Anita Pagan's Posts - Indigenous Caribbean Network2024-03-29T12:55:33ZAnita Paganhttps://indigenouscaribbean.ning.com/profile/Nanuhttps://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2787617768?profile=RESIZE_48X48&width=48&height=48&crop=1%3A1https://indigenouscaribbean.ning.com/profiles/blog/feed?user=017h1dsd150nb&xn_auth=noThey Came Before Columbus...and what?!?tag:indigenouscaribbean.ning.com,2009-06-04:2030313:BlogPost:429582009-06-04T16:30:00.000ZAnita Paganhttps://indigenouscaribbean.ning.com/profile/Nanu
I read <i>They Came Before Columbus: The African Presence in Ancient America</i> by Ivan Van Sertima. I wasn’t halfway through this book and I was thoroughly offended, but I finished it just to hear their point of view.<br />
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I don’t buy it.<br />
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The belief that Africans were in the Americas before the Europeans were makes sense to me. There is plenty of proof of intercontinental contact world wide. Even evolution depends on intercontinental travel, I don’t see why it would just stop once the lands were…
I read <i>They Came Before Columbus: The African Presence in Ancient America</i> by Ivan Van Sertima. I wasn’t halfway through this book and I was thoroughly offended, but I finished it just to hear their point of view.<br />
<br />
I don’t buy it.<br />
<br />
The belief that Africans were in the Americas before the Europeans were makes sense to me. There is plenty of proof of intercontinental contact world wide. Even evolution depends on intercontinental travel, I don’t see why it would just stop once the lands were populated. However, the offense lies in the implication that the indigenous people of the Americas were empty-headed morons just waiting, with open arms, for someone to come and guide them to civilization. As much as Van Sertima states that he is not seeking to imply this, his claims that the advances in agriculture, textiles, architecture, ancient academics and most all things upon which civilization is based upon is thanks to the African guidance. He even correlates the Africans arrival at the same time the Olmec civilization was booming!<br />
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One of the points Van Sertima makes, that I found intriguing for a minute was the megalithic Olmec heads. These huge carved heads have thick lips and flat noses and he places these images side by side with pictures of West African people who have similar features. He goes as far as to suggest that these carved images were possibly made to glorify these black leaders who have taught them so much! (argh!) What I found confusing was that although his comparison was of West African features, these black leaders that were supposed to have been canonized by a grateful indigenous population supposedly came from East Africa. The physical features of East African people are very different from those of West Africa, and nothing like the Olmec heads.<br />
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And apparently Van Sertima never considered that Mongolian features include thick lips and flat noses, too.<br />
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From a Native perspective, this book is the same garbage that the Europeans have been dishing out since they got here. Not once does the author consider the possibility that maybe the indigenous folks from over here went to Africa to school them, instead. I mean, considering the world’s <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/egyptians/mummies_04.shtml">oldest mummy</a> is Chinchorro, from Chile, and the mummification processes are similar- including the removal of the internal organs and the placing of a mask over the face- the thought that this technology came from Egypt to the Americas doesn’t make sense. The oldest known Egyptian mummy was dated around 3500 B.C. while the Chinchorro mummy was dated at 6000 B.C. Do the math!<br />
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It is also interesting to note that although the Mayan pyramids are younger than those in Egypt, there have been pyramids found under <a href="http://www.cyberspaceorbit.com/phikent/japan/japan2.html">Japanese waters</a> that date 5000 years (at least) earlier than the oldest Egyptian pyramid, the <a href="http://homepage.powerup.com.au/~ancient/saqqara.htm">Saqqara</a>. This makes one wonder about who went where, especially since genetics are now showing that the Native American came from Asia to the American continent- maybe some just continued the journey all the way to Africa and taught them how to make pyramids also. And what of the megalithic Bolivian structures of Pumapunku and <a href="http://www.world-mysteries.com/mpl_6.htm">Teotihuacan</a>, that are estimated to be 17,000 years old, yet their design makes the Saqqara look like child’s play! These ruins baffle scientists not only because the blocks used to build it weighed in at over 100 tons a piece; the cuts and fittings between them are so precise that their very creation is a mystery. And the materials the blocks are made of, dolomite, can only be cut by diamond tipped cutting tools!<br />
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The fact that there are pyramids all over the world is used by afrocentrists to prove that the technology was introduced by Black people. Yet this “<a href="http://www.outerworlds.com/likeness/aliens/aliens.html">evidence</a>” is also used by those who say that <a href="http://www.futurescience.org/Mars_Pyramids/mars_pyramids.html">extraterrestrials</a> were the creators of these pyramids, because human beings- particularly ancient, indigenous human beings, could not have figured out how to make these huge structures all on their own. Especially when modern architects say they can’t make them with the tools available at that time themselves!<br />
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Just as it’s not cool to say that Africans were not intelligent enough to build the pyramids, it’s not cool to attempt to elevate your ethnic group by disparaging another. There is no need to deny the advances that belong to Black people; I can drive my automatic transmission car, in air conditioning while eating a peanut butter sandwich thanks to the inventions of Black people! But there is also no need to take away from the advances of the Native American Indian people to pad Black history. It’s just as debasing as the Eurocentric view is, and just as sadly desperate.<br />
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Give me a break.<br />
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<object width="445" height="364"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/WgRxZNWOvN4&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="never"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/WgRxZNWOvN4&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="never" width="445" height="364"></embed></object>
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<object width="445" height="364"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/UeKwMaEXV1Q&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="never"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/UeKwMaEXV1Q&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="never" width="445" height="364"></embed></object>Why not the Chamorro? A possible peer in Taino cultural revival...tag:indigenouscaribbean.ning.com,2009-05-30:2030313:BlogPost:427402009-05-30T02:43:21.000ZAnita Paganhttps://indigenouscaribbean.ning.com/profile/Nanu
The discussion regarding the Taino language inspired me to further research other indigenous peoples who may be like us; folks struggling with their own individual decolonization while trying to help heal that of their people, reviving the culture and those things that are important to it, making it all work together- past, present and future-in balance. A people that may be similar to my own, in the ways I feel are important. My priorities lie in relationships; how we relate to ourselves, how…
The discussion regarding the Taino language inspired me to further research other indigenous peoples who may be like us; folks struggling with their own individual decolonization while trying to help heal that of their people, reviving the culture and those things that are important to it, making it all work together- past, present and future-in balance. A people that may be similar to my own, in the ways I feel are important. My priorities lie in relationships; how we relate to ourselves, how we relate with each other, with the community and with the world at large. This to me, is the basis of society, and everything else depends on it.<br />
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When the Maori people were introduced as a <a href="http://tainowoman.com/2009/05/02/whos-example-can-we-follow-further-thoughts-on-the-word-tau/">possible example</a> to follow and look up to in the growth of our Nation, I expressed disfavor regarding the idea. Although the Maori are an island dwelling people who also suffered colonization, I personally believe that the similarities between the Maori and the Taino people pretty much end there. In my opinion, the similarities we do share are cosmetic, too superficial to carry any real weight when it comes to rebuilding. The differences in our indigenous histories, customs and methods of colonization, as well as the identity of the colonizers can, and does, affect the world view of the people that are in existence today. These differences are important and need to be taken into consideration when seeking indigenous peer groups we can look up to, to serve as models in the growth of the Taino Nation. However, although I did not agree with the Maori people as a response, I find the questions it sought to answer not only important, but challenging.<br />
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Who comes from the same place we do? Who can we look up to in our growth? Who is our most related peer?<br />
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In reading up on different peoples, I have found that instead of the Maori, we have a lot more in common with the Chamorro people of <a href="http://www.visitguam.org/Pages/AboutUs.aspx">Guahan (Guam)</a>. I found the similarities quite engaging. It was exciting, because the parallels were both deep and numerous even thought the Chamorro and the Taino are on opposite sides of the planet.<br />
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Ancient Chamorro social structure is very similar to ours, much more than that of the Maori. The Maori recognized inheritance via both parental lines, however, the chiefdom was more often passed through the male line- the first son of the first son of the first son- all the way to the original common ancestor that arrived to Aotearoa (New Zealand). This is a long and powerful patrifocal chain for that family group. The women could be assertive and achieve some social position but there were limits to their public interaction and socio-political aspirations. Maori Society was group oriented but the dominant factor was masculine. In contrast, the Chamorro and the Taino were both matrifocal and matrilineal, with the inheritance of land and title via the mother’s line. Like many ancient societies, the Maori, the Chamorro and the Taino had defined social stratification: nobility, sub-nobles and slaves/commoners. However, the Chamorro and the Taino are far more similar due to the strong female focus they share. Our women were community leaders, holding positions of power and respect among the people; on many occasions they wielded the authority to impose disciplinary action, choose tribal leaders and even deciding if the people were to go to war.<br />
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Guam’s first contact with Europe was with the Spanish conquerors who arrived on their shores just 30 years after they hit the Caribbean. This means our people were contemporaries upon first contact. I believe that the Spanish conquerors used subjugation techniques polished during the Inquisition and the Reconquista, not only on the Caribbean people, but everywhere they went. I offer that the Chamorro people suffered the same abuses the Taino did and where colonized in the same, or similar, manner in which we were. They also had but a few thousand people left by the 18th century, when they were appropriated by the United States as “spoils of war”, just like we were: in the same war, at the same time. Like Boriken, the people of Guam were subjected first to Spanish colonization, and then American colonization.<br />
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Our histories diverge in 1941, during the Japanese occupation. This ended in 1944, when the Americans “came to the rescue”. I believe those 3 years of Asian occupation makes a difference in the development of a people and their society, so I acknowledge this difference between us. However, I feel that the <a href="http://www.heptune.com/guam.html">similarities</a> we share far outweigh the differences; similarities shared with no one else… At this present moment, they are still an American territory, their people are a mix of the original indigenous people and other cultures and they are reviving their Chamorro culture, <a href="http://minagahet.blogspot.com/2006/06/everyday-language-revitalization.html">language</a> and life while incorporating the world as it is now. They have changed the names and spelling of their lands and towns back to the <a href="http://www.visitguam.org/Runtime/ChamVillageName.aspx">original names</a> given by the Chamorros themselves, something we are just talking about. And presently, they are seeking indigenous sovereignty and pressing for <a href="http://www.geocities.com/minagahet/indexlai">decolonization</a>, to the point of independence from the US! This shows the Chamorro to be a people of courage, a people of heart, and a peer worthy of admiration.<br />
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I believe that in the Chamorro we have a relative with whom we can actually relate to much more closely than any other indigenous island people out there. The Chamorro are someone we can look up to, someone we can vent with, someone to share with, to teach and learn from while we work towards our independent, but similar goals; looking for a way back to remember our future.<br />
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(c) Anita “Nanu” Pagan, May 2009UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoplestag:indigenouscaribbean.ning.com,2009-05-21:2030313:BlogPost:422672009-05-21T14:48:02.000ZAnita Paganhttps://indigenouscaribbean.ning.com/profile/Nanu
<i>Adopted by General Assembly Resolution 61/295 on 13 September 2007</i><br />
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The General Assembly,<br />
Guided by the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, and good faith in the fulfilment of the obligations assumed by States in accordance with the Charter,<br />
<br />
Affirming that indigenous peoples are equal to all other peoples, while recognizing the right of all peoples to be different, to consider themselves different, and to be respected as such,<br />
