is our younger generation through education
and trying to maintain a cultural balance and find ways to make life better
and more enjoyable without the effects of alcohol.

What is suggested is a newer, more updated treatment center, tougher laws,
more alcohol education, and a return to our roots in the sweat lodges, and
the pipe. One area we have not addressed as a solution is extra curricular
activities for our youth, excluding our grade and high school athletics. Some
of these solutions are being implemented today, it is a slow progress, but
there is hope, yet more needs to be done. More needs to be done to reach
those people who haven't been introduced to the ways that were given to us by
the Tatanka Ska Wi long ago. More needs to be done from our leaders, and our
tribal government to attack this problem we have here today.
You look at statistical facts, we have a high rate of alcoholism last that
was noticed as high as 80% of our adult population uses alcohol in one way or
another. That coincides with our high unemployment rate and crime rate and
other things that plague us today.

Drugs are another problem that face us today. Drugs are going to be very
prevalent in a society with a high degree of alcoholism. Marijuana is our
drug of choice here. There are children as young as 10 or 11 using this drug
on a regular basis. what is wrong with this picture is that we are used to it
and accept it as part of everyday life here on our reservation. There are
people selling " weed" to younger people and without prejudice all these
dealers want is the ever so mighty dollar. These people dont think about what
they are doing to people because the truth is they really dont care. Yet many
do it for reasons of survival because of our lack of economic development.

Unemployment and lack of economic development is one of the most important
problems we must find answers to. People say all over the rez......" there
isn't anything here" or " I want to get off the rez because of no jobs". Why
must our people leave this reservation? This is our home, why don't we bring
jobs here and create an economy?We can create jobs here and spur economic
investment to support an economy on this reservation. With the lack of
businesses, people have to travel far and wide to get everyday necessities
and the business owners know this, that is why their prices are so inflated.
In the last 1996 census, there was an estimation of 38,000 people living here
on the Pine Ridge Reservation. .....and yet, there are only a few businesses
here to support our people. All of the businesses on this rez were counted
and came up with less than 100 for 38,000 people.

It is all very common knowledge amongst our own people that nothing is being
done by our leaders to address these problems. That is why there is a genuine
lack of interest in our leaders any more. There seems to be more concern
about themselves and their families than the people they were elected by.
People should take note of this statistical fact that, a lower unemployment
rate coincides with a lower crime rate, lower alcoholism rate, a lower
suicide rate, lower teen pregnancy rate and so forth.

To create money on the reservation also gives us a better chance of standing
the test of time here in this free market global economy that we are in
today. It is sad to say but this county that we are in, the main portion of
the reservation Shannon County in the 1980 and 1990 U.S. Census is ranked #1
in impoverished counties in the U.S. and that is mind boggling. It is not
understood why our leaders have not addressed this problem and attacked it
savagely.

Welfare is just a spin-off of lack of employment; high rates of welfare are
common in a community with high unemployment. It is common economics, people
need to survive somehow and welfare is the best way to get money because
there are no jobs. The high rate of welfare  is rampant among our people.

Regarding leadership, Chuck Jacobs embezzling money and now is working again
with money??  Even if Chuck is out of office, he shouldn't have been in there
in the first place. Do we want to place our future in leaders who exemplify
corruptness and cowardice? This has been a long and tiring chain of events
from one administration to another. Americans to some degree control our
future whether we want to acknowledge it or not. For some people, they think
we are incapable of governing ourselves and that is a sad event when people
think like that for it is not true.

We need strong leaders who can have a good judge of character, who think for
the people first instead of themselves.Leaders who will be willing to put it
all on the line as opposed to caring for themselves first. Our leaders should
address and tell the people what they are doing instead of keeping them in
the dark. We should set up a way so the people will be informed and keep them
on the current day to day basis.  Our leaders need to think of the general
public and our nation first as opposed to a few select people. For the more
you do for the general public, the more you do for yourselves.

Our erosion of culture is another focal point we need to take a stand on. We
are losing our language and our heritage is being corrupted by our misuse of
our pipes and our churches we pray in. We as a people have forgotten our
teachings and have warped our sense of true humility and devotion to the
greater good of the people. Our older people should take the time to teach
the younger ones the language, the values and traditions that were passed
down for eons. Our language is a very important thing for us. This is our
link to our past, present and our future. This very concept needs to be
focused upon and more and more energy and time devoted to it. Why not have an
education stipulation that makes it impossible for our younger generation in
school to graduate high school without being bilingual?We need to maintain a
cultural balance; we need to hold onto things that are most dear to us. The
Canupa is what our society is revolved around....it is the core thing that
all of our lives should be on. That was given to us.....the Lakota Nation. I
see and hear people selling off our religion for profit and that is wrong
anyway you look at it.

We as a Nation need to take action now; time is of the essence.I challenge
our leaders to do something good for the people. Create some jobs and do
something worthwhile and also make something happen on this reservation. We
all know about the delicate balance between sovereignty and Indian Issues and
so forth. We have so many different powers to do so many things.

With a strong President this person could lead and show by example like the
old ones did long ago..............people will see that and will follow. It
is simple leadership, ability that will take us a long way, integrity and
honor a leader will need to exemplify. We need to bridge the gap with the
rest of the world and catch up without losing our identity and who we are as
a people and nation. It is time for action, yet we have talked and talked for
countless generations.  There is a quote," Without struggle there is no
progress" (Dr Martin Luther King Jr.) It will be hard, yet if we work
together and clean our lives up and rid ourselves of these evils , there is
nothing we cannot accomplish together. For we are all one people.

     For remember, our children's children are depending our our actions that
we take today. Remember the 7th Generation is here today, and what Black Elk
said long ago. It's time!

<+>=<+>
Information Pages: http://users.skynet.be/kola/index.htm
Online Petition: http://kola-hq.hypermart.net
Greeting Cards: http://users.skynet.be/kola/cards.htm
<+>=<+>
if you want to be removed from the KOLA
Email Newslist, just send us a message with
"unsub" in the subject or text body
<+>=<+>