#NoDAPL resisters tell Morton County Sheriff Kyle Kirchmeier why they aren't leaving treaty territory in North Dakota. Photo from Morton County Sheriff's Department
Did they really think we would be complacent Indians?
By Dana Lone Hill
Lakota Country Times Columnist
lakotacountrytimes.com One of the biggest shocks to me, is when I see comments on certain pages and people are angry that; as Indians, as Natives, as Indigenous people, that after 500 years of fighting for our rights, we still have that fight in us. At what point in time did they think that we lost the west, when in our eyes the west can not ever be owned? When did they think we would be complacent Indians just because they threw the leftovers of what they stole from us? The one thing we were taught as children, is how strong of a people we come from, so why should we stop fighting for, writing about, believing in the power we have as a people? We were never complacent, defiance was always our middle name and if you could channel George Custer's spirit, he would tell you. It is so disheartening and sickening to see the people who are now occupying this land not be able to accept we were here first and not even give us the credit for the fact that we are walking, talking, thinking, feeling human beings. They talk about us so openly in such racist ways that you have to wonder how many people out there are idiots? Then, of course you see the comments and the polls and Donald Trump still has supporters. They comment on us, saying complete myths, talking about all the free stuff we get for being Native, when in all honesty health care at IHS is subpar. They also think we do not pay taxes and we get college educations for free. They think our substandard, third world housing is something to gloat about when they won’t even live multi-generational.
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What gets to me is how are we the ones who are ripping off the government when everything was taken from us? Would you, people, who are proud citizens of this country, be willing to fight for the basic human needs and rights such as water, land , and air after 500 years of oppression? You have all the right to be proud of your country, shoot, I have had relatives fight for this country. Except these same relatives have always told me, this is our land, we will defend it. It was never our country. America never did us any favors as Native Americans. (Dana Lone Hill is an enrolled member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe and is the author of a book about life on the reservation called Pointing with Lips.) Find the award-winning Lakota Country Times on the Internet, Facebook and Twitter and download the new Lakota Country Times app today.
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