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Affirming also that all peoples…
<i>Adopted by General Assembly Resolution 61/295 on 13 September 2007</i><br />
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<br />
The General Assembly,<br />
Guided by the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, and good faith in the fulfilment of the obligations assumed by States in accordance with the Charter,<br />
<br />
Affirming that indigenous peoples are equal to all other peoples, while recognizing the right of all peoples to be different, to consider themselves different, and to be respected as such,<br />
<br />
Affirming also that all peoples contribute to the diversity and richness of civilizations and cultures, which constitute the common heritage of humankind,<br />
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Affirming further that all doctrines, policies and practices based on or advocating superiority of peoples or individuals on the basis of national origin or racial, religious, ethnic or cultural differences are racist, scientifically false, legally invalid, morally condemnable and socially unjust,<br />
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Reaffirming that indigenous peoples, in the exercise of their rights, should be free from discrimination of any kind,<br />
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Concerned that indigenous peoples have suffered from historic injustices as a result of, inter alia, their colonization and dispossession of their lands, territories and resources, thus preventing them from exercising, in particular, their right to development in accordance with their own needs and interests,<br />
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Recognizing the urgent need to respect and promote the inherent rights of indigenous peoples which derive from their political, economic and social structures and from their cultures, spiritual traditions, histories and philosophies, especially their rights to their lands, territories and resources,<br />
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Recognizing also the urgent need to respect and promote the rights of indigenous peoples affirmed in treaties, agreements and other constructive arrangements with States,<br />
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Welcoming the fact that indigenous peoples are organizing themselves for political, economic, social and cultural enhancement and in order to bring to an end all forms of discrimination and oppression wherever they occur,<br />
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Convinced that control by indigenous peoples over developments affecting them and their lands, territories and resources will enable them to maintain and strengthen their institutions, cultures and traditions, and to promote their development in accordance with their aspirations and needs,<br />
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Recognizing that respect for indigenous knowledge, cultures and traditional practices contributes to sustainable and equitable development and proper management of the environment,<br />
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Emphasizing the contribution of the demilitarization of the lands and territories of indigenous peoples to peace, economic and social progress and development, understanding and friendly relations among nations and peoples of the world,<br />
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Recognizing in particular the right of indigenous families and communities to retain shared responsibility for the upbringing, training, education and well-being of their children, consistent with the rights of the child,<br />
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Considering that the rights affirmed in treaties, agreements and other constructive arrangements between States and indigenous peoples are, in some situations, matters of international concern, interest, responsibility and character,<br />
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Considering also that treaties, agreements and other constructive arrangements, and the relationship they represent, are the basis for a strengthened partnership between indigenous peoples and States,<br />
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Acknowledging that the Charter of the United Nations, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (2) and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,2 as well as the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action,(3) affirm the fundamental importance of the right to self-determination of all peoples, by virtue of which they freely determine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development,<br />
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Bearing in mind that nothing in this Declaration may be used to deny any peoples their right to self-determination, exercised in conformity with international law,<br />
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Convinced that the recognition of the rights of indigenous peoples in this Declaration will enhance harmonious and cooperative relations between the State and indigenous peoples, based on principles of justice, democracy, respect for human rights, non-discrimination and good faith,<br />
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Encouraging States to comply with and effectively implement all their obligations as they apply to indigenous peoples under international instruments, in particular those related to human rights, in consultation and cooperation with the peoples concerned,<br />
<br />
Emphasizing that the United Nations has an important and continuing role to play in promoting and protecting the rights of indigenous peoples,<br />
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Believing that this Declaration is a further important step forward for the recognition, promotion and protection of the rights and freedoms of indigenous peoples and in the development of relevant activities of the United Nations system in this field,<br />
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Recognizing and reaffirming that indigenous individuals are entitled without discrimination to all human rights recognized in international law, and that indigenous peoples possess collective rights which are indispensable for their existence, well-being and integral development as peoples,<br />
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Recognizing that the situation of indigenous peoples varies from region to region and from country to country and that the significance of national and regional particularities and various historical and cultural backgrounds should be taken into consideration,<br />
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Solemnly proclaims the following United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples as a standard of achievement to be pursued in a spirit of partnership and mutual respect:<br />
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Article 1<br />
Indigenous peoples have the right to the full enjoyment, as a collective or as individuals, of all human rights and fundamental freedoms as recognized in the Charter of the United Nations, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights(4) and international human rights law.<br />
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Article 2<br />
Indigenous peoples and individuals are free and equal to all other peoples and individuals and have the right to be free from any kind of discrimination, in the exercise of their rights, in particular that based on their indigenous origin or identity.<br />
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Article 3<br />
Indigenous peoples have the right to self-determination. By virtue of that right they freely determine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development.<br />
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Article 4<br />
Indigenous peoples, in exercising their right to self-determination, have the right to autonomy or self-government in matters relating to their internal and local affairs, as well as ways and means for financing their autonomous functions.<br />
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Article 5<br />
Indigenous peoples have the right to maintain and strengthen their distinct political, legal, economic, social and cultural institutions, while retaining their right to participate fully, if they so choose, in the political, economic, social and cultural life of the State.<br />
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Article 6<br />
Every indigenous individual has the right to a nationality.<br />
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Article 7<br />
1. Indigenous individuals have the rights to life, physical and mental integrity, liberty and security of person.<br />
2. Indigenous peoples have the collective right to live in freedom, peace and security as distinct peoples and shall not be subjected to any act of genocide or any other act of violence, including forcibly removing children of the group to another group.<br />
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Article 8<br />
1. Indigenous peoples and individuals have the right not to be subjected to forced assimilation or destruction of their culture.<br />
2. States shall provide effective mechanisms for prevention of, and redress for:<br />
(a) Any action which has the aim or effect of depriving them of their integrity as distinct peoples, or of their cultural values or ethnic identities;<br />
(b) Any action which has the aim or effect of dispossessing them of their lands, territories or resources;<br />
(c) Any form of forced population transfer which has the aim or effect of violating or undermining any of their rights;<br />
(d) Any form of forced assimilation or integration;<br />
(e) Any form of propaganda designed to promote or incite racial or ethnic discrimination directed against them.<br />
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Article 9<br />
Indigenous peoples and individuals have the right to belong to an indigenous community or nation, in accordance with the traditions and customs of the community or nation concerned. No discrimination of any kind may arise from the exercise of such a right.<br />
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Article 10<br />
Indigenous peoples shall not be forcibly removed from their lands or territories. No relocation shall take place without the free, prior and informed consent of the indigenous peoples concerned and after agreement on just and fair compensation and, where possible, with the option of return.<br />
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Article 11<br />
1. Indigenous peoples have the right to practise and revitalize their cultural traditions and customs. This includes the right to maintain, protect and develop the past, present and future manifestations of their cultures, such as archaeological and historical sites, artefacts, designs, ceremonies, technologies and visual and performing arts and literature.<br />
2. States shall provide redress through effective mechanisms, which may include restitution, developed in conjunction with indigenous peoples, with respect to their cultural, intellectual, religious and spiritual property taken without their free, prior and informed consent or in violation of their laws, traditions and customs.<br />
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Article 12<br />
1. Indigenous peoples have the right to manifest, practise, develop and teach their spiritual and religious traditions, customs and ceremonies; the right to maintain, protect, and have access in privacy to their religious and cultural sites; the right to the use and control of their ceremonial objects; and the right to the repatriation of their human remains.<br />
2. States shall seek to enable the access and/or repatriation of ceremonial objects and human remains in their possession through fair, transparent and effective mechanisms developed in conjunction with indigenous peoples concerned.<br />
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Article 13<br />
1. Indigenous peoples have the right to revitalize, use, develop and transmit to future generations their histories, languages, oral traditions, philosophies, writing systems and literatures, and to designate and retain their own names for communities, places and persons.<br />
2. States shall take effective measures to ensure that this right is protected and also to ensure that indigenous peoples can understand and be understood in political, legal and administrative proceedings, where necessary through the provision of interpretation or by other appropriate means.<br />
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Article 14<br />
1. Indigenous peoples have the right to establish and control their educational systems and institutions providing education in their own languages, in a manner appropriate to their cultural methods of teaching and learning.<br />
2. Indigenous individuals, particularly children, have the right to all levels and forms of education of the State without discrimination.<br />
3. States shall, in conjunction with indigenous peoples, take effective measures, in order for indigenous individuals, particularly children, including those living outside their communities, to have access, when possible, to an education in their own culture and provided in their own language.<br />
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Article 15<br />
1. Indigenous peoples have the right to the dignity and diversity of their cultures, traditions, histories and aspirations which shall be appropriately reflected in education and public information.<br />
2. States shall take effective measures, in consultation and cooperation with the indigenous peoples concerned, to combat prejudice and eliminate discrimination and to promote tolerance, understanding and good relations among indigenous peoples and all other segments of society.<br />
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Article 16<br />
1. Indigenous peoples have the right to establish their own media in their own languages and to have access to all forms of non-indigenous media without discrimination.<br />
2. States shall take effective measures to ensure that State-owned media duly reflect indigenous cultural diversity. States, without prejudice to ensuring full freedom of expression, should encourage privately owned media to adequately reflect indigenous cultural diversity.<br />
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Article 17<br />
1. Indigenous individuals and peoples have the right to enjoy fully all rights established under applicable international and domestic labour law.<br />
2. States shall in consultation and cooperation with indigenous peoples take specific measures to protect indigenous children from economic exploitation and from performing any work that is likely to be hazardous or to interfere with the child’s education, or to be harmful to the child’s health or physical, mental, spiritual, moral or social development, taking into account their special vulnerability and the importance of education for their empowerment.<br />
