tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69860598556896005002024-03-05T13:17:46.928-08:00Fail! Why the 2012, worldwide, global awakening never happened...and other credible opinions of mineAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05998340576671907431noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986059855689600500.post-75882817146531587722017-10-12T06:16:00.000-07:002017-10-12T06:20:39.152-07:00In memory of Jessie Medina Hernandez, a woman who resisted……in your face Columbus!<br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";"><span style="font-size: large;">In memory of Jessie
Medina Hernandez, a woman who resisted……in your face Columbus!</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1zRZ4lG7FCatR67MjBy2VMiKR1CMhOPkmTSfoiA3kJ_u0VszcKyAD5poQ_wFVgtWZwXWcdeuf9nxrLnATTjjBAh5mcLNTc2WDOhImJsGyx3_oKQa-jEOI5N5vJjVVwPXzxoueuVUlV8RE/s1600/IMG_1487.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1zRZ4lG7FCatR67MjBy2VMiKR1CMhOPkmTSfoiA3kJ_u0VszcKyAD5poQ_wFVgtWZwXWcdeuf9nxrLnATTjjBAh5mcLNTc2WDOhImJsGyx3_oKQa-jEOI5N5vJjVVwPXzxoueuVUlV8RE/s400/IMG_1487.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">*Note: Permission has
been given by all of Jessie’s surviving children to post this blog online.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">When I think
of Columbus day, or shall I now say Indigenous People’s Day, many images come
to mind of strong proud warriors fighting the good fight to resist colonization
and the powers that feel the need to build empire across the precious earth we
call our mother. For this blog post I want to write about my true mother. The
one human being who birthed me from her womb and fought hard and strong to keep
her family together, amidst living among a chaotic system of imperialistic
vampires.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">My mother Jessie
was admitted to Clovis Community Medical Center on August 24<span style="font-size: small;"><sup>th</sup>,
2017. She entered the health care facility in hopes to receive the BEST care
this country can provide. She did not come out alive. Her death was noted at
4:06am of September 9<sup>th</sup> 2017, she spent a total of 17 days receiving
her final opportunities to access care before moving on to the spirit world. I
want to talk about Jessie’s death because it is very important and I must warn
you it will become political, but first. How did she live and who was she other
than my mom?</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Well my
mother Jessie was born in the 3<span style="font-size: small;"><sup>rd</sup> of July in Manteca California. Her
parents were both migrant farm workers. Jessie herself was a farm worker for
many years and once had special recognition thorough CSU Fresno’s History Department
which hosted an oral history project about her life as a farm worker. </span><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7JSR6M8mYfGZq0o1yLKZ-ooDKjJY50xSVlTo1pP1btyvHKzComrxQLityRbuKCAIjQd_ftR8QJRsBUYlahgeb_Z_ihFU93grkB8iWb4ZC7c513drT9Exgldy4Szzoju41LvfEwyALw_F1/s1600/Farmworking+Women+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1137" data-original-width="957" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7JSR6M8mYfGZq0o1yLKZ-ooDKjJY50xSVlTo1pP1btyvHKzComrxQLityRbuKCAIjQd_ftR8QJRsBUYlahgeb_Z_ihFU93grkB8iWb4ZC7c513drT9Exgldy4Szzoju41LvfEwyALw_F1/s400/Farmworking+Women+3.JPG" width="336" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Jessie's early years as a farm worker was showcased at CSU Fresno</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"></span> Like many Indigenous people of this land, Jessie had dreams to attain a
good life, working wage, home, and live a long healthy life. She believed in
the American Dream. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Her fate at
the age of 67 is one that sadly for all of us ends in death, however she gave
life a total of 5 times which included me and my siblings. Jessie held strong
to the spirit of family and friends. In her time as a mother, she maintained a
sometimes happy but stable home for all her kids. In fact she always opened her
home to many people in need. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">She did her
best to support each of her children to become healthy vibrant adults, which
included grandchildren and great grandchildren. Most of all she loved dearly
her nieces and nephews, always willing to be of support to them too. Lastly,
there were other folks that my mother picked up along the way and ALWAYS
treated them as her own children.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You
could say that Jessie had a very sacred gift when it came to love, for it was
unconditional. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">And since
this blog is about explaining how my mom resisted, a fondest memory that comes
to mind is when I was in college. For anyone who knows my past, I was sick and
tired of the CSU system continuously raising student tuition in order for me to
get a college education. An education that was promised to so many in the past
yet for some reason not as much now that CSUs are more populated with
Indigenous people from across the world. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">I was part of
a student movement that had planned to take over the Fresno State library to
conduct a 24 hour occupation and risk being arrested in order to make a final statement
to the state legislature, our elected officials that education is a right. One
night I came home to tell my mom and my grandma was sitting next to her. I told
my mom that the plan was to get the State to fund the CSU and create enough
momentum that a moratorium can be placed for 5 years to stop the fee increase.
Eventually our efforts worked, and that is not to say that it was our sole
action, but the collective action of many people across California. Jessie was
one of those persons who made a difference. I remember my mom saying she would
be willing to stand at the entrance of the library as a parent of a student who
demands educational investment since she is a taxpayer and worked hard in this
country. My grandmother even said she will be there too! The day we took over
the Fresno State Library (<a href="http://collegian.csufresno.edu/2009/11/23/protesters-spend-night-in-madden-library/">http://collegian.csufresno.edu/2009/11/23/protesters-spend-night-in-madden-library/</a> my mom was one
of the first parents on the scene, and one of the last to sit outside amidst some rain too! Click <a href="https://vimeo.com/237859782" target="_blank">HERE</a> to see a cute and short clip on Jessie standing as a human barricade at the Fresno State Library.If link is broken go to <a href="https://vimeo.com/237859782">https://vimeo.com/237859782</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">That day is
when I saw my mother stand up and resist. Not for her son or a few students but
for all those young people who strive for higher education. On this so called Columbus
day, I want to thank you Jessie Medina Hernandez for being the resistance and
for the memories you instilled in me and my other siblings. Thanks for not
giving up and leaving us in times of struggle. I will see you when my time
comes, but for now I promise to keep up the fight for all our people and those
yet to be born. I hope to make you proud so that my spirit can meet you in the
heavens without shame!</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";"><strong><span style="font-size: large;">A disaster
more important than Harvey and Irma combined?</span></strong></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">It has always
struck me as sickening that in this country, we have a few elite families that
pretty much govern us and make major decisions that affect our lives. One of
those decisions that are constantly made for us is how we get access to health
care. Now if you feel disrespected by what I’m about to say I could care less.
But if you are willing to read on and digest what I think is the worst hurricane
that has hit our country time and time again, then continue reading. This past
summer many folks were in awe about how both hurricane Harvey and Irma was
impacting so many people, and rightfully so. And then there is our stupid
president and politicians. A hurricane can hit in one sweeping moment, and kill
a small handful of people in its path and every major congressman and senator
in Washington DC cares so much about the pain it will bring even going as far
as passing a budget for relief (<a href="http://www.cnn.com/2017/09/06/politics/house-votes-harvey-aid/index.html">http://www.cnn.com/2017/09/06/politics/house-votes-harvey-aid/index.html</a>). That’s wonderful. Now stop and think about it
for a minute……what about CANCER?</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">When I think
of a hurricane and all the attention it gets, hell even gun control and
terrorism which only kills small handfuls of people (NO disrespect to any one who’s
life was lost) I think of cancer. Losing my mom to cancer is just one gust of
wind among the many other gusts that exist in the gigantic storm of people who
suffer and die to cancer all because our system is broken. Good healthcare I
argue for many like my mother is inaccessible at some levels. And let’s remember
that cancer is proven to be a bodily response on many instances, to the way the
human DNA tries to resist exposure to toxic chemicals. Cancer causing pathogens
are proven to exist in many products we consume or are exposed to on a regular
basis. How do these cancer causing toxic products get to us? Well because our
politicians allow it to happen, such as allowing the Environmental Protection
Agency to be underfunded or dismantled, or in a case like the Dakota Access
Pipeline, Flint Michigan water crisis etc., corporations are allowed to get
away with creating the largest “hurricane” of deaths due to exposure to cancer
causing agents. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cancer takes the lives
of thousands of people on an annual basis, yet doesn’t get the sweeping
attention the way a normal “hurricane” does.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcgZYoRFACfgVwuk0fx-MhZFcXV1_lXvEXW9N48zNG9FR44AvIONWKz6-VeizFmEA68U3L77WdAi0SdV3kvXZIwGi3R7kcNg6h_cU2UaqyqSXawVm92tElsRMYdLwqQUcmfG6OsmXiqwMB/s1600/IMAG4721.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcgZYoRFACfgVwuk0fx-MhZFcXV1_lXvEXW9N48zNG9FR44AvIONWKz6-VeizFmEA68U3L77WdAi0SdV3kvXZIwGi3R7kcNg6h_cU2UaqyqSXawVm92tElsRMYdLwqQUcmfG6OsmXiqwMB/s320/IMAG4721.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">I cannot stop
but think about what I feel was horrible health care offered to my mother in
her last few days before her death and possible throughout the duration of her
treatment. In fact my mother was very alert and could think and respond on a
highly intelligent level in the last moments before her death, yet medical
reports I retrieved from the hospital seemed to label her as mentally
disoriented. For example the palliative care team on my mother Jessie’s case didn’t
seem to discuss with my mother what they felt was best care for her. They spoke
to me and my sister in what seemed to be concern for her (Jessie’s) choice for
continued care. The manner in which they spoke was one that questioned whether
we felt the choices she is making or made are in her best interest, giving the
feeling that they wanted her to hurry up and die. The palliative team staff
guaranteed they would talk to my mother alone and let her know they wanted to
have a family meeting to discuss what was going to be her choice of care amidst
failing health. This didn’t seem to be the case and I think there was a
frightful scare to my mother’s dignity. In other words, when Jessie saw all of
us children walking into her room with the palliative care team, she seemed
scared and afraid, looking directly at me waving her hand in a motion that
spoke to say “What the hell is going on here, why are all of you coming in here
like this?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At that moment I realized
that the palliative care team must have not talked to my mother to inform her
we were all going into her room. Maybe to save time, but they seemingly took
shortcuts which made me think that my mom must have felt that her children were
about to betray her and come in all together and say “Hey we are pulling the
plug on you!” </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKkxdbpEUrIkydJc4tob9P36oa6C-h_E7E-JwhPQ3yFGC4WMHzbLsYdK25OHvQOQWOpxyB7o2w-MVo11PUtIa3QKpPCFIN4bpVh0KgzMLGK2IOqsrJtkWceMqK9bA5CVfZkxKH_KzAqCWP/s1600/IMAG4722.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKkxdbpEUrIkydJc4tob9P36oa6C-h_E7E-JwhPQ3yFGC4WMHzbLsYdK25OHvQOQWOpxyB7o2w-MVo11PUtIa3QKpPCFIN4bpVh0KgzMLGK2IOqsrJtkWceMqK9bA5CVfZkxKH_KzAqCWP/s320/IMAG4722.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Jessie's written messages - very legible to her family members</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Jessie was
incapable of talking because she had a breathing tube placed inside her, yet
somehow the nurses, doctors and palliative care team caring for her seemed to
treat her as second class. This can be proven in another instance, because after
my mother was restrained and given a breathing tube, my first thoughts was that
she should have some type of chart with pictures and the alphabet to
communicate. Nothing was offered. My sister and I went on to find a way to
communicate with our mother Jessie right away. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Using a handwritten alphabet
chart, we played somewhat of a hangman guessing game (show pics) to realize my
mother was trying to tell us that she was having a hard time getting air or
oxygen. For an entire day we used this self made chart to communicate, and even
having Jessie write things down on paper and a day later did a nurse provide a “health
care communication board” which my mother then refused to use as a way of
letting the care providers know “Thanks but no thanks, we found a way without
your help!” </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVTtzbM8ZCJAGVdsgGokN5RlVJDnoLgnIId3QsR_PoI236neYvWd_zuOHFQHxqISp2Dn3TjXeq8xNa4_43Mv8Xyfkw7m0eWNvsiZ9g8408gpNgzWoKy7aeMazAREonjgZGD-1msgVzzSMT/s1600/IMAG4724.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVTtzbM8ZCJAGVdsgGokN5RlVJDnoLgnIId3QsR_PoI236neYvWd_zuOHFQHxqISp2Dn3TjXeq8xNa4_43Mv8Xyfkw7m0eWNvsiZ9g8408gpNgzWoKy7aeMazAREonjgZGD-1msgVzzSMT/s320/IMAG4724.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Why am I writing
about all this? Well I want to end this by saying that I don’t personally blame
the care providers, but I do blame the hospital CEO’s the elite folks of the
health care system, and most importantly our elected officials. Together they
should be working to hire, train and improve in having one of the best health
care systems in the world. It is up to all of us to be aware of this type of
treatment <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8tImGwkG29NDCrT7gUgGky7TM0yxCpjhpF-bLukgRS8IyTapZ7yz-uG3WXYnRKflNfRBmUJNHBIw6_ihs1QYv-uhR1H5-t7wTPO8_TMYhBIIjaYaENhDGQipoFNHhZxMpubciZ8cCt27e/s1600/IMAG4723.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8tImGwkG29NDCrT7gUgGky7TM0yxCpjhpF-bLukgRS8IyTapZ7yz-uG3WXYnRKflNfRBmUJNHBIw6_ihs1QYv-uhR1H5-t7wTPO8_TMYhBIIjaYaENhDGQipoFNHhZxMpubciZ8cCt27e/s320/IMAG4723.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The card Jessie refused to use</span></td></tr>
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</span>because no one should have to feel shamed, confused or belittled
while lying on their death bed, in the way I feel my mother Jessie was made to
feel. I cannot fathom what her feedback and questionnaire form would look like
should she come back from the dead and talk about her experience receiving care
up to her last breath. Knowing who she was, I’m sure she would do as she had
done for many years, put up a good fight, while still holding love in her heart, all while standing at the door demanding this type of treatment stop. If you have read up to this point, remember, health care is a right and it is “we as a people” of this nation who should determine how we are to be treated and have our tax dollars spent. Not the controlling few. <br />
<div class="separator" style="border-image: none; clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
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<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 9pt;"> </span></div>
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<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 9pt;"> </span></div>
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<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;">
<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";"><span style="font-size: large;">Are healthcare
professionals trained for patients to die sooner than later?</span></span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 9pt;"> </span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">To end this
blog post I want to finish with a political statement about Jessie’s death.
About a week prior to my mother’s death, my mother filled out an advanced
directive. My sister Felicia (Fish) and I were placed as the primary and
secondary health care agents to help my mother Jessie make medical decisions.
(show pic) Early on, my sister Fish and I agreed we would stick to what our
mother wanted….PERIOD! </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<table align="left" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYWwm0cLseQ7TfWgE6Kr1_MFTrQ7SRwFnXy1BoJMU8BifQvEMig1wpzrfSGDiMkKihtfsgzIqv5l6yYpSH-Be2bOvTTWERTYe8BVx9zTdYizxkxCHsyIMPTe6OU1Etb2XbUClNF0DwiuQ9/s1600/IMAG4717+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYWwm0cLseQ7TfWgE6Kr1_MFTrQ7SRwFnXy1BoJMU8BifQvEMig1wpzrfSGDiMkKihtfsgzIqv5l6yYpSH-Be2bOvTTWERTYe8BVx9zTdYizxkxCHsyIMPTe6OU1Etb2XbUClNF0DwiuQ9/s320/IMAG4717+copy.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Copy of our advanced directive</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">When the time came, we felt bombarded by nurses, doctors
and the palliative care team in a manner that seemed to undermine the care my
mother wanted. In fact the advanced directive that identified my sister and I
was not in her file, for some reason they had an old copy from 2014. It boggled
our minds that we had to tell them to look for updated information…..us, a poor
wee little family against a humongous hospital team with tons of resources. And
we think it’s just about that. There seemed to be so much conversation around
trying to get my mother to not ask for more care such as dialysis. It all felt
like the bottom line was the factor which made the health care professionals at
the hospital seemingly behave in such a manner. The cost to keep my mom alive
was giving the feeling of disregard. There was even a moment when a doctor and nurse
were bombarding my mom with so much details of the what ifs, should he choose
to ask for certain type of care. I said “ENOUGH! She is very well capable of
hearing and understanding and she doesn’t need all the extra diversion, she has
asked for what she wants, she knows the possible outcomes, and that is what she
will get, end of story!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My sister also
had to reiterate this in another instance. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"></span><br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"></span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-ont0or2p0j6jSD1bMoxiYqZ_YL2fDmEAnaUZLYveMy1w5xOvvAlTIF2Tiz2TZGprpRJ4vdyCPFr8GxvY4I6N5Hn9zAO_b6I9hEK3YC3fwrhyphenhyphen401rLEi1yl3dSGsKZ9gNoae_0-CeILDO/s1600/IMAG4725.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-ont0or2p0j6jSD1bMoxiYqZ_YL2fDmEAnaUZLYveMy1w5xOvvAlTIF2Tiz2TZGprpRJ4vdyCPFr8GxvY4I6N5Hn9zAO_b6I9hEK3YC3fwrhyphenhyphen401rLEi1yl3dSGsKZ9gNoae_0-CeILDO/s640/IMAG4725.jpg" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Cost for care for Jessie Medina Hernandez</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">I could be
wrong about all this yet in the end the bottom line is all about money,
something my mother did not have a lot of yet was being billed for the care she
received. My mother Jessie’s riches existed only in her will to give and
receive love all while enjoying this beautiful life that those of us still
alive are blessed with. Love one another. In the end, my mother Jessie, fought
very hard to stay alive and have any and every last breath she could despite
the pain and confusion. Her hope for keeping herself alive never faltered.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">This
Indigenous People’s Day, please remember this Indigenous woman who resisted…….good
luck to you and I wish you good health. Try not to end up at Clovis Community
Medical Center.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05998340576671907431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986059855689600500.post-87546651549223610992017-01-16T00:49:00.000-08:002017-02-28T00:49:23.839-08:00Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05998340576671907431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986059855689600500.post-39550285681907833762016-01-06T00:48:00.000-08:002017-02-28T00:48:43.438-08:00Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05998340576671907431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986059855689600500.post-82658375415154357632015-01-13T00:47:00.000-08:002017-02-28T00:47:40.460-08:00testAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05998340576671907431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986059855689600500.post-28395499721687481762014-02-11T00:45:00.000-08:002017-02-28T00:46:42.784-08:00testAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05998340576671907431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986059855689600500.post-25256742051040521792013-12-01T05:20:00.002-08:002013-12-14T00:17:16.299-08:00Life After Peace & Dignity Journeys: One Year Later<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs-GP9N-lKU5b14YQiAsw1HnSWDDVAv8GeF4_TiOrW-Y4VKstECuNPD0_B5Z5erXZxZEi7R65JxTSdEv9judIkjZBhVrjT0bZEqGIxvdyy-Aj06dDOFy84r0q-Z-XgM3-nngbipJrqcS0q/s1600/600px-Biohazard.svg.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs-GP9N-lKU5b14YQiAsw1HnSWDDVAv8GeF4_TiOrW-Y4VKstECuNPD0_B5Z5erXZxZEi7R65JxTSdEv9judIkjZBhVrjT0bZEqGIxvdyy-Aj06dDOFy84r0q-Z-XgM3-nngbipJrqcS0q/s200/600px-Biohazard.svg.png" width="200" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
STILL RECOVERING? </div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It has been a year now since Peace & Dignity
Journey 2012 met its completion where runners from both North and South America
gathered in Guatemala to complete the 6<sup>th</sup> intercontinental run. For some runners this was an 8 month journey for others their commitment was a smaller amount of time. Since my first participation in PDJ 2000, I often
receive questions about my experience in PDJ and usually find myself not
able to completely share the entire side of PDJ. I would
get asked by friends, co-workers, parents, community members and just plain old
strangers that never heard of PDJ but to this day I cannot share exactly what
a runner such as myself experiences because it can only be lived. In this
article I will attempt to identify what I truly believe is the Peace & Dignity
Syndrome. I once wrote an amusing joke-like article about the 2004 PDJ run
which seemed to poke fun at some of the odd things a runner encounters during
and even after returning home from such a long ceremony (Click <a href="http://www.facebook.com/notes/hector-cerda/peace-dignity-journeys-syndrome-do-you-have-it/105639126138490" target="_blank">here </a>to see that humor). In this article I
attempt to write with a bit more seriousness about the Peace & Dignity
Syndrome, something I know runners encounter when returning home. Similar to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder I think that PDJ syndrome is something a runner is placed under without notice, a type of re-establishment stage. Recovering fully from this syndrome is based
on the decision each runner chooses for themselves thus making all the difference
in settling back into their life in a way that I would argue should be a
healthy and productive one.</div>
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<br /></div>
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After having literally run the entire course of the
continent and seeing, hearing and experiencing a more favorable life which is
not the same life people are living when returning back home, I would often ask
myself, what do I do? How do I get my community to understand what I went
through? Why is it hard to explain what PDJ is? Will some people ever get it? Why
are they not doing what is important?</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When Peace and Dignity Journeys began, in short, it was a
movement to encourage indigenous communities to find self-determination. To
recognize that their language and very unique ceremonies and way of life is
sacred and important and there is no need to have to succumb to the mass global
culture that seems to be encouraging people that in order to live on this
planet we must all think and act as one. Prior to this “oneness” concept,
alongside with colonization and globalization, Indigenous nations were doing
just fine maintaining their environment, rights to their land and developing
their own practices that enabled them to interact with neighboring nations. Peace
& Dignity journeys are a reminder to all runners that participate, to
return to their homes and strengthen the sense of community should it not be
present and if it is already there, to build those relationships with
surrounding communities.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Alongside with that, I know that many first time, long
distance PDJ runners might also find that even after a year has passed from completing a PDJ run, their
life might seem as if something is missing, almost longing and yearning to go
back to the way life was while on the Peace & Dignity Journey. I assure you
that is not how you want to live your life and in a bit I will explain what I
mean by that.</div>
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<br /></div>
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First I want to start by addressing those runners that are
still fairly new to the concept of life after Peace & Dignity Journeys. If
you are still longing for the PDJ run, the people you ran with, the communities
you visited or even things like smudging yourself to the point of spiritual
fumigation or collecting water at every river or pond. Know that you are in a
phase that lasts maybe 1-2 years that just about anyone who has committed so
much time on PDJ goes through. This is why I think this should have a clinical
name like “Peace & Dignity Journeys Syndrome” or something like that.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In reality this syndrome is actually less about Peace & Dignity
Journeys and more about the psychology of the human brain. You just ran across
the continent, literally, and learned so many things about the world that is
not true at all for some of the things you might have previously believed. You
also seen so much, felt so much and learned so much that can probably conflict
with some of the things you had held as a personal belief prior to taking the journey
and finally, you adjusted your life a specific way to manage running every day for
7-8 months now you are having to re-adjust again to society without running, and it might feel like a life that you
rather not go back to because the life you had on PDJ was just far more beautiful and made more sense. This can be traumatizing. It can also be more
traumatizing re-adjusting to the character and beliefs of your own family
members, friends and community because their beliefs might conflict with your
own now more than ever since you have witnessed first-hand so many social
injustices and beautiful things through distant lands.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When you return from PDJ it’s like you had your mind
spiritually washed. Everything you thought you knew has been swept away to another
dimension and you now begin this rushed attempt to try and rebuild your
knowledge of the world and your spirituality and as you begin to rethink the
things you experienced you seem to realize that what you just learned and
participated in was larger-than-life on a massive scale. And yes it is
larger-than-life but I promise you once you have enough information to be able
to separate the important things from the less important things everything will
get a bit easier to digest. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What I’m talking about actually has a well know term known
as cognitive dissonance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is where
all of us seek consistency in our personal beliefs and perceptions. When one of
those beliefs begins to conflict with another, we feel discomfort and that
results in cognitive dissonance, or the conflict between two separate understandings
of something where the one we held to be true may begin to be taken over by a
more recently learned belief. If we as runners are not fully aware how this
cognitive dissonance plays a powerful influence in our lives, it can lead to a
harder time re-adjusting back from the run. It plays a major role in how we
improve our ability to make decisions on whether or not the things we learned
about or heard on PDJ are accurate for us to make choices on particularly if it
is something that seems to sound good and possibly reshape our beliefs for the
better, because it doesn’t mean that it is.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAe8gx0Qcp-NyFdlzPgRjye20rH8VAoEuKvSjkO8DgOXrgBhNGF7Z9pgJwOpl9UT0BDTpyskaQyfGzrokKpOLYhtMmYiSA-1mzdEgB2EMkQEh9z4Egl5fLLTVZ61G8ffr2kGhIJ3J_0X1w/s1600/sipress-cognitive-dissonance.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAe8gx0Qcp-NyFdlzPgRjye20rH8VAoEuKvSjkO8DgOXrgBhNGF7Z9pgJwOpl9UT0BDTpyskaQyfGzrokKpOLYhtMmYiSA-1mzdEgB2EMkQEh9z4Egl5fLLTVZ61G8ffr2kGhIJ3J_0X1w/s320/sipress-cognitive-dissonance.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It is the conflict in personal beliefs that I hope to share with
you as a runner, to be very careful when finally deciding what you accept to be
your final belief to accept as true. Ultimately the final choice is yours. At
this point in your life you are still in the rebuilding process and you can
give as much weight to the idea that oil pipelines and mining the land is bad,
something that I believe is on the truth side, as to the idea that water has memory therefore telling water “I hate you” can make its atomic structure ugly shaped rather than a beautiful one for not telling it “I love you." </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You must understand that after participating in PDJ and
going through this syndrome to rebuild your knowledge of the world, you are a
sitting duck in an open field, waiting to be targeted by all sorts of wrong
stuff at this early stage because you have been somewhat traumatized, and you’re
staying up nights trying to determine what is true in your life and what is the
next step to living life after PDJ. This is normal and you will get through it,
and you should continue to figure out what is going to happen next in your life
and rebuilding your world view, however try to do this from good sources.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I know this might seem a challenge because you’re not sure
what to expect or what a good source is but if you’re Native and you understand
your people’s history, rely on God and ceremonial teachings of discernment.
Look to see the things around you and the people you become involved with. Are
they providing good outcomes to your community or bad ones? Is that person’s
life in a wrecked mess to cause you to think twice before taking advice from
them or even becoming involved with them? Or does that person have their life in order with goals and
a plan in mind? When returning from PDJ you should be continuing to rebuild
your life and you want to try to do this rather quickly and getting to a place
where you are stable and productive in your community rather than pushing away
people that love you if they don’t seem to understand the detrimental effects they are
bringing upon themselves for not being more nice to mother earth or if they don't seem to understand you telling
them repeatedly that their belief is not the correct one, or that all their
problems will go away if they learn to have much love and light.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Here is the thing about PDJ syndrome is that you can sound
crazy to some people. You can become super intense about things and that might
be all you want to talk about which might be true like topics about
corporations taking over entire forests or nuclear fallout from Fukushima but
it is even more convincing that you are crazy if you are interested in all the
additional stuff you hear about while on PDJ. Imagine if an overwhelming person
tried to tell you that every morning you must get up and greet the 4 sacred directions
and that women who stand near certain objects while on their moon will cause
everyone to go crazy, meanwhile buffalo on the plains are being killed at an
alarming rate and you must act now before they go extinct causing a chain
effect to other animals and the beams of a full moon have healing properties
that can cure cancer.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now let us assume for the sake of this argument that everything
you learned or heard about on PDJ is true and you want to share those things
with others feeling it is important for them to know. You must realize that it
is too much information for some people to absorb and that there are all kinds
of reasons why it’s too much, I will talk about that in a bit but don’t take
this personal, there is just too much for some people to take in. Like a game
of poker, you must know when to hold and know when to fold.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If a person you are sharing some of your PDJ knowledge with
is being resistant despite your efforts, it is ok to let it be. Pressuring
someone will just lead to burning the bridge of the relationship. If your hopes
is for them to find out about what you want them to know, they need to do so on
their own.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Many people will not learn from your knowledge and will have
to find out for themselves. Just plant a seed with your few words of thought,
trust me I’m sure they took it into consideration somewhere in their thoughts
and later if they experience something that confirms it they might begin to
believe you down the road. Many times I have people say to me how I sounded
crazy about things I spoke to them back long ago, but since then have
experienced things on their own and started to believe I was right about it all
along.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7EeR4HeLth6qL7oUMGLCBRBlSZPQKOz623nKT8B9NCIOEKCX_E77IISAfWR2MQk5XC2vnfb6jz-uJ0e81XqnCP8qPE0Dy_ibm0yrkmbb8huNIGikNRotlFtjrvf2gqMgEGN3xVCRxiMmJ/s1600/guillible-mlm-recruits1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7EeR4HeLth6qL7oUMGLCBRBlSZPQKOz623nKT8B9NCIOEKCX_E77IISAfWR2MQk5XC2vnfb6jz-uJ0e81XqnCP8qPE0Dy_ibm0yrkmbb8huNIGikNRotlFtjrvf2gqMgEGN3xVCRxiMmJ/s320/guillible-mlm-recruits1.jpg" width="288" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But continuing to hammer people on the head with PDJ
spiritual teachings that you might think are important or even issues of some
communities you encountered while on PDJ is only going to be bad for your
relationship with people. It is often like the relative or friend who sells
those pyramid scheme products and all they ever want to talk about is to get
you to buy into it. Eventually you don’t want to hang out with them anymore. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In those cases I suggest, let your family, friends and
others breathe a little bit. I assure you that persons relationship means more
than having them believe that carbon gasses released into the air are melting
snow at alarming rates in Alaska and Canada or that too many visits to the gas
pump is hurting Indian tribes of the Amazon. When the people you interact with
see that you are returning to a normal person after PDJ and your interaction
with them is not an intense one, they are more inclined to believe you. Having
normal conversations with them and find out about what’s happening in their
life is the best way to do this. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This is especially true for anyone who is in a relationship.
