CROW AGENCY, Mont. — Sen. Barack Obama became the first American presidential candidate to visit the reservation of the Crow Nation, and in doing so was adopted into the nation under the Crow name “One Who Helps People Throughout the Land.”

Drums pounded and the crowd cheered as Obama was escorted to the podium by his “new parents,” Hartford and Mary Black Eagle, in the manner of a groom being walked down the aisle. Obama beamed. His adoptive parents gave Obama hugs as he stepped onto a riser to speak.

“I want to thank my new parents,” he said. “The nicest parents you could ever want to know. I like my new name. Barack Black Eagle. That is a good name!”

You know, this makes me wonder what issues were talked about on the reservation. And would a similar welcome be had at either Pine Ridge or Rosebud? And does the President intend to do something about the status of the Native Peoples? I doubt it, but he’s at least acknowledged them more than anyone else that I can tell. Usually they appear to just be shoved under the rug and forgotten about. It is a dirty secret of the American past.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SU4WR_rcGUA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aT5Oj4Q9rNw

CNN had a small video on its site this morning about people who are picking their own produce due to the food crisis.

I was actually glad to see this video this morning, because obviously it’s promoting CSA activity and supporting your local farmers. People don’t realize that with sites like LocalHarvest.org let you search your area for organic farms in your area.

One of the things I’d like to do sometime in the near future is harvest my own chicken since we already have our own egg business. I don’t think I could cater to a huge egg request which is why I don’t advertise anywhere. At least not anytime soon. But chicken is a food staple for us right now, especially since I’ve removed 99% of the red meat from my diet, and I’m not at a point where I can eat a mostly vegetarian diet yet.

One thing they mention in the video is that the food is seasonal, so obviously you aren’t going to find oranges in January. But they fail to mention that people should adjust their diets to seasonal eating as well.

Not that I’ve ever once in my life shopped on the day after Thanksgiving, or ever intend to, I’ve always been curious how bad it really is. Despite the obviousmurders and crimes committed for electronic equipment during the holiday season.

Here’s a glimpse or two:
Read the rest of this entry »

I haven’t done much research on the subject, but if the worst-case scenario is true, you can believe I’ve no interest (not that I had much in the first place) in the Olympics from this day forward.

“..folks are getting kicked off their land so the government can build “olympic objects” (read fancy hotels). This is merely a small step in a Russia’s longterm policy to eradicate Native peoples. Among the local ethnic groups are the Circassians, who were mostly driven out of the Sochi area 150 years ago or so. Here is a report about a new set of laws just passed in the Russian Parliament (Duma).”

A translation of this article: http://top.rbc.ru/society/16/10/2007/122597.shtml

Another nail in the coffin for the Circassians

Duma is clearing the way for a law which allows confiscating land for building olympic objects. The bill “amending laws regarding organizing and holding the olympics in Sochi, etc” stops the possibility of choices for owners of land, regarding money compensation or land exchange. The document examines changes to 9 laws, including sports, advertising, competition, entry into and exit from Russia, the rights of foreigners in Russia, migration status for foreign citizens or people without citizenship, taxes, land and residence laws.

..the amendments apply to special advertising and trade activities during the games, clarifying rules about olympic participants entering and leaving the country. the amnedments will give special “security” powers to the president [oops they’ll have to change that to Prime Minister - tr] during the games, including special controlled areas, limiting who is allowed in, and means of transport, as well as entertainment [publichnikh?] during the games.

..as explained by vice PM Zhukov, there will be a special system of registration for workers involved in building olympic objects. advertising law will completely change regarding illegal use of olympic symbols, government pricing on tickets and hotel rooms during the games the domestic and international olympic committees will be free from paying tax on property, profit and means of transport and VAT.

The bill passed unanimously - 309 representatives.

Naturally, you can learn more: http://olympicgenocide.org/

I should note that I love the secular Halloween, and always had as a kid.

“Halloween is the sweetest day of the year for most kids. But while we gobble up treats, the burden falls on children of West Africa, which exports 43 percent of the world’s chocolate. Almost half of the Ivory Coast cocoa farmers’ kids never go to school because their families need them to work.

