From One Raven's Eye

A (hopefully temporary) farewell

Page 3

Ahneen, tansi and arrivederci, sayonara, au revoir, adios and see ya. Yep the time has come for Wagamese to canoe off into sunset, his columning voyage down the river Windspeaker all done. The paddle that once dipped so ripply into the stream of weekly words is cracked, dry and on the verge of snapping clean. Maybe it's got to do with it being mid-winter. Any experienced canoeist knows how much harder paddling goes over ice and snow. Anyway, let's go over a little of this and a little of that before we wiggle our fingers at each other in a motion for farewell.

You know Bruce Cockburn gave $38,000 to the Haida's to help them in their struggle over logging on Lyall Island. Willie Nelson performed in a benefit concert to set up a fund to assist young Native artists. Then of course there is Marlon Brando, who is the most famous giver-to-Indians of all. There are shogenosh out there who don't see our rights being fulfilled as the end of the world.

They don't have to give us a thing to prove their sincerity in any case. Most of us know almost instantly whether we are dealing with a honky or with another person who just happens to be pale in the face.

What follows is an account of a speech made by Pontiac, the Odawa who led a revolt against the British. If you say the word Pontiac these days people right away think of a car to be driven. Well, you could say the Pontiac of 1760 was interested in the subject of driving too - driving the invading redcoats back across the Atlantic. Anyway, what he said that day was written down by a guy named Francis Parkman, from a dream and what he was told in it:

"The land on which you live, I made for you, not for others. Why do you permit the whites to dwell upon your lands? Can you not do without them? You might live as you did before you knew them. Before they arrived did not your bow and arrow maintain you? You needed neither gun nor powder, nor any other object. The flesh of the animals was your food, their skins your clothing. But when I saw you inclined to evil, I took the animals into the depths of the forest, that you might depend on the whiteman for your needs. If you will again become good and do my will, I will send the animals back to you."

Now before you figure I'm talking turning back the clock (which I would glady do some days if a reasonable chance of making that come true were possible) let me quote some words by George Manual. He was one of the founders of a Native political movement in British Columbia and also helped establish a national Native organization as well. This is what he says in a book entitled, "The fourth World:" "We do not have to recreate the form of our past life necessarily as long as we maintain the substance of it."

To me that means we one had a happy brown society happening. If we want to get another one going we don't have to look too far for answers on how to go about that. The hard part is translating those principles, values, beliefs and the behaviour those produced into present day terms.

Here's a question I sprang on you in that test/quiz column a short time ago. Despite enough economic, cultural and social problems to make even a grown horse cry, why we do still have that ability to laugh and joke? Are we nuts after all, silly from stress or in possession of a strength has hasn't been broken yet?

That's a lot tougher to say, especially because a 15-year-old daughter of a friend recently committed suicide. A young kid woke up one morning and gave up hope of her life ever getting any better.

All you can do is scrunch up your face against the tears and keep doing whatever it is you can to make better days come about.

Well, sure have a lot of people to thank. Anyone who has ever plunked down and read one of these things from one end to another comes first on the list. Writers are kinda like babies. We tend to go around trying to attract attention so someone will pick us up and give us a little attenton. Like babies if you happen to make picking them up a regular thing, well, pretty soon that kid is trying their best to communicate with ya. For those of you have read lots of these, sure do appreciate it.

A special mention to those who wrote in expressing their opinion on my opinions.

A big meegwetch to my friend and editor Clint Buehler. He gave me this chance

in the first place. He is also still encouraging me to submit stuff to the paper so you will probably see my name in these pages every once in a while even though not in the column format. Another thanks goes from me to the workers, management and board of AMMSA. Despite a number of go-rounds with the accounting people, my dealings with these people has been very good. This paper is better than most small town newspapers I have ever read. They have been in the business for three years and are still putting out good stuff. They prove hard work and Native ability can get lots done. They have moved into produced radio programs and someday will be doing television as well. A professional outfit that has taught me a thing or two just hanging around it.

Now I just knew this last paragraph would be tough to write. Well, without getting all mushy-eyed and because in Ojibway there is no word for goodbye, I'll just say it's been real fine spending time with you like this. A definite good time that will stick in my memory...meegwetch, meegwetch, meegwetch.....