3. Indigenous individuals have the right not to be subjected to any discriminatory conditions of labour and, inter alia, employment or salary.<br />
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Article 18<br />
Indigenous peoples have the right to participate in decision-making in matters which would affect their rights, through representatives chosen by themselves in accordance with their own procedures, as well as to maintain and develop their own indigenous decision-making institutions.<br />
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Article 19<br />
States shall consult and cooperate in good faith with the indigenous peoples concerned through their own representative institutions in order to obtain their free, prior and informed consent before adopting and implementing legislative or administrative measures that may affect them.<br />
<br />
Article 20<br />
1. Indigenous peoples have the right to maintain and develop their political, economic and social systems or institutions, to be secure in the enjoyment of their own means of subsistence and development, and to engage freely in all their traditional and other economic activities.<br />
2. Indigenous peoples deprived of their means of subsistence and development are entitled to just and fair redress.<br />
<br />
Article 21<br />
1. Indigenous peoples have the right, without discrimination, to the improvement of their economic and social conditions, including, inter alia, in the areas of education, employment, vocational training and retraining, housing, sanitation, health and social security.<br />
2. States shall take effective measures and, where appropriate, special measures to ensure continuing improvement of their economic and social conditions. Particular attention shall be paid to the rights and special needs of indigenous elders, women, youth, children and persons with disabilities.<br />
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Article 22<br />
1. Particular attention shall be paid to the rights and special needs of indigenous elders, women, youth, children and persons with disabilities in the implementation of this Declaration.<br />
2. States shall take measures, in conjunction with indigenous peoples, to ensure that indigenous women and children enjoy the full protection and guarantees against all forms of violence and discrimination.<br />
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Article 23<br />
Indigenous peoples have the right to determine and develop priorities and strategies for exercising their right to development. In particular, indigenous peoples have the right to be actively involved in developing and determining health, housing and other economic and social programmes affecting them and, as far as possible, to administer such programmes through their own institutions.<br />
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Article 24<br />
1. Indigenous peoples have the right to their traditional medicines and to maintain their health practices, including the conservation of their vital medicinal plants, animals and minerals. Indigenous individuals also have the right to access, without any discrimination, to all social and health services.<br />
2. Indigenous individuals have an equal right to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health. States shall take the necessary steps with a view to achieving progressively the full realization of this right.<br />
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Article 25<br />
Indigenous peoples have the right to maintain and strengthen their distinctive spiritual relationship with their traditionally owned or otherwise occupied and used lands, territories, waters and coastal seas and other resources and to uphold their responsibilities to future generations in this regard.<br />
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Article 26<br />
1. Indigenous peoples have the right to the lands, territories and resources which they have traditionally owned, occupied or otherwise used or acquired.<br />
2. Indigenous peoples have the right to own, use, develop and control the lands, territories and resources that they possess by reason of traditional ownership or other traditional occupation or use, as well as those which they have otherwise acquired.<br />
3. States shall give legal recognition and protection to these lands, territories and resources. Such recognition shall be conducted with due respect to the customs, traditions and land tenure systems of the indigenous peoples concerned.<br />
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Article 27<br />
States shall establish and implement, in conjunction with indigenous peoples concerned, a fair, independent, impartial, open and transparent process, giving due recognition to indigenous peoples’ laws, traditions, customs and land tenure systems, to recognize and adjudicate the rights of indigenous peoples pertaining to their lands, territories and resources, including those which were traditionally owned or otherwise occupied or used. Indigenous peoples shall have the right to participate in this process.<br />
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Article 28<br />
1. Indigenous peoples have the right to redress, by means that can include restitution or, when this is not possible, just, fair and equitable compensation, for the lands, territories and resources which they have traditionally owned or otherwise occupied or used, and which have been confiscated, taken, occupied, used or damaged without their free, prior and informed consent.<br />
2. Unless otherwise freely agreed upon by the peoples concerned, compensation shall take the form of lands, territories and resources equal in quality, size and legal status or of monetary compensation or other appropriate redress.<br />
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Article 29<br />
1. Indigenous peoples have the right to the conservation and protection of the environment and the productive capacity of their lands or territories and resources. States shall establish and implement assistance programmes for indigenous peoples for such conservation and protection, without discrimination.<br />
2. States shall take effective measures to ensure that no storage or disposal of hazardous materials shall take place in the lands or territories of indigenous peoples without their free, prior and informed consent.<br />
3. States shall also take effective measures to ensure, as needed, that programmes for monitoring, maintaining and restoring the health of indigenous peoples, as developed and implemented by the peoples affected by such materials, are duly implemented.<br />
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Article 30<br />
1. Military activities shall not take place in the lands or territories of indigenous peoples, unless justified by a relevant public interest or otherwise freely agreed with or requested by the indigenous peoples concerned.<br />
2. States shall undertake effective consultations with the indigenous peoples concerned, through appropriate procedures and in particular through their representative institutions, prior to using their lands or territories for military activities.<br />
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Article 31<br />
1. Indigenous peoples have the right to maintain, control, protect and develop their cultural heritage, traditional knowledge and traditional cultural expressions, as well as the manifestations of their sciences, technologies and cultures, including human and genetic resources, seeds, medicines, knowledge of the properties of fauna and flora, oral traditions, literatures, designs, sports and traditional games and visual and performing arts. They also have the right to maintain, control, protect and develop their intellectual property over such cultural heritage, traditional knowledge, and traditional cultural expressions.<br />
2. In conjunction with indigenous peoples, States shall take effective measures to recognize and protect the exercise of these rights.<br />
<br />
Article 32<br />
1. Indigenous peoples have the right to determine and develop priorities and strategies for the development or use of their lands or territories and other resources.<br />
2. States shall consult and cooperate in good faith with the indigenous peoples concerned through their own representative institutions in order to obtain their free and informed consent prior to the approval of any project affecting their lands or territories and other resources, particularly in connection with the development, utilization or exploitation of mineral, water or other resources.<br />
3. States shall provide effective mechanisms for just and fair redress for any such activities, and appropriate measures shall be taken to mitigate adverse environmental, economic, social, cultural or spiritual impact.<br />
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Article 33<br />
1. Indigenous peoples have the right to determine their own identity or membership in accordance with their customs and traditions. This does not impair the right of indigenous individuals to obtain citizenship of the States in which they live.<br />
2. Indigenous peoples have the right to determine the structures and to select the membership of their institutions in accordance with their own procedures.<br />
<br />
Article 34<br />
Indigenous peoples have the right to promote, develop and maintain their institutional structures and their distinctive customs, spirituality, traditions, procedures, practices and, in the cases where they exist, juridical systems or customs, in accordance with international human rights standards.<br />
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Article 35<br />
Indigenous peoples have the right to determine the responsibilities of individuals to their communities.<br />
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Article 36<br />
1. Indigenous peoples, in particular those divided by international borders, have the right to maintain and develop contacts, relations and cooperation, including activities for spiritual, cultural, political, economic and social purposes, with their own members as well as other peoples across borders.<br />
2. States, in consultation and cooperation with indigenous peoples, shall take effective measures to facilitate the exercise and ensure the implementation of this right.<br />
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Article 37<br />
1. Indigenous peoples have the right to the recognition, observance and enforcement of treaties, agreements and other constructive arrangements concluded with States or their successors and to have States honour and respect such treaties, agreements and other constructive arrangements.<br />
2. Nothing in this Declaration may be interpreted as diminishing or eliminating the rights of indigenous peoples contained in treaties, agreements and other constructive arrangements.<br />
<br />
Article 38<br />
States in consultation and cooperation with indigenous peoples, shall take the appropriate measures, including legislative measures, to achieve the ends of this Declaration.<br />
<br />
Article 39<br />
Indigenous peoples have the right to have access to financial and technical assistance from States and through international cooperation, for the enjoyment of the rights contained in this Declaration.<br />
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Article 40<br />
Indigenous peoples have the right to access to and prompt decision through just and fair procedures for the resolution of conflicts and disputes with States or other parties, as well as to effective remedies for all infringements of their individual and collective rights. Such a decision shall give due consideration to the customs, traditions, rules and legal systems of the indigenous peoples concerned and international human rights.<br />
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Article 41<br />
The organs and specialized agencies of the United Nations system and other intergovernmental organizations shall contribute to the full realization of the provisions of this Declaration through the mobilization, inter alia, of financial cooperation and technical assistance. Ways and means of ensuring participation of indigenous peoples on issues affecting them shall be established.<br />
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Article 42<br />
The United Nations, its bodies, including the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, and specialized agencies, including at the country level, and States shall promote respect for and full application of the provisions of this Declaration and follow up the effectiveness of this Declaration.<br />
<br />
Article 43<br />
The rights recognized herein constitute the minimum standards for the survival, dignity and well-being of the indigenous peoples of the world.<br />
<br />
Article 44<br />
All the rights and freedoms recognized herein are equally guaranteed to male and female indigenous individuals.<br />
<br />
Article 45<br />
Nothing in this Declaration may be construed as diminishing or extinguishing the rights indigenous peoples have now or may acquire in the future.<br />
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Article 46<br />
1. Nothing in this Declaration may be interpreted as implying for any State, people, group or person any right to engage in any activity or to perform any act contrary to the Charter of the United Nations or construed as authorizing or encouraging any action which would dismember or impair, totally or in part, the territorial integrity or political unity of sovereign and independent States.<br />
2. In the exercise of the rights enunciated in the present Declaration, human rights and fundamental freedoms of all shall be respected. The exercise of the rights set forth in this Declaration shall be subject only to such limitations as are determined by law and in accordance with international human rights obligations. Any such limitations shall be non-discriminatory and strictly necessary solely for the purpose of securing due recognition and respect for the rights and freedoms of others and for meeting the just and most compelling requirements of a democratic society.<br />
3. The provisions set forth in this Declaration shall be interpreted in accordance with the principles of justice, democracy, respect for human rights, equality, non-discrimination, good governance and good faith.When is abusive behavior acceptable?tag:indigenouscaribbean.ning.com,2009-05-10:2030313:BlogPost:416992009-05-10T16:41:28.000ZAnita Paganhttps://indigenouscaribbean.ning.com/profile/Nanu
These questions have been running around my head for a couple of weeks now... I had to put them out there. Just thoughts to ponder....<br />
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Is the good that a person does reason enough to accept abuse and disrespect from them?<br />
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Does the fact that a person chooses to sacrifice and give so much of his/her time and effort to a people, compensate for that person becoming dictatorial or tyrannical?<br />
<br />
Do great strides allow a government the freedom to trample upon rights they claim to defend?<br />