Most likely your partner doesn’t want to hear over and over the same thing especially
since most people in relationships are concerned with family, security and
planning a life. The PDJ syndrome can and does lead to all kinds of extreme
relationship problems if not taken seriously.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Let your family and friends be who they are. If they expressed
that they are not into learning or hearing about the stuff you are into, please
find another topic or commonality to share with them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Go to a movie or dinner, talk about normal
things.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And most importantly try to stay away from making rash
decisions regarding yourself or family like:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“Ok everyone gather here now, from now on we are only going
to eat non GMO foods from Canada, we are switching to organic only foods, we
are going to make food offering to the spirits at every meal and no more
supporting corporations like Wal-Mart, we will stand with tribes in the amazon
by switching our cars to hybrid. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And we must
all wear crystals around our neck to deflect bad energy and absorb only the
positive and we must all start speaking in ways that brings us love and light
for all humanity.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></blockquote>
<br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you are still
recent to running with PDJ, I guarantee you that you learned a lot of stuff
that you think is necessary to do but it isn’t.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’m speaking from experience here and I’m trying to save you
the trouble that I went through and the strain I put on people that I loved
during those first couple years of life after PDJ. There are good things to do
and teach your family about in regards to the stuff you learned on PDJ and will
continue to learn for years to come. I am almost 100% positive that a large
portion of stuff you participated in or you heard about or will continue to
hear about after PDJ is totally wrong. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This is also not to place blame on anyone, it is just the
nature of so much “truth” information spread throughout the continent
particularly the internet. Many times, the people who are sharing knowledge or
wisdom that you are seeking is true but they tell you other stuff that sounds
just as true but it is not. And because the other stuff was true mixed with the
stuff that is not true, it causes many of us to not fact check and figure out
if what we are being told or taught is really true. Especially since the people
we are learning from might be cool and wear eagle feathers or open up their
knowledge dropping session with a prayer to the 4 sacred directions and had sage
or copal burning. They might have been charismatic using words of love and
light, showing you fancy charts of ancient calendars or ancient Native American
symbols, and besides they knew everything about Sundance or Aztec dance, the
sweat lodge and the predictions of the Mayans for 2012 so that means everything
they say must be true right?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I want to share some tips for anyone that is still passing
through the phase of the PDJ syndrome. Please keep in mind they are only my
opinion and if you do not see this can apply to you that is ok, I only share
what I feel has worked for me after participating in four separate runs and
observing decisions others have made during this stage of life after PDJ.</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>1. Stay calm and cool. The injustices you might
have learned about or seen on PDJ continue to hear on news or see on Facebook
does not mean the world is going to end and it will NOT all go down tomorrow.
You have time to learn and investigate with your own mind to know what is truly
going on in the world and in your own worldview.</blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
2. Be grounded in the belief of God. Continue to
pray, and sometimes in your own personal space. If it’s your own people’s
ceremony then continue to do so. If you believe in the bible then read that
too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And try to stay away from that
conspiracy Scientology/ New Age hippie type of spirituality that promotes end
of the world prophetic doom or peaceful unison of all the nations if we just
all can love one another. That can go bad for you. No one knows when the so
called end is near or when utopia will arrive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I guarantee you that participating in just plain good preaching of god and
being reminded of the purpose of life will protect you from so many false
teachings and theories out there. As you begin to focus only on yourself and
your relationship to god, you will begin to download bits and pieces of wisdom
that you will desperately need if you are planning to navigate life after being
exposed to PDJ.</blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote>
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span> 3. Take each relationship you have with others with
a one-to-one approach. If someone cannot understand the teachings you have and
made it clear they don’t want to understand, leave them alone. If you are in a
conversation and they mention something like Keystone Pipeline and the Tar
Sands oil is progress and the darn people don’t realize it’s good for us and
creates more jobs and you disagree, just let them know what you know about it from your
perspective. If they hear it out fine, but if they are mad about it do not take
it personal and just move on. All you can do is try and you can get more done
in this way by letting the conversations you have with people just flow and
take its course rather than trying to drop a knowledge bomb on them. Don’t act
like it’s your way or the hiway. Saying something as simple as “You know it’s
been said that the Keystone pipeline will actually harm progress and the
environment and increase the groundwater contamination by 50% of what we have
now.” And BAM! End it there. Don’t allow yourself to be in a fight over the
conversation and if they want to talk more about it, they will let you know and
you should also be prepared to provide them useful information about where you
learned what you are talking about. It cannot just come from out of thin air.
Know your facts and back it up by being able to lead that person to where you
came to that understanding. If for any reason that person does not seem cool to
learn from you, let it be. All you can do at the end of the day is be calm for
yourself and plant a seed rather than drop a bomb on someone.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZueWL8avLaDw0gxabVREbYmgdDhLhgiclBbSAygOOFJmjYXQmnt51Q_EMUoO-zLFbUYDO4W8wa3WmozM5LixWaQzeugnIY_QdspkOIN_lmpbpCz5drQJHrclSJUbOqMODNVJmlSMno980/s1600/Truth+bomb+lt+linen_preview.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZueWL8avLaDw0gxabVREbYmgdDhLhgiclBbSAygOOFJmjYXQmnt51Q_EMUoO-zLFbUYDO4W8wa3WmozM5LixWaQzeugnIY_QdspkOIN_lmpbpCz5drQJHrclSJUbOqMODNVJmlSMno980/s200/Truth+bomb+lt+linen_preview.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
</blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
4. Provide a no pressure approach. A good idea is
to share peer reviewed research articles that actually have scientific studies
in regards to the things you are talking about. Also provide books or videos,
documentaries of things you too have read or watched. Ensuring that the
information you are sharing has also been tested and investigated by yourself
too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pass it to the person and make sure
it’s appropriate for their level and understanding and tell them “If you are
interested check this out” but don’t make it a pressure situation.</blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
5. And finally, examine your own motives while having
a goal in mind. Look deep inside yourself and see why it is you want people to
know what you learned. If you want them to know because you are concerned and
share a genuine care for that person then sorry but you need to play the game
to get them to learn it (the tips I shared earlier). You do not catch more
flies with vinegar but only with honey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But if your whole purpose is that you want to show off to people that
you know more than them because you participated in a run across the continent
and now you have a vast amount of knowledge connecting you to god and spirituality,
claiming that they are the sheeple and you are not and want to teach your
family friends or community members a lesson about why they are wrong about
this and that, then you are always going to be rejected and probably that is
something you deserve. People will sense that type of snobby thinking from you
and will just think you are a jerk at minimum or totally crazy.
</blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Peace & Dignity Journeys syndrome begins to lose much
of its negative affect on you once you begin to understand the power behind the
shift in returning back to your community. When people first participate with
PDJ many will tend to think they have woken up or been exposed to a movement
with so much depth in truth and that all humans must be part of Peace &
Dignity Journeys because, all of the world needs Peace & Dignity. This
might be true to a small extent but the movement of bringing peace and dignity to
communities is a little more complex and takes years of dedication and
continuous relationship building. Also the things we learn about as runners on
PDJ, the struggles and the causes we think are necessary for all people to jump
in and join against the evil forces that damage our communities are not as
important to some people as they might be to you. We are often striking at the
branches of the problem instead of the roots where we can become so involved in
thinking everyone must open their eyes to what is happening to the world when
in the end of the day it’s all about our relationship to god.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That is why I encourage runners to examine their motives of
why they participated in PDJ. What was the actual reason you chose to run and
participate? Did you run to chase an attractive partner? Did you think the run
would heal you from a sickness? Or did you run to cleanse the bad out of you or
your community? Only you know your motives and great evil has always infected
the minds of kings, presidents and leaders of nations trying to colonize and
conquer the world. There are leaders that I would argue do not believe in god and
most people that are firmly grounded in their community are not shocked such
evil leadership exists. Which is why so much social injustices exist, but my
point is having the knowledge of our ancestors gives us a far more greater
battle to fight and that is to keep alive our relationship to god and the land,
protecting the sacredness of each unique individual Indigenous nation because
there will come a time of a great cleansing that only Indigenous nations will
understand how to live through. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This relationship with God is one that I believe the more
that you actually understand, the more you will begin to identify some of the misinformation
spread through out so many ceremonies and gatherings like Peace & Dignity
which in many times allows people who sometimes have no credibility in the things they theorize about, to participate and possibly influence you. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I remember the day that I had just realized that all the
most popular movements were doing a far better job at converting people to join
them in believing their movement than I was doing getting people to remember their
connection to God. For example the zeitgeist, made more converts to the 9/11 Federal
Reserve idea than anything ever before. Scientologists were convincing vast
amounts of people that they were part of an ancient alien race whose origins
come from the Big Dipper. Light workers were pushing for a collective consciousness
to heal through love and light and Mayan experts were claiming that December
2012 would bring a global shift in consciousness for the betterment of all
people. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I do not share this
to tell you not to talk about what you might hear or learn on Peace & Dignity,
I think it is important and some of you might even be called to continue doing PDJ
work for various reasons but I think most of you are not and I am sure of this
because in general terms I feel we are called to do something more important
than just Peace & Dignity. The PDJ syndrome can cause you to long for the
way of life you thought you had while on the run, to long for the people or the
emotions and feelings you felt and possibly mislead you to think that those
experiences are more important but I’m telling you it is not. Longing for such
things can lead you to make a decision about your personal life that can become
a letdown later in life. And I know what you are probably saying “How dare
Hector say that!” and especially if you are new to experiencing PDJ syndrome and
still in the phase. I tell you that they were well lived memories and can serve
as a guide of the life we may envision for ourselves and communities however
the PDJ syndrome begins to lose its grasp on you when you realize the most
productive thing you can do is put people in contact with God and encouraging
them to establish that relationship if not present or maintain that relationship
if already there. Recovery from PDJ syndrome starts to kick in when you are using
your god given abilities, whatever they are, to make strong followers of
Indigenous heritage through God. I promise you that you are made for this.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If you start on that journey you will become a disciple of
god yourself and once you actively establish that connection you will become a
person so filled with the spirit that God gives to all those who keep that faith
alive, that your very own giving of that spirit of God will be automatic and
your greatest happiness. It is the way God made us, it will happen. I promise
you that when you are really using your gifts for the glory of God, the
almighty Creator, the innate desire that you have for a purpose in live will be
fulfilled. You can do this and true greatness does await us because the stakes
are high. The coming cleansing from God will be a far greater journey than
anything any evil person can do to us. There is no need to fear doom and gloom
prophetic stories for our ancestors have overcome much time and time again.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You do not have to give up learning, sharing or feeling
those experiences you did on PDJ, just do not let it consume your life. Don’t
let it become an idol. Make your own personal connection to your family,
friends, community and to God your focus, and help others do the same. In doing
so you will give them the tools they need to understand not just those things
you learned on PDJ but the very purpose of life itself, that is to be disciples
of god, warriors second.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Thank you for your time. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Comments and sharing are strongly suggested.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05998340576671907431noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986059855689600500.post-62776226221105172022013-10-12T22:41:00.000-07:002013-10-12T22:41:37.381-07:00In memory of a woman who resisted.....in your face Columbus! <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<i>* Note: Jody Ann Osborne passed away on September 28, 2013. She was laid to rest today October 12th 2013. I chose to write a letter to her rather than about Columbus.</i></div>
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Jody,</div>
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When it comes to this so called Columbus Day I usually post
something on the internet about the rape, pillage and stealing of Native land, something I know I would get a "like" or a comment from you with laughter and agreement.
I usually do what everyone else is doing and tell people to decolonize, to
resist the white man’s ways or to stop celebrating a man who…well you get the picture.</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijYOCaQqJoWpAGZEQJ1qdsuA-1jlgxyV_Y_cjAWILdynFLyFoDcoXNhk0Cih85HX9Jq0UdcWZJUcia5EMzTM3GUmBgF4QRlCEdL2JW6_RkKf-7UX9jZHtf0VKhPrVdZ_nd7JdD0sP9pGOs/s1600/IMG00399-20131010-0442.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijYOCaQqJoWpAGZEQJ1qdsuA-1jlgxyV_Y_cjAWILdynFLyFoDcoXNhk0Cih85HX9Jq0UdcWZJUcia5EMzTM3GUmBgF4QRlCEdL2JW6_RkKf-7UX9jZHtf0VKhPrVdZ_nd7JdD0sP9pGOs/s320/IMG00399-20131010-0442.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The memory card to your funeral services was beautiful.</td></tr>
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Instead for this day of October 12<sup>th</sup> rather than
focus my energy on all that, I chose to write about a day I celebrated with
your family as everyone help send you home to the spirit
world. Today on October 12<sup>th</sup>, 2013 I chose to write about you Jody
Ann Osborne. Rather than focus any time or energy about Columbus and his
cultural genocide I am going to write about how proud you were to be Choinumni and
how I once stood at your side as we fought back against those “Columbus” style colonizers
that were trying to desecrate your ancestors’ land known as Wahallisch (Crying
Mountain or Jesse Morrow Mountain).</div>
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Today while at your ancestral burial grounds there were so
many folks talking about the great person you are. And I wish I would have
shared a couple of fondest memories I have about you, it just didn’t come to my
mind until later that day. This Columbus Day I chose to do a different way of expressing
what it means to resist and decolonize and Jody, you represented that which we
all can learn from.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVFUE4nho5gmF6OCc-RVEmEhKY_pA7Us-m0bXNZ5lJ7jYUyL_1wosm9JFkZtFTrqrYNTGnOYs6meQvA-yMwt98SNX77vhg8OA_T1-A3HA_Ck0e6tQr08PEhaYvlcipiRtK52kOKk4rwVld/s1600/vets+am.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVFUE4nho5gmF6OCc-RVEmEhKY_pA7Us-m0bXNZ5lJ7jYUyL_1wosm9JFkZtFTrqrYNTGnOYs6meQvA-yMwt98SNX77vhg8OA_T1-A3HA_Ck0e6tQr08PEhaYvlcipiRtK52kOKk4rwVld/s320/vets+am.jpg" width="221" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I still have the Fresno Bee issue from the that year</td></tr>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I first met you back
in 1998 at the Fresno Veterans Day Parade here in Fresno. Native Americans that
fought in all wars were chosen as Grand Marshall. I remember singing with a
drum group called Spirit Ground back then. I was getting ready to jump up on a
float when a young gentleman who’s name I can’t recall, was carrying a flag and
introduced himself to me and the singers from my group. He started talking
about what Nation or Tribe we were from and he told us he is Choinumni. At that
moment one of my friends said, “Oooh there aren’t that many of those around anymore.”
and you overheard my friend say that and you said in a very joyful and
non-offended manner “Hey there is a lot of us, matter of fact this is my nephew
and these are his cousins (pointing to other Choinumni) and those are his
aunties and I am his aunty.” I felt very silly for the comment my friend made but
then you introduced yourself as Jody Osborne. </div>
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I still remember that moment because of how proud you said
you were Choinumni. I still have the newspaper clippings of that year which
also featured a story of your uncle Leonard Osborne. I remember that year we
danced and sang together for all our people in that parade.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAZkBlNNGpaqSLBJDjAyBEcE0KGz_fqp590kpEc2_qSThcazX6gAWjHIFAdlzyfgbkFOnE3VVkprTE-vcYmdzh6X9BvKXbDKbH7t4pQ0o0W9J8KEBD-PNr2XEblISQHzElondFBFogjAT1/s1600/LO.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAZkBlNNGpaqSLBJDjAyBEcE0KGz_fqp590kpEc2_qSThcazX6gAWjHIFAdlzyfgbkFOnE3VVkprTE-vcYmdzh6X9BvKXbDKbH7t4pQ0o0W9J8KEBD-PNr2XEblISQHzElondFBFogjAT1/s400/LO.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After digging up old clippings I realized your uncle was featured in the news. R.I.P.</td></tr>
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Much time passed Jody and I would see you at events, powwows
and gatherings. But because today is October 12<sup>th</sup>, there is one
memory I want to finish talking about for everyone, especially your family to
know. I will always remember how you and I attended that presentation on
Wahallisch Mountain back in 2010, when CEMEX was trying to convince the community
that we needed a mine here in Fresno County. If anyone who is reading this
wants to see how you spoke on behalf of your people they can visit this link
and begin to watch at exactly 35:00 minutes into the video how you did it. (<a href="http://vimeo.com/12608194" target="_blank">http://vimeo.com/12608194</a>). </div>
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It was that day Jody that you stood up to a corporation and
told them that they had no right to desecrate your ancestral land. It was there
that I saw you stand up and speak not only on behalf of the 250 family members
of the Choinumni people, but for all our people to say we are still here, and
we always have been and always will be. Remember when we won against CEMEX? I was on the Peace & Dignity 2012 run and when I heard the news there would be no mine, I remembered how you stood up to CEMEX. But of course many other people were part of the fight, but this is my letter to you and I'm writing it so I give you props!</div>
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On this so called Columbus Day, I want to thank you Jody Ann
Osborne. I want to thank you for being that resistance and for the memories you
instilled in me that taught me the power of the Choinumni Nation. I will see you once again when my time comes, but for now I promise
to keep up the fight for all our people and our relatives yet to come. May the
creator and your ancestors welcome you with open arms.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05998340576671907431noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986059855689600500.post-88090822456921096572013-09-30T22:02:00.000-07:002013-09-30T22:12:04.917-07:00Obamacare Brings the Mark of the Beast ?<br />
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sorry for such a blunt title but as I write this blog post
on the eve of the so-called government shutdown, I must confess, I have been
wanting to talk about what the Mark of the Beast in Obamacare was really about ever since I read propaganda Facebook posts back in 2010. Most of it was prophetic doom and gloom lies. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3hdsT2idR1o0Sya56R85w7W0vO3Yi3YVtjUKGZc_b7qQbhPoTZnmUiC5xEXVXk_kMNrleY4pf5Y9EHn0WU2N0qCai6DNRDk1MDVsrwOyQpqRyeMyPFlNcMw4NqMO5u8PB4pM50h-J1Asj/s1600/what-is-the-mark-of-the-beast-21330407.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3hdsT2idR1o0Sya56R85w7W0vO3Yi3YVtjUKGZc_b7qQbhPoTZnmUiC5xEXVXk_kMNrleY4pf5Y9EHn0WU2N0qCai6DNRDk1MDVsrwOyQpqRyeMyPFlNcMw4NqMO5u8PB4pM50h-J1Asj/s200/what-is-the-mark-of-the-beast-21330407.jpg" width="187" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Mark of the beast?</i></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now I must confess that similar to Dave Chappelle, whom in a 2006
interview with Oprah, said he is a conspiracy theorist to a degree, well same
for me. However the conspiracy I think we have in the United States is the GOP
and what seems to be Conservatives, Tea Party folks and some faith based organizations against
healthcare for all in America. </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
If you look back on popular conspiracy based resistance of
what Obamacare was really all about you would learn that certain entities tried
to stop it, claiming that inside the Affordable Care Act (ACA) there was a clause
that allowed the government to implant RFID chips inside everyone and passing the
ACA was biblical prophecy about to take place. To see some of that propaganda visit this anti-affordable healthcare act video put together by Thinktown USA, a conservative show that was part of the origins of such lies (Visit<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMzl-4jDI3Q" target="_blank"> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMzl-4jDI3Q</a>).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It was a lie. To argue that the government wanted to implant
the masses with RFID chips, many propagandists distorted the following language:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">‘National Medical Device Registry </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">‘‘(g)(1)(A) The Secretary shall establish a national medical
device registry (in this subsection referred to as the ‘registry’) to
facilitate analysis of postmarked safety and outcomes data on each covered
device. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">‘‘(B) In this subsection, the term ‘covered device’— </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">‘‘(i) shall include each class III
device; and </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">‘‘(ii)
may include, as the Secretary determines appropriate and specifies in
regulation, a class II <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>device that is
life-supporting or life-sustaining. </span></div>
</blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Source: HR3962<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="http://housedocs.house.gov/rules/health/111_ahcaa.pdf" target="_blank">http://housedocs.house.gov/rules/health/111_ahcaa.pdf</a></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<i>
</i><br />
<i>
</i><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Simply put, propagandists against Obamacare were saying that
this language in the bill meant that the “Secretary” would be able to implant
RFID chips into people and track their every move. What it really means is that the Secretary is responsible
for creating a database of detailed information of make and model numbers of
technology devices used to help keep people alive such as heart monitors, insulin
pumps, cochlear implants, cardiac defibrillators, pacemakers,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>or any other “wireless” Class III devices used
in life sustaining medical situations. Heaven forbid our nation tracks how
devices help keep alive grandma, grandpa or even YOU! </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The registry was meant for “postmarked” safety outcomes,
meaning that if something should fail or not work, then the registry created by
the Secretary can then be used to track and figure out where that faulty device
came from, where it was manufactured and how to fix it or possibly announce a
recall. Similar to automobile recalls.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Of course none of this actually made It past HR3200, the
origin bill which then went on to become HR 3962 and finally HR 3590, also
known as the “Obamacare” which the GOP is unhappy with.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The resisting forces to universal healthcare has gotten so
weak that they must resort from pathetic prophecy doom and gloom nonsense to
outright crying and whining that they will shut down our country if Obamacare
is not defunded.</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8uVHu0t5egK9WFIrfmONowpL_jIjFACSUtOXycx-CaYpB3UCTn0aD6nXUdEg7dJaEpY0uK8tPx9MeF7WjkdHL8-wndYLRv61PfJ4TmalZEZ_r6NdkkH9oZ5491h9IYkKQjY673y9iqCSw/s1600/monopoly-doctor-fee_b1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8uVHu0t5egK9WFIrfmONowpL_jIjFACSUtOXycx-CaYpB3UCTn0aD6nXUdEg7dJaEpY0uK8tPx9MeF7WjkdHL8-wndYLRv61PfJ4TmalZEZ_r6NdkkH9oZ5491h9IYkKQjY673y9iqCSw/s1600/monopoly-doctor-fee_b1.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The GOP don't mind healthcare, so long as they receive it and YOU pay for it!</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The GOP and their allies failed to stop Obamacare using the “Mark
of the beast RFID implant” propaganda, and now it is plainly visible it was
not their true agenda to save Americans from "The mark of the Beast." Id rather think they do not believe in God or God’s people for the GOP
is at war with the middle class and the poor. It is the GOP that does not want
healthy Americans and wishes to run away from paying in their fair share to our
nation while the rest of us are squeezed dry. The GOP is willing to force our country into default and hold back hard
working Americans from their wages, while they go home happily paid on our
taxes. This is their utmost agenda and it is sickening. Now I think I know why
so many of us need to see a doctor!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The GOP fails to accept that universal healthcare is better
than having everything privatized. It is something of a disgrace when certain
politicians have held America back from joining the developed world on such an
issue. If anyone is marked by the beast and going to take this country to the
fiery pits of hell you can bet your last paycheck it will be the GOP.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05998340576671907431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986059855689600500.post-71398505714177421002013-05-28T00:40:00.000-07:002017-02-28T00:41:30.271-08:00President wants to end war on terrorism? I call bullshit!<div id="google_translate_element">
</div>
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<br />
<div style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="mts _50f8">
<h2>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>President wants to end war on terrorism? I call bullshit!</b></span></h2>
</div>
<div class="mts _50f8">
</div>
<div class="mts _50f8">
<br /></div>
<div class="mts _50f8">
</div>
<div class="mts _50f8">
<span class="timelineUnitContainer"></span></div>
Last week President Obama’s address to the nation (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Duy1ikq21W4" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Duy1ikq21W4</a>),for
lack of better way in saying it, I would say was full of bull. Although
his speech sounded as if war will come to an end, I argue that no
matter what the outcome, the costly war we have seen for years is still
on the agenda of certain powers that be. I also think that although some
good words came from Obama’s speech, the powers that be will continue
to force the real “terrorism”that exists in society and this terrorism
is not coming from people from another country with crock pot bombs,
poisonous powder or airline takeover plots. <br />
<br />
In his speech Obama noted that on September 11<sup>th </sup>it
was not an army but a group of terrorists that came to U.S. shores,
trying to kill as many civilians as possible. He alluded to the hint
that we are fighting“new” wars with “new” technology and small groups of
what seem to be undetected, hidden groups of people out to kill
Americans. Obama also said that,<i> </i><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>“We are safer of our efforts, make no mistake our nation is still threatened by terrorists.” </i></blockquote>
<br />
I
totally agree with the president that we are still threatened by
undetected, small, hidden groups out to kill us yet I would challenge
his statement to say that we are less safe. To explain what I'm getting
at I first want to take a look at what the heck does terrorism even
mean? I mean for you it might mean one thing but for me another. Well
that doesn’t matter because what matters is how the U.S. Government
defines it and according to the CIA, US Code, Section 2656f(d),
terrorism is:<br />
<br />
<blockquote>
<i>“Premeditated, politically
motivated violence perpetrated against noncombatant targets by sub
national groups or clandestine agents.”</i><br />
<br /></blockquote>
And even more important to know is that the CIA indentifies a terrorist group as:<br />
<blockquote>
<br />
<i>“Any group that practices, or has significant subgroups that practice, international terrorism.”</i></blockquote>
<br />
Definition found at: (<a href="https://www.cia.gov/news-information/cia-the-war-on-terrorism/terrorism-faqs.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.cia.gov/news-information/cia-the-war-on-terrorism/terrorism-faqs.html</a>)<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi79t4FRroDbx_2dDcwjcDsn4HR89YHLbdK038jNPhxDwzjn-iDwU8ecdSjeK-aNSRpTIpVLdmZw2IAoPDlNk_9nd75za4oQwuLNclv76WCLWiNTpthkRxz0fnLQ-F0fKyxt_l81nUVk8xN/s1600/130419190029-66-boston-manhunt-0419-horizontal-gallery.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi79t4FRroDbx_2dDcwjcDsn4HR89YHLbdK038jNPhxDwzjn-iDwU8ecdSjeK-aNSRpTIpVLdmZw2IAoPDlNk_9nd75za4oQwuLNclv76WCLWiNTpthkRxz0fnLQ-F0fKyxt_l81nUVk8xN/s400/130419190029-66-boston-manhunt-0419-horizontal-gallery.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Welcome to Afghanistan, ahem, uh...I mean Boston U.S.A.</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I
want to focus on these terms because the CIA’s definition of terrorism
includes the terms premeditated, politically motivated and most
importantly, violence. Violence that comes from sub national or
clandestine agents. Basically terrorism comes from organized political
units or groups maintained and funded within countries and they do it in
covert, stealthy methods to ultimately perpetrate violence against
unarmed people. Was President Obama not paying attention to his script? I
cannot think of any other agency that has such capability to carry out
terrorism or such covert options other than CIA themselves, law
enforcement agencies or our super elite corporations that have
continuously manipulated the lives of innocent, noncombatant civilians
in the United States,well across the world to be exact. This is why I
said that Obama is correct when he says our nation is still threatened
by terrorists.<br />
<br />
These terrorists come out in full force
combatant gear,weapons and arms here in our nation any time the people
gather and assemble under the 1<sup>st</sup> amendment. I feel that
Obama must be President of a different United States than the one I live
in, because in his speech he also said that it is <i> </i><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>“Not possible for America to simply deploy a team of special forces to capture every terrorist”</i></blockquote>
<br />
Obama
must be talking about that other United States of America that he lives
in? The United States of America I live in proved they are completely
willing and capable towards finding who they want, when they want and
where they want which includes US soil when shortly after the so called
Boston bombing, something that resembled martial law was placed into
effect. <br />
<br />
Obama eventually notes that trillions of
dollars are spent on war. This war against terrorism that is supposed to
keep us safer and save American lives. Well how about it Obama? If
saving Americans is top priority of any president how many lives have we
saved?<br />
<br />
According to the 2011 US National Counterterrorism Center report on terrorism, (<a href="https://fas.org/irp/threat/nctc2011.pdf">https://fas.org/irp/threat/nctc2011.pdf</a>), only
17 private U.S.Citizens died in terrorist related attacks for that year
and only 3 private U.S.Citizens were in a terrorist related hostage
kidnapping. This is the counter terrorism that our nation spends
trillions of dollars on.<br />
<br />
If our government and
president care so much about our well being and safety, why not do
something intelligent? Why not put those trillions of dollars into
saving Americans from the things that are killing them by the thousands
each year. According to The Center for Disease Control‘s National Vital
Statistics Report of 2011 (<a href="http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fnchs%2Fdata%2Fnvsr%2Fnvsr61%2Fnvsr61_06.pdf&h=uAQF8uAQK&s=1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr61/nvsr61_06.pdf</a>),the
top killer of Americans was heart disease at 596,339. After that the
next top killer of Americans was cancer at 575,313 people and another
top killer for Americans was chronic lower respiratory illness diseases
at 143,382. The list goes on identifying the top ten killers of
Americans to be in the thousands, yet I see no “terrorism” on that list.
And if anyone wants to be a smart ass and say that it wont be on the
list because terrorism is not a disease, well it would be there if the
death rate was cause for concern because "unintentional accidents" rates
as the nations 5<sup>th</sup> with 127,777deaths, and that category does not sound like a disease. Terrorism only accounted for 17 American deaths in 2011. <br />
<br />
For
decades Americans have been fighting for access to a higher quality of
life. They go unarmed against corporations like Monsanto, Nestle, Bank
of America, Chevron, BP, Wal-Mart and many other groups that have
exploited people across the globe. When the people stand up to them,
these noncombatant targets are many times violently met by clandestine
groups of law enforcement in full riot gear, tear gas, tanks, dogs and
many other combatant weapons within their arsenal. And it’s usually to
always put a violent end to the marches, protests and demonstrations
that the people bring to express concern on those things that I would
say have contributed to the top killers in America as I identified
earlier. I say this because Americans have always sought for better
quality of food, air and water but it doesn’t seem to get to be one of
the top addresses to the nation that the President will ever talk about.
