WGBH Forum Network; In Their Own Voice: Native Americans Tell Their History

A memory and Hendrickson sake not the native like Indians. And I've been involved with the islands. For a number of years. And. My friend here. I am not a posh McQuinn which means father on the mon and I'm stuck on the Massachusetts people from the park a public area and I will start by addressing the fact that history as you have read about it. Was not written by us. It was written by persons who. Came to this land and they decided what history would be be written. History is an oral history and because it's oral it could not be written down and when we choose to. Tell our history we're really telling it to ourselves. To our youngsters and to the people who are listening to it. Stories which have to do with our culture and creation. So

written history is not what you. Know what we would wish that you would take away from. Any visit to Native Americans whether we're talking about here in New England whether we're talking about anywhere in America. The history that. We have been. Trying to ignore is that once. It was created. Successfully by Hollywood we're not savages and we have not lived. In against. The people who came here. Here on the island on the island. This is a group of islands in the. Boston Harbor. That. Recently became islands by recently I mean in in times that are logical thousands 10000 years ago up before that when the glaciers began to melt this was a swampy marshy area. And I believe it was called. We called it. In your language. Neither land not never land but neither land

meaning it was neither land nor was it water. And we traveled to these islands for many reasons. Most of which was for food. What do you think Mary. Well I believe on. The Soudan particular. It has been shown that. There were. Shelled middens that. Deuced a number of. Items that showed that. We came here. Like shopping. Because. There were items that we picked up here and brought back to our camps. And. This was. Goat Boy back to the 15 hundreds. And. Certain fried at that time the paleo Indian period not a cave. But. There's quite a history. It's just hasn't been written. But the grounded what has been an earth. Tells Us story.

Do you agree. I agree. I agree and as we both are saying our history is an oral history and not ties to the land. To what we call Mother Earth. And it. Features strongly in our tradition you know not ceremonious in a police system. So we are connected to the earth. And that connection is a viable living ongoing connection in it as a basis of many of our ceremonies and many of us stories and the other connection we have is to our ancestors our ancestors to us real not something that you would dredge up when one of us when that anniversary came up. But in at least in my personal life. I listened to the ancestors and that is not a concept that is easily translated into. Common everyday American life already insists this continued to speak to us. If we fail to listen to our

ancestors and forget their words and forget this story as you know we had doomed. We're doomed because our ancestors have set the pattern. For our lifes. Well I think it has been shown that because of the. Development. Of the. State country. That. The earth is suffering that because. The lands have been taken away from the animals. The waters are rising. Because of. Global warming. So our ancestors tried to protect the land. And. Because the newcomers. Feel to understand that. That. Innocent would be destroyed because of that. One of the things that you may have heard from other native peoples is that. We try to

live our lives as if. We are living seven generations in the future. I desires to leave the land. The environment. The way it was for the seven generations that follow us. And if we live our lives that way then Mother Earth will continue to. Sustain itself and sustain us. Another thing that's important to understand at least from my perspective. The history that's been told about told about us. It's always revolved around conflict conflict between the newcomers the invaders whatever word we want to use in the peace of people they came from across the seas came to this country and treated as if it was theirs. And there was nobody here. We are not defined by those conflicts those conflicts are many here in. The East Coast. And heading all the way across to the west coast

and certainly in South America. And that was evidence of those conflicts in the northern part of Canada and maritime. Provinces. So we are not defined by the conflicts. Others have tried to define us by the conflicts by saying what do you think of this what do you think of that. Do you still hate us. Do you love us. In my professional view is that we are all. Americans. We are the first people. And. The phrase that defines us is not Native Americans or Indians or any of those words. We have the people. In my belief system anyway. All Christians are the same. The Creator made us all. And gave us all the same rights to live on Mother Earth. And we are no different than. The fish. The birds the crawling creatures the trees the rocks. In the

differences they have names. And our name is the people. We are simply. The people. That is one of the concepts I would like you to take away from the words today. Well I still refer to myself as Indian. And that's one advantage that we have. We have many. Similarities. Its tribe has their own. Perspective on how they. Practice the culture. And we have to remember when you say that. The. Conflicts did not define us. We had lived here for centuries prior to some of the major conflicts. A number of people perished from diseases and not from on.

