With 1 200 dancers performing speech and 5,000 other packing Rapid City Convention Center grandstand at the 24th annual it Sapa Wacipi Na Oskate on 9 October, to the rhythm of drums echoing the rafters and crackling rifles reports boasts by veterans many nations celebrated the year of unity and reconciliation.
This is a new generation of Lakota, Dakota, and Nakota, directed by Stephen yellow Hawk and IRA taken alive, which not only Indians, dozens of tribes in Rapid City, but also much more non-indigenous participants in the past, thanks to the civic these young leaders push has been.
Civic Center hardwood floor has been pretty hard at the foot of the dancers wearing moccasins, but try to find space on the floor crowded for the umpteenth time dancers is proven to be one of the major challenges.
In the many years that I've covered and has participated in the event that was once known (and is still in many) as pow - wow Black Hills, I do not think that I've never seen such good humour and laughter that I have observed this evening .the camaraderie in the audience, dancers, drummers and singers has something to the following.
A special remembrance ceremony was held for one of the most famous women of all time, Lakota Nellie two bulls, a woman whose powerful voices with that of her husband, Matthew, used to echo in the stands at almost every pow - wow at Rapid.
Both are now deceased, but judging by the songs of Memorial tributes and tears, not all forgotten.
This is very impressive to see the Mayor of the town of Rapid, Alan Hanks.the President of the Chamber of commerce, Linda Rabe.South Dakota Attorney Marty Jackley; the candidate for the House of representatives Kristi Noem dance to the rhythm of the drums in the entrance of grand.Jamais, I knew that the Mayor was such a Lakota instructional dancer.
I believe that most honoured one can receive is to be honoured by his peuple.Et is what has happened to me on Saturday evening.Yellow Stephen Hawk introduced me as one of the people he waits until since his days in high school, and he said that the Board of Directors has me honour my more than 20 years of efforts for unity and reconciliation in the Sud.I Dakota has been presented with a beautiful star quilt and led other fellows and the Commission of pow - wow in dance around the stage. It is an honour that I will always cherished.
We are sometimes overwhelmed by reports of violent gangs, substance abuse and crime among our youth, seniors, wonder where our country is directed, but part of this huge and wonderful celebration of life brings a new and optimistic perception about the future of the Indian people.
Boys and young men dressed in their traditional dress filled the arena.Just before I entered the Civic Centre, two buses relieved Crow Creek Sioux reserve students in front of the stage and clean and healthy girls streaming bus carrying their backpacks and luggage ready to change their clothes of dancers and become a part of the celebration of unity.
I'll be the first to admit that we still have a ways to go to achieve unity in this State, but in the past 20 years, we've come a long way.When I approached Governor George Mickelson in 1989, the only weapon that I could use to convince them to proclaim the year of reconciliation was that he was be the 100th anniversary of the terrible massacre at Wounded Knee.
Birgil Kills Straight had organized a bunch of Lakota runners who would follow the main road Sitanka (Big Foot) took the Cheyenne River to the Pine Ridge reservation where he and his followers were slaughtered by members of the 7th Cavalry.I asked Mickelson Governor to honour the memory of those who died on December 29, 1890 by proclaiming 1990 as a year of réconciliation.Il took the challenge and makes it to occur.
Serv.Mickelson died in a tragic plane crash not too long after that, but I will always admire the courage that Republican Governor showed by risking his political future by means of the position for the people of the Sud.lorsque Dakota I him if requested it to twist arms makers largely Republican to eliminate the day Columbus and replace it with Native American Day, I thought that I had asked for too much, but he also made that happen.
Serv.Mickelson said: "we cannot change what happened in the past, but we can change what will happen in the future."And Yes, there are still many wounds to heal, but at least for the first time in the history of whites and Indians in South Dakota, people of all colors make the effort.
Tim Giago, an Oglala Lakota is the editor-in-Chief and publisher of Native Sun.Il was researcher Neiman at Harvard with the class of chronic 1990.Sa weekly won Mencken of h. l. 1985.Son book child Left Behind has won by publishers indépendants.Il bronze medal was the first Native American ever inducted into the Hall of Fame 2007.Il newspaper South Dakota may be reached at editor@nsweekly.com.
?
This entry transmitted via the service for full-text RSS - if this is your content and you read on someone to another site, please read our FAQ page fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php
Article five filters features: After Hiroshima - non-rapport Cancer Catastrophe of Fallujah.
No comments:
Post a Comment