It usually is always terror, terror,terror.<br />
<br />
Americans
have made it clear in many more ways than one, that they want access to
the same quality of life and seek those trillions of dollars spent on
war to be spent at home on programs, services and methods that will give
them the same high quality of life that the super rich elite owners of
corporations get to benefit from. Americans just have not attained it
yet, because the powers that be, want us to think that even if wars were
to end, terrorism will still exist therefore we must shift those
trillions of dollars into covert operations here at home which include
drones and increased spy technology.<br />
<br />
I don’t buy into
it. If Obama and our government want to increase the safety of Americans
and keep us from continuous acts of what I think is the real terrorism
happening in our country, then the agenda should include flying drones
over the private property of corporate owners of Monsanto, Chevron, and
hundreds of other Wall Street corporations. Install cameras in their
offices and homes, invade their privacy and keep a record of all their
accounts and decisions that take place in closed meetings. But of course
this is only wishful thinking eh? If we are to take “terrorism”
seriously and keep America safe, then take the CIA’s definition of
terrorism for what it says and ensure that noncombatant Americans will
no longer be met with violence or the threat of it from clandestine law
enforcement agencies in full riot gear, tanks sweeping the streets. If
Americans are to truly be safe in this country, then focus on those
factors that increase the standard of living and quality of life. Do
what will make Americans feel safe and earn back the trust many lost in
our government leaders.<br />
<br />
<br />
And finally, lets really keep
irrational fear mongering tactics (terrorism)out of our future policy
making process and be truthful in telling Americans that they have a
higher rate of having accidental death, diabetes and cancer rather then
telling them they can die at any moment by an exploding rice cooker. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05998340576671907431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986059855689600500.post-53571657445283249962013-03-30T03:00:00.000-07:002017-02-28T00:26:24.700-08:00 Fail! Why the 2012, worldwide, unified, global consciousness, awakening never happened and what it’s still all about<br />
<div class="tr_bq">
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<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxkJuNa8cDHFKcUuU3SoUToVizI3v5wmgPXra-9Dsu9YAN-Sv-onm8QchZWza3tEAxJ-xIWYYmZHI_NolNluJvkIT86HWiRocfLV5rK7qlkIvJTi47zY7UTCkah96ai6Ds8BRRCyDzdCeg/s1600/meteor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxkJuNa8cDHFKcUuU3SoUToVizI3v5wmgPXra-9Dsu9YAN-Sv-onm8QchZWza3tEAxJ-xIWYYmZHI_NolNluJvkIT86HWiRocfLV5rK7qlkIvJTi47zY7UTCkah96ai6Ds8BRRCyDzdCeg/s200/meteor.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<h2 align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span class="entity"><span style="line-height: 115%;"></span></span></span></h2>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="entity">By
Hector Cerda</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br />
*Note: some numbered footnotes can be clicked on to visit material researched for this article<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<h3>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Introduction</b></h3>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;">The year 2012</span> was supposed to bring a worldwide, cosmic,<span class="entity"> unified, global consciousness, awakening. News
stories and Facebook postings were very common for a few years leading up to
2012 that suggested events would happen such as a galactic planetary alignment to
take place on December 21. Other events were supposed to take place like the
arrival of a new planet into our solar system or a giant meteor that would head
towards planet earth and cause Armageddon like consequences. Anything resembling
such prophetic events didn’t seem to take place. In fact I write this article
to investigate such false doom and gloom theories. </span><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="entity">I will show you, the reader not only where
these theories originate from but why they are being pushed so heavily and why
I think they will continue to resurface. I will argue that the main source of
pushing this agenda comes from the New Age-pseudoscience community that
continues to exploit Native American, First Nations people. I will describe the exact concept I think is used to push such a movement and I will demonstrate
that not only do the New Agers gain monetarily from promoting such an agenda but
also the rich and powerful elites, or as the Occupy movement termed as the
1% of the human race that hold the worlds wealth <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/26/us/politics/top-earners-doubled-share-of-nations-income-cbo-says.html?_r=1" target="_blank">(1)</a>. This 1% benefit indirectly from such
exploitation of people because the 2012 theories are part of continued social
construct of placing fear among the masses in order to convince them to
willingly surrender rights and resources for social control. In this article I
will explore some of the people whom I think are from the New Age,
Pseudoscience community and took on a false authority figure on Native American
prophecy for their own personal gain. I will compare such false figures to what
I believe is a more authentic approach towards living in true prophecy for change
among Native Americans. I will do this by examining movements of the New Agers vs.
the traditional native approach that both began in the early 90s in preparation
for the 500th year celebrations of Columbus’s so called discovery of the
America’s. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For this article, I use the term New Age or New Agers to
refer to the people that seem to use Native American rituals and traditions to
their own personal benefit (primarily fame, fortune or to fulfill ego) but have
no intent in pursuing a relationship with Native American tribal communities
towards self-determination and preservation of cultural roots. I use the term Native
American, First Nation, or Indigenous interchangeably as a way to refer to
those ethnic groups that New Agers exploit. <span class="entity">If you are ready
to take this journey, then grab a cup of Timmy’s or Starbucks coffee, or better
yet a cup of Fair Trade coffee from your local organic store and be ready to
expand your mind. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<h3>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Being Transparent Of
My Own Bias: A Stance On Personal Beliefs</b></h3>
<h3>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b></h3>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I believe in the almighty, the ultimate force in this
universe that many would call God or the Creator. I do not know whether this
god is male, female or anything of the like but I do believe that this almighty
Creator is responsible for making both the male and female essences which for
many of our Indigenous traditions, is necessary to continue the structure of a
family then so, a clan and ultimately a nation of people. God is a grand
mystery that we as humans will never be able to understand. In fact I think it
was never meant for us to try to understand the entire workings of the universe
but to only live them out and that the most basic principles of science,
astronomy, technology and society were already explored and instilled in all of
us as humans long ago by our ancestors. God created us to participate less in
preaching and more in doing. All humans each have their own languages, customs
and ways that God intended and that these ways should be held sacred. In no way
whatsoever do I believe anyone should infringe on the right of cultural groups
or nations to keep alive their ancient songs, ceremonies, dances, foods,
customs and language. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I think that God gave us the gift of choice to determine
that which is best for our families, clans and individual communities and that
since this almighty God created everything, that there are natural laws that
keep such constructs in balance and for that reason I think that God has given
us the scientific method, that which is the ability for us to experiment for
ourselves what works best for our individual communities and families, and I
think that science, as an observation of the natural world and how it can work
to benefit our people is not only a gift from God but also a responsibility. I
believe this responsibility of understanding the natural world through the
scientific method and respecting how it works for us is a contract between
humans and the Creator to continue living in sacred ways that benefits us.
However I also believe in the ability for such contracts and abilities to be
broken.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think that good science is
Godly and it should be something we all should seek out. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I also challenge you the reader to never take what you read
or hear in the media at face value when told and teach yourself how to research
credibility of what people say and publish (including this article). I think there is too much false
information (especially on the internet) and that pseudoscience is growing ever
more popular to convince people into believing false ideologies while pushing
away truth through real ethical science.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I think that with the gift of choice, that some of us can forget or lose
sight of our purpose in life and take the natural laws we are supposed to
respect alongside with the gift of science and abuse such to personal gain and
benefit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We see this through the history
of time itself where common people are harmed by our world leaders or those
with power because they have forgotten the understanding of God. Such forgotten
understanding is clearly demonstrated in the current and highly questionable
use of advanced technological use in weapons including bombs, biological
warfare, computer surveillance systems, drones, machines and the encouragement
of ideologies that are meant to harm people such as commodification of
resources and ultimately divide and conquering nations by separating families
through either social, political or military means. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And finally I believe there is the ability for people to
choose to be malevolent or cause harm to others. I think that the ability to
harm and kill, to destroy and neglect that which God made for us has been
happening among us for some time now and that there are plans by evil people to
keep doing this. I think that for those leaders among various nations,
communities and organizations that actually uphold such evil doings do not care
for the rest of us and that it is like a disease that consumes and destroys
anything these people want; a consumption of so many resources that they
themselves become the cannibals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
late Dr. Jack Forbes, a world class Native American scholar once identified
such people as <i><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">wetiko,</span></i> a Cree
term which, to
quote Forbes, is "an evil person or spirit who terrorizes other
creatures by means of terrible evil acts,"(2). People who suffer from wetiko disease are the
true cannibals of the world with no understanding of God and natural law. The
concept of the wetiko was brought into Native American academics by Forbes
in order to shift the paradigm towards identifying who the actual evil doers
are in this world as opposed to those that do want to be right with
humanity and God. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If you know me through the <a href="http://sandiego.indymedia.org/pdj/" target="_blank">Peace & Dignity Journeys</a> or
any work related on Indigenous movements you will know that I believe in
cultural preservation and self-determination. Uniting our Indigenous
communities to work together for common struggles is crucial however Indigenous
people are not all the same and we should be vigilant towards anyone or any
other movement that might absorb our unique tribal communities into the global
one-size-fits-all culture that is constantly trying to get us to give up our
beliefs, language and right to preserve land. To put it bluntly, there has been (since 1492)
and continues to be a constant attack on the cultural and spiritual roots of
the Indigenous people of the Americas and I will not ever back away from
reminding others about this. Indigenous identity is the spiritual center of a
person. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<h3>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The New World Order:
Rule of Law vs. Law of the Jungle </b></h3>
<h3>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b></h3>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Without sounding too much of a conspiracy theorist, It is
important to briefly discuss who and what the New World Order (NWO) is and how
it relates to globalism and the continuous attack on Indigenous peoples of the
Americas (and the world). The first time I ever heard the term New World Order
was on September 11, 1990 during an address to the union, George Bush Sr. noted
that peace could only be kept for our future generations by establishing this
New World Order, a rule of law that trumps the law of the jungle, where the
those nations that are strong have respect for the weaker however Bush was
making his case for taking the United States to war <a href="http://bushlibrary.tamu.edu/research/public_papers.php?id=2217&year=1990&month=9" target="_blank">(3)</a>. I would argue that this was a clear and
present message to any nation who would challenge the United States and ruling
elite class. The law of the jungle phrase used by Bush was a coded way for
George Bush Sr. to say that indigenous people who wish to push back against the
United States (supported by the United Nations) war machine, and not willing to abandon
their cultural identity will suffer the reign of the United States. Such a
similar case was made by Pope Alexander VI in his Inter Caetera of 1493, a year
after the landing of Christopher Columbus to the Americas, the development of such
laws and legal doctrines regarding who could rule the so called New World would
continue. The final piece of that document reads:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“Let no one, therefore, infringe, or with rash boldness
contravene, this our recommendation, exhortation, requisition, gift, grant,
assignment, constitution, deputation, decree, mandate, prohibition, and will.
Should anyone presume to attempt this, be it known to him that he will incur
the wrath of Almighty God and of the blessed apostles Peter and Paul.”(4) </blockquote>
Such a claim made by
Pope Alexander VI back in 1493 contains the same ideology as made by George
Bush Sr. when he gave another similar speech on January 16, 1991 stating that<span style="font-size: small;">;"</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: small;">"We have before us the opportunity to forge for ourselves and for future generations a new world order -- a world where the rule of law, not the law of the jungle, governs the conduct of nations. When we are successful -- and we will be -- we have a real chance at this new world order, an order in which credible United Nations can use its peacekeeping role to fulfill the promise and vision of the U.N.'s founders"<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"><a href="http://bushlibrary.tamu.edu/research/public_papers.php?id=2625&year=1991&month=01" target="_blank">(5)</a></span></span> </blockquote>
And to avoid going too
deep into the topic, the overall issue was based on two nations, Iraq invading Kuwait
over territorial disputes regarding access to oil within Kuwait <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/1990/07/25/world/us-deploys-air-and-sea-forces-after-iraq-threatens-2-neighbors.html" target="_blank">(6)</a>. Rather than allowing these
countries <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to resolve political issues within
themselves the United States under the leadership of George Bush Sr. made a
case through the United Nations that such nations that operate under “the law
of the jungle” and not the rule of law are a threat to the world <a href="http://bushlibrary.tamu.edu/research/public_papers.php?id=2767&year=1991&month=3" target="_blank">(7).</a><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If you are not convinced that the “Rule of Law” is one of
imperial rule over nations that wish to have self-determination over themselves
recent world events would support my claim regarding the United States. There
has been much controversy over Edward Snowden, an ex CIA Computer technician
who leaked documents that proved United States National Security Agency was possibly
taking unethical steps in how it spied on its own citizens <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/10/us/former-cia-worker-says-he-leaked-surveillance-data.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0" target="_blank">(8)</a>. Snowden was seen as a
threat to United States and while hiding, seeking political asylum, President
Evo Morales of Bolivia publicly stated that should Edward Snowden seek refuge
in Bolivia, he would analyze the request. Morales never said it was for certain.
President Morales is a prominent Indigenous figure for his country and has been
known to speak up against actions by the United States. Shortly after his
comment about asylum for Snowden, his jet plane was aggressively diverted from
making it back to his country and forced to land in Austria, being accused of
the possibility that he had Snowden in his plane <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2013/07/04/world/americas/bolivia-morales-snowden" target="_blank">(9)</a>. This is clearly evident that such an order had
to have come from the White House. If that plane was air force one with President
Obama being aggressively diverted to another country, those jets would have
been shot down and Obama would have made it safe and sound to his wife and
children. President Morales does not get that same preferential treatment
because it may be seen that he operates under the law of the jungle and not the
rule of law.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The 2011 Occupy movement on Wall street realized very late
what Indigenous , First Nations already knew and it was this; There is a small
group of ruling elite that continuously get richer in wealth by taking the
peoples resources <a href="http://www.dcourier.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=100176" target="_blank">(10)</a>. They do it in such a manner that is evil, destructive and has no regard for the
sacredness of life. This repeated tactic seems all too common to me as a Native
American because it resembles the ideology as explained earlier in the Inter
Caetera of Pope Alexander the VI and the Manifest Destiny under a divine god <a href="http://digital.library.cornell.edu/cgi/t/text/text-%20idx?c=usde;cc=;view=toc;subview=short;idno=usde0006-4" target="_blank">(11)</a> that the first European
immigrants used to justify unethical, murderous, pillaging methods to colonize
land proven to have already been occupied by hundreds of distinct nations of people (12).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So to summarize this piece, the NWO is simply the large
class of ruling elites across many nations that have been wanting a one world
government, with one language, one main headquarters and one main leader. And
similar to the first colonizers that arrived in the Americas, the NWO is
clearly in the business of taking all the resources for their own king (CEO)
back home. Contrary to what you can find on the internet about the NWO and its
relationship to secret societies, satanic worshipping and other conspiracies,
the NWO has never been a secret. The global agenda is clear and present, its
not done in secret, it only seems that way for those who are too involved with
other “important” matters like the sports championship games or the next top
model. Understanding the NWO is more psychological than anything for persons
who have grown up disconnected from their traditional roots or unaware of how
the world works and had a paradigm shift in their understanding how society is truly
constructed. The agenda of the ruling elite (NWO) has been present for
centuries and continues to move its agenda of world domination, something that
began in 1492 with the arrival of Columbus to this hemisphere and later in this
article I will refer to why it is important to keep in mind how the NWO stands
to benefit from movements like the false 2012 prophecies pushed by the New Age
community.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<h3>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Messiah Complex: I
have the answers to your problem </b></h3>
<h3>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b></h3>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Prior to identifying the people behind the 2012 prophecies I
want to discuss something I call the Messiah complex. This complex is based on
a human delusional disorder, type grandiose. The Diagnostical Statistics Manual
identifies delusional disorder, grandiose type occurs within someone who claims
to be someone of a higher power or even with a message from a deity (13). A person taking on the
Messiah Complex can be assumed to be in a state of mind in which they believe
themselves destined to be the savior of a group of people or saving someone
from a particular event. Such a complex can also cause someone to believe they
ultimately are saviors of the world.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This act of believing to be a messiah I argue can also
manifest into habits of a person in which they themselves, self-create a crisis
event and later have the remedy to save the people who are being negatively
affected by the crisis. This is the habit that I think was first put into action
by the colonial settlers of this hemisphere. They brought many crisis related
events with them only to later claim to be saviors to Native Americans by
offering (by force) religions, policies, laws, foods , customs and ultimately foreign
languages that was in the best interest to save them if they did not adopt to
such.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Having a messiah complex is also
common in our current society and should enough people follow along behind
someone who has such a complex could lead to persons following someone with
non-credible wisdom or even worse, a cult.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I say this because I have personally seen many people who
have come to terms with a new way of looking at the world including folks who
begin to learn their Indigenous culture whereas they didn’t know prior.
Generally this seems to happen to new born followers of any spiritual or
religious practice. Similarly, for many folks who have had a paradigm shift in
their outlook towards US politics and globalism, I seen many young people
become obsessed with what they feel is the “truth” to how the world truly is
and that everyone is blind as sheep going along with the flock. Persons in such
situations feel as if they have seen the light and feel so great about their
new revelation that they feel the need to open the eyes of more people and this
in turn is damaging to that person.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>These things represent that one person’s own experience and their own
personal will and vision. The further they begin to act in such a manner can
further their complex of thinking they are a messiah and possibly pushing the
rhetoric that doomsday will fall upon those who do not change.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Some of the first doomsday claims I recall learning about
was as a child in the 80s and 90s. Prince wrote a popular song titled, 1999
which had lyrics describing the need to party before we die from an unknown
destruction. The decade of the 90s brought Y2K doomsday prophecies in that the
year 2000 could bring the end of the world all because a computer glitch could
lead to a devastating meltdown to our technological infrastructure <a href="http://www.cnn.com/TECH/computing/9903/04/un.y2k.idg/" target="_blank">(14).</a>One of the most popular
cult-like new religion, now a school of enlightenment is led by a woman known
as JZ Knight <a href="http://www.ramtha.com/" target="_blank">(15)</a>. Knight
was nearly worshipped as an enlightened master almost somewhat of a messiah
that began a movement towards getting followers to believe the concept of the “self”
while at the same time making a fortune for fee based workshops and healing
seminars. According to Knight a 35,000 year old spirit named Ramtha can channel
himself through the woman known as JZ Knight. According to Knight she claims
that her ability to channel Ramtha is not a hoax. Knight also promoted doomsday
prophecies to her followers noting that the United States would suffer great
natural disasters in years to come which would include volcanos, quakes,
droughts and tidal waves. Knight encouraged that it would be wise for Americans
that lived near coastal areas to pack up and leave, especially closer to where
Knight could be more accessible in the Pacific Northwest where she lives <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3AKyZDo9H8" target="_blank">(16)</a>. </div>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
</blockquote>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; height: 184px; text-align: center; width: 245px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMcull7KZggp_YGhyphenhyphenaamZGRHyaUzOe4sGFsHguDV0RREtLSlT12PE0TOsuZq7A5PNlfEYtQ_NEkpo7O20FzGtka_i68AW1OeTVMevR0fgcPFeoS8_I-TDLAdy0wxruBteMaElE05527mAM/s1600/JZ+knight.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="136" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMcull7KZggp_YGhyphenhyphenaamZGRHyaUzOe4sGFsHguDV0RREtLSlT12PE0TOsuZq7A5PNlfEYtQ_NEkpo7O20FzGtka_i68AW1OeTVMevR0fgcPFeoS8_I-TDLAdy0wxruBteMaElE05527mAM/s200/JZ+knight.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>JZ Knight channeling the spirit of Ramtha</b> <b>during one of her costly sessions.</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Since the 80s the New Age profiteering scams have heavily
increased and not only do they seem to take advantage of people but they
incorporate Native American rituals and tend to exploit them for personal profit.
Shamanic healers and special messages from the divine are common characteristics
of such New Age cults like the Ramtha organization that arose from the 80s and
they all seem to be profit <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>based where
the mass of followers pay to access sacred wisdom and knowledge of the future
all while supporting<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the lavish
lifestyles of those at the top<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span> (17). To the reader of this
article, I encourage you to investigate for yourself the cult of Ramtha which
is still around to this day. As far back as I can recall, it is within this New
Age cult of Ramtha that I argue some of the false prophecies about 2012 began
to arise.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<h3>
</h3>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<h3>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Doomsday
Prophecies:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>An Epidemic among the New
Agers</b></h3>
<h3>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b></h3>
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX33UTq1LyxooDu2oDpNjsufCdu7Bn-bV0HWFZSog-YXP94OxNUfb6YXxPXL3qYfvf8xQGdLfFFETbXta9ztmF9o3yqFCOvV08eujgf9AIOUdK6hb7ubZjMtmhddzV1Ld73G8dgoHZ2keE/s1600/cover+MSB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX33UTq1LyxooDu2oDpNjsufCdu7Bn-bV0HWFZSog-YXP94OxNUfb6YXxPXL3qYfvf8xQGdLfFFETbXta9ztmF9o3yqFCOvV08eujgf9AIOUdK6hb7ubZjMtmhddzV1Ld73G8dgoHZ2keE/s320/cover+MSB.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>This issue claims to share Native American wisdom.</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I have for many years possessed a magazine title <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Body, Mind, Spirit</i>. It was released in
January of 1993, just a couple of months after worldwide protests against the 500th year
celebrations of the so called Discovery of the Americas. I mention this
magazine because I will compare it to another magazine I also possess titled; <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Rethinking Columbus </i>dated 1991. I will
discuss the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Rethinking Columbus</i>
magazine at the end of this article but first let’s explore the copy of <i>Body
Mind Spirit</i> that actually has some of the first articles published by New Agers
in the 90s to push the agenda of prophecies of doom. Looking at the cover, the
magazine has a glorious cover of what seems to be Native American themed art,
and it is labeled in a way that leads the reader to think it has authority as
“Native American elders share their wisdom.” is on the cover. If one were to actually have the copy at
hand, you might be able to identify it as a quackery of false claims cause it
sells merchandise, from ordering miracle making audio tapes, weight loss wonder
pills and even an ad that claims you can achieve Christ consciousness as we
dawn for a new era in the year 2000 (18). The magazine is full of tarot readings you can order, free horoscopes
suggesting you to learn more only after purchasing audio tapes. The magazine is
full of so many things that make me wonder why anyone would go to college for a
career when one can just sell New Age merchandise to make a profit. But that is
why I am writing this article, to demonstrate the ability to investigate the
difference. And be prepared because I will add humor to my investigations.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; height: 306px; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left; width: 229px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD_uxtl4MtPy18srtBsJS0CgC1vjGl2_7S_an9NGPbpsBZDq9sc1zU9ZpgyAs6H8NH523Q20dexf2pLm428hsLJp7XZ-rQZjVbGt8TsA9BJJWgQFpUjT8sqt835urgmw8lQPNBO-j-XjLz/s1600/jesus+ad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD_uxtl4MtPy18srtBsJS0CgC1vjGl2_7S_an9NGPbpsBZDq9sc1zU9ZpgyAs6H8NH523Q20dexf2pLm428hsLJp7XZ-rQZjVbGt8TsA9BJJWgQFpUjT8sqt835urgmw8lQPNBO-j-XjLz/s320/jesus+ad.jpg" width="168" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Not an ad to this article, but hey I will still take $5. My address is...</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
In an article of this magazine, the writer Judi Pope Koteen
claims to have interviewed a Native American elder who goes by the name of Ghost
Wolf. Ghost Wolf goes on to explain that he has sacred knowledge of star people
known as meteorites that will come down from the earth to respond to earth’s
pain and suffering. Ghost wolf claims that in this prophecy, the meteors will
hit the earth so hard that it will cause natural disasters and plates to shift.
He also continues to explain what some might argue is our current state of
climate change, as he describes a very detailed event that will cause seasons
to shift and the poles to flip. Ghost Wolf does this in such a way that leads
the reader to almost feel as though these are related to exact current events.
However he said this in 1993. Ghost Wolf has since passed away and also been
known to exploit the people he worked with, not to mention that he was romantically
involved with Pope-Koteen, the person who interviewed him for this story. A common characteristic of such persons that claim prophetic wisdom was to become romantically involved with their followers or clients, lacking clear boundaries of carrying on a professional setting involving such sharing of wisdom. Ghost
Wolf ends his interview by noting that all humans must awaken to a spiritual
illumination or suffer the consequences (19). His approach in telling this so called
prophecy is one that I would argue makes him seem as though he is a messiah.
The article written on Ghost Wolf and his prophetic meteors hitting earth are
accompanied by other small comment boxes of what seem to be New Agers making
suggestive comments towards a global consciousness shift.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One off them is a person named Sandra
Pathweaver, a Cherokee Metis grandmother who claims that earth changes are
coming in the not so distant future (20). Pathweaver also maintains a website that seem to contain
elements of Native American authenticity however a visit to the website shows
that tarot card readings, astrology and shamanism are all part of her classes <a href="http://www.buffalotracesociety.com/holly/classes.htm" target="_blank">(21).</a><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; height: 333px; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right; width: 321px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxNbo0nMxLSnZpSjPEpgvN2ePvms_1LxIcyxWxtZc_kc7CrFL9uLHbscMwN7fIKP2l8dpIDI8fu_dzF2UpBHOOuy1MwpI3u3Wdlm5xiKkPpfsWOXyC2-Kj4DMzik60p-pA9LUAlsPc22TY/s1600/pathweaver.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxNbo0nMxLSnZpSjPEpgvN2ePvms_1LxIcyxWxtZc_kc7CrFL9uLHbscMwN7fIKP2l8dpIDI8fu_dzF2UpBHOOuy1MwpI3u3Wdlm5xiKkPpfsWOXyC2-Kj4DMzik60p-pA9LUAlsPc22TY/s320/pathweaver.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Dr. Saundra Pathweaver claims earth changes are coming. Will that be year 2000 or 2012?</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Another comment box in the Ghost Wolf article contains a
quote from Brooke Medicine Eagle who claims to be a Lakota Metis ceremony leader
and teacher. Medicine Eagle states that there is a lesson “we are being asked
to carry as we graduate into the Aquarian age, the time of the nine pointed
star…Will we carry with us her sacred pipe and the oneness it represents and
move into the New Age? Or will we be left behind?” (22). I
must interject here and ask the reader to think for a moment. Since when do human
beings “graduate” into a New Age? Do we get caps, gowns and tassels? If humans
are to graduate into a New Age, what was graduation like when humans shifted
into the current age we are in now? Is she talking about something to be forced
upon us like what happened with the first arrival of Europeans immigrants in
1492? It should also be noted that Medicine Eagle also has a website where she
charges a fee to attend her workshops <a href="http://www.medicineeagle.com/index.php/storylines" target="_blank">(23).</a></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; height: 383px; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left; width: 266px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_YouJc_B_4hf7XQhiFlrBfBAMz6R5wUMWN3sXlqvmfYWbcCYVNBVveZyXvndzqi_ZWmvEEK2thEH74tKE_mHLGdNjktIxUYJJGKfYDqCaxp1g_HJaOPVJMdl57fLEpZp-4YYz6iskiOZ3/s1600/brooke.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_YouJc_B_4hf7XQhiFlrBfBAMz6R5wUMWN3sXlqvmfYWbcCYVNBVveZyXvndzqi_ZWmvEEK2thEH74tKE_mHLGdNjktIxUYJJGKfYDqCaxp1g_HJaOPVJMdl57fLEpZp-4YYz6iskiOZ3/s320/brooke.jpg" width="252" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Medicine Eagle says carry your pipe when you</b> <b>graduate to the New Age.</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Another smoking gun quote in this article that proves the
falseness of the 2012 Mayan prophecies is made by a woman named Charla
Tarwater. Tarwater states that “The Mayan Calendar made its shift into the
final phase on July of this year (1992). The calendar is over when this phase
ends.” (24). Tarwater
also continues to prophesize that at the end of that phase is when women will
return to their rightful power in the universe also stating that from that
point until 2012, 100 million women worldwide will reach menopause, claiming
that hot flashes and night sweats are correlated to volcanoes and floods. Keep
in mind that this end of the Mayan calendar according to Tarwater, was in July
of 1992. Since then 20 years have passed on her prophetic predictions and in
regards to women and menopause, I did not want to go there for her lack of
scientific reference but sadly she sold herself short on claiming prophetic
doom for in 1996 a researcher suggested that in regards to women and menopause
that by 2030, 1.2 billion women will have reached the stage of menopause (25). From 1990 to 2030 that
is an estimated 30 million per year worldwide or in other figures, multiply
that 30 million by 12 years (1990 to 2012) and we have an estimate of 360
Million women by 2012 to have reached menopause. Why did Tarwater only stop at
100 million women worldwide? Was she ignorant of the next numerical place value
that followed after the 100 million? Was Tarwater saving the other 260 million
for another doomsday prophecy? It is obvious to me that 360 Million sounds more
prophetic than 100 million, so why did Tarwater not use this number? Tarwater
could have also easily accessed the World Development Reports published annually
where these numbers were pulled from rather than pulling them from her own…I
think you get the point. It should also be noted that Tarwater manages a
website where she claims to be a New Age shaman and also offers clinical hours
of therapy for a fee. She claims to be a doctor however her healing certifications
as labeled on her website do not show anything I would consider from a legitimate
university or college <a href="http://www.sacredheartofthewest.com/9901.html" target="_blank">(26).</a><span style="background: lime; mso-highlight: lime;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRxi2aEXwRa2M_tBbBfJvve26i9Q0WRf_qQgPvsSU7ujZuZ_8SS0t7d4zjgmg6UVt-L1lRgk6z8fIMbgevdsjR4uQwexFkuRPr588tKVQIa8cmqzPxAyScS70iRin4eyLA1gD0zomZj7Qf/s1600/tarwater.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRxi2aEXwRa2M_tBbBfJvve26i9Q0WRf_qQgPvsSU7ujZuZ_8SS0t7d4zjgmg6UVt-L1lRgk6z8fIMbgevdsjR4uQwexFkuRPr588tKVQIa8cmqzPxAyScS70iRin4eyLA1gD0zomZj7Qf/s1600/tarwater.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Tarwater and her menopausal prophecy.</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span></div>
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There is also a quote from a woman who identifies herself as
Grandmother Twylah Nitsch, an elder of Seneca Wolf Clan. According to Nitsch, at
the time she was quoted for this article she said that the world was entering a
fourth world of illumination. Governments would fall and industries alike would
collapse. This is all part of the earth changes she notes that will have people
being gone who wanted to leave and those who want to stay will remain on this
plane (27). Nitsch
passed away in 2007 but a website with her books on how to prepare for the prophetic
life events to come is available for purchase on a website <a href="http://www.wolfclanteachinglodge.org/" target="_blank">(28)</a>. It is not certain if
this is New Age folks exploiting her for profit or if she would have normally charged
for such services through workshops like the others identified above. There is however
another source where Nitsch claims that we are entering into a fifth world of
illumination (29). Nitsch
makes absurd claims that the ancestors of beings from long ago are encouraging
an awakening of some crystals that were misused before in the past and that it
led to the earth being swallowed into oblivion (30). I argue that Nitsch had no idea what she was
talking about and that her ideologies were those similar to New Age rituals,
where Nitsch claims the use of crystals to be planted in specific parts of the
earth are necessary to return the earth to its harmonic balance. I will discuss
the exploitation methods by New Agers and crystals but I still want to focus on
the claims made by Nitsch about crystals because they come from a book called
Profiles in Wisdom. This book published in 1991 is filled with profiles
claiming to be prophetic wisdom from Native American elders. One odd profile in
particular is William Commanda, a much respected keeper of several Algonquin
wampum shell belts which he interprets as holding records of prophecies,
history, treaty agreements between his people and first European accounts (31). The belts he kept also
held sacred pacts among his own people and how they were to live among each
other and the earth. I personally hold Commanda’s life in high respect and what
makes Commanda’s story different from Nitsch and the other New Ager stories is
that Commanda does not speak as if he has a messiah complex. Commanda actually
speaks about real issues in regards to the legitimacy of European colonial
powers settling and making law that supersedes those rights and title of Native
Americans. He addresses the issue from a credible position in that such efforts
were purposely made to eliminate inhabitants of this hemisphere to take the resources.
