Native American Strong

Comanche portraits
North America was a place of great turbulence and many conflicts when the newcomers decided to inhabit the land and take parts of it for themselves.
In the 18th and 19th century, many tribes, such as Iroquois, Cherokee and Shawnee were overwhelmed by the number of settlers moving westward across America.
When the settlers started moving to the southern edges of the continent their movement was put to a halt for some time. A fierce tribe of Comanche were the reason for it.Even though many tribes have adapted to the introduction of the horse, the Comanche were the group who took most advantage out of it.Previously being an obscure mountain tribe, the Comanche became the fiercest and most famous riders that caused many troubles to the settlers.
In contrast to, for example, Sioux and Cheyenne that would dismount their horses before battle, Comanche continued riding in a fight, which gave them a significant advantage.

"Before our white brothers arrived to make us civilized men,we didn''t have any kind of prison. Because of this, we had no delinquents.Without a prison, there can be no delinquents.We had no locks nor keys and therefore among us there were no thieves.When someone was so poor that he couldn''t afford a horse, a tent or a blanket,
he would, in that case, receive it all as a gift.
We were too uncivilized to give great importance to private property.
We didn''t know any kind of money and consequently, the value of a human being
was not determined by his wealth.
We had no written laws laid down, no lawyers, no politicians,
therefore we were not able to cheat and swindle one another.
We were really in bad shape before the white men arrived and I don''t know
how to explain how we were able to manage without these fundamental things
that (so they tell us) are so necessary for a civilized society."
- John (Fire) Lame Deer, Sioux Lakota - 1903-1976

"Crowfoot stood and watched as the white man spread many one dollar bills on the ground.“This is what the white man trades with; this is his buffalo robe. Just as you trade skins, we trade with these pieces of paper.”When the white chief had laid all his money on the ground and shown how much he would give if the Indians would sign a treaty, Crowfoot took a handful of clay, made a ball out of it and put it on the fire.
It did not crack.
Then he said to the white man, Now put your money on the fire and see if it will last as long as the clay.
The white man said, No….my money will burn because it is made of paper.
With an amused gleam in his eyes the old chief said, Oh, your money is not as good as our land, is it?
The wind will blow it away; the fire will burn it; water will rot it. But nothing will destroy our land.
You don’t make a very good trade.
Then with a smile, Crowfoot picked up a handful of sand from the river bank, handed it to the white man and said, You count the grains of sand in that while I count the money you give for the land.
The white man said, I would not live long enough to count this, but you can count the money in a few minutes.
Very well, said the wise Crowfoot, our land is more valuable than your money. It will last forever.
It will not perish as long as the sun shines and the water flows, and through all the years it will give life to men and animals, and therefore we cannot sell the land.
It was put there by the Great Spirit and we cannot sell it because it does not really belong to us.
You can count your money and burn it with a nod of a buffalo’s head, but only the Great Spirit can count the grains of sand and the blades of grass on these plains.
As a present we will give you anything you can take with you, but we cannot give you the land.”
Chief Crowfoot : Blackfoot Confederacy.

Isabelle Perico Enjady.
Chiricahua Apache.
photo ca. 1890

The "Indian princess" is a stereotypical and inaccurate representation of Native American or other Indigenous woman of the Americas. The term "princess" was often mistakenly applied to the daughters of tribal chiefs or other community leaders by early American colonists who mistakenly believed that Indigenous people shared the European system of royalty. This portrayal has continued in popular animation, with characters that conform to European standards of beauty, with most famous misrepresentation being that of Pocahontas. Frequently, the "Indian Princess" stereotype is paired with the "Pocahontas theme" in which the princess "offers herself to a captive Christian knight, a prisoner of her father, and after rescuing him, she is converted to Christianity and live with him in his native land." The phrase "Indian princess", when used in this way, is often considered to be a derogatory term and is deemed offensive to Natives.
In Native American Pow wow culture, some competition titles for girls or young women might include the name "Princess", but this is of a wholly different context and meaning than the above usage.
Playing Indian" or dressing up in a stereotypical Native American costume is an American practice that goes back to colonial times. During The Boston Tea Party, colonists dressed up as Indians by wearing feathers, blankets, and drawing on their faces with black soot. They then threw the English's tea off the ship and into the harbor.
An "Indian princess" is often a form of playing "Indian". Many non-indigenous people believe that dressing up as an Indian princess is innocent, inoffensive and harmless. Although, the cultural appropriation of Native traditional dress as a costume is often viewed as offensive because it ignores the cultural and religious significance of traditional Native regalia, and regularly sexualizes Native American women.