When the. When the newcomers came. Unfortunately they brought a number of diseases. But. We were living here peacefully. And that's what we have to keep in mind that we were and we are still to this day a peaceful people. That we respect. The land. The earth. The waters. We prayed a grandmother moan. We prayed to the stars. And we hope that our children and our grandchildren will be able to carry on something. That we haven't been able to. To speak about. I know I like to call it the cultural silence but. One of the conflicts brought about that cultural silence because in Massachusetts we had a law. Where we were forbidden to travel a mile from our homes. Without being killed. And so can you imagine people having to live

under that type of. Rule. I know my family has been here for centuries. And. They stopped talking about their culture. Stop practicing it openly because it was forbidden. So it's very difficult. For me to. Pass the information down to my children. When my grandfather and great grandfather were unable to talk about it. And they had to move out of certain areas in order to to survive. So we asked survivors. You agree. And. I would like to speak a bit about ceremony. And Spirit. We have many names for. The things that we do not of which I am going to share with you today but. One of the worst and the ceremonies that you would have most if you have a witness is something

called a poem and a poem as today a gathering place and I'm sure always was a gathering place. But what happens that a poet one of the things that happens as a poet that's spiritual is dancing and dancing is. There are many dances but one of the things that happens within a dance is that you can be transported back to another time. And your dance can be a dance of a particular animal. And when you perform that ceremony you were performing that ceremony in in your mind as well as for the people who were around you. And if you're successful in performing the antics are or the. Push of a particular animal some of that creatures. Public Creech is part partnership and in relationship

to the earth and that. Creech is drama because we all have a drama. We all have to have a drama to live up. They are interactive but that ceremony and ceremonies have a meaning other than entertainment for us. It's not necessarily entertainment to some I would grant you it is entertainment but for us it did not start out that way and for some who were really. Involved in the ceremony it is not entertainment that's why some of our ceremonies are not open to the public. They are private in their private because the things that happen there need to be private. One of the irritations for myself when I was a lot younger. Was the fact that our culture was. Not Taken for us but we were not allowed to practice it. So we had to practice it in secret. And as the generations went by a lot of those things were lost. What we're hoping to do at least what I'm hoping to do with this.

Forum. Is to tell you that we're still here and that's not the message I want to give you because who we are not here like we were 10000 years ago we hair as we are today. We have football history has a country has a culture has evolved and we're not the same people but we're not the different people we are the people who we are today and those things that we have today. I hope. Similar and have roots in what was passed. And this is what we hoped to bring to the islands. That. When there are visitors here that they learn about us our history and our history on the islands. And the ranges in the stuff that work with the. With the visitors. Should be able to tell that story. They cut if they had a non-NATO. They perhaps can feel it as we feel it.

But if they understand our feelings. Then they cook and to trade to the visitors how important it is. To tell the story correctly and that it's. We are a part of the islands. That can never be taken away from us because. Many of our ancestors are buried on these islands. And so we have a long history here. When this was first this national park here it was first being developed I talked about a Native American presence was not part of that. Process. And through one particular individual who raised the consciousness of the National Park Service and I won't say forced but because of that awareness the National Park Service at this place anyway has included the Native American culture. In

in this presence that currently here in the in this building there is nothing that would identify us as being here. We would like to change that and how it gets changed is obviously something to be discussed but. If you walk through the Boston Common and through the historic many historic sites to wrote the United States you will see persons called re-enactors who dressed up in. Colonial costumes or of the costumes and they live within the moment in that moment it's the history that they are portraying. That doesn't happen. In this place. It happens in other places but not as part of the National Park System. I would like that to happen here I would like when people come here there is someone who. Is perhaps dressed in the you know.

Dressed in the period that that person wants to reenact and talks that way and gives young people. Young people have this incredible ability to suspend belief. Which means. Whatever you were telling them at the time and doing they have suspended belief in their part of that. We all as adults can do that. If we enjoy movies. As movies as you know. Not true. But I do not have to enjoy them you have to suspend belief and say yeah that could happen. That's where I would like to see here. And the National. Recreation Area in Massachusetts that there is a cultural. Person who is acting out and that's what it would be an act or perhaps even better. Someone who is living that experience today. Which I don't think there are any.