Commanda also does not claim to know when the world will end or when such
prophetic illumination is going to take place, he merely talks about what cleansing
is in regards to natural disasters but he clearly states he does not know what
the future holds or how it will happen. He only addresses what has happened to Native
American people based on past experiences (32).</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; height: 365px; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left; width: 260px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeum67aQ7fK1LkYP8PmAa3JBoZnb3m00-bSY2a6hgqgMcYJTmRHW_01xhwUVT0hC4z-7zkMLnN8kkNZV96lbSeBwreCsouybmFMR4SS_sjefqj5toDOLlc5FH2hH498N7uYEKlR36_0IqV/s1600/Nitsch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeum67aQ7fK1LkYP8PmAa3JBoZnb3m00-bSY2a6hgqgMcYJTmRHW_01xhwUVT0hC4z-7zkMLnN8kkNZV96lbSeBwreCsouybmFMR4SS_sjefqj5toDOLlc5FH2hH498N7uYEKlR36_0IqV/s400/Nitsch.jpg" width="210" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Nitsch suggests to use crystals or else be swallowed into oblivion</b> .</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Aside from Commanda's profile in this questionable book of
prophetic wisdom from elders, all the other elders from the book Profiles of
Wisdom along with those I have identified in the Ghost Wolf article I believe
are either frauds or persons who become exploited by New Agers. Such prophecies
that claim to contain wisdom and knowledge do not address any type of critical discussion
nor do they suggest wisdom that illuminates their followers to engage in
constructive action (as I will discuss true prophetic approaches later in this
article). This is the problem that I see with such New Age philosophy that
encourages love and light, enlightenment and a god like cosmic convergence that
pushed for the 2012 agenda.</div>
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A person who takes on self-proclaimed positions to be
keepers of prophetic wisdom I argue, are not doing anything to empower
Indigenous communities to truly access the resources and proper procedures
towards maintaining self-determination and sovereignty. Instead such prophetic
wisdom encourages Indigenous people and all people alike to become absorbed
into the mass conglomerate of followers that are awaiting a cosmic event that
will save humans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At the same time such
wisdom pushed by these New Age philosophers is primarily from their own
egocentric self, motivated by monetary gain. Now let’s take another step into
more recent years to examine how these false prophetic claims were recycled
again by other New Age exploiters of Native American philosophy.</div>
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<h3>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Exploiting the 2012 movement</b></h3>
<h3>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b></h3>
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The first discussions I heard about the 2012 worldwide shift
in consciousness was prior to my participation in Peace & Dignity Journeys
2008 run. Daniel Pinchbeck, a non-community member of any Native American or
Mayan community at that, wrote a book titled <i>2012: The Return of Quetzalcoatl</i>. I
recall seeing him in an interview on one of the big corporate news networks
like MSNBC or CNN. Then much later I saw him on my own local ABC news on a
story about the 2012 Prophecies where he suggested we had no control over a
movement that is drawing us in towards this global shift <a href="http://abclocal.go.com/kfsn/story?section=news/local&id=5928063" target="_blank">(33)</a>. Later I would hear more
of his “prophetic” book that claimed to contain so much information of what to
expect for 2012. After examining his book it is obvious Pinchbeck pushed an
agenda that included promotion of psychedelic drug use for receiving higher
states of consciousness whereas he claims that he was visited by an ancient
Mayan God known as Quetzalcoatl while having ingested drugs in the amazon.
Pinchbeck claimed that the spirit of Quetzalcoatl took up residence in his mind
and brought him to a new level of consciousness to become a new messenger of
this news of prophecy (34).</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; height: 357px; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right; width: 348px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrb1U-spHkqr8k3v8lNZ2jqLAqNJQLbMu2JD6BsdaV814kzkAaXewP6I5dFJEW72VXONoDHcm95NKczAQRuq8a49TRcp_z1hKWBGVTLQgw9PK5BkxD8uyPI3n2PT_5UsLmx2TwQqqbqZph/s1600/pinchbeck.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrb1U-spHkqr8k3v8lNZ2jqLAqNJQLbMu2JD6BsdaV814kzkAaXewP6I5dFJEW72VXONoDHcm95NKczAQRuq8a49TRcp_z1hKWBGVTLQgw9PK5BkxD8uyPI3n2PT_5UsLmx2TwQqqbqZph/s320/pinchbeck.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Jim Jones tells his followers to drink the Kool-Aid, never mind its just Daniel pretending to be Quetzalcoatl</b>.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Pinchbeck also pushed the agenda that as human beings we
must unite as a whole if we are to evolve into a higher state of consciousness,
and that similar to tribal rites of passage as humans we must all evolve
towards awareness that we are all interconnected <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHTZiJAPLOE" target="_blank">(35)</a>. Pinchbeck also claims that we should be more
involved with our shamanic self and rely less on the sophisticated things in
life <a href="http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/79555/december-14-2006/daniel-pinchbeck" target="_blank">(36).</a></div>
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Of course the enlightened Pinchbeck didn’t bother to
investigate that his experience in the Amazon should have revealed to him that
the traditional teachings of Quetzalcoatl do not originate anywhere near the
Amazon. In fact he placed himself in position of expertise of the Mayan
calendar as it relates to Quetzalcoatl but his understanding of cultural
competency between the Maya and the psychedelic drug experience he had in the Amazon
never crossed his mind that he was way off by speaking on two completely different cultures on two separate continents to be exact. He did however enjoy a large amount
of fame and fortune in the selling of his book and numerous show appearances. </div>
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Another case comes from a man named David Wilcock. Wilcock
does not seem to be connected to any Indigenous nation or community however
similar to JZ Knight that I mentioned earlier in this article, claiming to have
channeled a 35,000 year old spirit that gives her prophetic wisdom, Wilcock also
claims to have made contact, and channel a spirit known as the ancient Egyptian
god Ra after reading a book titled <i>The Law of One; The Ra material</i>. That book
oddly was written by other people who do not give themselves credit as authors
of the book but claimed to have received the material by process of channeling
the spirit of Ra <a href="http://divinecosmos.com/about-david-wilcock" target="_blank">(37)</a>. A book was also written based on life experiences with Wilcock on how he might
be a reincarnated man named Edward Cayce, capable of telling the future (38). During his channeling sessions, Wilcock claims
that so many of his clients were given readings on prophetic earth changes to
come and will usher in spiritual ascension for the year 2000. This was also the
time to raise his fees charging clients from $65 to $150 per session when the spirit of Ra instructed Wilcock to begin doing this while also channeling sessions for
other people to promote peace in the late 90s. (39).</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; height: 232px; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right; width: 334px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1xkiabZT4oKj1FnLuqH_q5ituYz5pcsldryvX54TTKNsaQwK5I4CzCo872J2sBRCapDzb4eWA7_qctFptIs9xtJeSZa3AppoevoXDRAurZ1R-0FPI8jxSFNYcCjmdpKiN87by8WYoMiph/s1600/wilcox.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1xkiabZT4oKj1FnLuqH_q5ituYz5pcsldryvX54TTKNsaQwK5I4CzCo872J2sBRCapDzb4eWA7_qctFptIs9xtJeSZa3AppoevoXDRAurZ1R-0FPI8jxSFNYcCjmdpKiN87by8WYoMiph/s320/wilcox.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>"That will be $150 for me having to share with you that prophetic wisdom</b>."</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;">John Major Jenkins was also another New Age pusher of the
2012 agenda. Jenkins also claims that his spiritual enlightenment was credited
to his sophisticated use of LSD and other mentally enhancing techniques (40).<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">Jenkins proclaimed himself as an expert in Mayan cosmology and went on
to argue that the cosmic understanding of the universe that the Maya came to
understand was attained throug</span>h the use of drugs. He eventually pushed the 2012
agenda with the claims that we will be shifting from one world age to the next (41). In no way
does Jenkins use his credentials or position to actually discuss that the Maya
actually might have had a very profound use of the scientific method which
would have had to been used overwhelmingly to possess such an advanced
understanding in astronomy and the universe. Instead Jenkins promotes the ideology
that the Maya Indians of the past had to have been high and on drugs to have reached such enlightenment
by saying, </span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-style: normal;">“</span>Psychoactive mushrooms and other powerful mind-altering
substances were being used in the area of Mesoamerica that gave birth to the
Long Count calendar" <a href="http://www.realitysandwich.com/maya_shamanism_and_2012_psychedelic_cosmology" target="_blank">(42)</a>.<i><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-style: normal;"> </span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-style: normal;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-style: normal;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; height: 301px; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left; width: 332px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi70sh_WO1sMBp7gwwXygiV9_om9va5C8mR7AkJdiQJTMR6IGcb2yztbKUBfP2KuMdHtNqTYUw6xe3Ba-6nNUR_dOQtzkK2yXxeZ-uiHJmt0XSA6reDA1pqOqU1U7Ihrk84DEHzJq2U_MLn/s1600/jenkins.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi70sh_WO1sMBp7gwwXygiV9_om9va5C8mR7AkJdiQJTMR6IGcb2yztbKUBfP2KuMdHtNqTYUw6xe3Ba-6nNUR_dOQtzkK2yXxeZ-uiHJmt0XSA6reDA1pqOqU1U7Ihrk84DEHzJq2U_MLn/s320/jenkins.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>"It<i>'</i>s utterly impossible for Native Americans to come to intelligent wisdom unless they are high. Did you drug my glass of water cause I'm feeling<i> </i>intelligent?</b>"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span></i><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-style: normal;">God forbid intelligence is possible for Native American civilizations through means
of a normal state of mind. Does Jenkins think that in order to achieve such
high standard of mathematical engineering and science that one must be high on
drugs? This is the exact same Messiah complex that resonates within the
exploiters of traditional Native American wisdom and knowledge. Jenkins apparently
claims to know best of what the Maya did to achieve such a superior level of scientific wisdom and he is here
to save us all from making the great mistake in thinking that the Maya are not intelligent
enough to attain knowledge for themselves without the use of drugs. Jenkins is
here to tell the world the way it should be according to his drug altering experiences and we all should join him as one. It is also important to
note that Jenkins is not a distinguished academic scholar in Native American
culture. I cannot find what college or university he attended that would have
taught him the need for using the academic and scientific methods which probably
explains why</span><i><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-style: normal;"> </span></i>Jenkins considers scientific approaches to be
something only limited thinkers would consider. </div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Jose Argüelles is also another New Age exploiter who has the
same epidemic like characteristics of all the persons I have identified above. Argüelles
claims that he too was able to channel an ancient Mayan Priest knows as Pacal
Votan who led him to a new spiritual enlightenment which is documented
according to his personal website <a href="http://www.blogger.com/2013,%20http://www.earthportals.com/Portal_Messenger/votan.html" target="_blank">(43)</a> revealing to him the date of 2012 to be eventful. Argüelles
began to push his harmonic convergence teachings in the 80s and he claimed to
have created a new Dreamspell calendar, where Arguelles then claimed that the
spirit of Votan was now living inside of him, he no longer was to be identified
as Jose Arguelles <a href="http://www.earthportals.com/Portal_Messenger/josevotan.html" target="_blank">(44)</a>.<br />
<span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; height: 453px; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right; width: 317px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVkvWx2TRfHF685-5__QiIckokb3mmq0TiZFrrkQZI-VwNOePPpLbq8l-kVkLJNED835LLaQIzEsdhRV1nt92FZvzGLxKQnf8VD5ZFUv7_rZw_zy147TYsr8vmICIPGvEr0QPSX3Pd0EDS/s1600/Jose-Arguelles_synchronotron.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVkvWx2TRfHF685-5__QiIckokb3mmq0TiZFrrkQZI-VwNOePPpLbq8l-kVkLJNED835LLaQIzEsdhRV1nt92FZvzGLxKQnf8VD5ZFUv7_rZw_zy147TYsr8vmICIPGvEr0QPSX3Pd0EDS/s400/Jose-Arguelles_synchronotron.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>"Hello? Jose Arguelles no longer lives in this body, but as an ancient Mayan spiritual telemarketer I will be glad to take your prophetic reading for you.</b>"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span></div>
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<br />
And finally as mentioned earlier, New Age crystal planting rituals
needed in order to balance the earth could never have been more exploited then
by a woman named Keisha Crowther or as she calls herself Little Grandmother.
Prior to 2012, Crowther claimed that she was one of 12 chosen messiahs on this
planet that have prophetic wisdom we must all strive to become conscious of. The
best sources on Crowther are on YouTube, where she claims that it is Mayan
prophecy that will bring heaven on earth in what seems to be an event to take
place in 2012. Such claims included promises that people will enlighten to
something much higher if they only choose to love. Crowther pushed an agenda
that led her followers to believe that there were extra-terrestrial spiritual
beings waiting to come to earth and teach us new technological advances but
that we are not yet ready to receive them due to the lack of oneness and love
among humans in the world. She did this while at the same time claiming to be a
shaman for the Sioux Salish tribe however her workshops and events have amassed
thousands and probably millions of dollars with none going towards
the loving act of rebuilding Indigenous communities living in poverty. Crowther also makes it
clear that for Indigenous people to begin the healing that the earth so
deserves can only be attained through planting of crystals in the ground <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJjIwXEABT0" target="_blank">(45)</a>. To this day even
after being exposed as a fraud <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=albQnbN4JjQ" target="_blank">(46)</a>, Crowther still claims to have received the wisdom of the
ancestors to help people prepare for the coming New Age and to shift into the 4<sup>th</sup>
dimension through fee based workshops and speaking engagements <a href="http://littlegrandmother.net/Workshops_and_Retreats.html" target="_blank">(47)</a>.</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; height: 294px; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left; width: 375px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioilaL65OngRdna2vC2EvcHO_sEqhREJ-yFmJpICRPEqOpvQwsZrzJGlEd3C5EJ1LnMxOdBya7Y9CWyfl2vcJwYHcIwy6fh2icVaPoNG6A3QBApLGWcUmZ5L5jrVo_j2f7nAnOj91D0U2V/s1600/KieshaCrowther+plant+crystals.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioilaL65OngRdna2vC2EvcHO_sEqhREJ-yFmJpICRPEqOpvQwsZrzJGlEd3C5EJ1LnMxOdBya7Y9CWyfl2vcJwYHcIwy6fh2icVaPoNG6A3QBApLGWcUmZ5L5jrVo_j2f7nAnOj91D0U2V/s320/KieshaCrowther+plant+crystals.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>"BY THE POWER OF GREY SKULL!! With this crystal planting I will restore peace to the earth!</b>"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
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These characters I mentioned thus far are just a few of the
many that pushed the 2012 agenda to exploit people and their resources. Their
prophetic messages for 2012 was that the spirit world is trying to teach us, but I say that if this were ever true does the spirit world not know anything about
science or astronomical wisdom? Do the spirits that channel through
these New Agers know they are lying or are they stupid in understanding basic
scientific principles of the universe? Shouldn't these spirits get it right, i mean after all they do have something to do with God and creation?</div>
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<h3>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b></h3>
<h3>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">In the next decade
the star people you call meteorites will hit the earth? Say what?</b></h3>
<h3>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b></h3>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The article about prophecy mentioned earlier and comets
hitting the planet can be traced to partially originate from Ghost Wolf. We did
not go too far into detail about who Ghost Wolf really was and one should
always questions someone who goes by stereotypical names while simultaneously
trying to prophesize spiritual mumbo jumbo on behalf of Native American peoples
especially when they want do so in the guise of such stereotypical names. Ghost
Wolf is also known as Robert Franzone or Robert Perry. Prior to his passing in 2005,
Perry added the title of Dr. to his name as can be noted on his website <a href="http://www.wolflodge.org/index1.htm" target="_blank">(48).</a></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; height: 405px; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right; width: 244px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLmopNZ9kyuFnEt8G9UrUwrYG3ZHag5IBkHvnzb9V-t0T7JqaO14Kiy-NsSBoMihk-kwyqAhAeWeW7F3qOuNMa-L48WWUSEq8c6LS20xVaQE38_phg9BJPx5PfqvLh3JrGqZCI_wwsgYiX/s1600/pict208.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLmopNZ9kyuFnEt8G9UrUwrYG3ZHag5IBkHvnzb9V-t0T7JqaO14Kiy-NsSBoMihk-kwyqAhAeWeW7F3qOuNMa-L48WWUSEq8c6LS20xVaQE38_phg9BJPx5PfqvLh3JrGqZCI_wwsgYiX/s320/pict208.jpg" width="203" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>"The star people you call meteorites will hit the earth</b>.<b> I accept checks. make it out to Ghost Wolf...i mean Robert Parry."</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Perry was involved
with New Age prophetic teachings that claimed the world as we know it would end
for what seemed to be vengeance from a higher power for what happened to Native
Americans. This occurred in the early 90s and he can be seen on YouTube videos <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iesDl7zgA0E" target="_blank">(49)</a> along with another New
Age organization known as, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I Am America</i>
led by a woman named Lori Toye. Toye claims to have been sent messages as far
back as 1983 by spiritual entities of what the United States geographical
landscape will look like which includes all of the Pacific Northwest and
California seeming to have sunk into the ocean. Available for $30, a map can be
sent to help prepare you for the earth changes <a href="http://0340037.netsolstores.com/iamamericamap.aspx" target="_blank">(50)</a>. She and Robert Perry both created some of the
first theories based on spiritual master teachers sending them messages that
California and other parts of the word would sink into the ocean. Robert Perry
(Ghost Wolf) would also go on to be caught up in financial/legal issues with
Judi Koteen, who first published the article we began to explore with New Agers
and prophecies. Further online research on Judi Koteen reveals that she
wrote a book titled, Last Waltz of the Tyrants: The Prophecy. In this book, Koteen
claims to have channeled a spirit known as Ramtha that speaks of prophetic
events to unfold which are closely similar to those made by JZ Knight I
mentioned earlier in this article <a href="http://www.abebooks.com/Last-Waltz-Tyrants-Prophecy-Koteen-Judi/1181072555/bd" target="_blank">(51)</a>. As you can see these New Age prophecies are not authentic
as we may think they are. They are a continued recycled product of the same
story that occurred about a decade prior among the New Age community. </div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; height: 442px; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left; width: 412px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC76plq2Yzx2vv7iw46v8DhApldk6jcCknnOgKyUqv-B42C-ak1j-V4wV-uPzmRaAtQDAT-GEOHhd4wltRR2tuwuJmqGo7Xkx0o_21KJe2PXC_Z75rXHnVPODIM-hKLOJUXXs9EtYg6nyU/s1600/ghostbail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="370" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC76plq2Yzx2vv7iw46v8DhApldk6jcCknnOgKyUqv-B42C-ak1j-V4wV-uPzmRaAtQDAT-GEOHhd4wltRR2tuwuJmqGo7Xkx0o_21KJe2PXC_Z75rXHnVPODIM-hKLOJUXXs9EtYg6nyU/s400/ghostbail.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Sadly, Robert Franzone was caught up in legal matters concerning his business partners</b>.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>
Lastly with the misconceptions about meteorites and
catastrophic events there was also questions regarding New Age theories that a
comet or planet like object was making its way towards the earth and would have
negative consequences on the magnetic poles, the electromagnetic waves and
quite possibly block out the sun for a few days or lead to drastic change in
the climate <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features/2012.html#nibiru" target="_blank">(52).</a> This
theory of a possible object coming towards earth originally came from a writer
named Zecharia Sitchin. Sitchin theorized the possibility of humans having
extra-terrestrial origins by misinterpreting an ancient Sumerian seal that he
claims has a Sumerian cultural symbol that represents a planet, which led to him writing
his famous and widely debunked book, The 12<sup>th</sup> Planet. What Sitchin
claimed is on a stone of an ancient depiction of our solar system, the sun of our galaxy surrounded by smaller
planets, <a href="http://www.sitchiniswrong.com/VA243/VA243.htm" target="_blank">(53)</a> has
been noted to be not an ancient sun but an ancient Sumerian symbol of a star <a href="http://www.sitchiniswrong.com/VA243seal.pdf" target="_blank">(54). </a><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; height: 288px; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right; width: 345px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj8PxxkZS8ZthzKECs-cnxAfDOFiHCH4rPpEHYXjPk4msvLU0Ie2cgQHGZVVzwpmYG9XWv5e-hQJt28jfH3brDcSiq3fIQgSYJqyOzrTTq7DkwzHreMqCQREULLB6_r62wAUnkzgUkQafq/s1600/10sitchencylinder_seal_va-243inberlin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj8PxxkZS8ZthzKECs-cnxAfDOFiHCH4rPpEHYXjPk4msvLU0Ie2cgQHGZVVzwpmYG9XWv5e-hQJt28jfH3brDcSiq3fIQgSYJqyOzrTTq7DkwzHreMqCQREULLB6_r62wAUnkzgUkQafq/s320/10sitchencylinder_seal_va-243inberlin.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>The symbol of a star at top left was mistaken by Sitchin as a symbol for the sun</b>. <b>Note the multiple pointed star is not within a circle.</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
This observation has been proven
that the ancient Sumerian stone did not have anything close to something
resembling a secret planet that Sitchin argued we have yet to see come towards
earth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sitchin has since been proven
wrong by other scholars that give a better scientific analysis of what the
symbol actually is that Sitchin claims is a planet <a href="http://www.sitchiniswrong.com/about/about.htm" target="_blank">(55)</a>. The 12<sup>th</sup> planet theory is
one that was sadly hijacked and prophesized by other New Agers to come into the
path of earth and cause pole shifts and natural disasters during the time
leading up to 2012.
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; height: 242px; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left; width: 273px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis2LrKEcbWFumx1bFwIEtbG0PYkmnnayQubVb5dlHGwaqyBeEqRZYyEfIirza86gtxXFvLLSbDj_Wo0wsnE4iwwiE0vZReORX9bCTOot6VNjGb1Apa4ySmzVY9TCANY73beNuZ4uwokgDx/s1600/sun+moon+star.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="161" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis2LrKEcbWFumx1bFwIEtbG0PYkmnnayQubVb5dlHGwaqyBeEqRZYyEfIirza86gtxXFvLLSbDj_Wo0wsnE4iwwiE0vZReORX9bCTOot6VNjGb1Apa4ySmzVY9TCANY73beNuZ4uwokgDx/s200/sun+moon+star.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>The sun correctly identfied. A four-pointed star within a circle. Note the multiple pointed star.</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In conclusion for this piece of the article, you now have
been given the origins to the 2012 prophecies that either claimed a
catastrophic event of earth collisions with meteors, spewing volcanoes, floods
and even spiritual enlightenment to a higher state of human consciousness which
in my opinion was never meant to happen.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<h3>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Identifying those who benefit from quackery science prophecies</b></h3>
<h3>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b></h3>
</div>
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</div>
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The false doom and gloom prophecies such as that of 2012 are
meant to strike fear into the masses. This fear that arises from such
storytelling I would argue is meant to persuade large groups of people to think
and behave in a specific way that benefits a small number of people either in
the corporate media, such as news stations, book publishers and also sometimes
political agendas meant to change policy and laws. The 2012 prophecies were
almost very convincing even sounding scientifically true to an extent. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The challenge I think that exists today is
that people in general can be misled and are not well acquainted with the
understanding on how to empirically research or investigate claims made by
people that obviously should stand out as not having credible sources to their claims.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This fear instilled in the masses of people is one that can
also lead to psychological shock and distress. Such shock is comparable to that
which Naomi Kline outlined in her book, <i>The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster
Capitalism.</i> Klein described it best when in her book she defined the shock that
people receive from leaders of nations and world decision makers occur when they
exploit people based on either a natural or purposely intended crisis. Such
crisis events are used as an opportunity for certain leaders in the political
world to further push laws and policies that benefit the small corporate elite
and push the masses further into a crisis, thus more shock (56). I argue that this is done by certain leaders
tapping into the fear of the masses by using those crisis events and claiming
to have the answer to fixing the problem. Do you recall the section I wrote in
this article about the Messiah Complex? Next time you hear of a disastrous
event in the news like the Boston bombing, the Sandy Hook School shooting, the
Trayvon Martin issue or anything that is massively bombarded all over the
corporate media, I challenge you to not become too worried about what happened,
but instead carefully listen and observe what happens in the media and politics
soon after such crisis events. Is there a massive push to change laws and
policies when it wasn’t a news headline before? Are people reacting out of fear?
Is the story being supported with evidence based facts and figures that you can locate for yourself? I will let you decide that.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Because people in general do not have the time or resources
to quickly recover from such fear, they can be taken advantage of and in regards
to false prophecy such as those of the year 2012 I think that the New World
Order which I described earlier in this article is partially behind such
movements. I think this because the NWO benefits the most from people who fall
for such frauds promoting a global change in the name of humanity. In fact I
would argue that entering a New Age </div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; height: 314px; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right; width: 334px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgzfmWR8aV67JDNPIfT2fZQFU_cAnj8H0PeKZ71B-YJ_Rpi8wW42YKf4b1-xPSzhPxRa8lh-T2ETtl4dqmTaojWlOe9ZV-OUnY5C_gI-MlJGl1I4k_fpBC-F7_dNawtu3BHxICLb-nukey/s1600/KieshaOcean.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgzfmWR8aV67JDNPIfT2fZQFU_cAnj8H0PeKZ71B-YJ_Rpi8wW42YKf4b1-xPSzhPxRa8lh-T2ETtl4dqmTaojWlOe9ZV-OUnY5C_gI-MlJGl1I4k_fpBC-F7_dNawtu3BHxICLb-nukey/s320/KieshaOcean.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Planting crystals in the ocean might solve the problems of the world so long as its done with the jawbone of an animal</b>, <b>maybe buffalo?</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
or “graduating” to a higher dimension is
exactly the outcome expected for the leaders that are involved with the NWO.
This is where I encourage the reader to make the connection between the phrases
“New World Order” and “New Age” where an intended shift is expected to be taken
on among the masses of people who have not yet bought into the idea of a one
world government. Those groups of people that I feel will not fall into the
idea of a one world government include First Nations and Indigenous people of
the world. The New Age movement or also the New World Order is an attempt to
implement the Rule of Law vs. the Law of the Jungle. This is an attempt to
transform the spirituality of people that have little realization that all the
natural law and wisdom of God already exists and they don’t realize there is no
need for a new way of doing things, and there is only the old ways.<br />
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The New Age wannabes that claim to have prophetic wisdom do
not even have to be associated with such New World Order political beliefs of the Democrats,
Republicans, Tea Party, Communists, Capitalists or any other socio-political
groups that overwhelm the masses and try to shift them into a New Age. The New Agers just need to believe that they
are special (Messiah Complex) and possess sacred knowledge of love and light
that we all must attain in order to be saved and evolve to become a more
advanced human race than the one we currently are today. This New Age
evolvement into a higher state of consciousness I argue is somewhat of a
spiritual and cultural based eugenics that greatly benefits the elite.</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; height: 308px; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left; width: 322px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTdjmAiBZYupQRv1hjBxJnD_w3UcWuV7GKpxduLXhBHA-W7x4b0UBQ8vY1yKwHQhMMPdotEBBp0icwvV2TP_Cva15qRqPm5mFZ4R3hc_F3mW-JzWACq2onokDqkP7AwC_Ll-kfnVBbwKE5/s1600/KieshaCrowther4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTdjmAiBZYupQRv1hjBxJnD_w3UcWuV7GKpxduLXhBHA-W7x4b0UBQ8vY1yKwHQhMMPdotEBBp0icwvV2TP_Cva15qRqPm5mFZ4R3hc_F3mW-JzWACq2onokDqkP7AwC_Ll-kfnVBbwKE5/s320/KieshaCrowther4.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>In order to see great change we must all unite as one nation, one tribe. Oh and give your money to the one person with such a prophetic message.</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
If not carefully examined, fraudulent New
Age wisdom can be used to continue the onslaught of erasing traditional wisdom and
cultural upbringing. I cannot stop but think about how the rhetoric among New
Agers and New World Order politics are almost identical in that they claim to
possess the path of enlightenment, to a better new world as though the ancestral
knowledge of our Indigenous past and present is one based on stupidity and
incapable of sacred wisdom and knowledge. It is because of such similar
ideologies that I argue completely that the New Agers are pushing an agenda
that is not just for monetary gain but to possibly influence worldwide political power
to shift to the elites. This is done either purposefully or not and I challenge the reader to see how the NWO/ New Age movements
are attempting to convince Indigenous people to give up their power willingly
by letting go of unique beliefs and traditions and join the masses of people
that will be part of the earth changes as described by the New Age frauds in
this article. Such a movement is an assault on the Indigenous people who
still choose to hold their right and sacred law of creation to this earth.
