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Discussion Topic
To Be or Not to Be
Posted on 08/17/08, 01:06 pm
To Be, Or Not, To Be
Thomas Hubbard
To be an American Indian
you must trace ancestors
clear back to the roots, the authorities tell me.
You must produce the papers, official papers,
birth records, government records.
Records, that is, of the invadersâ?? government.
Records of that same government which
forced natives off their land,
crushed tribes, ruined habitat,
spread disease and pollutions,
tore apart families, broke treaties and
wrote it all down in their crooked history.
They say I need records from that same government which
captured families halfway around the world and
brought them here, no matter how many were lost at sea, and
enslaved them, sometimes worked them to death,
sold off their mates and children and then
bragged about â??...this country is built on our hard work.â??
They suggest I seek out church records,
records of that religion which set out to
destroy American Indian culture, and customarily
beat American Indian children for speaking their own language
in those schools where they made native kids
into god-fearing Christians.
They say that for me to be a legitimate American Indian,
I must dig up my roots for governmental inspection,
to show that my ancestors surrendered to the invaders and
obeyed the invadersâ?? new laws, reporting their weddings and births
to those same racist invaders who pretended piety and
looked upon American Indians as less than human.
Trouble is, the invadersâ?? government and all its records
have nothing to do with my roots.
My mixed-blood roots live in the earth, in the past, and
regardless who asks, Iâ??m not about to dig up my roots.
What the hell? I already know who I am.
Thomas Hubbard
To be an American Indian
you must trace ancestors
clear back to the roots, the authorities tell me.
You must produce the papers, official papers,
birth records, government records.
Records, that is, of the invadersâ?? government.
Records of that same government which
forced natives off their land,
crushed tribes, ruined habitat,
spread disease and pollutions,
tore apart families, broke treaties and
wrote it all down in their crooked history.
They say I need records from that same government which
captured families halfway around the world and
brought them here, no matter how many were lost at sea, and
enslaved them, sometimes worked them to death,
sold off their mates and children and then
bragged about â??...this country is built on our hard work.â??
They suggest I seek out church records,
records of that religion which set out to
destroy American Indian culture, and customarily
beat American Indian children for speaking their own language
in those schools where they made native kids
into god-fearing Christians.
They say that for me to be a legitimate American Indian,
I must dig up my roots for governmental inspection,
to show that my ancestors surrendered to the invaders and
obeyed the invadersâ?? new laws, reporting their weddings and births
to those same racist invaders who pretended piety and
looked upon American Indians as less than human.
Trouble is, the invadersâ?? government and all its records
have nothing to do with my roots.
My mixed-blood roots live in the earth, in the past, and
regardless who asks, Iâ??m not about to dig up my roots.
What the hell? I already know who I am.
-
Reply #1 08/19/08 10:24am
Oh hun, I get so angry when I found out how my family was brought here as slaves and to do the dirty work so their names were chaned at Elise Islandand there was no turning back. My culutre took on the railroads and the fire departments and the pubs, but heart has bleed for your culture from the time I was old enough to know what happened and how dare they come in and take what isn't theirs and to destroy something beautiful. To say believe as I do and we won't kill you and your family, abide by our laws and you may have this tiny piece of land that we will continue to take away until we are done destroying your life!!! Why do people people believe that some are so much better than others. Sorry for my soap box thumping!!! You hit a passion of mine!!! -
Reply #2 08/19/08 11:06am
I have to apologize for posting this.....but have decided to leave it. My work is to educate the public and I think this does it pretty well. I could go on for days.
Please know that I am not in a position to have a hate for either side since I am mixed blood. I have found myself defending myself against both sides. And this poem pretty much says how I feel about the whole blood quantum issue and the CDIB cards. How come we are the only people that have to carry a card to prove who and what we are....and in our own country??? I KNOW WHO I AM!
I hope that you are as adamant as I am about your own heritage. We should all be proud of the blood that made us who we are. I have a lot of Irish blood and have been asked been a few full blood Indians how I can honor that blood. How can I not??? For without it, I wouldn't be the person I am today. I love the history, stories and music of both my Indian and my Irish families.
I know my Irish family history back to the 600 ADs. The Indian side is a different matter. I know as far back as my great grand mother but when I was growing up, it was not "cool" to be Indian and we would have been sent to the reservation had anyone known we were Indian. My grandmother's Choctaw blood made her so dark she passed for black....no matter that she had thick, heavy, straight as a board hair. I think a lot of the farming community knew but turned a blind eye. So what I know of my family has been learned after my grandmother died.....it was her wish that know one KNOW who we were. And since the "roles" were strictly a voluntary thing, my family never went to be registered. They had just about had all the governement they wanted. SO....although I KNOW where my blood comes from, I can't PROVE it.
When I was younger, it really bothered me that neither side accepted me. But as I have gotten older with more experience I realize it's not what any one else things you are....its what you KNOW you are.
Who are you??? -
Reply #3 08/20/08 10:05am
Me? I am irish, english and cherokee descent. I only know back as far as my great-grandparents, also. My Fathers grandmother was half cherokee and irish. My grandparents on Moms side, english and irish. I am a melting pot. I am an american.
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