No no and I think you know that cultural center would be very important because many of the artifacts that have been taken in the process of thinkings here could be put back into that center. To show people. What had been dug up from these islands. And those of us today not involved with the diggings. So but we do know that those out of sacks are available. And they could be put in the cultural center and definitely what you say to reenact this. It's very important. I know I've talked to a number of young children out here on the islands and. They're amazed at the stories we tell. And they're wondering why they haven't learned it in the schools. So all around it there needs to be more education done about the. History of our ancestors here.

I'm sure the National Park Service would appreciate your comments once you have viewed this and if you have questions you can direct them to something that I think you will be seeing at the end of this where you can direct questions. I would like to speak a little bit about. The Holocaust. After one of the many. Conflicts in. The United States. So what became the United States. There was one in Massachusetts Go King Phillips war which was a. Individual who gathered people together to try to toss throw. Bricks whom the people who came here because they have. Usurped. The native peoples. Belief System and. Insisted that. They had a right to do so. Once that once that happened. Something called.

Deer Island which is an island that's too well. Somewhere I can point to it right now but it's here. It's part of the Harbor Island recreation area. Hundreds of people from Massachusetts. Communities. Were gathered up. And brought by. Carts in open cuts across the land and interred meaning they were put into a place called Deer Island and Thompson Island Long Island and left there and I mean that left there. They weren't given any weapons to kill creatures to. Feed themselves nor any equipment to fish. They were there and their ability to survive was based upon the generosity of the few people who could get there. That model. Became.

One of America's first concentration camps. And you know that there I was the most famous one is. The one in California with the Japanese Americans which means they were Americans. They were put in a concentration camp because America could not believe. That because. It would you have an issue where. You weren't in America. In the same mindset occurred here. Praying towns were created by a number of individuals who whose idea it was to convert the native people from their form of spirituality. Into Christianity. There is no word in our language for religion. We we don't worship. A creature or are an invention. There is no word for religion. So the persons who came here were were. They had a mindset that. One of the ways to get

rid of the problem was to Christianize the Indians so many praying times were created. I came from one. And those persons who were in the praying towns when the conflict began were scooped up and taken away and put on one of the islands. Out of the way because the persons who had convinced themselves that. These people are people could become Christians and did. Cut their hair or clothes lived in houses still could not be trusted to be what they said they were. That is a model and I'm going to tell you this and that will be distasteful. That model of solving the Indian problem was. Incorporated. In Europe. By Hitler. That was his solution to the problem there and I'm not making that up. He has said this. Himself. And has thanked America for their idea of solving a problem. So.

We have the victims at some point in time. And we are also the victors. Depending upon another point of view. I think I don't want to go too far with that but. Well yeah you know. You know we were victims because. The whole purpose of trying to have Christmas Night us was to make us feel guilty about having this land and to be a good Christian you were supposed to give your land. To the church. And it was just another way to. Get our land away from us. And so. They did succeed and we were victims in that respect. But it didn't take away our spirituality. It didn't take away our culture that we had to practice silently. But yes we are the victors today I think. Right.

Let me pick up on what Marianne has just said. Léon was. The drug. That caused us grief. In South America. It was go. Girl was the driver of the Spanish and Portuguese who invaded South America and extracted South America and the Caribbean and extracted. Gold. By forcing the natives to. Dig for it. Here it was land. The people came from. Mostly England. I came from a royal society where the king owned everything and you had nothing. You couldn't even have a voice unless you were a landowner and then you would become part of the aristocracy and had a voice. The first people came here came here and their first idea of what it would take to make this place. Not only profitable but meaningful was to acquire the land.

That acquisition took many forms most of which which is illegal still is illegal and some of us are still fighting to overturn that. Crime. But léon was the drug that drove this country. Everywhere starting from the East Coast all the way across to the west coast which has become America. Land has been the driver first group these people into. A reservation and then make them non native. And then steal the land stealing the land legally. It's still a theft. For instance here in Massachusetts before it was a commonwealth. Native people were disenfranchised. It's called the enfranchisement act but it's disenfranchisement. That said in essence you were no longer a native. You were a citizen. A tenth.

