From: MR. Tracy Gibson, activist, writer, Progressive Republican, fighter for justice…
Dear Native American Community and Native American Leadership:
An Open Letter:
Don’t be fearful of what I have to ask of you and tell you. You invented the word ``brave’’ and believe me I’ve had to rely on that word more than I would like to in many Ways recently. You are our new bosses. If we live in the United States of Native America, you are our Chiefs – if you will forgive me – our in charge people. I will not and cannot accept the rule of a White man who is a devout racist, a hater, a rejectionist, a backwards thinker, a person incapable of loving women kind and a person who has no vision for a bright and clear future for all North Americans. . I will not accept his racism nor his speaking out against progress and his repugnance towards humanity. I appoint you and your leadership the new leaders of this country and so rename it, with your approval, the United States of Native America or Turtle Island (Or whatever name you want for this great and bloodied land.
There is no other People on earth who have more ethical, moral, and economic rights to this land than you. Maybe the highly esteemed and highly respected Mexican People out west; and maybe our Black Sisters and Black Brothers -- but as my dear sister Aziza Claudia Gibson Hunter said recently, ``This is their home.
There is apparently some evidence -- a large amount of evidence -- that Black People were here before the White People. I am not sure if Black People were here before Native People, but I know one thing for sure. I consider Native Americans to be our cousins, Sisters and Brothers. You helped hide us in regions that are now in Florida back during slavery, and we fought side by side in many instances.
People of European descent would like to keep People of color – non-Whites -- fighting among ourselves over the scraps off the table for another generation. I don’t think this will happen.
But I need you and the Native People to look at your fight on the country’s reservations in a different Way. I want you to rethink the equation and come up with a different hypotenuse or theory about How to fight racism, classism, and the hatred other cultures face in the face of a sometimes dominate European race that sometimes has little respect for different cultures. It has often, during war, been easy to hate that which is different. That cannot be acceptable in a world that is now dominated by Africans, Native, Latin, Asian, East Indian, Caribbean, and other Non-White people and the incredible cultural gifts these groups have given this world.
To get back to the point, I am hoping you will accept a new look at your fight for Native American Rights. I want you to reconsider How you fight. I want you to say ``we [Native People] have a God-Given right to this land and that you are the ones who have every right to collect taxes; provide government; select leadership (in a Way you choose); build and develop in a Way you want; and decide How clean waterways, oceans, seas, rivers, and streams should be kept as well as the air.
I recently went to see a film at the Franklyn Institute that depicted our great National Parks and How President Truman or Teddy Roosevelt , I believe, started the National Park service to keep the parks clean, undeveloped and available in an organized Way for all North Americans to enjoy. I thought maybe it was the Great Native People’s many positive and great Spirits that went through the President then, to make Him make such a positive and momentous decision as to create the National Park Service. The film, narrated by actor / producer / director Robert Redford, was a miraculous miracle to watch. Especially in the surround screening auditorium it was in and with the enormous sound that was included. [The $10.00 fee to get in should have been waved so everyone could enjoy it including our poor and homeless People who are locked out of such experiences when money is asked for. ]
What I’m getting at is that is your land. I know Native People don’t have the kind of ``ownership perspective’’ that the White People have made so accepted around the world. But I think you must take a new look at How you have been pigeon-holed on Native reservations when it is the White man who is the visitor to this great and beautiful land. You have to rethink How you fight. You are much more qualified culturally, to share, never take freedom for granted, open your thinking to new ideas, be fair to everyone, and be embracing and even forgiving to other People, while not allowing People to rule just because they have a lot of money. Are you understanding what I’m getting at? I think you are worthy more so in God’s eyes, of leading, and being fair and being all encompassing of everyone’s rights. I don’t care about Who had what election that was phony and upside down and for rich people only from the off-set. You would make a much better and fairer leadership council that anything a so-called elected official can come up with.
I am not going to belabor this point. I know there are wealthy People among your Native People and I know what I’m talking about is a Big Way to ask People to change their thinking. I also know I visited your Native American Museum in Washington, D.C. and was humbled, was able to learn more about you and went through a powerful experience when I visited there. I think your people and your traditions, like African traditions, are from the Big Man or the Big Woman upstairs – GOD Herself or God Himself. You have not thrown off or reconditioned your traditions and this may not have been an easy thing for you. Your young People have difficulties that may well stem from not keeping abreast of those older traditions. Things change and the old dies out. But if we take on things that are not conducive to our lives in the new, maybe we have to reconsider.
GOD the Big Spirit, walks with your People. All the People who perished during the Long Walk and through so many other wars in this country will never be forgotten by People like me who fight every day for real freedom and real democracy and real sharing, and real equality for every single person throughout this world.
If you look on your records you will see that a few years ago I gave a few dollars at a time to your organizations such as the Native American Rights Fund and the American Indian College Fund. I have little money to give now, at least that I know of. But I can help you with my prayers and my good positive thoughts and by keeping abreast of your work and How I might help. Please feel free to call me or write me an e-mail if there is anything I can do to help you rethink this land rights issue. I was a landlord for 25 years and my Father, MR. Charles S. Gibson, was a landlord for 50 years, so I know a bit from where I speak. GOD be with you and the Great Spirits be with your forever Moore.
Reach me at:
MR. Tracy Gibson
670 North 41st Street
Apartment B
Philadelphia, Pa 19104
1 [215] 823 9985
Read my articles at http://thepoliticsofReal.
Buy my book by logging onto www.LuLu.Com and putting in the title ``Let the Children Gather,’’ by Tracy Gibson. They are $10.00 a copy. If you respond officially to this article, I will put it on my blog, if that is OK with you. I will send this to the Native American Rights fund, if I have time tonight at the Library. Thank you and know I am forever grateful …
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