Letting those things go, whether it be material or spiritual is what the New Age
prophecies encourage us to do which contradict the right and title to the land given to
us by God. It is obvious that encouraging masses of people through New Age
prophecies in letting go of their material needs is an attempt to shift people to voluntarily giving their wealth to the rich elites because it wont matter to have such wealth as we transcend into the next evolutionary process of the human dimension. It was noted earlier
that one of the frauds known as JZ Knight, encouraged her followers to leave
their homes and move closer to her <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uaZLyVzbnC0" target="_blank">(57)</a>. Some of them gave up all they had in fear of the big disasters she spoke of. Convince me this was not an attempt by corporations to get their hands on real estate from those leaving their homes and also from the same persons seeking a new home?<br />
<br />
I believe people who live in fear of meteors, volcanoes or massive earthquakes
to hit the earth are also easily manipulated to give up something that is a loss for them but a
corporate treasure for a few. 2012 has come and gone, but the same tactics
will continue to happen again. In fact there is a popular concept I have been
hearing of more and more since the years leading up to 2012 and it is what I
think is being used to exploit people. For anyone who comes from a First Nation
or maintains their Indigenous roots, I encourage you to look further into this
concept for It can be one of good benefit to our communities yet if not
properly understood it is one that can lead to the destruction of our
traditional ways and usher in the “New Age” of enlightenment that I strongly
disagree with. This concept is one of unity and oneness. <br />
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<h3>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Concept of
Oneness</b></h3>
<h3>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b></h3>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There were moments in history where the need to be unified was
beneficial specifically for Native American people. Prior to arrival of
Columbus, it is no doubt that Nations within the western hemisphere shared
trade routes, foods, languages, and art and even went to war with each other.
The need to be unified in a collective oneness sounds like a great idea but I
will argue in this section that oneness is not to be taken lightly for it can
lead to damaging outcomes if people who join movements using the cliché of
oneness are not careful. Such misleading movements I have already demonstrated
are pushed by New Age leaders like that in the 2012 prophecies.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One historical approach towards the use of oneness took
place in In 1934 when United States Congress passed the Wheeler-Howard Bill,
also known as the Indian Reorganization Act (IRA) or the Indian New Deal. This
new deal organized tribes as a sovereign component of government responsible
for administering its own tribal governance. The IRA was meant to assist in
protecting land and resources, eventually directing Native Americans back into
Nations with a solid land base for economic and cultural survival. The IRA also
included for tribes willing to participate, access to $10 million for revolving
funds within the Department of the Interior for loans in economic development,
passed by the Senate and the House (58).</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; height: 319px; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left; width: 380px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzeRAgVMiMzrpiXR1GbZ5hyphenhyphenApir5dfr1nw1wB-T2QQVV4-w6wveGklFkkhnDJBz1SXofEpLe7PODB_JQ3iXEjlqTs31_Dpg2XfairuGB1wDqOAKYWzndvvu9D8NP0vhwIg7QltlKT4QXLN/s1600/IRA%2520signed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzeRAgVMiMzrpiXR1GbZ5hyphenhyphenApir5dfr1nw1wB-T2QQVV4-w6wveGklFkkhnDJBz1SXofEpLe7PODB_JQ3iXEjlqTs31_Dpg2XfairuGB1wDqOAKYWzndvvu9D8NP0vhwIg7QltlKT4QXLN/s320/IRA%2520signed.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Great changes in oneness come to people by influencing policy and legislation. New Age movements do not address such a realization.</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The IRA was first introduced by a man named John Collier, a
commissioner from the Bureau of Indian Affairs, who after visiting an Indian
Reservation and witnessing a ceremony had a life changing experience. From that
point Collier felt it was part of his responsibility to share his power and
privilege to assist Native Americans to work within the bureaucratic levels of
United States to establish micro governments among various tribes and
reclaiming tribal reservations. Prior to IRA the U.S. policy was moving towards
eliminating Indian reservations and distributing it to private individual
Indians to own and do with what they want like any other person owning property (59). The IRA did have
some pushback as any movement would however it did require the unity and
oneness of many Indigenous people and allies to work together in succeeding. We
know that to this day there are some challenges that First Nations are now
encountering with tribal governance and sovereignty within reservation land
held in Federal Trust, however this case described here is one that I strongly
argue is one where a person (in this case Collier) does not claim to be a
Messiah or holding sacred knowledge and wisdom to unify Native Americans.
Unlike the New Age frauds described in this article, Collier became an agent of
real change by using his abilities, education and credentials to work alongside
with Indigenous people and making the Indian Reorganization Act a reality. Something
we rarely ever see any more from non-indigenous community leaders that claim to
want to help.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; height: 276px; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right; width: 332px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-N2hanJiWeh3RWKpp-MjT3jIc2FvMKVBB661GOIEsYFK3jXPFwvNxUtooD5ZoMiQNtRJP8nitd9qWGhuy6hz3o5jcI2qoDmY1qtO0pskILfl-EG04J4eXJm1tacVmK085jjzqlJMe14vq/s1600/pipelineprotest_jpeg_size_xxlarge_letterbox.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-N2hanJiWeh3RWKpp-MjT3jIc2FvMKVBB661GOIEsYFK3jXPFwvNxUtooD5ZoMiQNtRJP8nitd9qWGhuy6hz3o5jcI2qoDmY1qtO0pskILfl-EG04J4eXJm1tacVmK085jjzqlJMe14vq/s320/pipelineprotest_jpeg_size_xxlarge_letterbox.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>New Age prophets claim to care for the earth. Why don't they send their followers to donate time and money to join those Indigenous movements already doing so?</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Recent events also based on the concept of oneness include
the movement to stop Keystone Pipeline from Alberta Canada to the Midwest and Eastern
United States and the Idle No More movement. They are based on approaching the
systematic structures of power and having influence in the decision making that
occurs when Bills and laws are passed. In no way whatsoever do these movements
encourage people to sit back and just wait for a global conscious awakening so
that humans can transcend into some higher plane or dimension.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would argue that true wisdom and knowledge
engages people to hold on to their power and traditions while at the same time
becoming part of a critical issue that is taking place in society. Only under
such circumstances do I believe the concept of oneness can properly benefit
people. Do not get me wrong, such movements can go astray and if not centrally
focused on the issue that started that movement, then it can become mislead
towards such New Age type agendas like those preached by the frauds in this
article. This is why I argue that unity and oneness can sometimes be the demise
of a group of people, culture or movement if not carefully kept in check.In his book titled, <i>Wasáse: Indigenous Pathways of Action,</i>
Taiaiake Alfred describes that which is a dangerously romanticized version of,</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“attempting to negotiate structural changes to our relationships before our
minds and hearts are cleansed of the stains of colonialism. In the absence of
mental and spiritual decolonization, any effort to theorize or to implement a
model of a “new” Onkwehonwe-settler relationship is counter-productive to the
objectives of justice and the achievement of a long-term relationship of
peaceful coexistence between our peoples” (60).</blockquote>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Alfred expresses that in order for a conscious movement of
people to be authentic, its leaders must have moral and spiritual integrity,
free of substance abuse and the will to exploit people as do the New Age
frauds. Most meaningful movements need leaders with a deep understanding of how
current Indigenous and non-Indigenous relationships function. To try to modify
the current bureaucratic state into something like the New Agers have done with
the 2012 prophecies further adds damage to the social injustices that take
place because they promote a reform that is similar to the same imperial
structure that was before. Calling for a total New World or evolving anew on how
we should live based on the New Age rhetoric promotes a denial and neglect of
the exploitive methods that took place as if it is not important to discuss
those events. New Age frauds place themselves on the stage of keepers of wisdom
and knowledge without allowing the Indigenous people they steal their ideas
from to be at the forefront of the discussion when seeking change within the
system. These frauds send a message that we just need to get to the next stage
of human evolution and everything on earth will be ok.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In order for such an evil atrocity to take
place, it is my strong belief that the pushers of the New Age/ New World Order
agenda do so by using the concept of oneness and unity. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<h3>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Prophecy does not
instill fear in society, it directs society towards a meaningful understanding
of current knowledge</b></h3>
<h3>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b></h3>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; height: 470px; text-align: right; width: 344px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV32uxxWQj7TFDnpV_Pq4PyXSQVm4iKCaLwehpatiTOkW0xYBCJH0Mv3fcwSuxLWBPSIb9T_tAH1PylQlV16B-WAe8zc9fQNIi_JNT8X_a8ACnoBoTqZgbfw3yUx_ElzGfVIQEocmLg-M3/s1600/rethinking+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV32uxxWQj7TFDnpV_Pq4PyXSQVm4iKCaLwehpatiTOkW0xYBCJH0Mv3fcwSuxLWBPSIb9T_tAH1PylQlV16B-WAe8zc9fQNIi_JNT8X_a8ACnoBoTqZgbfw3yUx_ElzGfVIQEocmLg-M3/s400/rethinking+cover.jpg" width="332" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Columbus arrived to America? He discovered it. That's what they teach in school right?</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I started exposing the fraud of the 2012 prophecies in this
article by analyzing a magazine that claimed to have prophetic messages based
on Native American wisdom. I hope that so far I have convinced you the sham of
such material and the characteristics of the type of persons that contribute to
it. I also promised to compare it to another magazine which I will end this
article with by analyzing what I would argue speaks more appropriately to the
authenticity of prophetic wisdom. The reason I’m choosing to compare these two
magazines is because not only did I want to investigate the fraud and origin of
the 2012 prophecies that were claimed by New Agers but I also want to mention
that these two magazines were printed around the same time as the so called 500<sup>th</sup>
anniversary of the discovery of the Americas (1992). Many movements among Indigenous
people of North and South America began in order to reject the notion that
Columbus discovered anything new.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In fact 1992 set the stage for Intercontinental movements of
Indigenous people telling the world how First Nations will take lead of their
own historical, social, economic and cultural wisdom, not to be told by others. It also would become a
place where the Prophecy of the Eagle & Condor would be spoken of a time
when the North and South would reunite as an interconnected society as once
existed before colonization (61). It is from the time these magazines were printed that I feel two movements of
oneness began to take place which incorporates “Native American” wisdom. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There has been the New Age movement of oneness
and unity that completely disregards the traditional knowledge and wisdom of
Indigenous people and instead exploits them for profit and personal gain. It is
also a movement that speaks of prophecy on terms of fear and non-substantial
change. Then there is the other oneness movement that began since 1992, a
movement of authentic leaders and persons from hundreds of Indigenous nations,
unified together against odds and Imperial political power to educate people on
what truly has happened to First Nations and ultimately what has happened to the world since 1492 and
why it is no day to celebrate. This approach is more direct at implementing the
concept of prophecy towards meaningful change in how the world has accepted a
particular belief like the discovery of the Americas.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; height: 434px; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right; width: 333px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2sgkl3ILfwxohG3DPmN091EvN0eoziQWY8eAhFc9SLCVIFEPOqfxP4X0BmE68W36fNTZMj4lsus3PR3mashmkuauvIvvTg7lVbmd2yY0PLhDyUtEFIyY55lnrEF_sFGyuYN9X2HSnfxH7/s1600/map+500+nations.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2sgkl3ILfwxohG3DPmN091EvN0eoziQWY8eAhFc9SLCVIFEPOqfxP4X0BmE68W36fNTZMj4lsus3PR3mashmkuauvIvvTg7lVbmd2yY0PLhDyUtEFIyY55lnrEF_sFGyuYN9X2HSnfxH7/s400/map+500+nations.jpg" width="321" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Those who discovered the lost Columbus.</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I also will demonstrate how unlike the compared New Age magazine
which doesn’t teach anything but speaks on junk science and instilling the same
fear for social control, a tactic used by first colonizers of the Americas that
followed with Christopher Columbus, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Rethinking
Columbus</i> is one that places a foundation of transformational understanding
to a deceitful concept about the Columbus legacy. The magazine promotes development
of the individual mental process and challenges the reader to recognize,
recollect, analyze and reflect upon the already existing paradigm it is trying
to engage the reader in. The approach used in the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Rethinking Columbus</i> magazine integrates prior knowledge of the
reader with new knowledge; or a different way of looking at the current
knowledge the reader possesses in their brain. For that reason I will also acknowledge the material we explore in this magazine as prophetic for it is meant
to change and direct society towards a meaningful understanding of the Columbus
legacy, a legacy that has devastated the entire world.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At first glance of the cover, there is a noticeable photo of
an Indigenous girl in traditional clothing. One might think this is a book
about Indigenous people and not Columbus. It also has a price of $4 compared to
the New Age magazine at $3.95. The inside cover to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Rethinking Columbus</i> has a clause giving the reader printing rights (62). That’s correct.
Articles of the magazine can be reprinted for use in educational settings. That
means you can actually teach people with the information in this magazine. The New
Age magazine, <i>Body, Mind, Spirit</i> does not allow the reader to do that because permission must be obtained to share and reprint such a magazine that claims to hold prophetic wisdom.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; height: 496px; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right; width: 382px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5rzDdn3SvYIRdEOuaB2hrKQ_vw9RpxwMafeLjcjBoBLtOWbwhyvXPguBwl9kce21x82wqR46U6GNkh3o4xU7cOz4YY9Iy-Gmg2J3u3obe5XbAQm3z4SKql5UX8BNQOZlo0h5K7ilpTqte/s1600/no+reason+ceelbrate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5rzDdn3SvYIRdEOuaB2hrKQ_vw9RpxwMafeLjcjBoBLtOWbwhyvXPguBwl9kce21x82wqR46U6GNkh3o4xU7cOz4YY9Iy-Gmg2J3u3obe5XbAQm3z4SKql5UX8BNQOZlo0h5K7ilpTqte/s400/no+reason+ceelbrate.jpg" width="370" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>New Age profiteers would be upset to see Indigenous people failing to celebrate as one tribe.</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The first article in the
magazine contains an interview of a leader to an organization, Susan Harjo and
the name of the person who conducted the interview. Unlike the New Age magazine
which on the exception of Ghostwolf, the article was not completely clear how
the quotes of the other New Age persons were attained. Another article is
identified to be written by Bill Bigelow. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What’s important about his article is
that he has attached notes of the material he is talking about so that the
reader can look up the credibility on whether what he says is true or not. On
page 22 of this magazine is an article that tries to investigate the origin of
scalping back to Europe, an act of violence that many stereotypically attached
to Native Americans. The article is accompanied by a photocopy of the actual
proclamation and a reference of where the material source was taken from. </div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Page
44 contains a detailed map of North America and the original First Nation
languages. The picture is also accompanied by a footnoted source so that the
reader can further investigate the material and its origin. This magazine does
not compare to the New Age magazine we investigated earlier in the sense that this
magazine actually tells you where you can further research in the case you want
to know more about the information being presented to you or just want to fact
check the article. This is not present in any of Ghost Wolf or the other New
Agers that claim to have spirits channel knowledge through them of prophetic
events like meteors hitting the earth. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; height: 411px; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left; width: 348px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcuzBoN3a1SeHaVzIdN1bu7LBpkMSV_IYZvpZPU9tKeIUSPZ3BlrfcwZUFUAtLPUsk-lkuinwEQsM6WDMAFXFGimZqNXlGcbnAkZhx_Ehu7zE0FCYzDEMP_uyAno4gdMX1HNMv3C2MOWwu/s1600/notes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcuzBoN3a1SeHaVzIdN1bu7LBpkMSV_IYZvpZPU9tKeIUSPZ3BlrfcwZUFUAtLPUsk-lkuinwEQsM6WDMAFXFGimZqNXlGcbnAkZhx_Ehu7zE0FCYzDEMP_uyAno4gdMX1HNMv3C2MOWwu/s400/notes.jpg" width="296" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>You mean to tell me this magazine gives the reader notes to investigate the material discussed in this article?</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
An article titled Textbook Crimes and Misdemeanors
on page 66 has a wonderful analysis of a series of social sciences books to be
used in California schools. It also identifies the material it is taking the
analysis from and includes pieces directly from the book so that you may have
some insight on how biased and stereotypical the material is, similar to what I
have done in this article. It can’t get any better than that. The <i>Rethinking
Columbus</i> magazine is also accompanied by other pages of resources and teaching
guides that can help understand the direction that the makers of this magazine
are trying to convey to the world. In no way does the New Ager magazine do
that, it merely has tons of ads that continue to place fear in the reader such
as ads that can prepare you for the year 2000, or authentic Indian totem
jewelry and arrowheads which are not free. But most importantly there is an
article in the Rethinking Columbus magazine that contains an important teaching
we must take away from all of this investigating. It is an article of
documented writings on Bartolome de las Casas, a Spanish friar who chose to
speak against the enslavement and mistreatment of Indians in the New World in
the year 1542. He eventually gave up his slaves and advocated for humane
treatment of Indigenous people. Although he failed on many parts, his actions
resulted in policies that supported the rights to Native Americans (63).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; height: 416px; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right; width: 343px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirDMhl8dwSlW_62CjKPZC84FUlUVn3bHHtB7OReoW4ajgWo6XUmZ09gnxjkrdnSKrPORL7dMgpfZ0AuJZDDIm-_hqqUfMrfQTvSYUK_cbHHUJc1O6CN9UFFfBq4BiFFmKcANRgly_5PkC2/s1600/scalping.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirDMhl8dwSlW_62CjKPZC84FUlUVn3bHHtB7OReoW4ajgWo6XUmZ09gnxjkrdnSKrPORL7dMgpfZ0AuJZDDIm-_hqqUfMrfQTvSYUK_cbHHUJc1O6CN9UFFfBq4BiFFmKcANRgly_5PkC2/s400/scalping.jpg" width="310" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>People were removed from their land by a process called scalping? I thought they just moved away.</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Bartolome de las Casas
stood alongside with Native people and became an agent of change from within
his construct of power and privilege. He did not claim to have new knowledge or
wisdom to influence the change he wanted to see, he merely questioned and took part
in dialogue with the leaders necessary to start the process. I end this section
of the article on that subject because I strongly feel that if anyone is going
to be supportive of Native American wisdom and ideologies, it should be Native
people themselves at the forefront, and if anyone that does not identify with
an Indigenous community wishes to see Native American prophecies and knowledge
manifest into new processes of great shift in consciousness, then stand beside and support them
without exploiting anyone.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<h3>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Conclusion</b></h3>
<h3>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b></h3>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I wrote this article to investigate where the 2012
prophecies originated from and to show you the reader how they came from
non-credible sources that claimed to have genuine knowledge on the year 2012
based on Native American wisdom of the Maya. It was all a hoax to exploit
people for money, fame and worship, but most importantly is part of a continuous
assault on the masses of people, particularly Indigenous communities that have
yet to completely give in to the global imperialism of the New World Order
government, a government that has nothing secret about it, a government that Indigenous people have been at war with for
centuries. I also wanted to demonstrate the origins of these fraudulent prophecies
for sake of my own sharing of understanding wisdom whereas I personally have witnessed
many members of our own tribal communities regurgitate the same ideologies as
those behind the New Age frauds that claimed we must all evolve and be ready
for a new change that will be glorious and long ago documented by our
ancestors. I strongly encourage you as the reader to be vigilant in fact
checking what people claim. Lisa Aldred, a well distinguished researcher in New
Age exploitation on Native American culture explains that what these New Agers
are trying to do is sell people an experience of what it is like to be someone
else (64). Similar
to the same way corporations convince people that buying their products will
make them like a particular famous person in the entertainment industry.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; height: 516px; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left; width: 336px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMPqSIseiUnG1DM1N6qLeFhqG1Yuypyck3TMdLHVqdhuDXf_oL_P9GtH7ozNHH8Sse-4d1qpvtb08I2QDoumHoumAP28Y7R5dfz0rdbCQf6GyVrLGQieemTf3ErEWgVBu0BWXPwgkQ7GBn/s1600/nations+struggle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMPqSIseiUnG1DM1N6qLeFhqG1Yuypyck3TMdLHVqdhuDXf_oL_P9GtH7ozNHH8Sse-4d1qpvtb08I2QDoumHoumAP28Y7R5dfz0rdbCQf6GyVrLGQieemTf3ErEWgVBu0BWXPwgkQ7GBn/s400/nations+struggle.jpg" width="311" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Native people might organize together as one, yet each community has its own unique struggles that should not be clumped as the same issue.</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I maintain that there are no new teachings or knowledge that
any such messiahs can enlighten us with and that everything we ever needed as
distinct groups of peoples was already established to us by God when the
universe was created. I strongly feel such New Age agendas will continue in
other forms that we have yet to imagine and its main goal is to instill fear in
us to give up our freedoms and our rights to something very sinister by
trying to unify us under the concept of “oneness’ that will benefit the rich and
powerful elite, but not us. As First Nations and Native American communities,
we should be more vigilant when we hear of such cases in the future and be
willing to investigate for ourselves why such junk stories are being promoted
on a global scale. With that I strongly encourage anyone reading this article
to live your life to the fullest, believe in God and in unity but also believe
that you have control over much of your life and there is unique
characteristics to whatever nation, community or people you come from that
should be protected at all costs. Be aware of current social and political
events and investigate them for yourself. Fight for what you know is right in
society and live out prophecy of God rather than preach the prophetic messages
of God. Instead choose to live out the teachings and wisdom that the great
leaders of your community are struggling to keep alive rather than listening to
the massive global messages of wisdom which I would almost guarantee are meant
to push a “New World” agenda that only benefits the 1 percent of wealth holders.
