Ivan F. Star Comes Out. Photo from Native Sun News
The nation’s integrity and future rests on the family unit
By Ivan F. Star Comes Out
Native Sun News Columnist
nsweekly.com Why do natives get married? Of the many reasons, I believe most do it on the assumption that it is the “right” thing to do. Here on the Pine Ridge, if a couple is fortunate enough to acquire meaningful jobs, they are constantly at work while their children are “raised” by a federal school system. I don’t think signing an agreement before marriage, in the event their union fails, exists here. Anyway, what happened to the once sacred family unit and the tiospaye? An entirely alien lifestyle was forced upon our ancestors and a central role in this devastating government policy was the popular Christian conviction that they were Godless and unable to think for themselves. The family was attacked, dismantled, and scattered. Today we have tribal, federal, and even state laws that outlaw bigamy and illicit cohabitation. These laws are intended to encourage the union of a man and a woman. So why do we not respect or celebrate the family unit? Instead, we have an abundance of single-parent families and it appears no one concerned about it. This enervating attitude actually persists at every level of society today. One of the results of this traumatic disruption of cultural tradition is that we have grandparents (elderly) raising their grandchildren. It appears children today are the result of infatuation (obsessiveness) and/or lust. We have men who pride themselves on having children with several different women. Older women take pride in having more grandchildren than their peers. I have witnessed women bear children just to acquire more welfare benefits. I wonder how we came to acquire this attitude and behave in this way. Also, I see a tremendous amount of neglect among these children, even without the added constriction of alcohol and drug abuse among the young parents. For one, bearing and raising children without a father or a mother is against all traditional protocols Although it occurs, it is rare to find couples living together out of genuine affection for each other and raising their children out of love for them. Albert Einstein himself said that Love is difficult to define. Scholarly definitions are many and varied. Also, it is a known fact that fondness, tenderness, warmth, intimacy, and endearment, are difficult to experience for a person enduring unresolved trauma.
Read the rest of the story on the all new Native Sun News website: The nation’s integrity and future rests on the family unit Ivan F. Star Comes Out can be reached at POB 147, Oglala, SD 57764, (605) 867-2448, or via email at mato_nasula2@outlook.com Copyright permission Native Sun News
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