Citizen. Meaning you had no right to vote. Had no redress in the court. But that was a model that was it still exists today it still exists today that there are parts of our country in the West where persons are compressed into reservations on land that no one want it. They. Could land the area but only the land with valuable mineral rights. Were taken away and the natives were pushed into reservations. What's at the state. Where they are dependent upon. The law justice of the United States to get them food. Health. And everything. This started here I want to be clear that this started here in Massachusetts. That's the legacy. That we give it to you. The world ought to the United States anyway that what happened to us is Native people. Happen to everyone. That wasn't me and I will stop after this anyway and

this time but I'm on a roll. Thank you. There was a man called Henry Dawes he was a senator from Massachusetts. And this senator from Massachusetts created and had passed in the Congress. And that called the Dawes Act DAWE Yes this is is can be fun if you use any number of search. Engines on the Internet. He created a law that said. You know I'm no longer an Indian you don't have any ever riginal rights. And. What you get is I'm not going to use the phrase but that's not what he said. You get to make it in a meal. And that means you don't want to own the land communally which is which is what we did. And once the land was given to you with the given to those people with the deed then it could be. Sold. Could be sold or stolen. Oh what ever.

I'm sensing my anger is coming through and I don't want that happen. Awful. I would like to say that there was no written history but. There was some written history. The land claimed the deeds that went to the courts. We have copies of the deeds. We also know that there were stories told on the Wampum Belts. Birchbox scrolls. So. There is some written history. But it didn't mean anything to have a deed for your land because. The Guardians. Who were assigned to. I. Oversee what was happening. Word were helping themselves to the land. So apparently what went on in the courts meant nothing. When it came to the Indians having control of their property. So

not only was the land taken because. Taxes weren't paid. When we never considered. Taxes. The land was to be shared by all. But all of these. No ideas were just waves. No way of taking our land. So if you want to talk about written history you have to go into the court and look at some of the records you have to look at the Massachusetts resolves to see. What happened to people here in the Commonwealth. Unfortunately that's all written history which means nothing to. The people who want to take take away your property how do we get that back. Again. We can't know. And Mariana's re-entering what we said in the beginning that. Written history was not written by native people was written by the people whose agenda was not. Our agenda. And

that's a phrase that you've heard time and time again. History is written by the winners. Whoever. Wins the war. Writes the history. It is happening today I mean I can go there but. If you if you were aware of the world then you should be. Because we all are part of Mother Earth and that's not any different from. From. From. Here in Massachusetts here in Massachusetts to anywhere in the east the west the south. But this is Mother Earth and it's connected. As Marian said. But. We are being faced with global warming. Whether or not you believe it or not doesn't matter if it's happening it doesn't it doesn't matter whether you believe it or not it's happening. So in the end if that happens you're still going to be. In the same boat with the rest of us. And I heard past administrations. You know at least in America have done nothing about this.

Well. That's not been enough in my opinion. So obviously I'm speaking for myself as a sack of my people I speak. With a voice that's. Common to what we all believe. I will say a little bit now about. Our. Ability. To interact with. Mother Earth. Some of you have heard that. The animals speak to us while the other creatures speak to us. And. That is a form of suspending belief. But I tell you that it is true. If you listen. With your mind in your heart you will hear. What what is being said. By the Earth by the sea.

By the birds by the sky. Mother Earth cries out for relief against what has been done to her. A couple of nights ago I watched a movie and if you have seen the movie call will writer that's one of the reasons why I picked up this particular movie but it was a story of. Aboriginal people from Australia. Who. Would call the whales to the shore. They call the whales because the whale was this spirit a totem animal not to drown or to be killed. And that struck such a resonant chord within me. That. We still. Have the ability to communicate. With. What you call Mother Nature and we call Mother Earth. You can do this for yourself. Go out into the woods. All go someplace where it's quiet. That's the other thing that this place is great for.

Mary had mentioned it within this city about Boston where part of the city of Boston. There is no other place where you can go and be white. This is a quiet place and once you're here you can. Listen to the internal conversation for yourself. You can interact with nature. And you can just find a place where you can stand to your being because it is a quiet peaceful. Loving place. Come here. Experience just for yourself. And how do we get that story told. To the visitors. Certainly by having. Never Americans out here. On a regular basis. Telling their stories or visiting with the people and let them know. That this was a happy.