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">* I welcome any
comments and feedback and if you want copies of any of the material that I
discussed in this article for your own reference, then please send me a message
and I will gladly be of assistance.</i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Notes: <br />
<br />
1. Pear, Robert. “Top Earners Doubled Share of Nation’s Income, Study Finds,” New York Times, October 25, 2011. <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/26/us/politics/top-earners-doubled-share-of-nations-income-cbo-says.html?_r=1" target="_blank">http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/26/us/politics/top-earners-doubled-share-of-nations-income-cbo-says.html?_r=1</a> <br />
<br />
2. Forbes, Jack D. "Columbus and Other Cannibals: The We'tiko Disease of Exploitation." Imperialism and Terrorism (Brooklyn, NY: Autonomedia, 1992) (1992). (p. 24) <br />
<br />
3. George Bush, “Address Before a Joint Session of the Congress on the Persian Gulf Crisis and the Federal Budget Deficit” (speech, Washington DC, September 11, 1990), Public Papers. <a href="http://bushlibrary.tamu.edu/research/public_papers.php?id=2217&year=1990&month=9" target="_blank">http://bushlibrary.tamu.edu/research/public_papers.php?id=2217&year=1990&month=9</a> <br />
<br />
4. Davenport, Frances Gardiner, ed. European Treaties bearing on the History of the United States and its Dependencies to 1648. The Lawbook Exchange, Ltd., 2012.(p.78) <br />
<br />
5. George Bush, “Address to the Nation Announcing Allied Military Action in the Persian Gulf” (speech, Washington DC, January 16, 1991), Public Papers. <a href="http://bushlibrary.tamu.edu/research/public_papers.php?id=2625&year=1991&month=01" target="_blank">http://bushlibrary.tamu.edu/research/public_papers.php?id=2625&year=1991&month=01</a> <br />
<br />
6. Gordon, Michael R. “U.S. Deploys Air and Sea Forces After Iraq Threatens 2 Neighbors,” New York Times, July 25, 1990. <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/1990/07/25/world/us-deploys-air-and-sea-forces-after-iraq-threatens-2-neighbors.html" target="_blank">http://www.nytimes.com/1990/07/25/world/us-deploys-air-and-sea-forces-after-iraq-threatens-2-neighbors.html</a> <br />
<br />
7. George Bush, “Address Before a Joint Session of the Congress on the Cessation of the Persian Gulf Conflict” (speech, Washington DC, March 6, 1991), Public Papers. <a href="http://bushlibrary.tamu.edu/research/public_papers.php?id=2767&year=1991&month=3" target="_blank">http://bushlibrary.tamu.edu/research/public_papers.php?id=2767&year=1991&month=3</a> <br />
<br />
8. Mazetti, Mark and Shmidt, Michael. “Ex-Worker at C.I.A. Says He Leaked Data on Surveillance” New York Times, June 9, 2013. <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/10/us/former-cia-worker-says-he-leaked-surveillance-data.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0" target="_blank">http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/10/us/former-cia-worker-says-he-leaked-surveillance-data.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0</a> <br />
<br />
9. Payne, Ed and Shoichet, Catherine E. “Morales challenges U.S. after Snowden rumor holds up plane in Europe” CNN, July 5, 2013. <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2013/07/04/world/americas/bolivia-morales-snowden" target="_blank">http://www.cnn.com/2013/07/04/world/americas/bolivia-morales-snowden</a> <br />
<br />
10. Hedler, Ken. Occupy Prescott protesters call for more infrastructure investment” The Daily Courier, November 17, 2011. <a href="http://www.dcourier.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=100176" target="_blank">http://www.dcourier.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=100176</a> <br />
<br />
11. O’Sullivan, John L. "The great nation of futurity." The United States Democratic Review 6, no. 23 (1839): 426-430. <a href="http://digital.library.cornell.edu/cgi/t/text/text-%20idx?c=usde;cc=;view=toc;subview=short;idno=usde0006-4" target="_blank">http://digital.library.cornell.edu/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=usde;cc=;view=toc;subview=short;idno=usde0006-4</a> <br />
<br />
12. Swanton, John Reed. The Indian Tribes of North America. Vol. 145. Genealogical Publishing Com, 1952. <br />
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13. American Psychiatric Association, ed. Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders: DSM-IV-TR®. American Psychiatric Pub, 2000. (p.325) <br />
<br />
14. Kirsner, Scott. “Are we headed for a global Y2K crisis?” CNN, March 4, 1999. <a href="http://www.cnn.com/TECH/computing/9903/04/un.y2k.idg/" target="_blank">http://www.cnn.com/TECH/computing/9903/04/un.y2k.idg/</a> <br />
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15. Ramtha School of Enlightenment, A Division of JZK, Inc., accessed August 8, 2013, <a href="http://www.ramtha.com/" target="_blank">http://www.ramtha.com/</a> <br />
<br />
16. Doss, David. “The Voice from Beyond” 20/20, ABC News. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3AKyZDo9H8" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3AKyZDo9H8</a> <br />
<br />
17. Aldred, Lisa. "“Money Is Just Spiritual Energy”: Incorporating the New Age." The Journal of Popular Culture 35, no. 4 (2002): 61-74. (p.63) <br />
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18. Body, Mind, Spirit. Island Publishing Company. Vol. 12(54), No.1 January/February 1993 (p.75) <br />
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19. Koteen, Judi. “Native American Prophecies: Tales of the End Times,” Body, Mind, Spirit, January/February 1993 (p.50) <br />
<br />
20. Ibid (p.48) <br />
<br />
21. Classes, Buffalo Trace Society, last accessed August 10, 2013, <a href="http://www.buffalotracesociety.com/holly/classes.htm" target="_blank">http://www.buffalotracesociety.com/holly/classes.htm</a> <br />
<br />
22. Koteen, Judi. “Native American Prophecies: Tales of the End Times,” Body, Mind, Spirit, January/February 1993 (p.48) <br />
<br />
23. Summer 2013 Events, Brooke Medicine Eagle, last accessed August 10, 2013, <a href="http://www.medicineeagle.com/index.php/storylines" target="_blank">http://www.medicineeagle.com/index.php/storylines</a> <br />
<br />
24. Koteen, Judi. “Native American Prophecies: Tales of the End Times,” Body, Mind, Spirit, January/February 1993 (p.49) <br />
<br />
25. Hill, Kenneth. "The demography of menopause." Maturitas 23, no. 2 (1996): 113-127.(p. 114) <br />
<br />
26. Monthly Workshops and Quarterly Retreats, Sacred Heart of the West, Dr. Charla, last accessed August 10, 2013, <a href="http://www.sacredheartofthewest.com/9901.html" target="_blank">http://www.sacredheartofthewest.com/9901.html</a> <br />
<br />
27. Koteen, Judi. “Native American Prophecies: Tales of the End Times,” Body, Mind, Spirit, January/February 1993 (p.50) <br />
<br />
28. Shop, Wolf Clan Teaching Lodge Seneca Indian Historical Society, last accessed August 10, 2013, <a href="http://www.wolfclanteachinglodge.org/" target="_blank">http://www.wolfclanteachinglodge.org/</a> <br />
<br />
29. McFadden, Steven. Profiles in wisdom: Native elders speak about the earth. iUniverse, 2000. (p.104) <br />
<br />
30. Ibid (p.111) <br />
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31. Ibid (p. 39) <br />
<br />
32. Ibid (p. 37) <br />
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33. Haagenson, Gene, “Mayan Calendar” ABC News Local, Fresno California, December 22, 2008. <a href="http://abclocal.go.com/kfsn/story?section=news/local&id=5928063" target="_blank">http://abclocal.go.com/kfsn/story?section=news/local&id=5928063</a> <br />
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34. Pinchbeck, Daniel. "The return of Quetzalcoatl." New York: Jeremy P. Tarcher/Penguin (2006). (p.340) <br />
<br />
35. Planetary Initiation: Daniel Pinchbeck at TEDxSanMigueldeAllende, last accessed August 10, 2013, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHTZiJAPLOE" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHTZiJAPLOE</a> <br />
<br />
36. Colbert Nation, “Daniel Pinchbeck,” The Colbert Report, December 14, 2006. <a href="http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/79555/december-14-2006/daniel-pinchbeck" target="_blank">http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/79555/december-14-2006/daniel-pinchbeck</a> <br />
<br />
37. About David Wilcock, Divine Cosmos, last updated August 12, 2006, <a href="http://divinecosmos.com/about-david-wilcock" target="_blank">http://divinecosmos.com/about-david-wilcock</a> <br />
<br />
38. Free, Wynn. The Reincarnation of Edgar Cayce?: Interdimensional Communication and Global Transformation. Frog Books, 2004.(p. 241) <br />
<br />
39. Ibid (p. 127) <br />
<br />
40. Jenkins, John Major. The 2012 Story: The Myths, Fallacies, and Truth Behind the Most Intriguing Date in History. Penguin. com, 2009. (p.396) <br />
<br />
41. Jenkins, John Major. Maya Cosmogenesis 2012: The True Meaning of the Maya Calendar End-Date. Bear & Company, 1998. <br />
<br />
42. Jenkins John Major. “Maya Shamanism and 2012: A Psychedelic Cosmology(Part 2. Psychedelic Cosmologies),” John Major Jenkisn Blog, last updated July 18, 2007.<a href="http://www.realitysandwich.com/maya_shamanism_and_2012_psychedelic_cosmology" target="_blank">http://www.realitysandwich.com/maya_shamanism_and_2012_psychedelic_cosmology</a> <br />
<br />
43. Mission Statement of Valum Votan, Closer of the Cycle, Jose Arguelles, last accessed August 10, 2013, <a href="http://www.earthportals.com/Portal_Messenger/votan.html" target="_blank">http://www.earthportals.com/Portal_Messenger/votan.html</a> </div>
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44. Votan Lives in Arguelles! Arguelles is Dead, Jose Arguelles, last updated March 9, 1998, <a href="http://www.earthportals.com/Portal_Messenger/josevotan.html" target="_blank">http://www.earthportals.com/Portal_Messenger/josevotan.html</a> <br />
<br />
45. Little Grandmother Kiesha in Zurich Q&A, last accessed August 10, 2013, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJjIwXEABT0" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJjIwXEABT0</a> <br />
<br />
46. Little Grandmother: Alternative Lifestyles of the Rich & Fraudulent, last accessed August 10, 2013, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=albQnbN4JjQ" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=albQnbN4JjQ</a> <br />
<br />
47. Workshops and Retreats, Little Grandmother’s Official Website, last accessed August 10, 2013, <a href="http://littlegrandmother.net/Workshops_and_Retreats.html" target="_blank">http://littlegrandmother.net/Workshops_and_Retreats.html</a> <br />
<br />
48. Dr. Robert Ghost Wolf Legacy Website, last accessed August 10, 2013, <a href="http://www.wolflodge.org/index1.htm" target="_blank">http://www.wolflodge.org/index1.htm</a> <br />
<br />
49. Prophecy, A Spiritual Teaching, last accessed August 10, 2013, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iesDl7zgA0E" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iesDl7zgA0E</a> <br />
<br />
50. I Am America Map, I Am America.com, last accessed on August 10, 2013, <a href="http://0340037.netsolstores.com/iamamericamap.aspx" target="_blank">http://0340037.netsolstores.com/iamamericamap.aspx</a> <br />
<br />
51. Last Waltz of the Tyrants: The Prophecy, AbeBooks.com, last accessed August 10, 2013, <a href="http://www.abebooks.com/Last-Waltz-Tyrants-Prophecy-Koteen-Judi/1181072555/bd" target="_blank">http://www.abebooks.com/Last-Waltz-Tyrants-Prophecy-Koteen-Judi/1181072555/bd</a> <br />
<br />
52. Beyond 2012: Why the World Didn’t End, NASA.gov, last updated December 22, 2012, <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features/2012.html#nibiru" target="_blank">http://www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features/2012.html#nibiru</a> <br />
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53. 12 Planets in Sumerian Thought?, 12th Planet, last accessed August 10, 2013,<a href="http://www.sitchiniswrong.com/VA243/VA243.htm" target="_blank">http://www.sitchiniswrong.com/VA243/VA243.htm</a>, <br />
<br />
54. The Myth of a 12th Planet: A Brief Analysis of Cylinder Seal VA 243, last accessed August 10, 2013, <a href="http://www.sitchiniswrong.com/VA243seal.pdf" target="_blank">http://www.sitchiniswrong.com/VA243seal.pdf</a> <br />
<br />
55. About Dr. Michale S. Heiser, Dr. Heiser, last accessed August 10, 2013, <a href="http://www.sitchiniswrong.com/about/about.htm" target="_blank">http://www.sitchiniswrong.com/about/about.htm</a> <br />
<br />
56. Klein, Naomi. The shock doctrine: The rise of disaster capitalism. Macmillan, 2007. (p. 140) <br />
<br />
57. Doss, David. “The Voice from Beyond” 20/20, ABC News. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3AKyZDo9H8"></a><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3AKyZDo9H8" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uaZLyVzbnC0</a></div>
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58. Deloria, Vine, ed. The Indian Reorganization Act: Congresses and Bills. University of Oklahoma Press, 2002. (p.21) <br />
<br />
59. Schwartz, E. A. "Red Atlantis Revisited: Community and Culture in the Writings of John Collier." American Indian Quarterly 18, no. 4 (1994): 507-531. (p.509) <br />
<br />
60. Alfred, Gerald R. Wasáse: Indigenous pathways of action and freedom. University of Toronto Press, 2005. (p.180) <br />
<br />
61. Varese, Stefano. "The Ethnopolitics of Indian resistance in Latin America." Latin American Perspectives 23, no. 2 (1996): 58-71. (p.68) <br />
<br />
62. Bigelow, Bill. Rethinking Columbus: Teaching about the 500th Anniversary of Columbus's Arrival in America. Rethinking Schools, Ltd., 1001 East Keefe Avenue, Milwaukee, WI 53212, 1991. <br />
<br />
63. de Las Casas, Bartolomé. The devastation of the Indies: A brief account. JHU Press, 1974.(p.4) <br />
<br />
64. Aldred, Lisa. "Plastic shamans and Astroturf sun dances: new age commercialization of Native American spirituality." The American Indian Quarterly 24, no. 3 (2000): 329-352. (p.334) <br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05998340576671907431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986059855689600500.post-903154346104824222013-02-26T17:35:00.000-08:002013-08-11T17:19:59.386-07:00Are We Really Praying? Pt. 2 <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0pt;">
<b>By Hector Cerda</b><br />
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<b>*To understand the message I am trying to convey in this blog you must read part 1. If you have not done so please click <a href="http://prophecyfail2012.blogspot.com/2012/06/are-we-really-praying-pt-1-by-hector.html" target="_blank">here</a></b><br />
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Greetings folks. Once again I will share with you some stories and experiences with the communities that the Peace & Dignity Journey passed through for 2012. If you have not read Part 1 of “Are we really praying” I strongly suggest you do so first then come back to this writing because I will continue to refer to what I think is “prayer” and actions. If you already read part 1, I want to remind you that the type of prayer I am referring to for the sake of this article is one that I think we take on only by praying for what you seek to achieve with the help of the almighty creator, then taking action and going forth to make your prayer successful. Remember that your thoughts and actions are your prayers and cannot be separated. </div>
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But hold on just one second. In this writing I will also talk about another part of prayer that I think also must be addressed. That is the power of miracles. Later in this essay I will discuss miracles and the sacred hand of the creator that once in a while touches us or our communities. Allow me first to describe what I personally see as miracles. Keep in mind this is only my perspective and is used for the sake of understanding this article. </div>
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***Note: The section below that I wrote on Miracles was written on August 5, 2012 just after I left the West Coast Inland Cali route for the East Coast NYC/Taino route. Since then, I still maintain what I think is a “Miracle” and the remainder of the article was written after my arrival home in January of 2013.</div>
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Sometimes we think we control our own destiny. We like to know that every day our life will be secure and our needs met. That is ok. I think a well prepared life is necessary to fulfill a good life. The one thing we don’t have control over are “things” that arise in our life that disrupts that pattern that makes us feel secure. Such things can occur like encountering an illness, loss of a job, a relationship, a relative passes away or circumstances that puts our well being at risk. Disruptions can also occur in our communities. The change in leadership and/or priorities of what our community values most. I think that when a person or community is suffering from such ailments, those who want to see good things happen within their community, take action to secure a positive outcome. Sometimes after so much trying and hard work, it can become tiring and feel as if the work has gone nowhere. </div>
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This is where miracles come into the picture. A miracle for sake of this writing is a time when there is a shift of energy that cannot be explained but maybe only because that is what the creator intended to happen. A miracle is when some strange turn of event, happening or something comes our way that is very unusual, maybe unpleasant or awkward but in the long run, the event is beneficial to us. I think that all life on this planet has its original instructions firmly imprinted within its DNA or atomically based structure. Flowers do what they are suppose to do, birds and rocks and trees all do what they are genetically structured to do (but not sure if rocks have DNA). We humans are also created in such a way that we are supposed to live in a way that allows us to use our sacred gifts given to us by the sole creator. When we as a person or our communities become ill, or want something to happen so badly, we might try with prayer to heal and sometimes fail to come to a realization that sometimes we cannot change what is happening. We might need a miracle……and only the creator can make that happen. The catch to these miracles is that it happens when we least expect it.</div>
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Similar to Part 1, I will discuss specific communities and events that have happened from British Columbia Canada to <st1:place w:st="on">Northern Mexico</st1:place>. Each community I discuss will begin with a heading of the name and other details that will help you identify it and possibly encourage you to venture out on your own to research the issues I will bring up with each community. Let us Begin.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Esk'etemc First Nation, <st1:placename w:st="on">Alkali</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Lake</st1:placetype> - <st1:state w:st="on">British Columbia</st1:state> <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Canada</st1:place></st1:country-region><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Alkali</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Lake</st1:placetype></st1:place> has received the Peace & Dignity runners for as long as I have participated since the 2000 run. Something very special about Alkali lake can be felt the moment the runners can see the community from the dirt road coming in from the north. Set in a circular pattern, <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Alkali</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Lake</st1:placetype></st1:place> has the feel of a community with much potential and for those of us involved with PDJ for many years; we learned long ago the reason. The story I have heard of <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Alkali</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Lake</st1:placetype></st1:place> is one of transformation and healing whereas the community was very consumed by alcoholism. It was over a series of changes in the Nation’s leadership and outlook for the future that <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Alkali</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Lake</st1:placetype></st1:place> began to heal. The story also comes from one little girl saying she had enough of her parents drinking booze and would no longer be part of their lives if they would not stop. I do not know who the little girl was that did so, but the way I heard was that it only took one little child to change the thoughts of her parents and it had an everlasting positive effect on the entire community of Alkali Lake. If anyone wanted to see the transformation of <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Alkali</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Lake</st1:placetype></st1:place> out of alcoholism, there is a good film called, “The Honour of All” which is not easy to find. But find it. Worth watching.</div>
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For 2012, as the runners arrived to <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Alkali</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Lake</st1:placetype></st1:place>, we did not realize there was something big happening. Everyone was out of town and over there near the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Fraser</st1:placename> <st1:placename w:st="on">River</st1:placename></st1:place>. The place I know as Churn Creek where after 86 years, a petroglyph rock was being returned to this region after being kept at a museum in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Vancouver</st1:place></st1:city>. It was a beautiful sight to see… a Nation undergo the repatriation of something sacred that once was taken away. The rock was brought in by a huge truck with a crane, as elders and leaders walked the path singing the songs to bring the rock home. It was here at the gathering at Churn Creek where we received much support from one of the local Chiefs Hank and his wife Nadine. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmOZbgRYTYpSN087kwG6IIJ3-hFEQhlQEnRlRoVszEM2KjGI5rI_o-uMyB0doMHMcMd1pOER_iqiTByXtnaEnJtcuFz5Ba7m3-0iB88AXB00YynYiQVGKSTCiWp5cAJyeoBzvm-rYxXdKe/s1600/bringing%252520the%252520rock%252520home.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" gsa="true" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmOZbgRYTYpSN087kwG6IIJ3-hFEQhlQEnRlRoVszEM2KjGI5rI_o-uMyB0doMHMcMd1pOER_iqiTByXtnaEnJtcuFz5Ba7m3-0iB88AXB00YynYiQVGKSTCiWp5cAJyeoBzvm-rYxXdKe/s400/bringing%252520the%252520rock%252520home.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Members of the Shushwap Nation gather at Churn Creek to bring home a petroglyph rock</td></tr>
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I personally like to mention <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Alkali</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Lake</st1:placetype></st1:place> because of its unique history as a community. There is also one other special place about the communities that live near the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Fraser</st1:placename> <st1:placename w:st="on">River</st1:placename></st1:place>. According to what many folks have shared with us, the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Fraser</st1:placename> <st1:placename w:st="on">River</st1:placename></st1:place> does not have any dams along its path. Damming rivers for electricity or creating reservoirs has devastated the health of many nations that depend on salmon as the lifeblood of their culture. For some reason, the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Fraser</st1:placename> <st1:placename w:st="on">River</st1:placename></st1:place> has no dams which are detrimental to salmon survival. Later I will discuss a miracle happening in relationship to salmon and dams, but for now I will finish by saying that it doesn’t matter how much anyone thinks we need electricity from dams, more than keeping the salmon alive…the payoff is not worth it. Here where I live in <st1:city w:st="on">Fresno</st1:city> <st1:state w:st="on">California</st1:state> we once had salmon in two beautiful rivers the San Joaquin and <st1:place w:st="on">Kings River</st1:place>. These two rivers were dammed and it destroyed the ecosystem for salmon to return, and it destroyed the cultural identity of First Nation people here in the region. For the folks of <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Alkali</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Lake</st1:placetype></st1:place> and nearby communities of the Fraser, they should never allow their river to be dammed, and if it happens, the salmon and the culture of First nations along that river will surely be dammed.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Lummi First Nation, <st1:city w:st="on">Bellingham</st1:city> – <st1:state w:st="on">Washington</st1:state> <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">U.S.A.</st1:country-region></st1:place><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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The runners have been hosted many times before at Lummi nation. It is one of the many places that runners were introduced to the cultural importance of canoe journeys and traveling on water. Many times over we think that running is the only means of carrying messages and moving around but the waterways is another important factor in how our ancestors connected to each other. The arrival to Lummi was at first very relaxing because a small group of folks received us but later we learned that there was an entire stick game tournament to be taking place at the long house we were sleeping in. We were told that it was in part to honor us and it felt pretty darn good. We also had some of our very own runners, Junior, Pedro and Connor form a team and they did very well but they lost to another team that was very good. The stick game was really a sight to see in that it brought many people together, something that should be promoted more often. We had received some songs and given time to play the stick games further North in BC <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Canada</st1:place></st1:country-region> and all runners wanted more. It was rekindled when we arrived to Lummi. Soon after, we would continue to play stick games with other runners’ thorough <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:state w:st="on">California</st1:state></st1:place>. I am not too sure how far that momentum followed into the course of the journey. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim05NWZlOf92DjOsYIDrUbxEl4A7bNYilIrkuP2J43e1FyZd4uXXPhG097ex7y7tAOY0mTk8WQX7ASjFSN2OQGKYFE8mM_LJ9KgAPmbABBKA1j2lAKxOd-TYPCdY1gXHTZidKafinu7Fty/s1600/582008_3111926817730_658372546_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" gsa="true" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim05NWZlOf92DjOsYIDrUbxEl4A7bNYilIrkuP2J43e1FyZd4uXXPhG097ex7y7tAOY0mTk8WQX7ASjFSN2OQGKYFE8mM_LJ9KgAPmbABBKA1j2lAKxOd-TYPCdY1gXHTZidKafinu7Fty/s400/582008_3111926817730_658372546_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stick game tournament inside longhouse at Lummi</td></tr>
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<v:shapetype coordsize="21600,21600" filled="f" id="_x0000_t75" o:preferrelative="t" o:spt="75" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" stroked="f"><v:stroke joinstyle="miter"></v:stroke><v:formulas><v:f eqn="if lineDrawn pixelLineWidth 0"></v:f><v:f eqn="sum @0 1 0"></v:f><v:f eqn="sum 0 0 @1"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @2 1 2"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelWidth"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelHeight"></v:f><v:f eqn="sum @0 0 1"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @6 1 2"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelWidth"></v:f><v:f eqn="sum @8 21600 0"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelHeight"></v:f><v:f eqn="sum @10 21600 0"></v:f></v:formulas><v:path gradientshapeok="t" o:connecttype="rect" o:extrusionok="f"></v:path><o:lock aspectratio="t" v:ext="edit"></o:lock></v:shapetype><v:shape id="_x0000_s1026" style="height: 209.5pt; margin-left: 108pt; margin-top: 9.05pt; mso-position-horizontal-relative: text; mso-position-horizontal: absolute; mso-position-vertical-relative: text; mso-position-vertical: absolute; position: absolute; width: 279pt; z-index: 1;" type="#_x0000_t75"><v:imagedata o:title="582008_3111926817730_658372546_n" src="file:///C:\DOCUME~1\user\LOCALS~1\Temp\msohtml1\01\clip_image001.jpg"></v:imagedata></v:shape>It is important to note however that at Lummi, there were talks of trying to take a canoe across the water over to Swinomish Reservation. For many runs past, there were talks of incorporating the Peace & Dignity Journeys with canoes on the coastal region of <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Washington</st1:place></st1:state>. There was enough support and excitement that we decided to do it for one day. It was not easy. The runners split in two groups to take a canoe across <st1:city w:st="on">Bellingham</st1:city> bay past Lummi Island, past <st1:placename w:st="on">Samish</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Bay</st1:placetype>, <st1:placename w:st="on">Padilla</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Bay</st1:placetype> and eventually into <st1:placename w:st="on">Fidalgo</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Bay</st1:placetype> landing ashore at <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Seafarer</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Memorial Park</st1:placetype></st1:place> in Anacortes. During the process, there were many porpoises to look at, and enough cold sea water to freeze us to death. We had a good group of people supporting us and it was not until we finished that we were told that by the skipper that for sure we were expected to capsize. It was a miracle that we did not. The staffs were taken across the water in this way that I think was the first time for Peace & Dignity Journeys. Rather than carrying staffs across the water, they were wrapped up safely and kept in a bundle on the canoe, as we, the runners instead held paddles and moved across the very element we were praying for. The canoe was like a living breathing staff of its own, with runners inside giving it that life to move forward. I only pray that in the future we can find a way to see such integration of Peace & Dignity Journeys and canoe journeys together.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Swinomish First Nation, Anacortes -<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Washington <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">U.S.A.</st1:country-region></st1:place><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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After arriving to Anacortes from Lummi, we had to return the following day to continue running into Swinomish. The <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Spiritual</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Center</st1:placetype></st1:place> was the place we gathered for sleep. We were also fed at the tribal gym. For me personally the Swinomish community has always had a very mysterious and unexplainable atmosphere. Almost as if there are songs being sung, and dancers dancing that can only be heard if you listen very carefully. The region along the water has a power of awe that when running though it, feels very Godly and powerful. It is also a power that must be respected. Bringing the run over the water into Swinomish proved to be a very eventful feeling I believe for both the runners and the community. Swinomish is one of those many communities along the coastal region of <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Washington</st1:place></st1:state> where native people were definitely swindled out of their traditional right to the land. The waters carry so much wealth with the ability to travel and supply food that it is no wonder why settlers would want to take it yet might not have the same respect that the Swinomish do.</div>
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Swinomish was also the place where the West Coast route split into 2 groups for the state of <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Washington</st1:place></st1:state>. For the first in Washington the runners would become 2 separate groups with one local organizer, JoJo Peters from Swinomish taking a group towards Seattle and eventually inland, and the other group would be led by a runner, Charlotte Penn from Quileute. The state of <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Washington</st1:place></st1:state> would receive Peace & Dignity Journeys through more communities than it had ever done before thanks to these persons committing the time to do so. Prior to arriving to Swinomish a runner named Alana joined the inland <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Washington</st1:place></st1:state> route to help carry the staffs. She also helped lead us across the water from Lummi to Swinomish on the canoe. Other runners also joined us from various locations of the region and if I did not name you I apologize. Each year the coastal communities have canoe journeys and maybe this might be the year we can see Peace & Dignity runners come together to travel the waters by canoe. It most definitely was a miracle at least for me, to see runners move across the water with the staffs.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Quileute First Nation, La Push -<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><st1:state w:st="on">Washington</st1:state> <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">U.S.A.</st1:place></st1:country-region><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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There are four major communities along the coast of the Olympic peninsula they are; Makah, Quinault, Quileute and <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Hoh</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">River</st1:placetype></st1:place>. Of these four the one I choose to talk about is for many reasons. We have had runners from Quileute run with us in past journeys. Quileute has some of the most beautiful beaches that would attract anyone to come appreciate such beauty. Yet I mostly chose to discuss this community in regards to what I think is known as cultural theft. This occurred with the “Twilight” movies. But first, it is good to share that as guests to the Quileute nation, the runners were well taken care of and given a place to stay. For some of the runners they learned how to weave with Cedar bark. The runners were also gifted the materials to make more projects from the various colored cedar bark strips. Later there was a cultural sharing of dances. The dances we were shown in Quileute were very special to the runners because there was a lot of meaning and storytelling behind those songs and dances. One of the hardest dances was when the men had to be hunters and most of the rest of us were animals. Then part of the song we had to be hunted and the men that hunted us had to physically pick us up and carry us. It was nice to watch some of the younger male runners try and pick up someone bigger than they were. Too funny. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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The part of coming to Quileute that is not funny in any way is learning about how cultural identity theft continues to take from outside First Nation communities. Many of you might be familiar with the Twilight movies that portray vampires and werewolves against each other in what seems to be a never ending battle over a woman. These movies contribute to what I call cultural identity theft, where someone takes the culture and ideas of a people and makes lots of money and never asked for permission or included the people, and that is what I think happened with Twilight. The sad part is that even many of our own young native teens fall into the exploitation of the culture being done by <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Hollywood</st1:place></st1:city>. It was sad to see that places around Quileute such as stores and homes actually had signs that catered to tourists. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfKuyfJKP2GMh0dAR66ZxBMtM5dpbwiK0COL1O0YMdEM0uZNFNrgqpQRFjxnM-lbPUTB-Ik0LlUZIInSHyC4BuAh0crSNZV9Ax_jA_elYrsGRq7ZURAB0vYsDwHaI76CW4n10rfH8RB-MJ/s1600/Jean-No-Vampires-Beyond-This-Point1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" gsa="true" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfKuyfJKP2GMh0dAR66ZxBMtM5dpbwiK0COL1O0YMdEM0uZNFNrgqpQRFjxnM-lbPUTB-Ik0LlUZIInSHyC4BuAh0crSNZV9Ax_jA_elYrsGRq7ZURAB0vYsDwHaI76CW4n10rfH8RB-MJ/s400/Jean-No-Vampires-Beyond-This-Point1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Since the making of Twilight, the culture of the Quileute community has seen many tourist coming to find vampires or werewolves. This creates a false identiy of Quileute culture</td></tr>
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The Quileute community has also received high volumes of tourists looking for the vampires or werewolf characters and their homes or schools. Some people reading this might say that at least it brings in tourism and helps the local economy. Maybe. The sad part is that it is exploitation and misrepresentation of the Quileute Nation, by taking their sacred teachings of the Wolf and commercializing it through a movie, thus creating a false representation of the community. I often ask myself if the folks who made Twilight ever used the millions of box office hit money to help do something that really matters to the Quileute community like oh I don’t know maybe help them with relocating homes to higher ground since they are in a Tsunami danger zone. Maybe helping to fund a local community museum and culture center so that tourists who come to seek “wolves” can get an accurate representation of Quileute culture. Maybe if the folks who made the Twilight movie really cared, they would help the Quileute and its neighboring tribal nations resolve a challenging court case that infringes upon their fishing rights under the Treaty if Olympia. I personally have been fortunate to experience the beaches and community of Quileute First Nation prior to the fanatical Twilight craze. I pray that someday others will get to experience the same without the eyesores of tourists arriving, seeking adventure with vampires and werewolves.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, Warm Springs -<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><st1:state w:st="on">Oregon</st1:state> <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">U.S.A.</st1:place></st1:country-region><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Peace & Dignity Journeys had not been to Warm Springs since the 2000 run. This past run brought many interested people and that interest grew into a tributary run from Warm Springs to <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Portland</st1:city> <st1:state w:st="on">Oregon</st1:state></st1:place>. This tributary stands out in my mind so much because there were only 6 runners that covered the 110 mile stretch in 3 days. From the beginning of the run we had assistance from 3 other runners who ran the first few miles to the territorial border of the reservation. After that it was 6 of us the rest of the way. I did not think we could actually make it in time or in one piece. Our route included running directly past <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placetype w:st="on">Mt.</st1:placetype> <st1:placename w:st="on">Hood</st1:placename></st1:place>. Our first day we covered I believe 40 miles and stayed at a place called Frog lake. I though to myself that there must be so many frogs if that is what they call it. When we arrived I didn’t see any frogs, yet after taking a walk to the lake there was a vast network of pollywogs swimming along the ridge of the lake. They came by the thousands and thousands moving counterclockwise seeming to form a freeway network just swimming and swimming. As I got closer to the lake and actually waded a few feet in, I noticed that there was a complex network of veins and paths of pollywogs swimming thorough the entire lake. I felt as though I was looking down at a huge ecosystem of baby frogs creating their own highways and freeways thorough the lake, and then some would change lanes and merge into other paths and swim from one path to another, and sometimes there would be an occasional pollywog that would go off the path and swim and do its own thing. I was amazed at such a sight. Never had I seen so many pollywogs and I began to wonder. How dependent such life-forces are on the care of the water. It must have taken thousands of years for almighty creator to have arrived on the importance of the complex system that lives at <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Frog</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Lake</st1:placetype></st1:place>. I began to wonder how many fishes depended on these pollywogs for food. How people would depend on those fish to feed themselves. How many birds would probably enjoy a meal after catching a frog to eat? And how many mosquitoes would be eaten and kept to a minimum after all these baby frogs begin to grow and eat larger insects. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A small snapshot of the thousands of pollywogs at Frog Lake</td></tr>
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We left <st1:placename w:st="on">Frog</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Lake</st1:placetype> the following day to run past <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placetype w:st="on">Mt.</st1:placetype> <st1:placename w:st="on">Hood</st1:placename></st1:place> to a campground where we saw deer. They didn’t even become afraid; I realized they were desensitized to human beings. That was a bit scary to see a mother deer and her babies just walk right up to us as if they were 100% safe from someone wanting to hunt them for food. But what stands out to me is that the day we finally ran into <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Portland</st1:place></st1:city>, with only about 15 miles to run, I got lost. And I eventfully got split from the group. I tried my hardest to find my way back to the group and for the first time I decided to leave my cell phone in the car. Big mistake. I did know where I was going so eventually I ran to the <st1:placename w:st="on">Native</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Center</st1:placetype> that was hosting us, but after taking a wrong turn for about 4 miles, I ended up at the edge of the <st1:place w:st="on">Columbia River</st1:place>. It was such a sight to see. As I looked to the east from the direction I came, I could see Mt. hood far off in the distance, and it was like a blessing to realize that I and 5 other runners ran together to carry a prayer from Warm Springs, on the other side of the mountain I was staring at, only to get lost and end up at the Columbia and see Mt. Hood, as if it were greeting me a goodbye one last time. I was tired, sore and realized that the view was well worth it. I was still lost and had probably about 8 miles to get to my destination, which I did.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Winnemum Wintu First Nation, <st1:city w:st="on">Redding</st1:city> -<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><st1:state w:st="on">California</st1:state> <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">U.S.A.</st1:country-region></st1:place><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Earlier in this article I mentioned that communities along the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Fraser</st1:placename> <st1:placename w:st="on">River</st1:placename></st1:place> enjoyed a dam free river and that was necessary for the sustenance of salmon. The history of the Winnemum Wintu is one of heartbreak but also of a miracle that we have been able to learn about on the Peace & Dignity Journeys, but first here is some background. The Winnemum Wintu traditionally lived along the <st1:placename w:st="on">McCloud</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">River</st1:placetype> in <st1:place w:st="on">Northern California</st1:place>, a river that was abundant with salmon spawning grounds. During the 1870s a hatchery was placed along the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">McCloud</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">River</st1:placetype></st1:place> and Chinook salmon eggs were exported through the entire world. Some of those eggs made their way to <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">New Zealand</st1:place></st1:country-region> and over time have created a family of salmon that been there ever since. In time, the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">McCloud</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">River</st1:placetype></st1:place> was damaged by the placing of Shasta Dam. Salmon would make their way from the coast of <st1:state w:st="on">California</st1:state> far into the <st1:place w:st="on">Sacramento River</st1:place> and eventually the McCloud. Recently the Winnemum Wintu has moved towards bringing back the salmon to their region. By realizing that the same salmon that once were in their rivers, are alive and well in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">New Zealand</st1:country-region></st1:place>. This story of hope, bringing back the life sustainment of a people can prove that miracles happen when we least expect them. I personally mentioned this community because for many <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">California</st1:place></st1:state> tribes, Salmon have disappeared, and for those who live further up North currently battling it out with Enbridge and the Pipelines coming through your territory, you have every reason to fight back. Here in <st1:city w:st="on">Fresno</st1:city> <st1:state w:st="on">CA</st1:state> I sometimes talk about how we had two rivers that come around us, the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">San Joaquin</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">River</st1:placetype></st1:place> to the North one had salmon but have gone away due to Friant Dam. The <st1:place w:st="on">Kings River</st1:place> to the South of us once had salmon but they too have gone away due to the Pine Flat Dam. It is not worth placing a damn if it means the salmon will not come back. And for those communities that have dams, do what you can to get other ways for the salmon to pass through. </div>
