I want to say it straight. When I met this holy elder he told me, “Now I
can rest, it’s your turn.” He announced it. He was 93 years old. Then he
died with a smile on his face.
My job is to pray and take care of the whole Tribe. In this work I am
living in now, I am still alone. When I grew up I watched actual power. We
did our ceremonies in broad daylight. There was no trickery. It was done
in the open. It was pure power. There were about 30 people that could do
it. Mostly men. Now there are only 5-6 people that have actual spiritual
help that I know of that have the real thing. They refuse to come out.
What I saw or witnessed was truly the last of the Buffalo people. I know
most of their pipes and their songs. I witnessed a show of respect, love,
and caring for each other. If anyone were sick or having trouble or hard
times we would hear about it and pray for them. I don’t see that kind of
caring for the whole Tribe. It’s broken. The circle is broken. We’re
pitiful again. When I was young we would go to their homes to do
ceremonies. Those days are gone.
I have the biggest and the holiest bundle of the Blackfeet people. They
have purposefully kept me out of the picture. They are afraid of this great
okan, a holy ceremony, because I can give back to the people what is
rightfully theirs. I have been threatened and shot at, slandered and
criticized. Our Traditional’s are afraid to speak out. They are afraid to
loose their jobs. They have sent their warriors to protect me. This is not
enough however. Our people need our culture if we are to survive another
100 years.
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Building Independent Cultural
Center
We
are preparing and taking the Blackfeet Tribe into the 21st
Century by preserving our culture in its proper context. The Independent
Cultural Center will provide a means to preserve the Blackfeet culture and
provide grassroots people with a voice. Our goal is to provide Blackfeet
cultural continuity if we are to survive another 100 years. Cultural
inventory is critical. Identifying people who can teach age groups and act
as advisors is paramount for establishing cultural continuity. Our
traditions are now at risk of being lost since only a few elders in our
reservation communities remember them.
Many of our elders are rapidly
reaching their seventies and eighties. Through much prayer and careful
thought this is our overarching goal, to establish a Independent Cultural Center
for the people.
Development of an Independent
Cultural Center will allow measures for initiating cultural studies through
archival collections, maintaining sacred information and intellectual property
rights, helping youth, and providing services for the very poor. Time is of the
essence. Resources are critical to accomplish this worthy goal.
Blackfeet Society has become up
for grabs by those who overstep their boundaries by neglecting elders and
knowledgeable ones. The current governmental system is unfavorable to our youth
and very poor. Alcohol treatment facilities are a mockery. They simply do not
work and are a façade. Most facilities serve as job security only. Blackfeet
language schools are for wealthier children. Many of these people, although
with good intentions, are carelessly oppressing our traditions and traditional
belief system.
While our bloodlines are still
connected and not second or third generations removed from our chiefs and holy
men and women it is our intention to find common ground for survival.
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