<br />
Should we…
These questions have been running around my head for a couple of weeks now... I had to put them out there. Just thoughts to ponder....<br />
<br />
Is the good that a person does reason enough to accept abuse and disrespect from them?<br />
<br />
Does the fact that a person chooses to sacrifice and give so much of his/her time and effort to a people, compensate for that person becoming dictatorial or tyrannical?<br />
<br />
Do great strides allow a government the freedom to trample upon rights they claim to defend?<br />
<br />
Should we over look the violations committed by leadership because of the "good" that leadership does for the people as a whole?<br />
<br />
Should we care about the "few eggs" that get cracked when the group, as a whole, enjoys the omelet?<br />
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Do we care about these "eggs" only when they are us, or someone we care about? Where does our responsibility to each other begin and end?<br />
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Does presence and effectiveness as a world leader allow said leader to impinge on people's individual rights for their personal understanding of what is good for the "constituency"? Or should this leader ask the constituency, first?<br />
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Where does one draw the line between "necessary losses" and "tyranny"? How much "abuse" is acceptable? Criticism? Debasement? Ostracism? Censorship? Exile? When does one say "enough"?<br />
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Today most everything we enjoy has been the product of industrialization by western civilization. We travel in trains, planes and automobiles. We shop for our food, which comes attractively prepackaged our clothing ready made and our perfumed toiletries in tubes, boxes and bottles. We live in homes built by construction companies with indoor plumbing, dishwashers, stoves and microwave ovens. We wash and dry our clothes in machines. We are born in hospitals and some of us are alive because of organ transplants, mechanized heart pumps and insulin injections- thanks to the technology of this present society. We work for incorporated companies and get paid by direct deposit. We pay with plastic cards and money we never see. We use cell phones and GPS systems, a/c and plasma tvs... we post our opinions in forums and blogs on the internet from our laptops in wi-fi coffee shops and from our living room couch.<br />
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Do all these comforts, conveniences and benefits make the damage colonization has brought about ok? Does it make up for the damage done? Should it be necessary to accept the same from present leadership?<br />
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Should a person accept abuse just because the perpetrator fulfills any physical or emotional needs?<br />
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Is it ok to expect other folks to put up with abuse so that I can benefit from the good work that the abuser has done for my social group?<br />
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Should I accept shame, debasement and exile so that the abuser doesn't feel threatened nor be held accountable for his/her questionable actions? Should I expect this from others?<br />
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One can come to an answer instinctively when considering only local social clubs and interactions, but when a whole society can be held at ransom, these questions seem to carry more weight...<br />
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Does it?Cultural Dissonance?tag:indigenouscaribbean.ning.com,2008-12-09:2030313:BlogPost:203222008-12-09T12:30:00.000ZAnita Paganhttps://indigenouscaribbean.ning.com/profile/Nanu
<b>Note: The following post is a long one. I hope you feel like reading! ~N</b><br />
<br />
I am a modern Caribbean Indian woman; a mixture of Taino, European and African descent. However, it is my Taino Indian heritage that I choose to follow, learn and endorse. The existence of my Taino ancestry has been covered up, denied for many years because of greed and genocide. This cover up is pernicious and has infected not only the familial roots of my Nation but has disowned our indigenous heritage on a grand…
<b>Note: The following post is a long one. I hope you feel like reading! ~N</b><br />
<br />
I am a modern Caribbean Indian woman; a mixture of Taino, European and African descent. However, it is my Taino Indian heritage that I choose to follow, learn and endorse. The existence of my Taino ancestry has been covered up, denied for many years because of greed and genocide. This cover up is pernicious and has infected not only the familial roots of my Nation but has disowned our indigenous heritage on a grand scale. Society wide- to the point where in school I was taught that the Taino people became extinct due to poor constitution and laziness; and world wide- because although many know that Columbus reached the Caribbean Islands in 1492, few recognize the Taino people as the Indians he met there.<br />
<br />
Recent <a href="http://www.taino-tribe.org/pr-taino-dna.htm">studies</a> have shown that a good percentage of the population tested (in PR) not only carry Taino genetic markers, but that in fact, carry most of the DNA material inherited via Taino female bloodlines. I find this very appropriate since the Taino have traditionally been a matrifocal society. Additionally, there has been more extensive study of Spanish documents, census taking and log keeping. This history is now being looked at as written by very human people who were not above a little underhandedness… So, scientists and historians are now finding that the Taino did not become extinct as has been propagated, but survived; having chosen invisibility over death, and blended blood, religion and culture to what is present in the Caribbean islands today.<br />
<br />
These scientific and historical findings have engendered a grand movement. For some time now, there has been a resurgence of people reclaiming Native Caribbean Indian ancestry and identity. Hand in hand with this resurgence comes a strong desire to unite as a tribe and create community. Folks are meeting in cafes and parks, fairs and powwows, museums and kitchen tables to discuss the reclaiming of our Taino heritage. Websites have been put up, groups and organizations have been created to promote union and sharing, teaching and learning. Some have assembled family groups, clans and tribes, others have organized and incorporated; all with different purposes but the same idea- to join with others of like mind.<br />
<br />
However, like in many dysfunctional families, what starts out with the best of intentions can end up becoming a mass of maladjusted, destructive, spiteful, critical, divisive behaviors that leave only pain, disharmony and bitterness in it’s wake. It’s discouraging that this should happen, and yet I understand that any big changes in life will bring it’s share of pain; especially growth.<br />
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Of late, I’ve been considering both sides of certain particular issues, swinging back and forth, from one point of view to another. This wavering reminds me of <i><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26A0fd-MXVc">Fiddler on the Roof</a></i> and Tevye, discussing rationalizations with God. “On one hand…”; I tell myself , “but then on the other…”<br />
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Curiously, I have noticed a conspicuous incongruity that I can only imagine must cause all involved incredibly painful cognitive dissonance reactions. Just thinking about it kills me! I’m amazed at the way the human mind can hold two contrasting ideas, both as absolute truth, and not notice the conflict. Or how well we lie and ignore ourselves, so as not to challenge our internal status quo; preferring to rock someone else’s boat rather than our own.<br />
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The issues I am examining center around Taino reenactors, performers, theatrical groups; what they do, the kind of pressures they fold to and the possible damage they do to the Taino movement. There are also disagreements regarding the reorganization of the Nation; tribes, organizations and incorporations, as well as what seems to be a reaction to traditional dress, tribal status and the inevitable personality conflicts. Following are the arguments, as I have gathered from different conversations, against these issues, folks and their behavior. Some of the comments may be verbatim, but most are the objections as I understand them.<br />
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<b>On one hand…</b><br />
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Theatrical groups are portraying the Taino as they were 500 years ago, effectively freezing us in time and space. The Taino of today is not being recognized nor are these performances providing for the growth and change of the people. They are not representing the people as we are presently. We are much more complicated than our ancestors 500 years ago, we live in a bigger world and are exposed to different cultures and ideas.<br />
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These groups also encourage stereotyping by wearing horse hair wigs, dyed pitch black and kept straight, effectively pigeonholing ideas of what an “authentic” Taino Indian looks like instead of celebrating the variety provided us throughout the Taino diaspora. “It agrees with the extinction myth by forcing others to succumb to the staged lifestyle of a ‘Real Indian’, it also implies a lifestyle that we do not follow as indigenous people in the here and now”.<br />
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To emphasize this stereotyping, a story was shared where a Dine child was to give a report on culture and when it was suggested he speak with the Grandmother the child responded “Grandma is not Indian, she doesn’t wear feathers!” or something to that effect. This shows that even Indian children are confused by these stereotypes and don’t know what it is to be indigenous!<br />
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The costumes these people call “regalia” barely covers their bodies so they walk around half-naked. The bits of cloth they wear are so scant that the group ends up entertaining, not teaching. The spectators comments inevitably focus on the lack of clothing, and these comments can get nasty. The bit of cloth that is supposed to be regalia, which is always white or beige, cotton or muslin, is decorated with Taino petroglyphs, which they wear without even knowing what these stand for.<br />
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And those who make outfits that are decent, promote stereotypical behavior; ie. everything an Indian does is done from the spirit, and thus is sacred; if you are making anything, especially regalia, it’s sacred and should be honored as such; all that we make should follow the norm of the day 500 years ago: materials available, appropriate colors, feathers and seashells, etc.<br />
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These groups cheapen us by dressing up for tourists and putting on a dog and pony show for non-natives. By these actions they are wasting time trying to prove they are native, when they should be focusing instead on developing our language, spirituality, music, history, art and philosophy.<br />
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The movement is full of self proclaimed leaders that grab titles like “Cacike” or “Bujiti” with absolutely “no right” to do so. As well as exploiting the Taino image to make money in post cards, t shirts and commercial sales.<br />
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We, as a people, should be more socially focused and not have to wait around for self appointed Cacikes to do something about environmental, cultural, political and other Caribbean activism issues.<br />
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And the saddest comment, to me, has been the accusation of misappropriation of North American native practices, like those of the “poor Lakota who always get misappropriated”.<br />
<b><br />
On the other hand…<br />
Stereotypes</b><br />
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There are many points these folk bring up that need serious consideration and the most important, in my opinion, is the impropriety of stereotypes. We are a multicultural amalgamation and thus among us you will find all colors of hair and eyes. Our pigmentation runs the gamut between black as coal and white as the driven snow. I myself, glow in the dark, while my sibling’s skin (same parents) is much darker. Although there are some who fit the stereotypical Taino Indian “look”, some of us don’t and the propagation of the idea that we are supposed to look a particular way, always speak gently, and think and behave reverently, does incalculable damage. It’s an incredibly unrealistic image and it sets ourselves and our children up for eventual failure.<br />
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I cannot defend the use of wigs. We are red headed, brunette and blonde; straight, wavy and nappy; and every combination in between. I cannot defend the use of bronzer to darken the skin. Again we come in all colors! I cannot defend the practice of placing the stereotypical looking folk in the front for all to see while hiding the “red-headed stepchild” in the back. It echoes the old Puertorican attitude of strutting the socially preferred skin color while hiding grandma in the kitchen. “Y tu abuela, ¿dónde está?”<br />
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And above all, I cannot defend stereotyping behavior.<br />
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My feelings on the stereotyping of behavior is that it can lead to deep, spiritual and emotional damage. It attacks the person’s very essence to have to fit into a standardized mold of who, what, how and why one is supposed to be. How destructive is it to our self-respect to attempt to stuff ourselves into the limited confines of a made up identity, and start spewing platitudes because this is the way we’ve been typecast? It skews our ability to live an authentic life and, to me, there can be no worse damage than that! Again, I ask, isn’t this one of the things that the Taino Resurgence is supposed to be opposing? We are Indian already without having to fit into a preconceived notion of what characteristics that identity should possess.<br />
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Just as realistic as us being all colors, we have to accept that we also have all kinds of people… from those who have grown up surrounded by books to those who may not be able to read very well. We have kind and loving people who speak gently and we have others who find nothing good to say about anything. We have people who work hard and those who hardly work, there are folks who have dedicated their lives to Spirit and others who don’t bother with a prayer except when they find themselves in a bind. This sounds like your average human being, donnit? You know why? Because the Taino today is no different from any other human being walking this planet and is subject to the same faults and virtues. To expect something different, to pretend something different, is unauthentic.<br />