And joyous. Area at one time. And it is today. What happened in between. Created who we are today. That we have a story to tell. Because there are things that we feel. We have a spirituality. That enables us skills to talk with the animals. To walk in the woods and field the stories that are being told by them. To the trees blowing in the wind. And set by the ocean. And here but the waters have to tell us. There's a piece in Mother Nature that we appreciate. Will it. One of the things we were talking about prior to this. Day and have always talked about is the difficulty of

living today as. A native person. Obviously there are very few places and none in Massachusetts where you can live as you know your ancestors used to live living off the land and living on the land and not. Being. Impacted by a government city town or whatever. So. I had a thought one time and it became a reality it. Turned into a video. It was called living in two worlds. Because that's how many native people live. And it's certainly how I live. I live in the. Native world. In my head sometimes and I live in the native Well when I'm participating in a ceremony. Our celebration. And then because I do live in Massachusetts where I have to pay my taxes I don't live in a. Tax free place even though some of our ancestors did.

So we live in two worlds and we have to live in those two and we have to straddle those two I straddle those two ideologies and try to find a way where. They have balanced in your mind. One of the definitions of insanity has ho much. Divergent ideas you can live with. You can't live with them all. You go nuts. And I like that particular definition. So in terms of bringing our message. To the people. The young people. We need to find a way so that they hear the message or. Hear the message of our ancestors understand. The world as it is today. Hopefully get a picture of a feeling of how that will be used to be so. And I had to find a way so I insist as drama. Is conveyed to people today

because they had drama or. Is drama. One of the topics that I talk about is. In the time before now. And it's a similar way of. Expressing the old things from children stories. Once upon a time. My way of making that statement is in the time before now and I start that off with. In my belief system all time is the same. Which means whatever happened today happened yesterday and it will happen tomorrow. And that's not just in terms of. The grass growing in the sun coming up. It's in terms of in terms of a drama. Within Mother Earth. The communities that we have are in. The expression that those who cannot. Remember history are doomed to repeat it. And the word is domed. Because most of our history no

matter whose people we're talking about is not a pleasant history. And if you don't learn and change your ways you're going to experience that again. All I want to talk about. People how people see us today. And I talk about this casino issue you know a few years ago we were part of Neda story had its 50th celebration anniversary. And we were riding on the first. This Friday which was for the grand marshals. And people were cheering us along the road and they were saying when are we going to get our casinos. That's how they think of us. You know there are more important things in our lives that we talk about. The Education. Health benefits housing. Same as any other group of people here in this country. Those are the important

issues. Unfortunately sometimes the casinos make it possible for. Four tribes to. Get those benefits. But also. And getting that federal recognition. Does sovereignty really make them solvent. That whole issue is coming up today about tribal sovereignty. When you're sovereign you're supposed to be a nation unto yourself. And why is it necessary for you to. Have to ask the government whether you can use a certain piece of land or whether you can spend your money in the way that you wish to spend it. To us. To our people yours and mine who are not federally recognized. We can own land sovereign people have land put into trust which means they don't own it. The government still owns it. So. I. Is it really important. To have the casinos to make us.

Know the casinos are a means of. Of some. Tribes being able to. Get those educational opportunities all the housing that they need. But in this day and age there are still. Tribes in this country that are living without electricity. That are living without decent housing. So what does it really mean to be Sarn. That's something we all have to ask ourselves. When you speak about living in two worlds Yes we have the educational opportunities here. That many of our brothers and sisters in the West have not been able to. Take advantage of. So it's like six months and half a dozen the other. We have to prove. That where and you know we have to. Produce birth certificates we have to go back to our history to a certain point in time to. These to show

that our ancestors lived here and were a part of the community. But with that we were also able to have our freedom of. Living where we wanted to live. In some cases. And also to be able to go to school and work etc. whereas some of our. People out on the reservations. Still do not have those opportunities. So I don't want people to feel that because some are getting special rights or privileges. That it's that they come by it easily. No I don't. It's still a fight. To be able to. Fish where you want to fish. Some of our families and I have had to bring cases into court

because. They were fishing in waters that were traditionally. Their. Waters part of Bill land part of their. Their. Communities. So. To this day. We really are Songkran nation. How do you feel. I think remarry and took the problem of tribal sovereignty is not an easy idea to. To wrap your head around. The federal government has one idea what 7 3 7 3 means. And the native communities have a different idea as to what sovereignty means. I think the fairest explanation of it means. You came here and we want to be like we were before. If they can it can be done legally and it's called sovereignty. Fine. Access to the lands that. Were once.

