Date: Sun, 22 Nov 1998 17:31:18 -0500
From: Gwen
Subject: Native People's Magazine Online

This is a wonderful article in Native Peoples Magazine.  I just bought
the issue yesterday and it's also online.  I hope you can use it without
infringing on any copyrights.
 
 

Viewpoint

         By Kevin Gover, Assistant Secretary for Indian
         Affairs, U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs
 

         Seven generations ago, with their communities under attack
         and their way of life at peril from the westward advance of
         America, American Indian warriors laid down their arms. These
         brave warriors surrendered and went to reservations.

         These were great warriors, having for decades held off the
         entire United States Army. Why did they surrender? I believe
         that, having reached the heart-breaking realization they could
         not win this war, they chose to preserve their people to keep
         their children from dying in a war that would eventually be
         lost.
         These warriors knew there would be hardship and pain, but they
         did what they could to preserve their people, their children,
        and their way of life. The United States believed there would be no
         need for the Bureau of Indian Affairs in seven generations. It
         was widely believed that all American Indians would assimilate
         or die on the reservations. But today, we have survived. Today
         we stand two million strong, with the youngest and
         fastest-growing population of any ethnic group.

         All of us owe these warriors a debt of gratitude. Their       sacrifices have made it possible for our people to survive. These  great warriors knew the mark of a warrior was dedication to a cause
greater than oneself, and they paid the price for our survival.

         Seven generations later, the time has come to rediscover and
 reinstitute the Warrior Tradition among our people.

         I have been Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs and the head
of the Bureau of Indian Affairs for less than a year, but during
this time I have seen some wonderful things. In Montana, I saw a
dance group on the reservation of the Assiniboine and Gros
Ventre tribes where the children danced with the spirits of the
past while keeping an eye on the future. In Oklahoma, obviously
proud children gave me a tour of their school, the Riverside
Indian School. In Jemez Pueblo, I met children building computers that would be used by other children to get access to  the Internet, and throughout the country I have met hundreds of people dedicated to a cause greater than themselves, sacrificing for their tribes, their people, and most importantly,  their children. Our warriors come in many forms, teachers, tribal leaders, doctors, lawyers, artists, and journalists. But each effort is appreciated and is helping our people today, and helping the  Seventh Generation prepare to lead our people into the 21st
 century.
 

         "Bring back the Warrior Tradition of
         dedication to a cause greater than
         self, and make this cause be the
         safety and welfare of our children."

         But we are failing the Seventh Generation, and the payoff for
our failure will be more dysfunction among our people for future
 generations. Alcohol and drug abuse, domestic violence and
sexual abuses are far too prevalent on Indian lands. As the
adult child of an alcoholic parent, and as a recovering alcoholic myself, I can attest to the problems created by drug and alcohol  abuse. These problems affect an entire community, but mostly  the pain inflicted by abuse is absorbed by our young people.
         These young people are paying a very high price for our sins.

         This is the single most important issue facing tribal members and their governments today. Damaged children grow into damaged adults, and nothing we do in the area of sovereignty,  land rights, or any other issue will matter much if another  generation continues to suffer and fail. I don't care how strong your family, tribe, or beliefs are, if this type of damage is inflicted on a child, there will always be a part of that child with the notion that there is something wrong because they are Indian. This is something that must be halted quickly, or the damage will
continue to resonate for generations.

         This is why we must bring back the Warrior Tradition. Our
cultures are strong and will prevail; our cultures are our greatest
strength. Bring back the Warrior Tradition of dedication to a cause greater than self, and make this cause be the safety and welfare of our children. Nothing that I do, nothing that Congress does, nothing the President does, can possibly be as important as helping one child find their way out of what promises to be a  miserable existence if they fall into the trap of alcoholism and substance abuse. I believe if we all work hard enough, we can turn communities around and rid them of these scourges  plaguing our people. But for this to happen, we need clear-eyed warriors, men and women, young and old, artists and lawyers, construction workers and teachers, writers and musicians,
 working together to stop any abuse on our children by whatever  means necessary.

         The Seventh Generation walks among us now, and now is the
         time for our new warriors to prepare this precious Seventh
         Generation so they can teach the next seven generations. Now
         is the time for all of us to live out our warrior traditions.