Broken Arrow...a call for help.
June 27th 2007 17:47
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I was reading Damo's post about Howard’s Aboriginal Crisis; and when trying to comment about the story, it got very personal for me. So, let me touch on this related subject lightly.
Broken Arrow, ...a call for help, in Viet Nam we used it to call in (very) close air support when we were over whelmed. I see these people being in the same situation, they need close air support, this message needs to get out and about.
As a mixed blood fellow, when I was a child, I was raised for times on and off a reservation in Washington State in the US. I fought native kids for not being native enough and white kids for being to native. Our mother, being young and attractive, would leave us alone for days. Often, there were times when we didn't have anything to eat and so, to feed my brothers and sister, I stole food. Not enough to make us full, but enough. I had difficulties in school from alcohol problems and hyper activity, and they capriciously fed me Librium and Valium to settle me down. They had the opposite affect.
I still become enraged when thinking of the beating that bloodied our backs, legs, stomachs and our faces as children; the seething hatred I have for those pedophiles our possessed mother, brought into the house under the guise of 'uncle'. When we were placed into foster homes, life could be a living hell. When I think about parts of my childhood, I still want to hunt down and injure those who molested my siblings. Me, I fought until I was bloodied trying to protect them, but I couldn't. I was to young, to small and not able to be in more than one place at a time.
Who cared? Who knew? Where was our advocate? Our defender? My aunt told me how she used to think about rescuing us from our mother and did nothing, there wasn't any relief in her words. People dropped by, made promises but still my siblings and I, often went to bed hungry and cold in the winter. So, when I suggest that I can relate to the sense of betrayal the aborigines have borne, its not an idle comment.
Sadly, this is a given: Politicians pander to those groups with whom they are aligned; those who put them into office. Follow the money and cut it off; you'll have everybody's attention. Raise up, sound the the trumpets and take action.
Action, not tears. Action, not words. Action, not empathy. Action, action and more action.
Get the message out, be their advocates. They need what only you can provide.
I am pleading on their behalf for your help.
Raven
As a mixed blood fellow, when I was a child, I was raised for times on and off a reservation in Washington State in the US. I fought native kids for not being native enough and white kids for being to native. Our mother, being young and attractive, would leave us alone for days. Often, there were times when we didn't have anything to eat and so, to feed my brothers and sister, I stole food. Not enough to make us full, but enough. I had difficulties in school from alcohol problems and hyper activity, and they capriciously fed me Librium and Valium to settle me down. They had the opposite affect.
Who cared? Who knew? Where was our advocate? Our defender? My aunt told me how she used to think about rescuing us from our mother and did nothing, there wasn't any relief in her words. People dropped by, made promises but still my siblings and I, often went to bed hungry and cold in the winter. So, when I suggest that I can relate to the sense of betrayal the aborigines have borne, its not an idle comment.
Sadly, this is a given: Politicians pander to those groups with whom they are aligned; those who put them into office. Follow the money and cut it off; you'll have everybody's attention. Raise up, sound the the trumpets and take action.
Action, not tears. Action, not words. Action, not empathy. Action, action and more action.
Get the message out, be their advocates. They need what only you can provide.
I am pleading on their behalf for your help.
Raven
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Comment by katyzzz
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I felt very sad when I read this, you can feel very proud of your achievements.
I'm with you all the way, action not words, talk is cheap, the armchair experts abound.
So help them God, those poor little waifs.
Unbelievably bad, they are the innocent and weak and those adults KNOW they are doing wrong, drunk or not drunk, socially deprived as they are, the children need to be protected and nurtured anything less will not do.
The rights of the child should come first and there should be no pandering to 'cultural sensitivities, the do- gooders have got it wrong and billions has been wasted. And the abuse has increased not abated.
It is a national disgrace and Liberal AND Labour know it and the Aborigines involved know it too. Intelligent people [so - called] must not lose the wood for the trees.
Fortunately there are a lot of good people ready to help. The last thing they need is a lot of hot air getting in the way of the success of this massive exercise.
Let's not bend history to promote our own political viewpoints.
God be with you, Raven, you have done well.
katyzzz
Comment by tlcorbin-raginravensview
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Many if not most of my students in Barrow, AK lived under similar conditions.. while going to College. Unbelievably, these victims protect their attackers.
Thanks,
Raven
Comment by Mountain Fog
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QUOTE ME NO QUOTES!
I am sorry to hear of the horror you and your siblings had to endure as a child and am glad you have managed, against all odds it would seem, to rise up and make a success of your life, with wife, children and a good job.
Governments in both our countries manipulate and play the numbers game with the public, no matter what party it is, which makes voting all the more difficult.
Here in Australia, this nightmare has been ignored by both sides of Parliament, to one degree or another, and always when it its politically expedient, they appear to act out of urgent concern.
What worries me is the quick fix and/or grandstand short term solutions, instead of putting enough money and time into solving the terrible enigma of child abuse, in all its forms.
I wait for the day they allocate enough funds and time so psychiatry and psychology can learn to deal with this area well enough, that these assaults cease to be. It must be this way, we cannot pretend it is just some problem people, that does not help the future generations, we need to rise above emotionalism and find a preventative cure for this mental malady, for that surely must be what we are dealing with here.
All the best, and what is your ancestor's tribal name?
I have had two other American Indian friends in times past, Apache and a Cherokee I think. My Apache friend looked like a classic "TV Indian", strong and handsome, long straight black hair and he was a really gentle guy too.
My sister lives in San Diego, with her family,(who are American), her good friend, (now deceased), was Suzy, she was Hopi. What an incredible people they are! Suzy's people had long ago banned tourists from watching their famous snake ceremony, due to their lack of respect in photographing them as it happened, this after they had specifically asked everyone not to take photos!
But one year, not too long before Suzy died, she invited my sister and her family to watch the famous snake dance ceremony. Her description was terrifying!!! Sal ended up standing on top of a small hut nearby, as the rattlers slithered among the rhythmic dancers, who were thumping the earth in rhythmic harmony, which slowly hypnotized the freshly caught wild snakes. After awhile they could pick them up in their bare hands!
i'm raving on too long again...sorry, chat anon!
cheers
fog
Comment by D. Armenta
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I'm hoping that the internet will enable people worldwide to communicate with each other and get the real stories instead of us all having to rely upon whatever the news orgs decide they should tell us.
Thanks for this post.
Comment by tlcorbin-raginravensview
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Well said. One way or another, it's always about the power and money. And that requires hapless, positionally weak victims.
Sometimes, shedding light on an issue only exacerbates the problems, because now, the cockroaches have been exposed and risk being cut of from the feeding trough.
Keep the topic alive and it will help bring indigenous people everywhere self-determination; let it die and the parasites will reattach themselves to the feeding trough with a vengeance. And although it may not impact you directly, it will those unfortunates who will pay the price for the exposure.
D.Armento,
the "Butterfly Effect" has been loosed over the internet. Keep it alive.
Raven