Not in conflict is a problem for us. Most of the celebrations and. I've done. On Mother Earth I mean company unaccompanied unaccompanied by. Concrete and asphalt is usually done in a you know in a. Nature like environment with the trees in the woods and the birds and the animals all around that process and the music we bring is that music that's been with us for decades and the words that we use are not understood but the public and not understood by our young people either because the words that we have or. Which not everyone understands. When this happens here it happens here on the island the island this which is a group of how many. 30 islands here in Boston Harbor

now off limits to the public some of them off limits to the public. Certainly not all of them accessible for native people to just go and be there. So we have a problem with access access to. Nature actually access to Mother Nature in the other portion of access is persons who. Want to build upon Mother Earth find a place where they can do that. And then begin to turn over. The earth. And with it our ancestors. And once they find something depending upon what they find. It is. And once they squirreled away but it's taken away from us. Which at the true. Conservatories of what Mother Earth. Holds from our past. Now Pro which is the Native American graves protection acts started here in

Massachusetts and it just means when you find a grave you have to bring in. Individuals from the government from the tribal people and determine what's to happen with the remains that still flood over. As to who should have them. There are some cases where these remains are still in the museums or in this state. And certainly throughout the United States. And the museums who have them and refused to relinquish them say we can't prove who they belong to. We believe that native but we can't prove which made it they belong to. So the United States as a. Concept. Has found a very workable way of. Dividing Native American. Ideas of who they are. There are a number of tribal people in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. I believe they are all related. Most people I think do

believe they're related but there are still some that say no you're not this then you're not that you can't be that you can't be part of us. What's it. Access to. To. Blame that's where we can have a ceremony as a problem for us. When things are found they're called out of facts. I hate that word. Whenever I hear someone say I defect I say do you mean art in fact. Because that's what it is it is not an effect it's an by fact it's art. So someone who made it wasn't making them out of fact. When making something that had. Us a purpose it was just a decoration but it never is an artifact. So those things that also disappear from from our culture disappear from the places we would like them to be. Some of them are items that were interred with the with the human remains and.

Well. I suppose. So. Access to places where we want to be is a problem for us. So arbitrary is a problem for us here in Massachusetts which is probably not unique but I suspect it is. In Massachusetts there are no Indians. As defined by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. This issue just does not recognize any Indian people. That will acknowledge them. Which means we have you here once here but you know here any more. So the two that we recognize stripes in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts not recognized by the Commonwealth. And I say that to expand upon the the. Ongoing. Disenfranchisement of our identity. My great grandmother was said to be the last Indian Every Indian community has it.

Has that picture of the lust in the end. Well there is no lest in the end because that's another way of saying you've disappeared you're gone and the last one is gone. It is a pretty basic and city insidious way of undermining and eliminating people. But access is one of the things and so I want to use another thing so I've been three. Is it something as Marion said we don't. I don't. My folks do not want. Or need. Actually I would except the federal government saying Yeah you're an Indian. That's the process that Mary Ann was describing. In order to get certain benefits in the state commonwealth you have to prove who you are with Bush sit. Just to kiss and ancestry charts proving. That you are in fact a native person related to this native person who in some point in

time was. Put on a census. Therefore you are a valid. Person to receive. These benefits. We will not seek. Federal recognition. Because we don't believe the federal government has that right. Does not have the right to decide who you are. But it is a means of getting. Financial. Getting money. Getting a way to. Have this culture understand who you are because it is driven by. Money. If you have a casino. You have money. Casinos destroy. They destroyed the people they destroyed the psyche and they certainly destroyed the land. I'm running on. Having Instead it's not the federal government recognize you. Does that change who you are. We're the only ethnic group in this country who has to. Prove. Their identity their ancestry.

All right children have been educated. I'm quite sure yours have been too. We didn't need federal recognition to get that. We were fortunate in that respect. But it does not change who we are. We know who we are. Same as someone who has Italian Nance history Irish ancestry. Dutch. They know who they are. And we're proud of our ancestry. So on these islands. We must be able to show people. That there's a lot of pride. In our history. That we were not and are not the seven judges. That the media lights to do to depict us. The Western movies the cowboys and Indians. We didn't stop scalping and that was not part of our culture. That was brought by the English who wanted the wigs for their hair