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And as for the Dine child, I wonder who was teaching this child about themselves and where they came from? It sounds like much of his learning was coming from the media. If that is the case, he’s got a lot of misconceptions to unlearn, not only about Indian cultures, but about life in general! If the child was from a traditional family, he would have seen them do ceremony, been taught the significance of feathers and how they are used. If the child came from a non-traditional family, I can see how he would interpret the grandmother’s lack of feathers, but I still have to ask; did no one bother to teach this child anything about his heritage and the varieties that can be found therein? No, Indians don’t wear feathers all the time and there are some who don’t wear them at all, but they are still Indian. In this case I would fault not the media for selling a stereotype, that is its function. I question those responsible for teaching that child. They are the one’s not doing their job. This is a sad example of neglect and not faulty theatrical presentations. The world will not give our children truth. Our children will run into lies time and again, isn’t that part of what this Resurgence is all about? The truth of our heritage, blood, customs, and spiritual and cultural variety will only come from the child’s family, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRnhvu6T3bU">not the media</a>.<br />
<b><br />
Performances and Identity</b><br />
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Regarding the opinions on presentations, I found them somewhat hollow, especially since those complaining about the “dog and pony” show were willing to put one on themselves for the right company; namely academia and public events organized by non-Indians. I see no difference between dressing in regalia to put on a show for non-natives and tourists and dressing up for “parades, colleges and each other”; it all amounts to the same thing! A show is a show is a show; one reason to give a show is not better than another. Unless you are dressing up to walk around in your basement all alone, you are still doing it to be seen. Besides, part of the Resurgence is a re-education of all of society to our presence. Some of the lost ones out in the diaspora are coming home as tourists, mixed with other cultures and believing they are non-natives. These events reach a lot of people and a “dog and pony” show may be just the event that wakes in them the desire to seek out their heritage!<br />
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The movies <i>Dances with Wolves, Dreamkeeper, Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, The Trail of Tears</i> and <i>Apocalypto</i> are films that most of us have seen. We realize they are an interpretation of history- a story. Some of the actors in these films, also acted in movies that portray modern native life: <i>Smoke Signals, Dance Me Outside, Powwow Highway</i> and <i>Edge of America</i> among others. Although these movies show modern native people and present issues, they do not portray all native people today. This goes back to the matter of stereotyping. Although we do not want to support stereotypes the truth is, they are out there already and, like any other stereotype, they do have some base in reality. Are the powwows held presently promoting stereotypes? the sweat lodges? the Native American <a href="http://www.nativeamericannations.com/">trading posts</a>? <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_znb0MlHTY">Native</a> American <a href="http://www.jamesluna.com/">Artists</a>?<br />
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I find it utterly absurd that our spirits can move us to support Inter-tribal dog and pony shows, while we take our own nation’s dog and pony to the sausage factory.<br />
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Another point we may consider is the attention these “dog and pony” shows have brought to the conqueror’s version of history. The people out there who are open minded and inclined to thinking, both native and non-native, then question the information they have grown up on. Granted, you will have your fair share of ignorant gawkers, those are everywhere, even academia. Something is bound to stick!<br />
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Putting that aside, these folks are out there doing something that reaches out to others. I think it takes a set a brass ones to get up in front of a group of people who have been brainwashed into believing our nonexistence. To stand before people who jeer at you and make you feel less than takes a strong sense of self. Those performers are being of service to the movement in their own way. We are not all scholars, philosophers and craftsmen. If we can teach the Taino is still alive while entertaining, why not? This is a <a href="http://newali.apple.com/ali_sites/deli/exhibits/1000328/Simulations_and_Games.html">teaching technique</a> used by professional educators. Personally, I admire those who get out there and do something, take action; those that have the gumption to risk embarrassment and offer SOMETHING as opposed to sitting back and verbally tearing others apart from their living room couches. Criticism is too easy a sport.<br />
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It was suggested that we portray the Taino as we are “in the here and now” This idea is positive and will definitely educate all to our inherent variety. However, I see a huge limitation with this idea, namely the fact that the Taino in the here and now don’t know themselves to be Taino! Consider the amount of people who go to Caribbean fairs, festivals and parades. With this in mind, consider how many of them have been through the public school system and “KNOW” that the Taino are extinct? The mayohuacan has been replaced by congas, bongos and pleneros, the Taino dances have been replaced with salsa and merengue, the nudity and naguas have been replaced with jeans and guayaberas, the shamanic religion has been replaced with Judeo/Christian/Islamic/Yoruban syncretism and the Taino have been replaced with Hispanic Africans and Spaniards! This is what the Taino are in the here and now: Puertorican, Newyorican, Cuban, Dominican, Caribbean… and anything other than Taino!<br />
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The <a href="http://censtats.census.gov/data/US/01000.pdf">2000 US Census</a> shows that there are almost 300,000,000 Hispanic/Latino in the country of which little over 3,000,000 are Puertorican and 1,000,000 are Cuban. How many of these people identify as indigenous? With <a href="http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/QTTable?_bm=y&-geo_id=D&-qr_name=DEC_2000_SF1_U_DP1&-ds_name=D&-_lang=en">1.6%</a> of the Hispanic population identifying themselves clearly as being from Caribbean origin, how many of them compose the .9% of the US American Indian population? Keep in mind that the US census is based on self-identification, not legal status. I may be a little lost here, but I have yet to see 3 million self identifying Indians in one place. Just as an interesting aside, not even the native population in all of <a href="http://www.censusscope.org/us/s2/chart_race.html">Alaska</a> adds up to 3 million people. However, if you add the Puerto Rican, Cuban and all the Caribbean people who identified as “Other” you will find that the Caribbean Native American is the largest indigenous group out there. Wanna go further? If you add the 21,000,000 Mexican mestizos, the Spanish conquered Native American population is the largest Nation in the US. This leads me to believe that, more than anything, we need to reach out and educate our people. Only then will we have enough folks to work on our language, arts, philosophy and so on.<br />
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As for keeping the Taino frozen in time, the fact is that we <i>have</i> been frozen in time. We have not had the opportunity to evolve as a people, in any of the social areas. I agree that we need to work on our culture, however, to expect to skip 500 years of evolution and grow a society out of a vacuum is utterly ridiculous; we have to start somewhere! It only makes sense to pick up where we left off, use what we know is ours and go forward from there. We have lost a lot of what is our own, but we can fill in the blanks with what is similar, blend what we know based on history and indigenous kinship or just create something new using the additional cultures that we have blended into the Taino! It’s ours to do so! But we have to start somewhere and, more often than not, the best place to start is at the beginning.<br />
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<i>“My heritage and culture cultivates the reflections of who I am. By cultivating my heritage, I must start from the beginning…the finished work takes a spirituality brought together by culture and understanding of who I am.”</i><br />
~June Cree Medicine LaDue<br />
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<b>Regalia</b><br />
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The critique on the people’s choice of dress reflects the morality of the conqueror’s Judeo/Christian/Islamic beliefs which focuses on the shame and punishment of the body and it’s carnal needs.<br />
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<i>“Before the coming of the Christians the men wore no covering for their organs of shame…”</i> ~Fernandez de Oviedo, Cronica del Las Indias ~<br />
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This has influenced almost all indigenous societies of the Americas and because of this, the countries and communities we live in find nudity offensive. However, the Taino people had no qualms regarding the naked body and, according to Columbus’ logs, were naked upon their arrival. Looking at our <a href="http://indian-cultures.com/Cultures/yanomamo.html">cousins</a> in South <a href="http://terresacree.org/kayapo2english.htm">America</a> you will find them living life as they did for thousands of years… granted, some have modern effects, but by and large, they are still not worried about nudity.<br />
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This having been said, the regalia is something that, to date has no consensus. At this point in time we are still recreating our society and pretty much anything thrown together by a person who calls themselves Caribbean Indian can be considered an appropriate representation of the regalia of that Nation. We don’t have rules and regulations with regards to this and anyone that pretends to be an authority in the matter is pulling the muslin over your eyes. If you want to be historically accurate you will have to walk around in loincloths or in the nude!<br />
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<i>“The married women, or the women who had had sexual relations with men, wear a kind of nagua (skirt) wound around their bodies from the waist to the middle of the thigh: the virgins wore nothing at all…”</i> ~Fernandez de Oviedo, Cronica de Las Indias<br />
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Presently, we are making an attempt to create this regalia. This is a good thing, and still folks take the opportunity to make it a reason for contention. There are opinions as to the materials, colors and designs to be used on the cloth and, as mentioned earlier, the style and cut it should have. There are opinions as to the materials that should be used as adornment, how much is too much skin to show, whether or not that skin should be decorated and even what colors it should be decorated in!<br />
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Yes, we may want to use the shells and feathers available from our islands but what of those from the diaspora? What of those who were not born on the islands or haven’t lived there for a long time? What of the experiences they have had, that have shaped who they are? What of the mixes in their blood? Yes we should honor our ancestors, but we need to honor our own being, too. Any fashion or outfit is worn for either a purpose or an expression, and even those worn for a purpose is still tweaked to reflect the wearer!<br />
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Feathers and seashells, seeds and bones, beads, muslin, leather, rayon or polyester… Is the regalia cotton? Muslin? It must be. Are the feathers from indigenous birds? They must be. Are the shells from our beaches, or at least the same kind of shells? They must be. Are the seeds and the beads from indigenous plants? They must be. Are the designs recognizably Taino? They must be, they must be, they must be!<br />
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Must is such a strong word!<br />
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In my own view, I don’t believe the Taino from 500 years ago, living today, would limit themselves to muslin, two or three colors of paint and seeds or wooden beads. The Taino exchanged with our cousins across the Caribbean and learned from other people. And later on we mixed more than just blood with the Europeans and the Africans . This too, needs to be acknowledged. Exchange comes from connections with other cultures and this flexibility is inherent in our blood, it was the very basis of our survival. We changed and adapted and we survived. We can connect with our past by bringing it to the present and with this celebrate our presence! We would, by no means be the only Nation to do this.<br />
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A quick example can be found at any pow wow, look at the dancers. Study their regalia and you will find that the materials they use now are not what was available to their ancestors 500 years ago. Examine it closely and you’ll find luxury, incredible creativity and an eye focused on beauty, not necessarily the past. The most opulent outfits are those heavily laden with bead work. You’ll find designs inspired by either tradition, personality or religion, made in size 16 Czech glass beads, cut to sparkle and exquisitely worked. Authentic bead work, although worth every inch, is an expensive ornamentation and those who find a good beader and work out a deal, will usually incorporate the same beaded design from head to heel. Men and women’s regalia machine sewn by expert semstresses made from yards of rayon, gabardine and polyester blend cloths in all colors, including metallic; decorated with miles of yarn and ribbons, sequins and glass, hand painted feathers, metal bells, playing card suit and christian designs- none of this was available 500 years ago. Why insist on limiting ourselves today?<br />
