I would also like to share something. There are card-carrying Indians who try to mislead the people who want to know about their heritage. I know for a fact of one person in Oklahoma who is in the NA chatrooms constantly asking for money for his "tribe." He is what might be termed, "meat, for the beasts of the field." (Prophet Ezekiel) I would like to say something about the comment about seeing "Dances with Wolves." Personally, I have only seen it twice. It didn't really do anything for me, but the Creator speaks to the hearts of people through all mediums. Yes, there are "New Agers," though there is nothing new about them but I also believe that our ancestors are awakening us and this is what might be called a Native American spiritual revival. Though I do no belong to any organized religion I remember the biblical story of the chaff and the wheat (NT teaching of Jesus), to let them grow up together lest they take out the wheat, instead of the chaff; when the times comes to separate them, it will be done by the ones who knows the hearts and minds of the human being. In closing, I am reminded of a line in a movie I did see. The words were profound. "Listen to the wind, it'll tell you things, Kola." (Graham Greene to Val Kilmer, Thunderheart) Carol Jean Carol Jean

I am new to the list and have just been on the sidelines mostly reading and soaking in all that is being said. I can agree with some of what most people are saying. True there are some who will always look down on those of us who do not have a card. That does not make us any less Indian in our hearts and souls. I can see their wariness as they have already had so much taken away from them and are leery that it might be just another ploy that will strip away just a little more of their heritage. But I have also found that if you approach things with a sincere and open heart and don't go overboard trying to push your way into their circle they will take the time to look and will see the 'spirit' that you carry inside. Once they do it has been my experience that they will open up to you, accept you into their hearts and lives whether you can prove a paper trail or not and whether you are of their same tribe or not. So many times they have been 'put off' by some of these folks who are so anxious to be 'indian' that they grab onto a little bit of this and that regardless of what tribe it came from just because it sounds good or looks good. And to make matters worse they will not listen to anything different from what they read in so and so's book or such and such 'medicine person' told them. Those are the ones that make it hard for some of the rest of us out here without cards or strikingly visible blood lines to be accepted by the native community. But if you just hang in there and conduct yourself in a proper manner the truth will always win out. Thanks for letting me vent my feelings. I intend no disrespect to anyone whether we may agree or not. Just thought I'd put my two cents worth in. Cathy ----- Original Message ----- From: <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Wednesday, May 24, 2000 3:26 PM Subject: Re: [CHAHTA] Re: [CHOCTAW-SE] Re: CHOCTAW-SOUTHEAST-D Digest V00 #346 > I would also like to share something. There are card-carrying Indians who > try to mislead the people who want to know about their heritage. I know for > a fact of one person in Oklahoma who is in the NA chatrooms constantly asking > for money for his "tribe." He is what might be termed, "meat, for the beasts > of the field." (Prophet Ezekiel) > > I would like to say something about the comment about seeing "Dances with > Wolves." Personally, I have only seen it twice. It didn't really do > anything for me, but the Creator speaks to the hearts of people through all > mediums. Yes, there are "New Agers," though there is nothing new about them > but I also believe that our ancestors are awakening us and this is what might > be called a Native American spiritual revival. > > Though I do no belong to any organized religion I remember the biblical story > of the chaff and the wheat (NT teaching of Jesus), to let them grow up > together lest they take out the wheat, instead of the chaff; when the times > comes to separate them, it will be done by the ones who knows the hearts and > minds of the human being. > > In closing, I am reminded of a line in a movie I did see. The words were > profound. "Listen to the wind, it'll tell you things, Kola." (Graham Greene > to Val Kilmer, Thunderheart) > > Carol Jean > > Carol Jean > > > ==== CHAHTA Mailing List ==== > Home Page: > http://freepages.cultures.rootsweb.com/~choctaw/index.htm > Choctaw Chat: > http://freepages.cultures.rootsweb.com/~choctaw/chat.htm >