for their. Women to make their beautiful waves. So you see there are things in our past. That have been misinterpreted. It's so much that needs to be told you know how do how do we go about getting it across to let these young people know that. There's a great history here. Well let me pick up on that how about how do we tell a story. I know that I have been faulted. And and I have. Meetings. For being more businesslike rather than spiritual. And. I thought that was an. Important because of where we. Were I was. Driving towards and we were driving towards. Getting the Commonwealth to acknowledge our legal claims to certain pieces of property and that's a long. Involved and expensive process. But

some of the other tribal members say well that's not what we want to hear and certainly the young people don't want to hear that they're not interested as you know all know we're in a media driven society and that's why you get will hear me today. It's because media is running. The world. We have really in 1984. So how do we get to tell. A story not only to the public. Not only to the people who come here to Harbor Islands. But anywhere. This is one of the opportunities for us to tell a story but it's equally important to tell a story to our youth. Oh you don't know our stories. Some of them I mean it's when when I took a couple of my favorite stories that they are my favorite so I tell them and I'm animated when I tell them and they say. Oh crap I didn't know that. Is that. What happened. So we need to take an effort.

To tell the young people that really young people. To immerse them in our culture as they used to be when we were more land driven. We didn't have media. So they had to tape it would have been sitting around. The circle in the fire listening to the elders sell their stories tell these stories to tell the stories of our past. And children became immersed in that story because there wasn't anything to divert them from that there were no iPods or know. Whatever those things are. We moved away from that and we as a people have. Been guilty of. Doing the same thing. So how can we tell this story the story what we want to tell. Mary and Mary Ann and I have to have a similar way of looking at. Life and the past and that's primarily because we reached that age where we're not.

So much involved in where our next meal is coming from. How can we tell the stories that we want to have told here where there is an opportunity to do that. We're doing that now. And hopefully those of you who are looking at this will take those thoughts to heart and do something more than we have done. But can we do something more here at the Visitors Center on spectacle Island. Yes I'm sure we can. I'm sure we can. I know we can. And one of it might be having an interpreter. To interpret our. Let's say our culture. To visit is who are interested in hearing it. It could even be interactive pushing a button and looking at a video that comes up and spends allows you to spend 15 minutes hearing. A number of native people telling the

stories their stories. Their history their drama. But I want to I want to keep saying. We all have a drama. Every one of us has a drama meaning it is different than the next person. But it is the same. It is also the same it's the same as our ancestors. But if we forget our stories of our ancestors we forget our ancestors drama we forget our ancestors reason. And understanding and belief system. We had dooming ourselves. Oh I was just thinking of something that. We attempted to do last year with the Three Sisters garden on Long Island. And unfortunately the soil was not. Very good. Christian Wiman my granddaughter. Had to go out there frequently to go to water the plants but the three sisters. And

he did away with the planting of. Beans first. And then the corn. Thing and right. Now corn beans squash cotton beans and squash. OK. And it tells the history of how old the. The billions. Grew up around the corn. And the squash is to protect that whole. Plant. Secor right. Correct. Very good health that's a story that can be told. And. We have some islands here. That have good soil and it's possible to do something like that. And it would be easier because of. The frequent trips that are made to some of these islands where the planes could be tended to properly. And it does tell part of the story.

So that's one example we certainly can come up with some other ideas but I think that would be a start. Yes. Well there's another opportunity for young people to learn about the things from the past. That were derived from us so that they are our culture. Every May and May is the new year for Indian people. It begins the year. There are a lot of things that happened in May. The herring. The androgynous fish that come up the river is. The planting. But in Boston Common there's a representation of a fish weir which is put in. Common. By schoolchildren. This year I'm hoping that we can planted three sisters garden not on the common because it's too open area but over in the Boston Garden where is it

gotten in someone could take care of it. We hope. And we also hope that perhaps here on the island. We could plant three sisters garden which requires more than one or two plants you have to have an out of a crime to grow you can't just play it plant one plant. So there are a number of places on the island that are around that are open to the public and the public could not only see the Three Sisters guide. They could see perhaps a video of how it's done. Most people who spend any time reading about a native. Reading about how this country began I understood and know that when the Pilgrims came to the area south of us the native people taught them how to plant using fish as a fertilizer. And. Without that knowledge. The Pilgrims would have not survived. But that is a story that's like that it's a story. Oh they did that good that's cool but