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As for the cut and design and how much skin to show, I again come back to folks not being comfortable with nudity. Personally, I am a woman of substance- in more ways than one- and I don’t feel quite comfortable having my substance jiggle all over the place. In my younger (and more petite) days I would probably consider walking around in a bra and loincloth and I don’t begrudge the young women who do so today. I do, however, agree with moderation and drawing the line at a certain point. A particular example that comes to mind is the loincloth. A loincloth is a piece of cloth that goes between the legs and up over a tong tied around the waist which then creates flaps that hang over the front and back of the pelvic area, the loins. I have had the experience of seeing a Taino man walking around with nothing but the flaps hanging from a tong- and naked underneath. I was able to see him in all his Taino glory thanks to a warm, breezy day. This, in my mind, pushes the boundaries of common sense. We may be comfortable with nudity, but we must still consider that the society we live in does not. Also, we may keep in mind that many Nations follow the religious beliefs of the conquerors, and in any native gathering, we may want to offer the same respect for their sensitivities as we would expect for our own.<br />
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<b>Titles</b><br />
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Another concern that has been raised is people taking a title: “Cacike” (cheif), “Behike” (shaman), “Bujiti” (medicine man), Elder, etc. We all know that any group that has goals, visions for the future and a mission will need leadership. Cacike doesn’t mean smarter, or better than anyone else- that’s an ego reaction- it only means leader. And if these Cacike or spiritual leaders have a following who recognizes them as such, then they are! Even if you are not part of the group who recognizes them so. Questioning a person as to how they got this title or judging them without being from their social group is only a projection of one’s own insecurities. Who gives anyone the “right” to a title? The people following, that’s who. There was also an argument that the Cacike position was historically inherited and although this is true, there are a lot of traditions that cannot be maintained and this just happens to be one of them. A leader picks up the baton and runs with it- title or no title. If people follow, that’s their leader, regardless of the label they choose to use.<br />
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The same goes for taking on historical native names like Agueybana, Anacaona, Caguax, Guarionex, Hatuey and any other illustrious Taino names; it seems to bring about a fierce ego reaction. It was commented that these were family names and if you cannot prove family ties, how dare you take on the name. I find this concept ludicrous. None of our Caribbean or Hispanic communities have limited ourselves to familial ties to name our children. Jose, Maria, Juan, Pedro, Felipe, Mateo, Tomas, Santiago, Simon, Matias or, the big one- Jesus! We would be hard pressed to prove familial ties to the Divine Christian family or any of the 12 apostles…<br />
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This is a matter of ego reactions and becoming aware of our own.<br />
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Reality check: we live in a modern world, communicate via internet, drive everywhere, listen to CDs, relax in ac, wear clothes made of plastics, eat BK and sip Cokes. We have a 500 year historical gap of physical and mental genocide, personal and spiritual oppression; we have brothers and sisters spread throughout the world that need to be given the information of their ancestry and the opportunity to embrace it. With all there is to do in the Resurgence, why are we wasting time bickering over trivial matters? Instead of engendering hostility against each other we could redirect all that energy and passion into nurturing each other to actualization.<br />
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<b>Social Focus</b><br />
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No social reform will come without the work, attention and dedication of activists, people who are ready and willing to make the “fight” a large part of their lives. These folks bring about dynamic changes to society and culture, they bring awareness to issues, educate the community to new perspectives and put that understanding into practice. Besides re-educating the world, we want to bring recognition to our people, we want to revive and refine our culture, educate our own into what we have that is ours, we want to save, preserve and nurture the environment, we want to grow as a people. Let’s face it, we have a lot of catching up to do!<br />
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Society is made up of different people, personalities and needs. Some of us tend to be scholars while others tend to be more artistically creative, some are linguists and others have more of an attraction to the spiritual; some just enjoy cooking, creating family and sharing. Some dance, some sing and some play musical instruments. We do not all have the same wants, needs or desires. We do not need to be homogenized to be a viable community.<br />
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When it comes to activism, we will not all want to participate wholeheartedly nor will we have the same passion for the same causes, and this is the truth in any society. Although the support of the community is imperative to reform, ultimately, it is the activists who are the juggernaut of change.<br />
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The suffragists brought benefits to all women, but not all women were suffragists. The Civil Rights movement has benefited all Americans and yet not all Americans at the time were involved and although the US constitution was based on freedom of religion, Native Americans were not afforded that right until 1978- just the other day. All these changes could have never occurred if it weren’t for those deeply dedicated to bring them about.<br />
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Not everyone has that fire in them and not everyone should be compelled to. A wise man mentioned that we cannot assume perfection from those in leadership positions. We cannot impose our concepts and values upon them and expect them to be met. We are setting ourselves up for disappointment when we do this. Instead, we can be there, voice our opinion and if others don’t move, then we have a choice. In other words, if your Cacike is not taking action on an issue you are concerned about, then maybe you should bring it up in council, ask it be made a priority, volunteer to get the ball rolling. And if your spirit burns hot for this cause and the tribe is not moving, then you can take it upon yourself to do something about it. Someone else’s inability does not mean we must stand still. But if you do take on the responsibility, do so out of the desire of your heart and don’t debase it by putting others down and making yourself out to be a martyr; by doing so you corrupt the good work you’ve done, dishonored the group you belong to and show yourself as a person who needs to criticize and complain.<br />
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<b>Spiritual Misappropriation</b><br />
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This is the topic that most disturbs me. I am one of those with a spiritual bent and have spent most, if not all, of my adult life learning about spirituality and finding ways to put it into practice.<br />
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In my search I have studied and learned from spiritual leaders from different Nations. I have found that there are more similarities among native religious beliefs than differences. The colors of the directions vary, but you still honor the four corners and you still honor the circle. Some nations smoke from a Pipe and others roll it, but tobacco is still sacred. Prayer, devotions and ceremony, sweat lodge, fasting and journeys, sacrifice, honoring our ancestors, Mother Earth, Father Sky, the inner work of the individual and the spiritual relationship building responsibilities… these are the common spiritual threads of our Nations. The Lakota say it beautifully when they say “Mitakuye Oyasin”, All Our Relations- we all children of the Great Spirit.<br />
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I have expressed my feelings on this topic before, but I will recap here: I don’t believe anyone has a cornerstone on the Creator. I don’t believe that you have to be of a certain race or ethnicity to worship or follow a spiritual practice. I don’t believe that Native practices are exclusive to Nations. And I don’t believe anyone can steal your spiritual devotion. Yes, there are charlatans out there, but no one can ruin our spirituality. Have faith that the Sacred will take care of itself.<br />
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Self Awareness</b><br />
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The intriguing part of this whole discussion is that those most negatively vocal seem to be, either doing nothing, or benefiting of the very things they condemn in others, and therein lies the cultural dissonance I speak of.<br />
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These folks are active in the community and creative in most of the very same cultural aspects we are seeking to grow in. But even they have realized, at some level, that we need to step back in time, or even “borrow” from sister cultures, to connect yesterday with today and fill the gaps in our knowledge. There are some working to revive our language, which has only survived in fragments, but is being brought to life by the use of similar language syntax from family languages. Other folk are crafty and draw, paint, sculpt and make jewelry, and yet many of the designs they use are ancient or the images they portray depict our people as they were in the past in color, dress and features. The very stereotypes they argue against! And other folk balk at some people’s use of an ancient title, like Cacike, but bow respectfully to the words of a Taino Elder recognized as a Lakota Pipe Carrier, both titles given by another Nation.<br />
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These conflicts all reflect a devaluing of the recognition and choices made by the Taino people.<br />
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We need to realize that the very Taino Resurgence Movement is a reaching out to the past and any connection made is a bridge to today. The trampling of these immature links to the past only slows down the progress of the movement and this is counterproductive.<br />
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We all have the same goals, mainly to grow a healthy, happy, viable Taino Nation that is fulfilling it’s potential as a people. We want to see our growth in language and the arts, philosophy and spirituality. We want our children to know where they came from and encourage them to take pride in themselves, grab the cultural ball and run with it. We want recognition from the world, native and non-native alike; we have been invisible too long. But most of all, we want to create a united Taino Nation.<br />
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However, our behavior reflects anything other than unity. Instead of nurturing growth we berate each other. Instead of encouraging others and pointing out what is working we are hemming and hawing on how whatever is being done is wrong and devaluing the efforts those people put into it. There is no thriving under oppression, our history teaches that.<br />
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When this was mentioned, the attitude taken was one of defensiveness stating that differences need to be aired out and discussed. I agree that open minded exchange is healthy and creates the opportunity to build community; however, this backfires when the dialogue is taken as a chance to judge, criticize and argue. We must enter into this dialogue suspending our own disbelief, open, willing to listen and see the possibilities of the other’s point of view. Instead, we enter into dialogue with an agenda, namely to convince “them” to change their ways. The respect, open mindedness and goodwill all take second place to the mission of “being right”.<br />
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Resistance will engender resistance, attack will generate counter attack, disrespect will only bring about more of the same. Entering into an open table discussion with an open heart and an open mind requires letting go of our agenda, detaching from the outcome and allowing the space for things to unfold. Amazing things happen when you allow.<br />
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I recently read a post from one of those most critical of some of the issues mentioned above. Her post was about Guatiao, what it was and what it meant to our Taino society. Here are some quotes from that post that I found particularly inviting:<br />
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<i>"The relationship of Guatiao is the core bond within NiTaino societies."<br />
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"Guatiao is a social system based on love, valor, respect, and dignity; and not on greed or guacaciq, or power-lust."<br />
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"Guatiao and similar systems are the normal, naturally occurring , and healthy social structure for our species. Anything else is a pathology."<br />
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I would encourage we keep this in mind when disagreeing with each other: love, valor, respect, and dignity.<br />
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<b>Conclusion</b><br />
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What we do in spirit will always be enabled by Spirit. When we are going the right way, we will find how things seem to fall into place of it’s own accord. We just need to trust and allow ourselves to be guided. In the meanwhile, we can consider how our behavior affects others, how our thoughts affect ourselves and how we project our fears and insecurities onto others. Gandhi said that we needed to be the change we wanted to see in the world and by working on ourselves first, we take part in furthering our Nation’s development as social, philosophical, and spiritual beings.<br />
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The Taino have not been allowed self definition in centuries and as we seek one now, we will flounder. But as we flounder we need to make sure not to impose our own definition on another. The definitions of who and what a Taino is will be reflected in our children and their children, not us. We are the ones to do the work on ourselves and the world, so they can grow without doubting themselves and focus on polishing our culture. The sense of entitlement, demands for explanations, put downs and coercions are destructive to the whole, no matter which side of the fence they are coming from, and this is not the pattern of behavior we want to instill.<br />