Seneca woman Ah-Weh-Eyu (Pretty Flower), 1908.The Seneca are a group of Indigenous Iroquoian-speaking people who historically lived south of Lake Ontario, one of the five Great Lakes in North America. Their nation was the farthest to the west within the Six Nations or Iroquois League (Haudenosaunee) in New York before the American Revolution.A Seneca oral tradition states that the tribe originated in a village called Nundawao, near the south end of Canandaigua Lake, at South Hill. Close to South Hill stands the 865 foot (264 m)-high Bare Hill, known to the Seneca as Genundowa. Bare Hill is part of the Bare Hill Unique Area, which began to be acquired by the state in 1989. Bare Hill had been the site of a Seneca (or Seneca-ancestral people) fort.

Elizabeth Thunder Bird Haile (1898-1987) was a famous tribal leader of the Shinnecock Tribe. She was born and raised on the Shinnecock Indian Reservation in Long Island, New York.
She was the daughter of a Shinnecock tribal leader, and was raised with a strong sense of preserving and protecting the tribe's traditions. She became a researcher on the history and culture of the Shinnecock Tribe, and was known for her work in preserving and revitalizing the tribe's language and traditions.
She was one of the founders of the Shinnecock Museum and Cultural Center on the tribal land, which showcases the history and culture of the Shinnecock people, as well as the tribe's efforts in protecting their land and resources.
In addition, she was a social activist, fighting for the rights of her tribe and other marginalized communities. She helped to promote educational and healthcare programs within her community.
Elizabeth Thunder Bird Haile made significant contributions to the Shinnecock Tribe throughout her life, and is honored as a great researcher and social activist of the local community." S"Elizabeth Thunder Bird Haile (1898-1987) was a famous tribal leader of the Shinnecock Tribe. She was born and raised on the Shinnecock Indian Reservation in Long Island, New York.
She was the daughter of a Shinnecock tribal leader, and was raised with a strong sense of preserving and protecting the tribe's traditions. She became a researcher on the history and culture of the Shinnecock Tribe, and was known for her work in preserving and revitalizing the tribe's language and traditions.
She was one of the founders of the Shinnecock Museum and Cultural Center on the tribal land, which showcases the history and culture of the Shinnecock people, as well as the tribe's efforts in protecting their land and resources.
Elizabeth Thunder Bird Haile made significant contributions to the Shinnecock Tribe throughout her life, and is honored as a great researcher and social activist of the local community.

Our culture is about Understanding The connections with nature and connections with our own People and all others for Unity. We were a self sustained People who took only what was needed to live. Going back to our Culture Does not mean going back to live in tipis and moose hide loin cloths and running around eating leaves. It's about being connected to what created us to help protect the vulnerable and weak. We sit in circles because we don't Justify materialized possessions as Being rich, we don't Idolize one being Greater than the other. Our Ancestors walked this land. They prayed over this land to provide for us, the future generations to carry forward the wisdom of this land and its beneficial Lessons of survival and sustainable Resources from clean rivers to Healing Leaves , barks,Roots. Our Traditional Crafts are Precious lessons on patience and Discipline and Determination,Endurance to finish. We smudge with fungus and Plants That are proven to be healing In the smoke it's creates. We believe in a Creator Yes, But we also believe in a day All nations will Gather in unity as the red nation was ripped away from the mother land and separated out of fear that we will gain knowledge and grow in numbers.. when I say bring back our songs, bring back the circles, Build the Arbour to bring back our dances for the children to learn. Teach the lessons of Crafts and Artwork, explain the impact of Residential school on your own Family and the impact on the community be Brutally Honest even if it hurts. We as people Need to heal from the Abuse our mothers,Fathers, Grandparents their grandparents and older generations endured. Their prayers are why we are still here fighting for our rights,Fighting for our voices they silenced, growing our hair they cut. OPEN YOUR EYES AND LOOK AT HOW WE ARE TREATED EVERYWHERE. WE NEED TO STAND TOGETHER TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE.Ill still smudge for you all to the join the circle of YOUR people..

