Power of Words

I love words, words fill me with a sense of the majesty of nature, the beauty of the world. It is my joy to write and words are my tool for it.

Unfortunately, it is also a tool for liars and thieves.

To help fix it, anytime you see them use a word that is derogatory or with a negative implication, call them on it. If we let them know we realize what they are doing, they will stop. (They will look for another way, but we will get them backed into a corner eventually -where they will have to be honest to get free.)

The insistence on calling it "Lost" drives me crazy. Please force them to be honest and call them villages "Stolen" by America. It was my mother, one of the people who "lost" their village and yes, it is deeply personal. How dare they call it lost when first they were left to die by the Americans, then come home again to find that America had stolen their home and dumped them somewhere else... They refused to hear us. Now they will wish they had listened to them, my village was decent and polite, I am no longer Sorrow, I am Anger and I know words!

Lost implies we are too stupid to find it again. This is extremely wrong and annoying!

Lost implies it was misplaced. this is wrong, they wanted our resources so forced us to other areas so we would have "no claim" on the new lands...

It is a tragedy what happened in Alaska, especially since the "good" westerners over these last 200 years had no clue how to stop "the government" from stealing indigenous stuff. It drives me crazy when they consider themselves good.

Please understand, you are living on stolen land.

No matter how many feel-good social sites you join, you are still living on stolen land.

Each day you live on it, you are stealing from an indigenous Peoples.

That is the truth.

We know it is a beautiful and magical land, we are a natural part of it, we know it since we are it. Imagine standing on this stolen land is the same as standing on our heads or the heads of our children... You are crushing their ear, maybe making them deaf for life, or your heel digs into their eyes, blinding them. Shocking, scary images? Yes, and we are forced to actually live them! Not just read them on a social site...

So today's task to help right the wrongs of the world is to call them on it each time you see it happening. You will be surprised at how pervasive it is and realize how widespread it is too. They are an never-ending "Ladron" whose hand we need to step on instead of an indigenous head!

Please write an email to this lady : Rachel Mason, UAA Anthropology Department rachel_mason@nps.gov; and ask her to change the name from "lost villages" to "villages stolen by America" ...

It may not seem like much, but it is a start and one that shows we are on to what they are trying to do and will not allow it. Subtle does not mean it is not dangerous nor an aggressively savage attack. it is subtle so all the "good" people can freely ignore it if they choose. I say no! I say the time has come, what is that saying: Fish or cut bait!!!

Maybe she is too naive to understand she is being used. Maybe she hopes that by pretending to be caring that we wont mind she is helping to destroy our culture and steal our lands... She may be nice and all of that, that does not give her the right to help deceive and conceal their true intent... These people are not anonymous, they have names. This is a real woman doing this and she must be made to realize it is wrong. She will continue until you "good" westerners force her to stop by calling her on it.

See, that is the problem with Alaska, for American I mean. We know exactly who the war criminals are since it is every westerner here or their parents first, then them. With us, it is happening as we speak! it did not happen hundreds of years ago to long dead indigenous peoples, it happened to my mother! They can not pretend it happened hundreds of years ago. She is a war criminal, spreading propaganda and lies to make you feel it is ok to live on our stolen lands, take our stuff even. Let them know it is not okay! It may seem "mean" to call her on it, but I say it is meaner to let them get away with it!

If you have read any of my stuff before this, you know I believe people are people and we all matter and all should be allowed to be ourselves. But that does not include war criminals, sorry. You would never ask a Jewish person to hang out with Nazis and pretend everything is cool, so do not ask us! Just because we are a good and decent People does not mean to throw us down, step on our heads and steal our stuff... I am truly tired of it. It can end, once the what, 30 million?, 60 million? good people living here step up and stand for what is right!!! It is only you who are being fooled by all of this, I know you let it happen so you can live here and "help us" but like I have said before... If you 80 million "good" people leave I will personally take care of the dozen "bad" ones myself!!

It is a true step I am asking you to take. It is bold and daring, calling them by their name and saying "hey you, stop stealing their stuff!" but it is the right thing to do, so please help!

thanks,

Maria