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Nature teaches us many things… As a gardener, one cannot criticize the plant for growing crooked, one cannot insult it into growing a certain way or demean it into becoming the plant we want it to be; the plant we know it could be if it only listened and followed instructions! As a gardener of people, the same applies. The best one can do is nurture and guide, at times even prune; but the plant, like a person, will still grow branches and knots where we may not appreciate them, and it will finally bear the fruit that it CAN produce, not necessarily the fruit we WANT it to produce. We can nurture an apple tree but can’t expect it to bear oranges.<br />
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In the meanwhile, we can keep the casualties of friendly fire to a minimum. We can look forward together and work on those things that matter to us deeply, allowing those working on another project to do their own thing, especially if it is not a project you are willing to take over as well.<br />
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We have an incredible amount of work to do, let’s get to it.<br />
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(c) 2008 Anita "Nanu" PaganThe "Discovery" of America?tag:indigenouscaribbean.ning.com,2008-10-12:2030313:BlogPost:149292008-10-12T03:44:42.000ZAnita Paganhttps://indigenouscaribbean.ning.com/profile/Nanu
This month people in various countries will be celebrating what is commonly called “Columbus Day” or “Dia de la Raza”; a day marked to celebrate the arrival of Columbus and his cronies crew onto the shores of “virgin” lands.<br />
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Many view this as an incredible event, worthy of celebration and joy. At a time when the planet was believed to be flat and only dangers and monsters awaited at the edge of the world, that a man had the audacity to take off into the vast unknown is nothing short of…
This month people in various countries will be celebrating what is commonly called “Columbus Day” or “Dia de la Raza”; a day marked to celebrate the arrival of Columbus and his cronies crew onto the shores of “virgin” lands.<br />
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Many view this as an incredible event, worthy of celebration and joy. At a time when the planet was believed to be flat and only dangers and monsters awaited at the edge of the world, that a man had the audacity to take off into the vast unknown is nothing short of extraordinary! The Italians get to glorify one of their own, others celebrate escape from religious persecution, escape from famine, a place to begin life anew; some consider it was their god-given duty to bring Christianity and “civilization” to this “New World” and yet others, well, they just like the day off from work. But rarely does anyone stop to consider the flip side of the coin and are even surprised to hear that there are people out there who actually oppose celebration of this day as a holiday.<br />
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Well, to form an objective opinion one must have as much factual information as possible. I ask you to look at the other side of the coin, at least through this native’s eyes…<br />
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Before writing this essay, I sought the “pro” opinion; I needed an intelligent, objective and well constructed view in defense of the celebration of Columbus Day so that I may challenge it. I felt excited when I found Dr. Michael Berliner’s editorial on this controversy. I was feeling brave, figuring it would be a difficult ordeal to take on a PhD- in philosophy no less! But the more I read this article the more I realized that this whole essay was nothing but a collection of logical fallacies, arguments that are flawed in logic and deliberately(?) inaccurate, leading to a subjective conclusion that wasn’t supported by the information provided. Disappointing, really! Among the fallacies most often used are: red herrings, which distract one point for another, judgmental language, which insults the opposition personally as if that were the point of argument, composition, which makes something true that isn’t and non sequitur, a baseless conclusion. What I found surprising was that the author’s philosophy is not only Objectivism, which is supposed to be based purely on fact, but that Mr. Berliner is also the Co-Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Ayn Rand Institute. (Ayn Rand was the philosopher who created Objectivism.)<br />
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I guess a PhD doesn’t get you much these days.<br />
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The whole point of his piece is to argue in favor of the celebration of Columbus Day as the “discoverer of the New World”. The interesting detail here is that Berliner’s descriptions of natives, native life and history , on which he bases his “objective” opinion, are either erroneous or can very well be used to describe the Europeans themselves, if only because these points were facts of life in the 15th century. This essay will be dedicated to pointing out the fallacies used by Dr. Berliner as well as make corrections to the history he is basing his opinion on.<br />
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<b>Magnesium vs. Gymnasium</b><br />
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One of the first claims Berliner states is that the attack on Columbus is an attack on Western Civilization. This is what is called a red herring fallacy. An argument thrown in to intentionally mislead or distract the other party from the original topic or subject, a digression. It distracts the listener or the reader into an unrelated topic and loses them in “yadda, yadda”. Then they come back to the original subject and viola! Because a lot has been written or said, you have a “convincing” argument.<br />
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But, not if you are paying attention…<br />
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The attack on celebrating Columbus has nothing to do with Western Civilization; apples and oranges. That native peoples have a bone to pick with western civilization as well is not a big secret, but it is a separate topic. I will touch on both topics separately, as it should be; and since “discovery” is the main topic, as well as the easiest one to dismiss, we will focus on that one first.<br />
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<b>Discovery</b><br />
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I was always taught that the word discovery implied finding of a new thing, to reveal or expose something that was not known before; like when they discovered DNA, or new insects or new uses for organic materials that have never been thought of before, those are true discoveries. I only have three dictionaries and they all seem to agree with this definition. However, in support of Mr. Berliner’s point, we could say that Columbus effectively, as he says “brought America to the attention of…Western Europe” since he did uncover a land that was unknown to them at the time. But does this mean that Columbus discovered America in “every important respect”, as he claims? The only argument he has is that the Europeans didn’t know about America so he discovered it for THEM, but this is not a true discovery, is it?<br />
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I have never been to Europe. If I get on a plane, fly over there and explore the cities I am literally discovering the area. But there are folks that live there already. Say my little imaginary trip is over, I come home and tell my family about it; could I claim discovery for anyone other than myself?<br />
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This is another logical fallacy called the fallacy of composition; if it’s a little bit true then it’s all true. Columbus discovered America for himself and the Europeans only, not the World. By implying that Europe was “The World” at the time, you devalue the people living everywhere else on the planet as “less than”, which is not only racist and ethnocentric, but also gives you an attitude of superiority. This attitude of superiority and thinly veiled supremacism is the same that supported the cruel and barbarous acts committed against the Natives, the same attitude that supported Hitler!<br />
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Civilized? I don’t think so. But it may be why these two different topics are so often blended together.<br />
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I am getting ahead of myself, but it is a nice little segue into my next topic. However before we move on I would like to end the topic of discovery with the comment that Columbus’ finding of the Americas was not discovery as much as it was a serendipitous finding, an accident. He was not out looking for America, he was looking for India and found America instead.<br />
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This is how the Caribbean People became the First American Indians.<br />
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<b>Western Civilization</b><br />
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I found my dictionaries to be somewhat vague here so we will look at the facts and come to a logical conclusion. These dictionaries define civilization as being an advanced state of society with a high level of culture, science and government; a culture or society of a particular time and place and a populated area as opposed to a wilderness.<br />
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I also looked up civil, since a civilization is supposed to be constructed by and for civil people. Besides the definitions of citizenship as opposed to military life, they define civil as: not rude, acting in accordance to polite social interactions and a condition of social order and organized government.<br />
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These definitions can be applied to ANY civilization at ANY point in time. The Romans were the epitome of civilization in their time and their Superbowl was pitting people against lions to see who won! Not something we would do today because it’s “uncivilized”. During the Renaissance, people wore perfumes to mask body odor because they didn’t bathe on a regular basis. With a few exceptions, in this day and age we bathe daily. At one point in time doctors didn’t wash their hands from one patient to the next and it was only the other day that we stopped smoking in places like hospitals and doctor’s offices. Anything living and thriving will grow and change, civilization is no different. To say that one is better than the other is subjective- it really all depends on who you are asking.<br />
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Because once people congregate, make homes and have a governing body they are considered a civilization, I understand then, that Berliner was using the “uncivilized” argument as a Judgmental Language fallacy. This is a fallacy used when you don’t have a logical argument; so you use insults and derogatory language to put down the opposing party instead. A quick example would be “He thinks the movie is cool, but he’s an idiot anyway”.<br />
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You see it a lot in schools and playgrounds. And it’s, again, subjective.<br />
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Berliner goes on using this inflammatory language, putting down the civilizations that existed in the Americas as lesser than the civilization the Europeans had, even to the point of claiming that this Nation was founded on European ideas!<br />
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Fact: The Europeans had no clue on how to run a democracy. They came from a society governed by a Monarchy who claimed authority to rule as a god given right. It wasn’t working in Europe, it’s one of the many reasons they came to the Americas. And when they finally became independent from British rule, they were lost as to how to unite 13 colonies as one when they were supposed to be independent. USA democracy is based not on any roman ideal, it’s based on the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, The Iroquois League, the Six Nations of the North who are the oldest participatory democracy on Earth. We have a governing system that was worthy of imitation! Benjamin Franklin’s first diplomatic job in the 1700’s was as Pennsylvania’s Indian Commissioner and during that time he became intimate with the ins and outs of Indian diplomacy and insisted that the US adopt this way of thinking to run the USA.<br />
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He speaks of the land and peoples of the USA in 1492, when Columbus had nothing to do with the lands that became the USA at the time. (Non sequitur Alert!)<br />
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Fact: Columbus’ first voyage landed in the Bahamas, after which he explored Cuba and then Espanola. The Spanish didn’t come to Florida until 20 years later.<br />
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Berliner goes on to describe the native peoples in a way that makes you think of neanderthals, and perhaps that is his opinion. However, he needed to do more research and based his opinion on fact, like Ayn Rand would have done. Berliner states: “The inhabitants were primarily hunter-gatherers…living from hand-to- mouth and day-to-day” and they had “little agriculture and scant permanent settlement”.<br />
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Fact: The Taino, the nation that Columbus first met, used a farming method they called conucos, which was a farming method taught to the colonies who used it until the 1930’s. We would put corn, yuca, beans, and squash all in this conuco and not only did the plants protect each other from the sun, but they also protected each other by attracting insects that ate the pests that ate the plants. They also nurtured each other, since the wastes of one plant was the food of another; and the conuco itself, by it’s very construction, prevented erosion. Another thing the Taino did was farm by cuttings, as opposed to seeds. That’s advanced farming, my friend, not some fly by your seat, let’s-see-if-it’s-edible kind of existence. And that was just the Taino! The peoples in mainland Americas were cross pollinating corn to create corn hybrids that filled their needs. Present “civilization” is only starting to touch this kind of technology! The Taino lived in villages, had plazas, music and art, had a religious cosmology with priests and healers, a governmental heirarchy and we shared community ceremonies and celebrations…much like society today. And as far as “permanent settlements”, what are the ruins of the Maya, Aztec and Inca civilization if not permanent? People lived there! And they were so well constructed that to date, they are STILL standing! These are facts.<br />
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As for life being “nasty, brutish and short” that is pretty much describing life ANYWHERE on the planet in the 15th century. And he was absolutely right about the warfare of the times!<br />
