| Although
I do not spend as much time in Yellowstone as
I would like to, I do maintain contact with the human
elements of the Buffalo Field Campaign.
I regret that John/Jane Doe has felt the need to speak
on my behalf. I, myself, have spent many long
sleepless nights, in the past few years, wrestling
with the issue of White Peoples' use (or misuse) of
native ceremonies. Such a "conflict" is not isolated
to the buffalo issue, but it swirls around in many
situations. It has surfaced again and again, in
different times and places.
But in the struggle to protect the Earth and the
buffalo, how much energy do we need to invest in human
conflict?
I have learned many lessons, but the most important
one is that nothing, no one is absolutely right. So to
tackle this unfortunate debate, we would have to
carefully weigh many different factors and I doubt
that we can arrive at a good "answer" that we can
beat
each other up with.
I can offer this: the people who are engaged in this
long and lonely struggle to protect the buffalo truly
understand their needs; the feelings of futility and
desperation and for spiritual support. I would be the
last person to chastise White Folks for hanging out in
native sweat ceremonies to understand their tremendous
responsibility to the buffalo.
Although I may have left Yellowstone in confusion, in
hindsight, my own personal comfort or discomfort
should not have overshadowed the responsibility to the
buffalo. I could not see the bigger picture then as I
do now, that we are not necessarily cut from the same
cloth, but the fabric of our being; the human warp &
weft, should dictate that we do our best to protect
the Earth and the guardian of the Earth; the buffalo.
I am so grateful for the insights that the buffalo
gift us with.
Where I failed is that the young people of Buffalo
Field Campaign, unprepared, are in the front lines
where their spirits can get battered.
I have seen them go out before dawn and return after
dark, fatigued and sometimes traumatized, but willing
to get a few hours of sleep and go again the next
dawn. I grieved more deeply than I have ever grieved
over the slaughter of buffalo. I retreated to recover.
But those young people, who grieved just as deeply,
stayed on to maintain their vigilance. I am humbled by
that.
So, when they reach out to native ways, it is only for
endurance and healing. Maybe they believe that our
beliefs are the closest to the true human relationship
to the Earth. And if natives are not always there to
share in their struggle, to help with the healing,
then we cannot fault them.
Certainly, our ways are being adopted and at times
misused, even by our own. In a time of greed and
selfishness, more and more people are feeling the need
to strengthen their spirituality. Contemporary
religions may be failing to meet their needs,
especially the spiritual needs of Earth protectors.
All humans have a history of connectedness with the
Earth and likewise, of ritual. So whether it's renewal
of their own culture or the clumsy adoption of
another, defining the right and wrong of spirituality
isn't where I want to go.
Buffalo Field Campaign volunteers are not ordinary
folks, seeking comfort. They have a great need to seek
to communicate with the spirits of the buffalo, the
Earth, our ancestors, and their own ancestors. Maybe
it isn't in accordance with our recent preference for
form, but nevertheless, prayer is prayer.
I know the people on the board that are contributing
tremendously to this work. They are all good people
(of diverse heritage) and just like me, they will not
ever claim to represent their nation of origin. I am
Sicangu, but I cannot speak for the Sicangu Nation.
If there is anyone outside of the boundaries of human
tolerance, We have to trust Natural Law that the
community will self-correct.
I thank John/Jane (Little Deer?) Doe for the concern
and effort to protect native ceremony. I have a
feeling that you can significantly help the cause when
this matter is behind you and you see the greater
challenge. If ever you are compelled to visit the
campaign and the buffalo, I'd like to join you there.
I'm long overdue myself.
Wopila,
Rosalie Little Thunder |
