To All Of Our Native American Indian Relations, Political Representatives, Religious Teachers, Chiefs, Councilmen and women, Elders, Shamans, Medicine societies, Fortune Seekers and Educators-
According to history books and treaties to date. Somewhere along the line we became Federally recognized. Are all people Federally recognized or just the Native American Indians or when you work for the Federal Government or become Federally incarcerated? We are not recognized as people unless we are Federally recognized. No matter if your from Canada or United States of America
As people of a community or tribe when exactly do we practice our Federal Rights or our recognition? During elections when all politicians need our votes. But when issues arise hands are tied, because we are Federally recognized. By the very same offices we elected in. Is it a privilege or a mockery of our heritage?. Do we as tribes or Councils use and practice our rights as being Federally recognized? I’ve participated in marches every year in the late 60’s and 70’s across the U.S. and Canadian border in Niagara Falls in honor of the Jay Treaty.
I now would like to speak out to all and for all of our Native American People.
This Federal recognition, exactly what is this meaning for Our People, Land and Traditional Cultures?. I myself, feel this Federal is an (excuse the term, expression) a Chinese jump rope. If anyone has ever played Chinese jump rope the competitors can put the rope anywhere they would like and you have to jump it.
There are certain ideas and proposals in regard of Native American Indian issues that are automatically refused because we are Federally recognized. There are tribes that were allowed to build casinos to help the tribes revenue, while others were denied.
To see a future where our elders, council and communities would rather see oil wells and our land have the natural minerals and oils sucked from the Mother Earth. What I’ve witnessed is certain landowners getting prosperity, wealth lining their own pockets only too become failed alcoholics and drug addicts, most not all. How does this help the tribes economy?.
For everyone to be so quick and judgmental about medical marijuana, to refuse the rights to grow and industrialize it to profit our people and the land is unthinkable.
Our ancestors fought centuries to protect the Mother Earth from the natural resources being stripped and drained from the very soil that provides our daily bread and other vitalities to life. To be drilled and have gases and oils on the face of the earth to which there is too much of to where there’s billions of dollars spent on cleanups mishaps and etc.
Understand-Medical Marijuana has been one of the many medicines our ancestors implied for centuries. The difference between the yrs is this, our medicine Shamans only used the medical marijuana when needed. Unlike the people outside our culture are the ones that made it recreational and misused it and misrepresented the medicinal use. Our well respected Shamans did not pass a bag of so called joints or peacepipes filled with Marijuana and stated it’s Friday night here distribute to all Tribal members teenagers elders and whoever wants to party. No! No! No! that is not the way of our people or our medicines, like the land and the people of our medicines are also sacred. This is why, it was not spoken of because only people of the medicine societies were allowed to grow, care for and distribute the medicine to those that were ill and needed the medical marijuana to survive.
Let’s be real – Look what we allowed society to do with Our Sacred Tobacco. Whether it is acknowledged or not this also was worthy for our prayers and healing. But the Federal government overed, capitialized on our tobacco. Down the road theyadded additives, filters etc., which now they are claiming causes cancer.
Today it is a multibillion dollar industry-which spreads to all revenues.
According to the law, we the Federally recognized Native American Indians are the only ones that can legally grow this, or once again shall we again wait for the government to over on the whole idea of us as people can too make a legal and financial contribution too the people of and these countries and communities.
How many times have at one tome or anther a non native told us how lucky we are because we get free education healthcare and land. News flash, not so, we have student loans to pay back, health bills, medicine bills etc.. Sounds Good! But Not So.. There are societies out there that do believe we get everything free.
Our ancestors made use and purpose or our tobacco. I don’t ever remember hearing of our great or grandmothers or fathers dying of cancer, this disease became known in the early 60’s.
There are too many graves of all races because of alcohol, prescription drugs and street drugs. But none that say smoked one too many marijuana cigarettes. If we were to take a walk with a knowledgeable medicine elder through a pharmacy and checked the ingredients I wonder how many of those were plants their elders had used one time or another too heal. Our ancestors planted, cultivated, nourished, picked, preserved and passed down to those worthy and respectful of the medicines.
Instead of rotting our land with oil and gas drills. Let’s cultivate the land the way it was intended for the people of the creator and the mother earth. Let’s heal and cultivate and grow medical marijuana.
I grew up in eastern Canada on a tobacco farm at a very young age watching my elders work. I do have an idea of how the process needs too be from planting, priming, hanging and curing in smoke houses et..
We need to at least took into the whole idea of doing something for ourselves our children, land and the future of our people.
Realize there are doors that will be opened for all. We’re not talking about giving drug dealers business. Were actually putting them out of business.
This type of industry requires educated professional of all different fields from chemists to horticulturists, doctors, lawyers, accountants, receptionists, laborers etc. the list goes on. Job opportunities for the children that we’ve been sending to school to educate them for professional needed jobs.
Before the federals over on the whole industry again! Let’s practice our Federal Rights, Land and Businesses. Our elders please at least seek out education about the medical marijuana issue before totally closing that door.
My mother went back to school after she already obtained her hairdressing license. She continued to further her education, completed college and university graduated to be a teacher to only have gone blind before she could enter a classroom. Before her blindness her and a colleague went to council to ask permission to build a day care. The council than refused. They claimed that mothers were leaving their children too much and this would give them reason to leave them more. The same with the nursing homes, no way, no how was that to be approved. Now look ten yrs or more there’s day cares, nursing homes, radio stations, police, jails etc. on the federally recognized reservations.
The question is are we Federally recognized Native American Indiand gonna let the Mayflower sail by us again, once again enriching themselves with the medicines that were given to us by the creator for healing and medicinal use that will prosper the land, provide jobs and well being of peace of mind. Our land will be useable for centuries to come.
It’s our choice, Federally recognize-RIGHT! My name is Jacqueline L. Nicholas I am a full blood Oneida, Iroquois. My Oneida given name given to me by my greatgrandmother a well respected medicine woman and fortune seeker named me Kuwanhl. Which english meaning is “One Who Speaks the Word”, Wolf Clan.