Enjoy!
Posted on 02/12/2010 9:29:44 PM PST by Steelfish
The first Act I of Scene I from the Winter Olympics featured a dozen or so silly if not nondescript Tribal Dances from a variety of Native American Tribes. This is not meant to be an attack on the tribes themselves. But could'nt there have been a presentation whereby they were all presented as one seamless garment under one flag?
Nx summer, it was off to Alaska. We live in MatSu 6-7 years, got to know Palin before she was Mayor. Realized pretty quick, my family paid 15K less in taxes than in Pa. Killed a bunch of moose, run dogteam,had a few snowmachines, climbed alot above treeline, and experienced freedom like I never realized it existed. Worked up on the slope and in Anch at Era Aviation wife taught school.
WE got tired of the 75 mile each way drive to Anch everyday. I finished up my ed degree and we moved out towards the interior, taught at Indian Village. Does one good to be the ugly minority for a year but figured the Indians out, as they don't even think like us. We ended up 4 miles from the Canadian Border in a split rural community of 100 Whites and 30 Indians. Been here, 9 years; much as I miss hockey games, Big Macs, malls, ect; can't bring ourselves to leave. Kids at UAF & UAA now. We talk about it as offered jobs in teaching every summer, but can't do it.
I drive into Fairbanks, see all the cars, look at the people, they look back at me; nobody knows each other; drives me crazy. In our community, you see a trk, you know the entire family and more importantly,,, all their business. Sense of security in that believe it or not. No crime, no locks on anything, no keys ever removed from ignition.
No taxes, no law enforcement, no organized local govt, no regulations, no comp planning, all kinds of unbounded freedom; I just luv it, and they couldn't ever run me outta Ak. It's the mountains, the freedom, the Alaskan mindset of what a man does in his own house is his own business and the govt can butt out. Alaska is where I belong. Palin says it right too, and I wish she was still our Governor, she's the real deal.
LOL - good one!
Us Whites need to get over our enthro-centric mind games. Glad you got to see the good side concerning Indians. I hunt, fish, eat, play dice, and socialize with them quite a bit and I wish us Whites could learn a little more about family and telling the feds to kiss off like the Indians do; we’d be better for it.
Wow, I sense a great deal of personal contentment in your life just by your postings. I’ve never been to Alaska myself but would like to some day. The sad truth is that I have been to Europe on multiple occasions and visited virtually every country in Western Europe (and some in Eastern Europe), been to South Africa, etc., but have only been west of the Mississippi River a few times. There’s much of my own country to explore, including Alaska. Having grown up in Ohio, I cannot really appreciate the kind of freedoms you enjoy up there. Here, it often seems like a relative nanny/police state. As I said, my wife and I hope to some day make it up to your part of the world for a visit.
But that theme has been played into the ground already. Every school kid knows about the witch burnings.
I really think the Indians' torture deserves more exposure. Otherwise we're not fully appreciating their culture, right?
That's pretty much how I feel seeing you trying to play prophet.
Enjoy!
It should be noted that the Canadian experience with the natives was in many ways quite a bit different than what happened in the USA. One of the reasons why we have the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) was its immediate predecessor, the North-West Mounted Police (NWMP), had to deal with often lawless people coming over the US-Canadian border in the latter half of the 1800’s.
Trailer — Check the spelling of my screenname.
We are in complete agreement here. There’s some guy who signed up about a year ago whose screenname is “Jedediah.” I know about him because you aren’t the first FPeeper to get us confused. He fancies himself a prophet.
I’m an old Texas gal, been here for years, stick mostly to the news boards. He’s apparently from Washington State, a relative newcomer. He apparently posts solely on the religion boards, and I don’t understand much of what he writes.
I’m also a conservative committed Christian who has enjoyed some of the religion discussions over the years, but I rarely even venture to those forums any more because people get us mixed up.
And k.d. lang has nothing to do with any of that.
I, for one, won’t watch a single second of the Olympics. Didn’t watch any of the last few Winter or Summer Olympics, either.
I enjoyed your post, Eska. I didn’t mean to imply that I don’t enjoy or respect the native dances because I do....sometimes. But when I wanted to watch some t.v. on ARCS I was often disappointed because there was native dancing on. Dancing isn’t nearly as much fun when you’re sitting alone in the cabin just watching it on the boobtube. heh heh But get out there and dance the night away is a hoot.
You said you must be the only white guy on here who gets along with Indians. Well, you’re not alone. I’ve always gotten along just fine with them and am proud to have them as my friends.
Nope. I get along so well, I married one :o)
I diaagree. Thought it ws one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen. The way that they made the formations to represent the 4 directions and the spirit was breathtaking.
These Indian tribes were and are distinct nations — and I think it is fitting for Canada to acknowledge them. They were the original inhabitants of this continent and what could be more fitting than for them to welcome the delegations from the visiting countires.
In this case, the guilt is justified. Intruders from Europe stole the land and violated treaties over and over and over again.
Have you ever seen Indian dance? I thought that it was essentially very true to the spirit of it, and also a very creative presentation.
Not if it’s going to bring philistines like you into the foreground.
I don’t get the hate. What did you expect, people? And I will take the winter olympics with hockey, bobsled and skiing over the summer olympics any day.
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