It's not every day a person gets to see
a Lakota buffalo hide teepee ( tipi) dating
from the 1850's.
Thanks Oklahoma Historical Society.

There's been a lot that has gone through my mind these past days. Mainly memories of my son and the life we had together with our family. In the early 90's I was married to a woman from the Red Bear Tiyospaye (Sitting Bull Tiospaye, families), from that marriage I had Joey and Cole (Coco). When Coco was about 6 months old, his mom left. Although they never saw much of her, I'm glad their Red Bear cousin, uncles and aunties stayed relevant in their lives, one of their cousin Jake Red Bear stayed with us and helped me raise the boys, Jake was my nephew by marriage, but he became my little brother into our family, Joey and Coco looked at him like their uncle. Jake's mom would always say, where's my pretty boy, I would say hey he's a boy he can't be pretty, she would say well he is pretty, and yes, he was a beautiful child as well.
When Coco was about 3 years old, I met my wife Joni Uses Many (Red Bull/Crazy Horse Tiospaye). She helped me raise them and adopted them as her own, bringing them into her Tiospaye as well. On myside of the family, Mother's side, I come from the Roach/Cheyenne Woman (survivor of Wounded Knee Massacre), Makes Room Tiospaye. Henry Makes Room was a Mnicoujou Chief and Good Elk Woman who also comes from chiefs as well, Blue Cloud/One Horn. My father's side, we come from Chief Brings Plenty Tiospaye, our grandfather was a whip man for the Oglala Tokala Warrior Society, his youngest brother was Chief Low Dog. Three of their brothers were killed at the Little Big Horn Battle, when our families were attacked. Coco, he was a sundancer, a society member of the Sungmanitu Tanka Okolakiciye Wolf Warrior Society. It takes a life time to make a warrior, so to lose our warriors is so hard for our families. He waa a Wolf that brings plenty for the people, I heard an elder say this.
During this time, we lived in Eagle Butte, the boys started boxing, Joey was 9 and Coco was 6. Coco has over 75 registered boxing bouts as an amateur boxer, loved his fighting style inside fighter, when the Mexican crowds watched him box, they would always get loud they didn't know him, but boxing fans love good fighters, no matter who they are. He was a warrior, inside and out, he was so polite and thoughtful you would have never known, he was a true champion. We created a boxing club for our youth back home, who were struggling with rez life and named it Wolves Den Boxing Club. We made many relations since. My son always wanted to promote Wolves Den because it helped so many, that's how he was, always wanting to help people around him.
He loved to dance, sing, joke, make people laugh. He loved his heritage, his way of life, his people. It's hard to be here, I felt guilty for him being so far away from home, but being here around his uncle Moe, friends and Haskell family, that he made here, I know he wasn't alone, he was happy and felt safe around them. He recently landed a big audition that would springboard his acting career, on Monday, April 1st he was supposed to be starting and internship with a local legislator, his role with 1923, he had interviews setup with elders regarding the Wounded Knee Massacre, on a paper he was doing. Last time I spoke to him, he was working on some documents for college. Now my baby boy is gone, he doesn't deserve this, he has only good intentions for anyone around him, no matter who they are or how they are. All the stories shared by his classmates, instructors, co-workers, friends and family in the area, my son was a light for many.
We found my son, now we have to find out what happened and hold people responsible for what happened. Please pray for Justice for Coco, pray for strength for his mom, brothers, sisters, relatives, friends, this has been the hardest place for me to be and feel completely broken and angry, just isn't how the world should be, only time a parent buries a child is in war. We believe a child should never make the journey before the parent, that's what makes this so hard.
Bliheciya.. Love You Son Cole Brings Plenty Forever..
(One of his friends here at Haskell made this and gave it to the family, Coco was loved because he loved all around him so much, she called it Cole's Light)
Joseph Brings Plenty Sr.

I want to reiterate, remember... that it was not a discovery, perhaps a rediscovery, because when Christopher Columbus with his usual flowing hair, dreamy eyes, and undoubtedly smelly feet, landed on the island of Hispaniola, there was a population, those who would later be called Dominicans, and they had been there for about 20 - 30 thousand years. They had crossed the Bering Strait along with all the others who would later be called Indians.
So on the evening of October 12th, at least as far as I'm concerned, I will stand with the Indians and remember with them what they consider the day of the greatest national mourning."
Fabrizio De André.