Thankfully, companies like Dagoba (dagobachocolate.com), Equal Exchange (equalexchange.com), and Endangered Species Chocolate (chocolatebar.com) source ethically traded cocoa from small farmers who put profits back into their schools and communities. Better yet, they each sell individual pieces perfect for handing out on October 31st. Global Exchange (store.gxonlinestore.org) also makes a Fair Trade Trick or Treat Action Kit with dark chocolate minis, handmade paper decorations, and postcards full of information.”

From the 1927 Grand Council of American Indians

“The white people, who are trying to make us over into their image, they want us to be what they call “assimilated,” bringing the Indians into the mainstream and destroying our own way of life and our own cultural patterns. They believe we should be contented like those whose concept of happiness is materialistic and greedy, which is very different from our way.

We want freedom from the white man rather than to be intergrated. We don’t want any part of the establishment, we want to be free to raise our children in our religion, in our ways, to be able to hunt and fish and live in peace. We don’t want power, we don’t want to be congressmen, or bankers….we want to be ourselves. We want to have our heritage, because we are the owners of this land and because we belong here.

The white man says, there is freedom and justice for all. We have had “freedom and justice,” and that is why we have been almost exterminated. We shall not forget this.”

I’ve decided I want to rant about something, and I imagine it may or may not piss some people off.

I think that child molestation charges are thrown around too generously. I think they’ve become a weapon of preadolescent brats and immature, horrid women. And here’s why.

When I was 8 years old, and my mother left my father. In order to get full custody of me, she accused my father of molesting me, and she won the case. But it never happened.

When my sister was 8, her father and my mother split up, and she got full custody at first and a (so far) almost 10 year custody battle ensued. In 2002 I testified against my mom in court because she tried to accuse my sister’s father of the exact same thing in order to get custody. Fortunately she lost complete custody due to her psychotic husband, and because of my testimony and copies of my fathers custody case for me.

A close friend of mine had a younger sister that accused their step father of molesting her. At first he believed her, because really, you can’t -not- believe your family or children if they make that type of accusation. But later on she told him that she only made the accusation because she didn’t want to live at home anymore, she wanted to live with her brother.

I think it’s ridiculous how it’s become such a weapon, but at the same time, you have to at least investigate the matter for the sake of the supposed victim. If my daughter came to me with an accusation like that, I’d have to believe her, I’d have no choice as a mother. But the court’s should not be biased on the situation. There should be as thorough an investigation as possible on both sides, because cases like these are often guilty until proven innocent.

Especially if the victims are spoiled brats that are known as thieves and liars.

Makes my head hurt.

My friend Dan is getting married next month, and I’ve been invited, and I’m taking my dad along. Dan and I grew up together, went to highschool together, still hang out several times a year as time permits, etc.

I’m not big on weddings, I don’t know why, I guess cause most of them are fairly boring to me. If I ever get married, I’d prefer to have one that is fun.

I just got off the phone with Dan, who wanted to confirm that we were coming so he could give a total count to the caterers, but he said something as we were hanging up that kind of struck a chord with me. He said to make sure that I dress up, since this is a wedding.

I can’t say I took it as an insult, I’m not exactly the most glamorous person you’ll ever meet. I wear torn clothes, boots, and rarely do anything to my hair. But my father is also very set in his roots and wears nothing but jeans, and at the very most, a nice Sunday jacket. So I’m not exactly sure what we’re supposed to do. I did just buy some new clothes with the money my bosses gave me for my birthday, which I can make a fairly suitable outfit from for a wedding I think, but it’s far from elegant.

I’m just not the type that can afford to dress up a lot. I’m very hard on my clothes, they get tore up, drug through mud, hell sometimes I even get battery acid on them from working on my trucks. It wouldn’t be very practical for me to spend money on extra fancy clothes that I’m hardly gonna wear.

My father is the same way. He wants to be buried in a flannel shirt and bluejeans, and I’ll be damned if anyone tries to stuff him in a suit in his coffin. That’s just not his way.

I don’t know, I suppose it made me feel bad or guilty more than anything. Like lesser folk, maybe.