If I Want My People To Be

Before Aim, Indians Were Dispirited, Defeated, And Culturally Dissolving. People Were Ashamed To Be Indian. You Didn't See The Young People Wearing Braids Or Chokers Or Ribbon Shirts In Those Days. Hell, I Didn't Wear 'em. People Didn't Sun Dance, They Didn't Sweat, They Were Losing Their Languages. Then There Was That Spark At Alcatraz, And We Took Off. Man, We Took A Ride Across This Country. We Put Indians And Indian Rights Smack Dab In The Middle Of The Public Consciousness For The First Time Since The So-called Indian Wars.

They Don't Understand That A Slice Of The Pie Isn't The Whole Pie - But They Wonder Why They Are Always Hungry

May The Great Mystery Continue To Guide And Protect The Paths Of You And Your Loved Ones.

Being Is A Spiritual Proposition. Gaining Is A Material Act. Traditionally, American Indians Have Always Attempted To Be The Best People They Could. Part Of That Spiritual Process Was And Is To Give Away Wealth, To Discard Wealth In Order Not To Gain.

I Do Not Want To Be Civilized. I Want To Be Liberated.