wondering...
.Nisaba Merrieweather
I come from Down Under, where our own indigenous people were invaded and
enslaved also. They are the smallest minority group, followed by black
migrants, followed by asian migrants, followed by white migrants (including
descendants of the original "settlers") who make up the bulk of the
population.
Talking with indigenous people, I notice an ambivalence: white Australians
(fortunately only the minority) tend to contain racist elements and those
elements discriminate as badly against coloured-skinned migrants as they do
against natives. Yet, where one might half-expect these different racial
groups to feel some sympathy for each other, many of the indigenous people
regard anyone who isn't Aboriginal as "one of them".
Tell me, is there any sense of fellow-feeling between natives of your land
and black descendants of slaves based on a common source of historical
suffering? Or are all people not native to the country regarded as being
essentially similar?
I'm grappling with words here: I realise that in phrasing my question 've
made it sound unpleasant, and really I don't mean to be - we all know I'm
pussy-footing around some major historical unpleasantnesses! I'm interested
in how a history of degradation and deprivation affects the psyche (both
mind and spirit) or a race. Presumably both native people and imported
slaves have suffered enough - does that link races, or divide them?
Oh, I don't know how to ask what I'm trying to ask. It's late at night and
I'm feeling sleep-deprived. Don't mind me...
--
.Nisaba Merrieweather
nis...@tac.com.au
--
.Nisaba Merrieweather
nis...@tac.com.au
clem iron wing
understand,then are they not united. clem
.Nisaba Merrieweather wrote:
--
Learn of the true Indian culture and it's honor for you.
http://www.iwchildren.org/Story/upcoming.htm
John P. Mullen
that these diverse groups do have a common goal and would benefit
from cooperating. However, there are many barriers to such
cooperation, most of which have been erected by the minority in
power. My father used to tell a story about this.
Once, long ago, a powerful businessman invited seven of his
employees to dinner. After a fine meal, he brought forth a warm,
sweet-smelling pumpkin pie and announced to the group: "I have
only six pieces of pie here. Since I am the host, I will take
none. Out of fairness I will show no favoritism and leave it up
to you to decide who will get a piece and who will not." Then he
sat back and waited.
The seven workers argued for a long time about who deserved the
pieces and who did not. They so agitated and angry at each other
that they did not notice two very important facts:
1. It was the host who chose to divide the pie into six, instead
of eight pieces.
2. The host had a second whole pie entirely to himself.
Nuff said?
John Mullen
.Nisaba Merrieweather wrote in message
<01bdf5d5$92424e20$LocalHost@default>...
Udo Usti
<<Tell me, is there any sense of fellow-feeling between natives of your land
and black descendants of slaves based on a common source of historical
suffering? >>
I can't speak for any other Nation, but I know that some of the better-off
Cherokees owned slaves and I've heard it said that John Ross sold off a bunch
so that he and his wife could hire a boat so they wouldn't have to walk the
whole Trail. Has anyone else heard this?
I guess my point is that maybe the "common suffering" here wasn't as common as
most would think.
Devlin
jeanine r pinkney
How bout cutting each of the six pieces into two, making twelve pieces.
Put the nicest piece on a small wooden plate and set it in the window for
the spirits. Give each of the seven people one of the remaining ten
pieces. There are three pieces left over. Anyone who has a small child
or a pregnant family member at home, they get to take one of the three
pieces left over for the child or pregnant woman. Any left over, let the
dog enjoy it, cos the dog is man's best friend.
That oughta do it..
Dee
> Nuff said?
> >Tell me, is there any sense of fellow-feeling between natives of
> your land
> >and black descendants of slaves based on a common source of
> historical
justanoldman
<nis...@tac.com.au> wrote:
like is have said, imho, "race" is a meaningless term in most (if not all)
languages of the Nations... "white man" describes an "almost human"
regardless of skin color, so I have often heard black people refered to as
"black-white-man" given adherence to prosumer, linear attitude.. the
"fellow-feeling" is more with the black Nations of Africa, where the
family & traditions that are part of the land are still alive.. most black
people in North America are no different from the rest of the lamestream
society...
Omoya
>where the
>family & traditions that are part of the land are still alive.. most black
>people in North America are no different from the rest of the lamestream
>society...
>
I'm glad you said most. As my Native in laws and friends know from dealing with
my family, there are lots of exceptions to that assumption. I think my Black
Creek ancestors, and current rural Afrindian family members would take issue
with being lumped into the prosumer/linear lamestream society, as they've spent
most of their lives since before slavery--which many managed to avoid because
of their alliance with Native Nations in the Southeast--making sure that many
of their traditions from "over the water" were not completely forgotten,
despite the danger of doing so.