can you see it if you could see. How the. Earth is moved with if we're and how the fish are planted. How far a pit pot they could climb Rose need to be and how they are planted and then see the fruits of that. I know I'm looking for the word but it's not the word. I can but but it is if it is if. It's not a celebration and it's not a it's something that was part of life. It's part of life it wasn't a drama it was part of life you had to do this in order to survive. So. I culture as. Well and people which I think most of us will agree that in the in the. Spirit of time that culture flourished in the one that we know most about was a woodland period. And it wasn't just. In the woods and it was in the. Coastal

areas between the the sea and the whatever mountains you want to talk about so that they were coastal people that were in Lynnwood and people and there were coastal woodland people but. Those stories. That information. Doesn't exist and it won't exist unless we tell it. It's not an interesting story. To other than anthropologists and archaeologists. But it's certainly as interesting and should be told along with. How the cotton gin was invented why the cotton gin was invented why the mills were not up and surrounding us were important to the economy. Another another example that could be shown out here. The Native American Youth Media Institute the National Parks.

Runs in the summertime. Has. Native Americans come in and demonstrate. How they. Make the show and how they make etc. that could be done year round on the island. In one of the in some locale. So that. Young people know that you you burn out the inside of a tree to make a machine which is a no. And. So there are many things that can be shown and the more we talk of the ideas that pop up right. Oh what else can we think. We also learned how to make spoons. Well. They're up. There are a number of.

Persons some of them of Native American ancestry and some of them who have. A different bent. Who have. Recreated some of the things that we used to use. I have an ex that came from the blue hills. And it's made of granite. Looks like a cobweb it was sharpened. If you know granite you know how difficult it is to work without. Metal tools. Well I said not a gentleman at home made and an axe out of a cobble out of granite. And somehow honed this to such an exit edge that you can cut yourself on it. So. The ability to make things has always been a part of human culture. We did not. After some point in time just pick berries and. Grab fish. We had a culture our culture was. Significant. Significant to the tune that put tens of

thousands of years we survived. And there's no evidence of that on the earth. And that's a reason we lived with the earth. With the Earth. So the things that we did were not to change the earth we didn't need to build tall buildings or structures that would stand the test of time. So that's another reason why to. To us. Who try to tell the stories of our ancestors. Cannot show those things we didn't build things. Well I would say that because there are some stone structures that date back before the before the. I think I want to say in Vegas because that's how I see them but. They're the people that came here stab at the what we know as America. It

didn't mean that what was here before wasn't valid. It just means that. What was here before. There wasn't evidence. That lasted building something out of stone but there stone things that have been made they'd look natural because that's the way they should look. They were used to. Mock. The seasons they were used to mock. The. For economics as they were used to my certain stuff that were important to the medicine people. Now that I said that. This is another thing that is. Another concept and Native American concept it's not just here but it's everywhere across the United States. There are a number of individuals within the. Group whether it's called the clan a tribe or whatever it's called. Their rules are different.

And they need to be different. There's the elite of the Soka. Which is what Mary and I are. And it's not a chief. That's a word that came. Across the park. And they were not kings and queens and princesses. That's another form of. Government that was foreign to us foreign in many ways but we were not kings and the second was in many cases. Chosen. Not going to. There are some groups who believe you need to be beyond being a sack I mean there are others like my group or group where you are chosen by the people to be the leader. And then there are the medicine people. The medicine people the persons who. Are responsible for keeping our. Own sake secret but there is that k knowledge that only the

native people have. Because we want it that way. And their knowledge of plants. That we have and some of them are known to the world. But the medicine people are the person so keep those sacred traditions as to when things are done. So within a native group. There are lots of individuals lots of titles but none of them are unknown. Nor should should they be know to the general public but I want to tell you that they are there just because we didn't have. Something that is called a religion. Doesn't mean that we didn't have a spiritual side to our lives and it was the spiritual people who were responsible for keeping those traditions and telling us when they should occur how they should occur. And there are markers on the earth that are made by us. To show us when those things are to occur.

Well I just want people to know that. We are still here. And for all the stories of the. Last Indian loss this we are still here. Now. I would like to offer this in the end. In closing. I would like to thank. The National Park Service WGBH all the others who are involved in this. Filming. For giving us the opportunity to tell part of our stories. I would also like to thank the Creator. For giving me the words. To be said. By me. They are not my words. Totally. Thank you.