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Fact: The Inquisition, the Hundred Year’s War, The Expulsion of the Muslims and the Jews from Spain and Portugal, civil upheaval in England, Wars in France, Wars in Italy- just google 15th century! All this and more was happening in Europe, in Berliner’s “superior culture” at the time- “endless, bloody wars.” Yes, the natives warred against each other but we didn’t commit genocide, rarely did people die. It was more honorable to “count coup”, to touch an enemy without killing him or being killed was admired, and to avoid inbreeding, women were taken from neighboring tribes. The Europeans were used to attacking to kill; European civilization did not bring us peace. These are facts.<br />
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To state that western civilization brought an improvement for the people in the Americas, without which we could not have survived into this century is a formal fallacy called appeal to probability. There is no way of knowing how things would have turned out. That comment is pure speculation and far from being objective. It also reflects Berliner’s inflamed ego and sense of superiority when he suggests western civilization was our saving grace. Just looking at the details we have gone over so far, we were doing pretty good without western intervention! You might even say better than the Europeans were doing, since they ended up running away from Europe! How do you factor that in?<br />
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Berliner then goes on to prattle about how those against Columbus Day are actually out to get western civilization; talk about chasing your tail! I guess a PhD allows you to publish your own conspiracy theories.<br />
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I found it incredibly ironic when he argues that not all cultures are morally equal and dares say: “a free society is better than slavery; reason is better than brute force as a way to deal with other men”. This is , almost word for word, the stand of Objective philosophy, however it was not quite what western civilization brought to us, the native peoples of this land. We were enslaved; raped in body and mind, brutalized. Barolome’ de las Casas, a Spanish priest who came with Columbus wrote that the Spaniards:<br />
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“<i>made bets as to who would slit a man in two, or cut off his head at one blow; or they opened up his bowels. They tore the babes from their mothers breast by their feet, and dashed their heads against the rocks…they spitted the bodies of other babes, together with their mothers and all who were before them, on their swords….and by thirteens, in honor and reveraece for our Redeemer and the twelve Apostles they put wood underneath and, with fire, they burned the Indians alive</i>”<br />
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This is the civilization Columbus brought with him. This is not propaganda, this is history.<br />
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It was surprising to read Berliner’s claim that western civilization stands “for man at his best”, since his PhD is supposed to be in philosophy. He must have missed a couple of days of school. A far as I am aware, Sir Thomas More’s Utopia was based on the information coming into Europe about the native’s way of life in the Americas. It was from there that the rest of Europe began thinking of a life free from monarchic rule. They knew no other way of life, they learned about freedom from the native peoples! Even Ayn Rand looked to America as a model of what free men could be!!<br />
Apples and Oranges<br />
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Berliner does touch on something intrinsic to native society, the Collectivistic philosophy we lived by. This way of thinking supports the idea that is presently being proven by physics, we are all connected. All living things are interdependent and what affects one will eventually affect the rest, so decisions were made with thought on how it would affect people seven generations into the future. Within this philosophy of life, however, it was understood that the collective was made up of individuals and these individuals were free to do as they pleased. Berliner’s rhetoric is all based on the debate between the philosophies of Individualism and Collectivism. This is not a difference of right or wrong nor better or worse, unless, like Berliner, you make it that way. It’s merely a difference of perspective, much like measuring in feet and yards as opposed to using the metric system.<br />
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Mr. Berliner seems to have a passion for teaching and a desire to be of service in a way that focuses on the freedom of the people of this great country of ours. I would suggest he refocus on issues that affect the country on a grander scale; perhaps apply Ms. Rand’s objectivistic philosophy on the slave work that lines the pockets of so many American companies, the forced (and illegal) removal of native peoples from their lands for the benefit of American Companies as well as the poisoning of our environment by yet other American industries and the way this affects the local human populations down to their very DNA. These actions would best serve the country as well as fall well within the objective philosophical view of laissez-faire capitalism.<br />
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Then he’ll be doing Ms. Rand proud!<br />
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(c)Anita PaganResponse to Musings on Tribal Legitimacy by Michelle Kellawaytag:indigenouscaribbean.ning.com,2008-10-07:2030313:BlogPost:143882008-10-07T09:00:00.000ZAnita Paganhttps://indigenouscaribbean.ning.com/profile/Nanu
I read this essay with much interest and can identify quite a bit with what Michelle is saying when speaking of the attitudes encountered when interacting with the native peoples of the US.<br />
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I am of the opinion that some of the native peoples of the US have been convinced into believing that a piece of paper gives them authenticity. As their ancestors were brainwashed into believing the fences around their reservation, they have been brainwashed into the fences around the nation called United…
I read this essay with much interest and can identify quite a bit with what Michelle is saying when speaking of the attitudes encountered when interacting with the native peoples of the US.<br />
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I am of the opinion that some of the native peoples of the US have been convinced into believing that a piece of paper gives them authenticity. As their ancestors were brainwashed into believing the fences around their reservation, they have been brainwashed into the fences around the nation called United States of America. They have forgotten their own history, that recognition as an Indian meant that you were part of the local wildlife; it wasn’t until 1879 that they were legally recognized as “people”, a century after the US was established. They have forgotten that “Native American” is not defined by political borders, it’s defined by being born in the Americas and what tribe recognizes you as their own. Because of the 230+ years the US has had to flourish and create new “Native Americans”, native peoples have bought into the propaganda given to them by the federal government. I have heard some indigenous people say the South American Indians were just “South Americans” and not recognize them as brothers. Very rare is the fellow native that recognizes the Taino people as one of the first nations attacked by the European invasion.<br />
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As for our Latin nations, they are still suffering in the throws of colonization practices of old. To be white is to be superior, to be smarter, and to be prettier; the term “Indian” or “Apache” is an insult and suggests an ignorant, lazy or uncouth person. People in Latin America use lighteners by the gallon and stay out of the sun to avoid darkening the skin; wear contacts to change eye color and dye their hair blonde till it falls off in tufts. They have bought into the Americanized Barbie doll ideal as well as the disrespectful notion that natives are uncivilized barbarians, with no idea of the value of the lands they sit on thus don’t deserve to keep them; lands, way of life, religious beliefs… Thus the decimation that began when Columbus landed continues unchecked.<br />
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And thought I agree with your thoughts that many people carry a romanticized image of what it is to be “Native American” I have to take exception to the comment that the Taino as a people would not be willing to face the discrimination and the hardships that the Natives in the mainland have faced. We have already done so! Reading up on Caribbean history will reveal the horrors inflicted on our ancestors. In the feudalistic system the colonizers established in the Caribbean, the lord or master of the fief, had the right to the wedding night of any marriage or union on his property. This was part of the genocidal plan; impregnate the woman with Spanish seed before she is impregnated with Indian or Black. If the child came out fair skinned, he could be taken away by the master, sometimes recognized as son, and raised "properly", if not he could stay with his parents and work. Added to this was the understanding that the lord could take any woman he wanted when he wanted to because he was the master after all. And all this was happening before the natives in the US were put into reservations! And even then, those natives in the northern mainland were still allowed their identity while ours was punishable by death. The fact is that although the natives in the US had to face abuse and discrimination and horrors of their own, they didn’t face the kind of genocidal tactics imposed on those conquered by the Spanish and French. US Indians were allowed reservations where our people had to go underground. We were forced into invisibility; to the point that people don’t recognize themselves today. The US got us as spoils of war in the 1800's but didn't allow us the "honor" of citizenship until they needed bodies to fill out the infantry during WWI. You could say we were an island reservation... To take it a step further, we are not even recognized historically. Everybody knows Columbus “discovered” America, but the Indians he met remained generic and no one seems to question that.<br />
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How much more do we need to suffer to be considered “worthy” to be called Native American?<br />
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As for federal recognition, I don’t see that it can be possible due to record keeping practices of the Caribbean. Puerto Rico is under Federal law and to be recognized as a tribe there is a blood quantum requirement- the US’ more humane way to genocide. This requirement also extends to the possibilities of receiving any federal benefit ($$) provided to Native Americans by the US government. To receive such benefits one needs to provide a Certificate of Degree of Indian Blood, which is a document non-federally recognized tribal members cannot apply for. However, a tribe, although not federally recognized, can still be recognized by they state they are located in. Puerto Rico, as a commonwealth, can (and I believe may have already) recognize the Taino as a people.<br />
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Because the Caribbean islands are politically separate, identification in one country will not offer automatic identification in another; one would have to meet the requirements of the laws of each country, much like doctors and teachers are required to do. Because the US natives have federal recognition and federal law blankets the 50 states and territories, their identity is recognized across the nation, but different countries may have another view. Each branch of the Taino will need to be recognized by their own country respectively although they, as a nation, may recognize each other. Much like what happens to the tribes that live on or near US border lands, between Mexico and Canada, when they wish to share with their relatives on the other side of the political fence.<br />
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As for your questions on definitions, standards, belonging and motives- I don’t believe those questions have a definite answer. Those who wish to control will set limits on who belongs and who does not, politically as well as socially. Blood quantum is not the answer, because it denies the native’s cultural traditions of adoption and absorption into the tribe. Who belongs then when the blood is mixed? And as for motives, well those are as varied as the people participating, ennit?<br />
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I agree with Max’ assessment that the Taino today is jumping the gun. The few people I have contacted and spoken with regarding getting together and sharing have sounded much more like a social club, or an organization as opposed to a “clan” or “tribe” in the social sense. Everyone wants to be chief and be the one with all the answers as opposed to just being a group of people willing to learn, share and grow together. Yes, a tribe or clan has a hierarchy, and I see nothing wrong with people taking on a position; but when it becomes an issue of charging a monthly fee to participate and be added to a list of names so as to be recognized as Taino, or the “positions” become more important than the people- well, that is just dispiriting. It shows the group for what it is, like Max said- a veneer; a front, a bunch of people getting together and “playing Indian”.<br />
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Then again, we are young and still learning.<br />
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What I feel is most important now is that those who identify as Taino take the steps to get to know themselves first and begin taking responsibility for their actions; like the Lakota would say, Walk the Good Red Road. We have a lot of baggage and our egos get in the way. Just as people living in this day and age we have baggage, let alone recognizing who we are, what that may imply to us, our family and the bigger picture, what is still being taught in schools, what continues happening to our relations in South & Central America and what our place may be in the whole “menjunje”. I feel we need to tackle ourselves first before getting all gun-ho about being Indian, taking on a new persona half way, and with it society as a whole. Instead, we can focus on our personal and spiritual growth, face our shadows and make peace with them, help heal our children and our society. Yes, we do need to focus on society but we can only give what we have given ourselves first. And if we haven’t given ourselves the time and space to grow into our identities how can we help others do so?<br />
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Thank you, Michelle, for the opportunity to engage in such interesting conversation…<br />
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(c) Anita Pagan