Our rural family compounds in Mississippi and Alabama remind me, as they
reminded my Native "kin by marriage," of Hopi family settlements in more ways
than a few. And we're far from alone in that practice. Most African Americans
have, in the South somewhere, family circles in which traditional ways are
still very much alive, and to which many of us return for deepening as often as
possible.
True, the rituals and such that we practice today are not as "pure" as they
once were. But most of the mixing in our case, and in many cases, was with
Native practices, gleaned for survival's sake from local indigenous people.
There was a "kinship" there, at first, back when the big ships came. We saw
similarities between our beliefs and practices, and shared--else, I would not
exist. I am the product of some serious "sharing!"
Now, unlike Native Americans, we can't go home again to the "source" very
easily. And even if we did, many of the people in Africa have moved away from
the old ways as much as North American "Blacks" have. It's almost easier for
me to find pure expressions of, say, Yoruba religion in Brazil than in Nigeria
these days. Things my grandmother remembered and practiced, ways of healing
and "seeing," are frowned upon by "educated" African Nationals as "backward,"
but found in anthro books as "authentically" Yoruba. And most are still
practiced by many elders over the water, even if their children frown upon it.
So, much has been saved, much is still practiced, and much is being passed
on...
But this answer post I quoted was a very good example for the person who
asked the question first. It has come to this, my friend "down under." We do
not feel about each other, many of us, as we did back when my ancestors first
landed here. So, I'd say there ARE parallels, yes, to the situation there.
And...I'll let you decide how to feel about that...
Cyn
Om...@aol.com
Ron Burling
> <<Tell me, is there any sense of fellow-feeling between natives of your land
> and black descendants of slaves based on a common source of historical
> suffering? >>
>
> I can't speak for any other Nation, but I know that some of the better-off
> Cherokees owned slaves and I've heard it said that John Ross sold off a bunch
> so that he and his wife could hire a boat so they wouldn't have to walk the
> whole Trail. Has anyone else heard this?
>
> I guess my point is that maybe the "common suffering" here wasn't as common as
> most would think.
True enough, as soon as the white permitted it, the blacks joined the army and
started playing cowboys & indians with the best of them!
--
=======================================================================
Ron Burling
rbur...@portup.com
http://www.portup.com/~rburling
Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians
Judge of the Appellate Court
UIN# 183472
=======================================================================
rlindsay
>In article <01bdf5d5$92424e20$LocalHost@default>, ".Nisaba Merrieweather"
><nis...@tac.com.au> wrote:
[snip]
>> Tell me, is there any sense of fellow-feeling between natives of your land
>> and black descendants of slaves based on a common source of historical
>> suffering? Or are all people not native to the country regarded as being
>> essentially similar?
>>
>> I'm grappling with words here: I realise that in phrasing my question 've
>> made it sound unpleasant, and really I don't mean to be - we all know I'm
>> pussy-footing around some major historical unpleasantnesses! I'm interested
>> in how a history of degradation and deprivation affects the psyche (both
>> mind and spirit) or a race. Presumably both native people and imported
>> slaves have suffered enough - does that link races, or divide them?
>>
>> Oh, I don't know how to ask what I'm trying to ask. It's late at night and
>> I'm feeling sleep-deprived. Don't mind me...
>>
>>
>> --
>> .Nisaba Merrieweather
>> nis...@tac.com.au
>
>like is have said, imho, "race" is a meaningless term in most (if not all)
>languages of the Nations... "white man" describes an "almost human"
>regardless of skin color, so I have often heard black people refered to as
>"black-white-man" given adherence to prosumer, linear attitude.. the
>"fellow-feeling" is more with the black Nations of Africa, where the
>family & traditions that are part of the land are still alive.. most black
>people in North America are no different from the rest of the lamestream
>society...
yes, i have to agree with the oldman. most natives view any other
minority as also being 'white'; althought certainly not in race.
rather, in terms of general attitudes and culture AND especially in
attitudes towards natives. i've had a couple black penpals comment
to me that they felt snubbed by some natives on occassion. i had
to explain that it was probably not because those natives were
racist; instead it was more likely that they were being viewed as
being 'white'.
personally i feel there is much to learn from and about each other, but
taking those first few awkward steps can be difficult for many.
opinions are my own.....................................................