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<st1:placename w:st="on"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">D-Q</b></st1:placename><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> <st1:placetype w:st="on">University</st1:placetype>, <st1:city w:st="on">Davis</st1:city> – <st1:state w:st="on">California</st1:state> <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">U.S.A.</st1:country-region></st1:place><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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It is very important to mention this University. Although not a First Nation, it is a University built by First Nation people to serve First Nation people seeking higher education. It was also built on the foundations of the Eagle & Condor, people of the North and of the South coming to a University to study and share with one another. Sadly the current state of D-Q is one that is non-functioning. The campus once served as a US Army facility and was shut down, only to be taken by Native people under a Federal law stating that surplus land not being used was to be returned to Native Americans. Thus <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">D-Q</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">University</st1:placetype></st1:place> was born, but of course the story is much longer than that. </div>
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I mention <st1:placename w:st="on">D-Q</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">University</st1:placetype> because it was once a flourishing tribal college in the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">United States</st1:country-region></st1:place>. Education for First Nation people is vital to our people in the fact that it is at Universities where research and movements are taught, created and instilled into the political, social and economic realms of society. The mist important part that tribal colleges contribute to our people though is that it’s a place that allows for First nations to still hold on to culture and spirituality. It was important this time around for the Peace & Dignity Journeys to arrive at D-Q being that both are movements based off the prophecy of the Eagle & Condor. As a teenager it was once my dream to attend D-Q, whereas D-Q had an outstanding outreach program in math and science often sending recruiters to local communities to teach natives the importance of science. They came to my community regularly and took us on trips to encourage us to attain higher education. Yet when it was time, there was no more D-Q. Due to some failed leadership in the past, D-Q lost its accreditation and has not been the same. I personally felt that over time, certain leaders of the tribal college forgot the mission and purpose of the campus, to bring together knowledge and wisdom of the North and the South and wanted it only to serve one specific group of Natives. Yet there is much hope with the current Board of Trustees. When the Peace & Dignity run arrived, there seemed to be people from all walks of life and different generations from the history of D-Q. It is important that everyone know that D-Q was born out of the cooperation and leadership of all First Nation peoples currently living in the region of D-Q, it was not the work of one individual nation.</div>
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<st1:address w:st="on"><st1:street w:st="on"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Taino Tributary Route</b></st1:street><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">, <st1:city w:st="on">New York City</st1:city></b></st1:address><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> -<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><st1:state w:st="on">New York</st1:state> <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">U.S.A.</st1:country-region></st1:place><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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During the West Coast route I left the runners only to join another group that originated in <st1:place w:st="on">Puerto Rico</st1:place>. Some years ago, folks from the <st1:place w:st="on">Caribbean</st1:place> heard about the Eagle and Condor. They realized that their region was not represented in the run due to the fact that the Red Tail hawk was the bird most sacred to the Taino of the <st1:place w:st="on">Islands</st1:place>. So for 2012 a route began from Puerto Rico, over to NYC and with a small handful of runners and one van, we were going to make our way across the Eastern coast into Florida and eventually across the gulf coast into Texas. I was able to meet so many Taino folks from Puerto Rico and one who was married to a First nation’s woman from <st1:country-region w:st="on">Canada</st1:country-region>, one married to a First Nations woman from <st1:country-region w:st="on">Ecuador</st1:country-region> but they all had <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:state w:st="on">New York</st1:state></st1:place> accents. I realized that I was in a ride of my life with the Taino route. They were loud. They were crazy, and they were great people.</div>
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We did have some obstacles ahead of us. Scheduled to arrive in <st1:state w:st="on">Florida</st1:state> by the 20<sup>th</sup> of August, and eventually run to <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Houston</st1:city> <st1:state w:st="on">Texas</st1:state></st1:place>. We had only 8 runners, about 15 days to get there and by the fifth day running, four of our runners were going to have to come back home. This was not good for the timing of the route. We also heard of the fellow Midwest route that was broken down in <st1:city w:st="on">Chicago</st1:city> so we made a plan to connect the Taino route through <st1:state w:st="on">Pennsylvania</st1:state> and meet the runners from <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Chicago</st1:place></st1:city>. </div>
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Running the route across <st1:state w:st="on">Pennsylvania</st1:state>, <st1:state w:st="on">Ohio</st1:state> and <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Indiana</st1:place></st1:state> was very long and lonesome. Most of the locations we stayed at were campgrounds or RV parks. We did get hosted by a Native American Center in <st1:city w:st="on">Pittsburg</st1:city>, and by another Native American Center in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Cleveland</st1:place></st1:city>. Yet there were also many Taino families along this route. In the time we spent running this particular region I noticed that there were so many graveyards. Run about 10 miles and you see another one. Run another 10 miles or so and another graveyard or cemetery. Many of them right beside churches. And this was also the heart of the entire corn industry, but we saw tons of genetically modified corn. Many fields we ran by had little signs with the brand and species I guess you could say of the patent and company making the genetically modified corn. It was very scary to actually see corn being advertised as “Agrigold – yieldguard triple” or “Dekalb RoundUp Ready Technology” as if corn actually was made by the almighty creator to be that way. I didn’t realize corn needed to adapt to specific “technology” before being consumed. I realized after running through these corn regions that GMOs are creating very scary times for us and the future generations. Do we really need to do such things to the seed of our future? There was hope however as we saw some farmers proudly labeling their farms as organic and non-genetically modified. Some farmers were actually calling out, shaming their neighbors for the GMO corn. It is important to note that the signs are not the names of corporations who own the farm, they are names of the company that sold the farmer the seeds or the fertilizer, and the signs are there to advertise that brand. The signs also serve for research purposes to see how the corn grows. Funny thing is, people still think its safe, but why would farmers sell us something that is used to “research” on us as if we are lab rats. Well actually that’s what they are doing. We saw this all the way to <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Chicago</st1:place></st1:city>.</div>
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<st1:placetype w:st="on"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">University</b></st1:placetype><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> of <st1:placename w:st="on">Illinois</st1:placename>, <st1:city w:st="on">Urbana</st1:city> – <st1:state w:st="on">Illinois</st1:state> <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">U.S.A.</st1:country-region></st1:place><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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After completing the <st1:street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on">Taino Route</st1:address></st1:street> and leaving <st1:city w:st="on">Chicago</st1:city>, we realized that there were not many places that were going to host the runners until we got to <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Kansas</st1:place></st1:state>. We still had so many more days of camping at RV Parks and campgrounds. One place that took us in for 2 nights was the Native American House at <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placetype w:st="on">University</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename w:st="on">Illinois</st1:placename></st1:place>. If there is anything important to mention about this campus community is the continued racism that has been allowed to take place with the campus mascot. There is a documentary film released that discusses the racism a Native American student faced at the University of Illinois for bringing up the mascot issue. I could not do justice trying to write about it, but the name of it is “In Whose Honor?” which is worth watching if you can find it. To this day there is still non acceptance of native people in the U of I community yet the community as a whole wants to play Indian with the mascot. As I was told by a young boy from the community, they don’t like us Indians but yet they want to be us!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Chief" Illiniwek, mascot for University of Illinois does a wannabe dance. The University can no longer have the mascot due to its participation in the NCAA sports</td></tr>
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When the runners arrived to the U of I we spoke to several students about the journeys and how we come a long way. It was interesting to see the students attending the campus in such a community that perpetuates racism. One thing that I realized only after looking at a map of the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">United States</st1:place></st1:country-region> in the Native American House is that manifest destiny pushed as many First Nation communities as far to the west as possible. Literally to west side of the <st1:place w:st="on">Mississippi river</st1:place>. It finally clicked in my head why we were camping out at RV parks and campgrounds more than anything. There were very few almost no land based First Nation communities on the map which is why it was hard for us to find host communities in the region. We left the U of I with very little energy, as we began to get up at about 3am to beat the sun. It was getting hotter and hotter each day. </div>
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<st1:placename w:st="on"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Haskell</b></st1:placename><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> <st1:placename w:st="on">Indian</st1:placename> <st1:placename w:st="on">Nations</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">University</st1:placetype>, <st1:city w:st="on">Lawrence</st1:city> – <st1:state w:st="on">Kansas</st1:state> <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">U.S.A.</st1:place></st1:country-region><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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The community of <st1:city w:st="on">Lawrence</st1:city> along with other parts of <st1:state w:st="on">Kansas</st1:state> was well organized by a former alumnus from <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Haskell</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">University</st1:placetype></st1:place> names Sylvia Fred and her husband Nate. They previously ran with the route further north I believe when the runners were in <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Minnesota</st1:place></st1:state>. After we had joined the runners from the Taino route to the Midwest route, they had since left and did some work for <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Kansas</st1:place></st1:state> organizing. Running to Haskell was actually led to a series of many greetings with so many people involved with the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Four</st1:placename> <st1:placename w:st="on">Winds</st1:placename> <st1:placename w:st="on">Native</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Center</st1:placetype></st1:place>, this is where we actually slept and ate. Four Winds actually had a vegetable garden and organic corn growing, unlike the GMO corn we had continued to be seeing for so many miles. We had the opportunity to meet so many different First Nation students from all around the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">U.S.</st1:place></st1:country-region> and participate in many discussions. One of the coincidental things that happened was that we went to a student meeting to meet so many people preparing for a ceremony, and we learned that the ceremony was being put together by the community for the son of the staff member who hosted us at <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placetype w:st="on">University</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename w:st="on">Illinois</st1:placename></st1:place>. It was so nice to see her and her son a few days after we left them and to learn that they too were connected with the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Haskell</st1:placename> <st1:placename w:st="on">Indian</st1:placename> <st1:placename w:st="on">Nations</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">University</st1:placetype></st1:place>. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More GMO corn in the Midwest. Scary times folks. Birthing children might someday become patented</td></tr>
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<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Haskell</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">University</st1:placetype></st1:place> has an old cemetery on its campus. It was once an old boarding school site. We visited the cemetery of children from 37 different tribes. I saw that some runners had a hard time seeing such a site. The importance was prayer for those children that died either through abuse, possibly trying to escape and drowning in the marshes outside the campus, disease or the fact that some children died from being separated from their families. There are 103 headstones with the names of children and their Nation on the headstone, but 10 of them were not marked. As runners I realized the importance of the staffs we carry from so many nations across the continent. I felt it was important to pray for each and every one of those children although I did not know who they were, I realized I knew that the same spirit that they once were, is the same that is inside my current nieces and nephews growing up and wanting to spend time with their family, learning from me as their mentor. I prayed that the children who passed on at this residential school could be something that those of us with little ones in our family can continue to live for. I also realized that many of the nations on the headstones of the children in this cemetery are the same nations we were running through or had yet to run through. As I walked around praying for each child making offerings, I saw that there were quite a bit from <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">California</st1:place></st1:state> tribes. I saw, Modoc, Mojave, Piute, and so many other nations, of young children that were killed for not following the U.S. Government into the <st1:place w:st="on">New World</st1:place> or what I like to call for our current times, the New Age.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Headstones at Haskell University Cemetary</td></tr>
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For anyone reading this, it was important to pay respects to that cemetery and remind ourselves the attempt by the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">U.S.</st1:place></st1:country-region> government to exterminate people’s identity, culture and connection to the land. In no way whatsoever should anyone feel apprehensive towards seeing such a site. The University was established further on for much good at the sacrifice of these children. </div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Ponca Tribe of <st1:state w:st="on">Oklahoma</st1:state>, White Eagle – <st1:state w:st="on">Oklahoma</st1:state> <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">U.S.A.</st1:country-region></st1:place><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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There was something very normal about our arrival to the <st1:placetype w:st="on">territory</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename w:st="on">Oklahoma</st1:placename> as we arrived into the <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Ponca City</st1:place></st1:city> region. We were greeted by an expected racially apprehensive Sherriff of Kay County who thought it would be nice to bother us and assumed we were “those Indians” with weapons out to put someone in danger. One of our runners was apprehended by the sheriff claiming to have gotten calls that there were suspicious folks on the road. We were in the middle of empty fields. There was nothing to “steal” but blades of grass and rocks. To make such a complicated story short and simple, a runner was apprehended <u>possibly at gunpoint</u> and I stress that word possibly, and then handcuffed, placed belly down on the hot scorching ground and all this after being told to lay down one of the sacred ceremonial staffs on the ground for the officers safety. It was completely a racially charged approach especially to run through so many communities and learned how Indians are appreciated only as mascots with lances and bows and arrows, yet when a real native appears, law enforcement officers with real weapons actually become afraid. If you want to see the video visit:</div>
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koMW76TFm38"><span style="color: purple;">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koMW76TFm38</span></a></div>
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The runners did arrive to the Ponca Tribe at White Eagle <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Oklahoma</st1:place></st1:state>. We were very welcomed in an honorable way by so many families and people that it made up for the hostile greeting by Kay County Sheriff, as we came into <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Oklahoma</st1:place></st1:state>. The runners were hosted at the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">United</st1:placename> <st1:placename w:st="on">Methodist</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Church</st1:placetype></st1:place> in White Eagle. The most memorable moment I recall was the following morning. I think we had two young teenage boys and a couple young girls lead us through their community and one of the boys mother decided to join us and run. It was by far one of the most heart felt moments because this woman who decided to run with us, she stated that she obviously was not a runner. We ran about 1 mile through the small community of White Eagle and this woman found the spirit within herself to run. She was huffing and puffing and giving her best, the sun had not come up yet and she was sweating like a rainforest. A few other runners all surrounded her and we encouraged her to run and she felt like giving up but she did not. As she was running she would shout aloud, “I’m not drinking anymore soda pop” and she said that a few times over as she finally reached the end point to the vans parked beside the highway where her kids also were waiting. We all celebrated the triumph of this woman who went beyond her comfort zone to pray with us through her community. She came along with us with her vehicle and the youth that joined us ran with us for part of the distance and later had to leave for a race they had to go to later that day. Sometimes I think that we know we are capable of doing things we think we cannot do, it only takes ourselves to tell ourselves that it can be done.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Choctaw Nation, Durant – <st1:state w:st="on">Oklahoma</st1:state> <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">U.S.A.</st1:country-region></st1:place><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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This community stands out to me because I heard probably the most powerful sermon at the church the night we stayed with the Choctaw Nation. I will come back to that in a bit but first, I want to share that prior to arriving into the Choctaw Nation we had just spend about 10 days running through Oklahoma and it was not as easy as I thought it would be. The weather during summer is very humid. A type of humid that had us sweating salty gobs of sweat all over ourselves in just 1 minute each time we would hop out the van to run. It had actually been this way for a long time since we left <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Chicago</st1:place></st1:city>. Most of the <st1:place w:st="on">Midwest</st1:place> had a very arid heat that usually I enjoy but not this type. It was not a place where I felt anyone could live for too long without saying “God how did we end up here?” yet we still found gracious folks who supported us and gave us the nourishment to move along as we prayed.</div>
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Arriving to a small church at the Choctaw nation, we were met with a huge meal and people of all different ages. We were then invited to join a sermon inside the church which included Choctaw hymns. They were not something I could understand and as I sat next to a woman, she had her bible and her book of Choctaw hymns. She saw I was peeking over at her book and she smiled at me, sharing the book so I could follow along. I cannot say I understood what was being said, but the language flowed very well with the grammatical structure of the sentences on the pages. It was flowing like water down a small stream, and the songs sung out loud matched so beautifully each and every letter and word. I began to think what the northern runners from <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Canada</st1:place></st1:country-region> felt like when they come south and cannot understand Spanish yet they sit there and just listen. Although this was a very different language, one that people have suffered very harsh times to keep alive. </div>
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Later that evening, we heard some of the most powerful, inspiration words. The pastor or maybe the correct term I can say the brother that led the congregation that night shared words about why the world is the way we see it now. Similar to the words of Psalms Chapter 23, Verse 1, the almighty creator God, created us on this earth with everything we will ever need, exactly the way it was. I agreed to how he shared the words but he almost lost me when he mentioned that god created the earth for man to rule, that we as humans are the owners of the land and had full control over it. I still kind of disagreed not knowing where the heck he was going as I thought to myself “Control? Ownership? What nonsense!” yet he clarified what he meant in saying that God made the earth for us to live from and feed ourselves, and that we had an agreement with God that as “owners” we were stewards of the land. Caring for it based on the original instructions given to us at time of creation. As owners of the land we would have all we would ever need. So long as we remember this “glory” that God gave to us we would forever receive all we could ever need. Yet something happened. Somehow humans were tempted to move away from the glory that God gave us and that when we let our guard down, looking away from the light, that sacred connection between god and ourselves, we reached for other things…things we thought we needed, but we did not need them. They became wants…wants that have been detrimental to our well being as humans. Over time this is what has happened to our society and our world that we have lost, disconnected or turned away from the hand of God and reached for the hand of those evil things that have put us here today. As he closed the sermon he told everyone that we as runners carry the message of what we are supposed to be doing. It was simple and moving. I was reminded why we are praying, and why we as runners, decided to take the trek through the hot, humid weather I just mentioned. I was re-energized and ready to move further south.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Austin <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>– <st1:state w:st="on">Texas</st1:state>, <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">U.S.A.</st1:place></st1:country-region><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Arriving to Austin Texas had special meaning for me. A year before the run started, Jose Malvido and I traveled to <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Austin</st1:place></st1:city> to meet with a large group of interested folks wanting to host Peace & Dignity Journeys. <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:state w:st="on">Texas</st1:state></st1:place> was going to be the focal point of three routes coming together, which later did not happen that way yet the work that was done to host the runners coming though showed. When we arrived to <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Austin</st1:city></st1:place>, it was already late about 10pm. prior to arriving we lost some runners and the weather was raining. We took a couple rest days in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Austin</st1:place></st1:city> and I recall visiting a spring and sacred water place at a park. I do not remember the name of the park but myself, Yari a runner from Puerto Rica, Teo from <st1:country-region w:st="on">Canada</st1:country-region> and Alberto from <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Washington</st1:place></st1:state> all enjoyed swimming in the water which also included some fish. I started to think about all the places we visited in regards to praying for the water. And I know some persons reading this part may become offended and that is ok. I realized that for so long runners were collecting water to pray with just not enjoying it for what it truly is there for. I prefer water to swim, bathe and enjoy in its whole physical sense. It was such a blessing to dive into the water, swim in it, feel it all over me and feel clean. I began to remember how Peace & Dignity Journeys is experienced on the <st1:place w:st="on">Central California</st1:place> route. Any runner who took that route for 2012 and any other journey since 2000 would tell you they truly experienced the waters of <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">California</st1:place></st1:state> like nothing else. Waterfalls, natural waterslides, waterholes, rivers, lakes and so many bodies of water that runners had the opportunity to enjoy in the physical came to mind as I was in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Austin</st1:place></st1:city>. I felt that the prayer was not to collect water and capture it in a bottle but to enjoy it and pray that I and many more to come will have access to the water as I have. Nothing more. Keeping water in a bottle for the sake of saying I collected water from so many sacred places means nothing if you cannot enjoy it for what it was truly meant for.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hurricane Isaac affected four states that we were supposed to run through at the same time it arrived </td></tr>
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Finally, Austin stands out to me because it was a place where I learned about weather on the East Coast route would have really placed a difficult burden on the Taino if we would have ran towards Florida. Because I want to focus on miracles for this writing, I want to mention that when I took the lead with the Taino route, I was at first heart broken that the route could not pass through the entire East Coast into Florida and then towards Texas. The decision to change the route to meet with the runners in <st1:city w:st="on">Chicago</st1:city> was not an easy decision, but arriving to <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Austin</st1:place></st1:city>, one of those moments when you go “Hmmm now I know why it happened that way” went off in my head. You see the Taino route was scheduled to be in <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Florida</st1:place></st1:state> by August 20, 2012. Hurricane Isaac hit <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Florida</st1:place></st1:state> that same time. I also learned that there was a state of Emergency in <st1:state w:st="on">Alabama</st1:state>, <st1:state w:st="on">Mississippi</st1:state> and <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Louisiana</st1:place></st1:state>. I don’t know how that would have placed the runners in regards to safety and support but I do know that it would not have been something we would have wanted to experience. For me personally it was a miracle that we avoided that region for the time being. </div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="ES-SV" style="mso-ansi-language: ES-SV;">Ejido La Luz,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>– Coahuila México<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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We had already passed the border coming from <st1:state w:st="on">Texas</st1:state>, and this community was our first place to stay in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Mexico</st1:place></st1:country-region>. Ejido La Luz was one of those communities you wouldn’t expect to visit so soon going into <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Mexico</st1:place></st1:country-region>. What I mean by that is the access we had to a clean natural spring. When we ran into La Luz, it felt different. We had to pass a guarded entrance and realized it was an Ejido. Ejidos are communities of farm lands that are used in a communal fashion for growing crops. This system dates back to ancient times where all the families that are part of the Ejido and work the land have the rights to the land not some corporation or group of people sitting in an office somewhere else.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Should some issue face the land or someone want to do anything on the land, the entire community of the Ejido must come to a decision. It is not like regular town municipalities. Arriving to La Luz, we were greeted by a few folks there and as we ran through, more and more onlookers were curious to whom these runners were going through their land. We ran past a very beautiful clear river which flowed into small ponds and water holes. Further back as we ran up the side of this river, we saw fish and trees growing out of the water, small cascades and lush green lily pads. Further up we reached the mouth of the hole of where the water was springing up from the earth. As we arrived, practically the entire community was there. We talked about what we were doing but most importantly we reminded the community to never let anyone come in and take their spring waters from them. I personally did not want to just talk about how sacred the water is and collect it, I asked if we could swim in the water and then it happened.</div>
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Then we left and actually came back. First we did not expect to stay at this community; we were only going to go there to collect water. Our original place to stay was at a town called Villa Union but for some reason or another it didn’t happen that way and when we were at La Luz, some elders there told us that we are more than welcome to stay there with them as they liked what we were doing, praying for the water. So we returned and stayed there, only to go swimming again at the water springs. We slept in a small church and received food and other support from the community. </div>
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The day we left, one of the women that helped host us sent us with a prayer for her husband named Armando. He had gone missing many years ago. A small wooden cross with his name and a picture of him was sent with us. No one knows what ever happened to him. She is the gatekeeper to the entrance to La Luz. It was my feeling that her husband might have been victim of so many of those crimes against people that stand at the gate and protect such beautiful places like La Luz from corporate greed….from those evil entities that “want” to control and destroy the land for the gain of a few. This might not be the case, but it always seems to me that many communities we run through there is such a similar story towards those who are protecting the land. La Luz translates to “the light” in English. As I experienced this community and all of its sacredness, I came to the realization that there truly is the light in this small community and in the prayer we carry as well. There truly is the light in the water that purifies us all. And that there truly is light in so many communities across this continent. That light which each and every one of you come from, can only survive so long as you continue to pray and fight for it. Spend time on your land; enjoy all the needs God has provided for you. Keep that light alive and strong, never let any evil that wants to put that light out pass, cause you never know how many miracles you just might create with that light.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Conclusion<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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To say that some of the things I heard or experienced are miracles I cannot prove. I would like to think that they were. As you read along what are your thoughts? Is it a miracle that that in a community in BC <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Canada</st1:place></st1:country-region>, a young girl was the catalyst for pulling her people out of alcoholism? Was it a miracle that over 100 years later a tribe can possibly reclaim their connection to salmon that died away from their traditional fishing grounds only to learn the same salmon are in a river on a land mass thousands of miles away? Was it even a miracle that one of our routes managed to avoid a possible catastrophe of a hurricane? </div>
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I leave that up to the reader to decide. Only you know when you think a miracle has happened. I just think that waiting for miracles does not let us off the hook to keep our connection of prayer to the almighty creator, God. My purpose in sharing some of these experiences was to help any of us from our communities realize that prayer is important, and sometimes a miracle might come our way. It has not been easy to write as any PDJ runner can tell you that they are things one can only experience. But as a veteran runner I can tell you that having run more than one journey allows one to put into words that can be shared. I will not be writing anymore about the experiences for the 2012 journey as it does become emotionally difficult to recollect the thoughts, and at times it is very exciting. </div>
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Although after arriving home from the 2012 run there are some other things I would like to write about, some very serious concerns I think anyone who believes in the almighty creator would be interested in reading. 2012 was what many called the year of global consciousness, some type of awareness that was suppose to happen worldwide. I always disagreed with such stories and maintain that it was propaganda for the continued assault on the cultural identity of First Nation people, our relationship to the land and connection to God. If you are interested in reading this article I encourage you to stay tuned. I will deliver and I will not hold back what I have observed on this matter. Thank you for taking the time to read.</div>
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Coming soon...</div>
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Fail? Why the 2012, Worldwide, Unified, Global Consciousness, Awakening Never Happened and What it’s Still All About.</div>
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<a href="http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/events/212426032231293/">http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/events/212426032231293/</a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05998340576671907431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986059855689600500.post-18105893361253421392012-06-20T16:45:00.000-07:002013-08-11T17:20:13.046-07:00Are We Really Praying? Pt. 1 <b>By Hector Cerda </b><br />
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<a href="http://sandiego.indymedia.org/pdj/" target="_blank"><b>Peace & Dignity Journeys 2012</b></a> <br />
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Imagine for just a moment that you have chosen to cease from doing everything you currently are taking on in your life right at this moment. You quit your job, you left your home, community family and everything and anything you know that provides you with the feeling of being safe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I want you to also take into consideration that with this choice you made, it will be for several months of your life which will mean that you no longer have the luxuries that you enjoy each day. The ability to log onto the internet and communicate with others or wakeup each morning and know for sure that you can walk into your bathroom and enjoy a nice warm shower to cleanse your body. With this choice you made you also have to realize that you will not enjoy anymore of the comforts that your home provides such as a comfy bed, heating or cooling at the flip of a switch or entertaining past times like hockey, football or the show some what titled “I Can Dance/Sing Better Than You” which in fact are misleading shows because I have visited many communities where traditions are still alive and let me tell you, there are hundreds of beautiful songs and dances many of you will probably never experience. </div>
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What I have just described above is a small part of what a Peace & Dignity Journeys runner will take on in the choice to carry a prayer across the continent. And I want to stress that word “prayer” which we are carrying because upon my fourth time taking on this prayer, I often ask myself “Are we really praying?” or is it all in vein. Now hold on don’t go answering this question just yet because I have a lot to say that many of you keep bugging me and all the other runners about when you ask “How are things going?” or the common “Is everyone doing well?” and the reality is hell no things are not going the way they should go, and all is not well. Usually the concern is about we as runners and our injuries and health, yet I see an even deeper question that never gets asked which if I could figure it out might be something like “Hell yes we runners are alright but its you folks we left behind in our homes which we should be concerned about….are you guys alright? And I truly mean to look at your everyday actions…are you really alright?”</div>
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So allow me to discuss in brief how this writing will be put together. First I will share with you my perspective on what I think “praying” is all about. You don’t have to agree with what I say, however if you still don’t agree somewhat with what I am sharing then I think I have failed to challenge your own thoughts on whether or not you think you are really praying. After I put “prayer” into perspective for the sake of this article, I will then discuss some very specific communities and events that have happened so far since May 1<sup>st</sup>, 2012 and although I cannot share them all, the ones I discuss are those which have led me to think about whether or not we, as people or communities are really praying. Each community I discuss will begin with a heading of the name and other details that will help you identify it and possibly encourage you to venture out on your own to research the issues I will bring up with each community. Please note that some communities have their own traditional names and I will respectfully try my best to include those names. I will also suggest other areas of research for those of you reading this if you choose to learn more of the communities I mention. Again, everything I write is of my own experience and knowledge and I challenge you to look further into the issues I discuss and educate yourself on the matters. Let us begin with:</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Prayer<o:p></o:p></b><br />
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When I think of praying I think of it in two basic ways. I think there are those of us who might pray for things we want or expect for god to give us in life. In this form of prayer we expect those things we pray for to come to us and we truly believe that they will if we live a good life and treat others well and are very giving. Sometimes I feel many of us subscribe to this form of prayer. The type where I might believe that if I pray for a car, it will fall from the heavens above and land in my front yard (not literally) or if I pray for the love of my life to fall into my arms it will happen if I pray really hard and just be patient and good (like donate to other causes and help others and so on). Then there is the other form of prayer which I am a strong subscriber to. I think that the only way to pray is to ask the creator for what it is that is being asked for and then you go into your life taking action at all you can to increase the chances of your prayer being successful. The best example I can give actually comes from preparing for Peace & Dignity Journeys. Prior to coming to <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Alaska</st1:place></st1:state>we had no vans. I had no idea where we were going to get them but I knew I couldn’t just pray for them to come from god. I had to pray and put action behind my prayer, which is something I actually did by taking a weekend to the land and focusing my energy and prayers on Peace & Dignity - asking the creator for what I needed to do to make it possible to get some vans. So with my prayer I created a strategic plan to find some vans. Yet the other challenge was…well you also gotta have money to get them. So I had to pray long and hard on what I needed to do to try to make that happen. </div>
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We eventually got two vans which are currently with us now on the west coast route and I must share that the vans were not acquired by me alone, Jose Malvido, another organizer and I took a trip to his home n Arizona to recover one van we used from 2008 run and California PDJ committees in San Diego, LA, San Francisco, Fresno, and Watsonville came together to donate partial funds towards purchase of another van. The rest of the money came from a project I worked on during my last week on the job and Ta-Da! We had two vans. The story is actually much more complicated than described yet this was a prayer and it was successful. In summary, <u>the prayer I am discussing for this article</u> can be summed up by doing exactly that, praying and/or meditating for what your seeking to achieve with the creators help, then taking action to go forth and make the prayer become successful. Your thoughts and actions are your prayers. They cannot be separated.</div>
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In no way, shape or form do I think creator just gives us what we ask for no matter how good, pure or wholesome we think we live our lives. Life is never that easy and if it was I would be the richest, sexiest and most powerful man on the planet. That is a joke by the way, you can lol anytime now.</div>
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<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Chickaloon Village</b></st1:city><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">, <st1:state w:st="on">Alaska</st1:state> <st1:country-region w:st="on">U.S.A.</st1:country-region></b></st1:place><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Chickaloon is small. Matter of fact I would consider it tiny that once again I begin this prayer from yet I could also feel something massive and strong in the environment. Parts of this feeling I sensed were somewhat joyful as the <st1:place w:st="on">Harrison</st1:place> bros. hosted us once again at the Chickaloon Hatchery yet at the same time there was somewhat of a tension that I knew we would learn about in our few days at Chickaloon. The Chickaloon hatchery from my understanding was started some many years ago by Chief Gary Harrison and other community members who wanted to revive the salmon in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Chickaloon</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">River</st1:placetype></st1:place>. This was done by constructing a building next to <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Chickaloon</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">River</st1:placetype></st1:place> and creating a temporary hatching station for the salmon eggs as they would grow large enough to be released back into the river. This gave birth to a stable population of Salmon that would return each year and spawn again in the river while at the same time providing food. For hundreds of communities here in the north, salmon are the lifeblood of culture, song, dance and gatherings. </div>
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But Chickaloon and its surrounding communities have something evil lurking upon them. There is an open pit mine known as Wishbone Hill Coal Mine being forced upon the residents of <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Alaska</st1:place></st1:state>. When I say forced I truly mean forced. The plans of Wishbone Coal Mine are simple: Take heavy machinery, crack open the surface of the earth and dig a huge hole in the ground for coal. The next step is to take the coal and ship it to <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Japan</st1:place></st1:country-region> so that they can burn it to fuel their toys, electronics, bright dazzling city lights and everything else that makes them feel happy and not worry about the poison that was left behind in Chickaloon water and land. </div>
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<b>"Open pit mines put holes in the earth where they never should have been"</b></div>
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And if you’re reading this and you might think there is an environmentally friendly way to have “Clean Coal” you might want to ask yourself if you’re losing your spirit. There is no such thing as clean coal. Those who advocate for clean coal must have never been to Chickaloon <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Alaska</st1:place></st1:state> or any other mine for that matter. The company that wishes to poison the earth in <st1:state w:st="on">Alaska</st1:state> with Wishbone Coal Mine is known as Usibelli, a <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">U.S.</st1:place></st1:country-region> based mining company. These corporate companies don’t care about your health or your food or your water. They come to the Alaskan residents pretending to be friendly and good neighbors to the local economy with the promise of jobs. It is a smokescreen. If Wishbone Hill Coal mine makes its way, it will poison the waters that the salmon use to regenerate, and the hard work of the Chickaloon community will be destroyed. The most powerful evidence that exists however that such companies like Usibelli don’t care about the well being of Alaskan residents is that they are willing to operate and continue their work without legal permits. I ask myself if there is anything I can do to help Chickaloon and surrounding communities to fight against the sick corporation that is waiting to poison their land and water. I can pray. Yet what does that mean I can pray for Chickaloon? If anyone reading this feels they can do anything more than just pray and wish them luck, it might be a good thing to research who is Usibelli, who owns this corporation and where do they live? Why do they want to send our land and resources to Japan? Is there really anything I or we can do other than just simply pray to help Chickaloon and save the salmon? Keep reading because I think the residents of Chickaloon are doing quite well at protecting their resources….as are other communities…..oh and I ask you this, are you praying yet?</div>
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<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Tanacross Village</b></st1:city><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">, <st1:state w:st="on">Alaska</st1:state> <st1:country-region w:st="on">U.S.A.</st1:country-region></b></st1:place><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b><br />
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Allow me to pull way from the discussion of land and water and share with you about culture. Each passing I have made through <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Alaska</st1:place></st1:state>, no other community has stood out when it comes to culture the way Tanacross has for me. Tanacross welcomed us with strong prayer, not the type that is met with holding of hands and asking the creator for blessings, but the prayer of song and dance. If anyone has been praying it is the men, women, children and elders of Tanacross. Arriving to this village has always been met with great food and entertainment that puts “dancing with the stars” or “so you thin you can dance” to shame. By the way, in case you are one of those persons, you are all wasting your life away watching others dance and out do each other for points just so that you can wait to hear them be told “that was great” or “that was the most awful thing ever” by some judges who get paid millions of dollars to sit there and promote poison to your mind and body.</div>
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Let me share with you what happened in Tanacross. We arrived, and we were fed by people from the village who also believe in the power of prayer. They just didn’t tell us they would pray for us, they put action behind their words and prepared a good meal, then they energized us by pulling us out of our chairs and sharing their dances with us, but that was not just it, they invited us to dance and we danced. This is the way creator made life, to share and dance and sing together for one another. This prayer was brought to life where the exchange of cultures between the people of Tanacross and we the runners, truly had meaning. There was no competing for who can be the most beautiful, graceful couple, or who could get the most txt votes. None of that mattered and it should never matter ever to anyone. I think that when we ourselves allow our lives to get such pleasure out of this type of entertainment, we are losing the prayer. </div>
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Think about this for a minute…..there are shows that exist to pull you away from the sacredness of life. People come out on a stage and compete to see who the best is. During breaks your mind is bombarded with tons of messages of what you should buy, what you should eat and what you should drink. These are obviously not gifts from the creator, they are fake products made from toxic materials, for you to buy. You are bombarded over and over to buy these things that were mined, exploited or transformed from their original form into chemically transformed products that will poison you. Now the break is over and you are back to see who is the best on the show….but you are reminded again, look behind the stage, the company of the soda pop that is telling you to buy their poison, and as the judge tells America whether or not the dancer or singer sucks, you are reminded one more time to buy the poisonous water if you look closely at the judges cup. Look closely, you are being told what to buy.</div>
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Come back to the prayer. In Tanacross this village knows how to pray. They have not allowed such corporations that bombard us every day with what to buy and who we should be to break their tradition. Their prayer is powerful and I ask myself or better yet I ask you who are reading this… do you now the song and dance of your people? Not just know them, but do you really know them? How often do you share those songs and dance with your family and friends? When the youth of our homes are allowed to spend more time practicing to kill people on video games (and believe me they are practicing to kill people) or using this computer to “learn” things and “communicate” I think there is lack of prayer. I have had my share or such video games and favorite shows in my lifetime and it was a waste of time. In fact it had no prayer or meaning to it. I was not using the gifts that the creator blessed me with. I think in Tanacross I realized that we runners are doing fine as we are hosted by such communities. How are you all doing back home? Are you ok? Are you praying?</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Kluane First Nation, Burwash Landing - <st1:state w:st="on">Yukon</st1:state> <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Canada</st1:place></st1:country-region><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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There is a conversation that resonates in my heart that I will never forget took place in Kluane First Nation. We were well received by the Chief and her family, given food and a nice place to stay at their gym and community center. It was not any of those things that are the reason this community is being mentioned. I will tell you why in just a bit.</div>
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Most runners had gone to shower or were in the other part of the building where we were going to rest. I chose to stay behind in the gym area where it was cold and dark. After some time had passed a short dark skinned native man with short black hair came walking in. He saw me and waved hello and walked towards the main gathering room where the other runners were, then after about 5 minutes he came over into the gym for reason that I think the other runners were just not too into talking with community members (that happens a lot at the start of this journey where runners seem to forget to engage with community). So then this man walked over to the Gym and said hello to me and started asking questions about the run and what we are doing. I shared with him we are doing a prayer run and this time around it is for the water, etc. etc. you know the usual Peace & Dignity FYI. This time it was different. This man said to me, “Let me ask you something since you say this is a healing run also to heal nations…” and I thought for a minute and said, “Sure go ahead.” and he said, “I always ask people this and I like to see what kind of response I get and I heard you mention the word healing so I thought I would ask you….what is healing to you, what does that mean to be healed?”</div>
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I told this man, “Wow you caught me off guard there, and no one has really asked me that in the way you are doing, but I will tell you what my thoughts are.” </div>
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“Ok let’s hear it.” he said.</div>
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“For me healing begins when the person who is suffering from whatever it is they are having a hard time with, first admits and identifies that they are hurting and that the person is in pain, then there is another part after that where the person not only figures out that they are hurting but they admit it and speak up about it and they share it with someone and finally, healing can only begin when that person ask for help or seeks help to that pain. Only then do I think that healing can happen. That is how I see it.”</div>
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The man stared at me and said, “That is very good…let me ask you, have you ever heard of the name Willie Blackwater?” I was not sure why he asked me this, cause it was very familiar and I connected it with residential schools in <st1:country-region w:st="on">Canada</st1:country-region> (I may be <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">U.S.</st1:place></st1:country-region> born but I’m not ignorant to Canadian First Nations History) but I didn’t know why he was asking me this. So I said “Well not really, like you mean do I know him?” he said well my name is Willie Blackwater and I was the first one to come forward and talk about the damage that many of us went through in Residential schools here in Canada.”</div>
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I was astounded; I was actually having a discussion with Willie Blackwater. I only heard of the case but never thought I would meet the man. He went on to add that what I thought was my way of starting the healing process was a good way to look at it however he added something more powerful than I could imagine yet simple. He went on to share that when he came forward with all the suffering he went through in Residential Schools, he had to go through that process and identify those things that were hurting him, and ask for help and come forward. And he did. Willie Blackwater came forward and started the movement in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Canada</st1:place></st1:country-region>for all those who could not come forward. It only took one to come forward and Willie Blackwater was the first case against the abuse, violence and sexual assaults that took place on thousands of native youth across <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Canada</st1:place></st1:country-region> while attending residential schools. Willie Blackwater closed the conversation with this one important ingredient during our talk about what is necessary for healing. He said he had to forgive the people that hurt him.</div>
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Forgiving the people that caused him so much pain was the final step Willie said would heal him. He shared with me that he came to realize during all of the court hearings and the testimonies, that no lump sum of compensation would heal him, in the end he had to realize that his life was going to continue and the people who hurt him could either remain a pain to dwell on and let life pass him by, or forgive those persons as they too might need healing, and he can then go on enjoying his life knowing that he has to live his life for himself and not anyone can do it for him.</div>
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If you are reading this here is a clear message to you from me. If you have ever been a victim of sexual abuse, violence or any form of pain in your life, only you can choose to heal or not. If you want to be happy in your life but a pain from your past continues to resurface, you must first identify what that pain is and who caused it to you. If you now know what it is that is causing you pain, the next step is to choose whether you want to seek help or not and to do so you must talk about it to begin that healing. Finally, as I learned from my discussion with Willie Blackwater, you must forgive that person. Truly forgive that person and let them go so that you can continue to live your life the way creator intended it to be. Only then do I think someone can heal themselves. It was an honor to meet Willie and I hope this message stays engraved in your mind, whoever you are!</div>
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<st1:state w:st="on"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Champagne</b></st1:state><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> and Aishihik First Nations, Haines Junction - <st1:state w:st="on">Yukon</st1:state> <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Canada</st1:place></st1:country-region><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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I mention this community because this was the next community after leaving Kluane First Nation where I met Willie Blackwater; I saw the exact process of the healing we discussed. As the runners arrived, we were hosted in the village community hall which was a place for healing and others who were trying to recover from substance abuse. One man in particular came to our closing circle and as comments were being made from the local community members, one man very thin slender but also very stern looking, spoke up a bit and said he wanted to talk and share some things too. He said it very confidently and then hesitated… he was quiet for a long time then began to look about the room and look up and around and took a deep breath. He then looked at all the sacred staffs and continued to do this and again mentioned there is a lot he wants to say but there is some things he cant talk about…he was very quiet for a long time and out of respect we all stood there in silence but also I could sense that he had been through a lot of pain. I could also sense that this man wanted to heal and he was doing that by trying to talk about it but he couldn’t….then he almost wanted to cry and said, “Ahh forget it.” and he walked away from the circle, some of the people in the circle encouraged him to come back but he went outside and walked away from the circle. </div>
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It didn’t matter that this man walked away. That was his strength. He was trying to heal and talk about it but he couldn’t arrive to that place yet. After our ceremony was over I went outside to greet him and said that he was a strong person for at least speaking up and sharing that he is hurting…he then said, “Can we talk about this somewhere else not here but like in private?” and I said “Sure.” which only meant take a few more steps away from the door. He said that he is still having a hard time from all the things done to him in residential school. Later this man found it in himself to come spend time with us, have dinner and just enjoy the evening talking and laughing. He is on this path to healing. </div>
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<st1:placename w:st="on"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Good</b></st1:placename><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> <st1:placename w:st="on">Hope</st1:placename> <st1:placename w:st="on">Lake</st1:placename>, <st1:state w:st="on">British Columbia</st1:state> - <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Canada</st1:place></st1:country-region><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Good</st1:placename> <st1:placename w:st="on">Hope</st1:placename> <st1:placename w:st="on">Lake</st1:placename></st1:place>is a place where mining seems to be the general norm. There is an open pit gold mine that has already made parts of the landscape look ugly, but even worse is the contamination that has been left on one of the rivers, where the salmon will not come back. This community used to have a school back in 2000, I remember we slept there. Now it is closed down because the lack of students attending so it had to shut down. This I believe is part of a genocide method used by corporations. Good Hope Lake once had many people living in the community, but<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>just like all of us, we need money to make income to survive, and the only available jobs made available to the people in this region is mining. This forces families to move to larger cities and thus less people in the village means less children to teach the traditions of living on the land. There was an important prayer that we were asked to share in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Good</st1:placename> <st1:placename w:st="on">Hope</st1:placename> <st1:placename w:st="on">Lake</st1:placename></st1:place>. </div>
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One day the goal is to bring back the school and protect those springs in the region that are still clean. Some of the watersheds are already contaminated but the community members are trying their best to produce well minded leaders that will assist in protecting those lands but it’s hard without a school. Multinational corporations are just waiting to bring jobs to the community at the cost of poisoning the region in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Good</st1:placename> <st1:placename w:st="on">Hope</st1:placename> <st1:placename w:st="on">Lake</st1:placename></st1:place>. I learned that some of the mining done in the region and the one that stood out to me the most was mining for gold. Can you imagine that? How many of us purchase gold? How many of us have gold rings? Gold watches or just love gold in general? Is gold necessary for all of this technology and computers that we think is the future? If gold is so necessary for our future, then why must the extraction of it consist of destroying the land and especially contaminating the water? When I left <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Good</st1:placename> <st1:placename w:st="on">Hope</st1:placename> <st1:placename w:st="on">Lake</st1:placename></st1:place>I told the members of that community I would pray for them and they said they would pray for us. I know that many of you reading this believe in this prayer and prophecy. I just wonder if I am really praying for <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Good</st1:placename> <st1:placename w:st="on">Hope</st1:placename> <st1:placename w:st="on">Lake</st1:placename></st1:place> and should I take action and focus my prayer on purchasing a big screen television or supporting aerospace technologies that are supposed to be the future for children yet to come. Don’t take my word for it, but research for yourself. How much of our everyday purchases and actions are actually supporting the destruction of our resources. You may not see it, but we runners do. We see the open pit mines and clear cut burning forests, we pass by many lakes and rivers that look beautiful and precious but hidden within the chemical composition of those waters are toxic substances known to cause cancer. How many of you at home enjoy the luxuries you do without knowing that it is literally killing people, communities and resources in a place that is closer to you than you think? I will ask you again, are we really praying?</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Iskut First Nation, <st1:state w:st="on">British Columbia</st1:state> - <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Canada</st1:country-region></st1:place><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Before I begin to discuss Iskut, I want to say that if you really want to buy something, don’t buy smokes, coffee or those DVDs. Buy a book called, <u>The Sacred Headwaters: The Right to save the Skeena, <st1:place w:st="on">Stikine</st1:place> and the Nass.</u> It is a book by a man named Wade Davis and contains some of the most beautiful landscapes of what the Peace & Dignity runners encounter when we run through northern B.C. and keep in mind this book is not costly. It is about $30 and it can be ordered online. I am not trying to make anyone rich by promoting this book; I am merely trying to make the land of the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Tahltan</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Territory</st1:placetype></st1:place> stay rich in resources and animals that are interconnected with this region. The Sacred Headwaters is just the beginning of telling a story that is more ancient that anyone alive I know. </div>
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Iskut is a name everyone who cares to protect the land should know about. In 2004 we ran through Iskut and we were well received. The youth all ran with us through their village and community. It was like nothing ever before I had seen this far north. In 2008 I expected to see the same type of community involvement but I was taught a hard lesson. 2008, there was no community to receive us in Iskut like before because there was a major stealing of the land that was taking place. Shell Gas & Oil was making an attempt to drill for gas in the traditional region of the people of Iskut. This drilling would pollute the sacred headwaters, bringing in the salmon from the ocean all the way to the people so they can harvest for food. Not only do the people depend on the salmon but so do bears, eagles and many other animals and creatures we take for granted. In 2008 we were told this was happening and that a large group of elders known as the Klabona Keepers created a blockade. They literally dressed up in their traditional regalia, brought their drums and blocked the road from heavy trucks and equipment trying to make their way to destroy their traditional land. Much has changed. Iskut is still fighting the same greedy corporations this time one called Imperial Metals. Imperial Metals is based in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Canada</st1:country-region></st1:place>and their Red Chris Mine poison project is proposed to take about 1.218 billion tonnes of copper, gold and silver. Their financial report for 2011 also boasts that they made a net income of 48.7 million dollars in 2011. This is where this company focuses their prayers. </div>
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Their action and energy is spent on calculating how much money they will make per year, by the amount of tonnes (1 tonne =1000 Kg) of metals they can dig out of the ground, which does not include the tonnes of dirt rock and gravel they will tear out of the earth to get to it. Did I also mention the water they will use to wash and clean the metals and then take that water and dump it into the watersheds that surround Iskut? When we arrived to Iskut I was reminded of the Chickaloon community fighting to keep a dirty coal mine out of their territory. A company such as Imperial Metals comes in and promises riches and wealth and great things, but in reality, they are only replicating the same lies since the landing of Christopher Columbus. </div>
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When the Peace & Dignity runners arrived to Iskut in 2008, an elder name Bertha Louie asked us to pray for her community, after telling us the story of the blockade against Shell. I honored my prayer by making sure I never purchased Shell gas which I am guilty of doing only twice in the past 4 years. When we arrived to Iskut this year for 2012, Shell was gone but another threat is alive in Iskut, that is the Red Chris gold and copper mine owned by Imperial Metals. </div>
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It was meant for us to be there at the time we arrived because those members of the Iskut community that still want to protect the sacred headwaters, were having a potluck at the site of the blockade and all I knew was that we could possibly camp out at that location, and we brought hope back to the community. The staff from 2008 has run across the continent and I have shared the story of Iskut with many. Just as we were celebrating in ceremony together, there was a loud machine noise outside of the wooden house made at the blockade campsite. It was a huge truck bringing in a bulldozing machine to take up the road to start the mine. Also later that day a huge gas tanker arrived that would fuel the machines in their journey towards destruction of the earth. All of this happened while the members of Iskut community thought their own elected officials were representing them well to protect the sacred headwaters and their traditional territory. In the 2011 annual report of Imperial Metals,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>J. Brian Kynoch writes his President’s Message to show how much success and money they have made over the year. His letter includes comments such as;</div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“The mill throughput was maintained near the 2010 record level of 21,629 tonnes per day”</i> or others similar comments <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“At the Red Chris property, 102 shallow reconnaissance drill holes and 14 diamond drill holes totalling 16,500 metres were completed in 2011.”</i></div>
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These are merely smokescreen words, sugar coated phrases in order to refrain from telling the truth. The actual translation of these words results in the fact that this corporation is tearing down mountains, clear cutting trees, poisoning communities and literally destroying precious resources. Towards the end of his letter he also writes that;</div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“These operations and developments would not have been possible without the efforts and support of our many employees, suppliers and stakeholders.”</i></div>
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Did you get that? Stakeholders are the key persons for such evil doing to our communities. People like you and me. People who invest and put their money towards these projects and expect a higher return each year for their money being put at stake, thus the term stakeholders. Stake holders are what makes a corporation function and in regards to Iskut and other communities that do not want mining to poison their community, stakeholders who guilty of putting their money into such investments and funding the destruction and contamination of the land and water. How do you think these stakeholders are praying? Are they praying to destroy and kill communities? I think they are. How do you as a person reading this, think the people at Iskut are praying? How about you? Do you feel communities like Iskut should have their water poisoned and way of life destroyed so that a small group of stake holders can get rich? I ask you again, are we really praying?</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Gitxsan First Nation, Old Hazelton - <st1:state w:st="on">British Columbia</st1:state> <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Canada</st1:place></st1:country-region><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Nothing is more powerful than a group of hereditary Chiefs exercising their sacred and traditional right to tell a corporation known as Enbridge, NO! I will come back to this in a bit but for sake of sharing the history of Gitxsan First Nation, I recall the first arrival here in 2000 to a campground known as ‘Ksan. It is the location of an ancient gathering place between the <st1:place w:st="on">Skeena</st1:place> and Bulkley rivers. I recall meeting a woman in 2000 who was married to a man from Jalisco <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Mexico</st1:place></st1:country-region> and together they had two boys. These boys were trilingual and learning English, Spanish and the Gitxsan language. At that time, Gustavo was leading the Peace & Dignity Journeys. I recall us staying there about 3 days and meeting a lot of folks. In 2004 we stayed there again and two staffs were entrusted to us to pray for community members. We returned them in 2008 and we received a beautiful black and red button blanket which was meant for the eagle staff bundle. To this day the eagle staff is still wrapped in that blanket. As we arrived for 2012, we were again received well by the hereditary chiefs at the ‘Ksan campground yet there was a different prayer taking place. Many members unified to call themselves the Gitxsan Unity Movement. We were blessed to be received by them. Similar to other communities that have mentioned in this writing piece, it seems there has been a lie among the corporate media in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Canada</st1:country-region></st1:place>. According to <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Canada</st1:place></st1:country-region>’s news sources they say that the Gitxsan Nation has signed on and accepted an equity deal, which simply means that the Gitxsan Nation will take money in exchange for the destruction of their land and water so that Enbridge can construct a $5.5 billion dollar twin pipeline project through Gitxsan traditional territory.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn65afQnt4U8BTg2kkV2v6i2jlZb_c0d6lQIpSTXIgaCCNR4yQr4QvVix96aRkDIhnwBBa10tBfpWIAsFCnbQHEF1HSN1m5s8ufA1D4KOaHLs1rNX0KM_iEXnytCq7cQMpXbb9yMpAJJs/s1600/enbridge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn65afQnt4U8BTg2kkV2v6i2jlZb_c0d6lQIpSTXIgaCCNR4yQr4QvVix96aRkDIhnwBBa10tBfpWIAsFCnbQHEF1HSN1m5s8ufA1D4KOaHLs1rNX0KM_iEXnytCq7cQMpXbb9yMpAJJs/s320/enbridge.jpg" width="299" /></a></div>
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These news sources are also good at spreading their lies. The Gitxsan Unity Movement is the Gitxsan people, and non-native people who wish to preserve the land and water. It seems that Enbridge is making back door deals with the supposed elected leadership of the Gitxsan but the elders, the traditional chiefs do not support this as I think they know what would happen to the land if it is allowed. There is power in this Unity group saying NO! to Enbridge because when they say NO! they are telling Enbridge, their President and stakeholders that they do not want to gamble the sacredness of the land over a bet on who will give in and who will not. </div>
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Remember that stakeholders are people like you and me, maybe a bit more rich with money but they too are human. When these stakeholders are buying stock from Canadian based corporation know as Enbridge, they are playing a game with your life. They are making a bet like in a casino that the money they put at stake to Enbridge will be used to do whatever it takes to poison that land and construct a pipeline, and if it happens they win the bet and receive their rewards while the losers receive the toxic oil runoff into their water and food. The way I see it, Enbridge is no different than the first colonizers that came from <st1:place w:st="on">Europe</st1:place>. It is a war, and the winners get the gold and riches if they can loot the community of Hazelton and the Gitxsan Unity Movement to give up and allow this rape of the earth. Yet they say NO! What will the stakeholders do ensure they win their bet? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well I will leave that up to you to research that, but I can assure you that the Enbridge commercials I see here in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Canada</st1:country-region></st1:place>of multicultural families looking happy and secure in their homes if the communities allow Enbridge to come into their land is a fallacy. </div>
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I encourage you to research who Enbridge is and learn what they will do with the $264 Million they earned as reported in the Enbridge 2012 first quarter report for shareholders.</div>
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The project Enbridge is proposing is known as the Northern Gateway Project. Of all the billions of dollars this corporation claims to spend on its projects, why is there no one willing to actually create and produce sustainable clean projects? Does every way of gathering material have to include a process where we poison the land thus poison ourselves? The status of the Gitxsan Unity Movement was to board up the Treaty office and hold setup a blockade to the Gitxsan Treaty Office. A fire has been lit outside and the hereditary Chiefs and other members of the community seem to be keeping guard. By doing this I think they have exercised their traditional and sacred right to tell corporations such as Enbridge, that they are not welcome and that Gitxsan Treaty Office does not support Enbridge at all. So If you read anywhere that Enbridge is supported by the Gitxsan Nation, you are being lied to again and again. You ant make deals when the office is closed and we runners have witnessed this first hand. Saying NO! to Enbridge is sends a clear message that the Gitxsan pray for the land and that they choose the way of love and care for the gifts given by the creator. When we ran through this community, we felt the power that is on the side of those who stand up against such evil corporations. That feeling is the feeling of god! It was very clear to me that the Gitxsan Unity Movement is praying for us and for the land and water; they proved that to us by their actions. They refuse money in exchange for poison. How about you? Are you aware of the poisons being dumped or proposed to be dumped in your community? Are you supporting such destruction? Are you sure? Think again. Are you really praying?</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Conclusion<o:p></o:p></b><br />
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To close this portion of this writing I want to say that i am not sure if I will give another update. It is not easy to maintain so many things on the Peace & Dignity Journeys but I will say that if another update might depend on the feedback I receive.</div>
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If this reading makes you think, i am glad it did. I wanted to give a different perspective on how we are doing and what we encounter as Peace & Dignity runners from another lens rather than the cut and dry, “Oh we are doing great running lots of miles” cause that is the obvious. What I am realizing as time passes is that I am wondering how you are doing back home in civilization. Of all the things I mentioned I wonder who the people are that are leading these sick, evil projects.</div>
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How sick are some of these decision makers that they have to be told by those below them that the decision they are making is sick and destroying the water?</div>
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The way of life as we enjoy it is generally infested with sickness and I ask you folks reading this…..why do you continue to subscribe to it? Why are you so happy with your smokes, alcohol, drugs and poison infested lifestyles that it is literally killing us? Why do we not go back to the ways of living in the bush? Dancing and singing in ceremony the way we were reminded in Tanacross. Why do we cling to this electronically connected, gassed up, supersize, drugged up, Timmy Horton/Starbucks caffeinated, dependent lifestyle?<br />
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I personally want to be free. I want to paddle the rivers and lakes by canoe. I want to run the trails that connect us to each other for sharing of song, food and dance. I want to fish for food, hunt for my meat and be by the fire and water.<br />
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I can live without the computer, the cell phone, the 9-5 job, the loud city, and the disgusting trash filled civilization. The question is... can you do the same? Can you do the same if it means saving the earth and preserving the land and water for all the communities I mentioned and even more? What is your prayer? If many of us are still addicted and can’t live without many of sicknesses I mentioned above, then what are you really praying for? Again I ask you whoever you are reading this….are we really praying?</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05998340576671907431noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986059855689600500.post-3626183457201708222012-04-05T00:46:00.000-07:002013-08-17T01:22:13.639-07:00The so-called experts knew nothing about our history.....but you will...<div id="google_translate_element">
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In
1910 Alfred M. Tozzer and Glover Morrill Allen, two Harvard Graduate
“experts” attempted to interpret Mayan history by analyzing the ancient
book of the Maya Codex, Tro-Cortesanio. Their deciphering of this
ancient text produced what they titled, <i>Animal Figures in the Maya Codices, </i>published at the Peabody Museum of American Archaeology and Ethnology, Harvard University.<br />
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Of
all the amazing animal figures in this ancient Mayan text, the only
intellectual explanation these experts could account for when
identifying the Eagle and Condor was:<br />
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<blockquote>
“A
remarkable figure is that shown in plate 17, fig. 4, in which an
ocellated turkey and a king vulture confront each other with necks
intertwined.” (1)</blockquote>
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That was it! They said nothing
more, nothing less. These so-called experts had nothing else to say of
this remarkable figure because they were disconnected from Indigenous
thought and culture, interpreting the figure based only on their own
Eurocentric egos. So much for being experts on Mayan culture.<br />
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If only they knew the movement that would re-connect our people to the prophecy based on that remarkable figure.<br />
If only they knew.<br />
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Note: <br />
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1: Tozzer, Alfred Marston, and Glover Morrill Allen. <i>Animal figures in the Maya codices</i>. Vol. 4, no. The Museum, 1910. (p.329)</div>
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To learn more about the prophecy of the eagle and condor please visit <a href="http://www.peaceanddignityjourneys.org/" target="_blank">www.peaceanddignityjourneys.org</a><br />
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<span class="photo ">You can also watch the documentary: <a href="http://vimeo.com/9791880" target="_blank">Columbus Didn't Discover Us</a></span>, which addresses more than 500 years of Indigenous people struggling to have colonial governments recognize the damage done during the colonizing of what we call North & South America.<br />
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<span class="photo "><img alt="The remarkable figure from Mayan Codice Tro-Cortesanio" class="photo_img img" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/s720x720/562554_3376355602122_1407318110_n.jpg" title="The remarkable figure from Mayan Codice Tro-Cortesanio" /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05998340576671907431noreply@blogger.com0