WHITE SKIN, RED SPIRIT

WHITE SKIN, RED SPIRIT...... I WOULD LIKE TO START BY SAYING THAT I LOVE AND RESPECT ALL MY RED BROTHERS AND SISTERS, NO MATTER THE TRIBE, BUT I ONLY WISH THAT THEY WOULD LOOK DEEP INTO MY EYES WHICH OUR A MIRROR TO THE SOUL AND SEE PAST MY WHITE SKIN AND RESPECT ME AS A SISTER ALSO,I WAS BORN INTO THE INDIAN WORLD AND LIVED MY FIRST FIVE YEARS WITH MY INDIAN GRANDMOTHER WHO LIVED AND TAUGHT ME THE CHEROKEE WAYS AND THAT IS ALL I KNEW, THEN MY MOTHER TOOK ME TO HER WHITE WORLD AND THAT IS ALL I KNEW, THEN IN 1998 I DIED AND AS MY PROFILE SAIDS I WAS TOLD TO COME BACK HERE AND GO BACK ON THE RED PATH OF MY BIRTH SO I WOULD BE ABLE TO COMPLETE THE CIRCLE OF LIFE AND GO OUT OF THIS LIFE THE WAY I CAME IN. I HAD FORGOTTEN ALL THE WAYS I WAS TAUGHT AS A CHILD AND FROM WHAT I KNEW OF NATIVE AMERICANS I DID NOT WANT TO DO THIS, I WAS COMFORTABLE AND WELL OFF IN MY JEWISH WORLD, WITH ALL THE THINGS LIFE HAD TO GIVE AT MY FINGERTIPS, SO I IGNORED WHAT CREATOR TOLD ME TO DO AND STAYED IN MY COMFORTABLE WHITE WORLD, AS A RESULT I ALMOST DIED AGAIN WITH THE LEUKEMIA I STILL HAVE AND CREATOR SAID THIS IS A WARNING SAWE GO BACK AS YOU WERE TOLD, RELEARN THE WAYS AND COMPLETE THE CIRCLE, SO I DID AND WHEN I DID I WENT INTO REMISSION AND HAVE BEEN SO SINCE DOING WHAT CREATOR TOLD ME TO DO..EVER SINCE THAT TIME I HAVE LEARNED ALL I COULD , I HAVE GONE TO RALLYS AND PROTEST AND STOOD WITH MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS FOR THE CAUSES OF THE NATIVE AMERICANS, I HAVE GONE TO WASHINGTON DC IN NOVEMBER OF 1999 FOR A MONTH LONG RALLY TO SUPPORT LEONARD PELTIER AND WROTE LETTER AFTER LETTER AND SIGNED ONE PETITION AFTER ANOTHER, I HAVE PRAYED FOR AND WITH ANY RED BROTHER OR SISTER THAT NEEDED ME TO, I HAVE OPENED UP MY HOME AND GAVE OF MYSELF AND WHAT I HAVE TO HELP RED BROTHERS THAT WERE ALCOHOLICS AND WANTED TO QUIT BUT NEEDED A PLACE TO STAY AND A SOBER PERSON THAT CARED ENOUGH ABOUT THEM TO HELP THEM AND AFTER ALL THAT THESE RED BROTHERS AND SISTERS STIL WILL NOT ACCEPT ME AS A NATIVE AMERICAN, NOT BECAUSE OF MY ACTIONS BUT BECAUSE OF MY WHITE SKIN AND BECAUSE I DO NOT LIVE ON A RESERVATION OR HAVE A FEDERAL CARD, WHEN I TELL THEM I AM A AMERICAN INDIAN THEY MOCK ME OR DISBELIEVE ME AND THAT I CANNOT RESPECT, BECAUSE TO ME ACTIONS SHOULD SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS AND I HAVE NOT ONLY SAID I AM AMERICAN INDIAN I HAVE SHOWED IT AND AM STILL SHOWING IT, I HAVE A CARD WITH A STATE REGONIZED TRIBE, I CAN PROVE MY ANCESTORS WERE AMERCIAN INDIANS WITH ROLL NUMBERS BUT I CANNOT CHANGE THAT I WAS NOT BORN ON OR RAISED ON A RESERVATION AND SUFFERED WHAT OTHER BROTHERS AND SISTERS HAVE, AND I CANNOT CHANGE OR MAKE YOU SO CALLED REAL AMERICAN INDIANS EXCEPT ME AND THAT IS OK THAT IS NOT THE REASON I BECAME AN INDIAN, BUT I WANT TO SAY THIS , WHEN I FACED CREATOR I DID NOT STAND BEFORE HIM WITH BROWN HAIR AND WHITE SKIN, I STOOD BEFORE HIM BARE TO THE SOUL AND WAS SEEN AND JUDGED FOR WHAT WAS ON THE INSIDE OF ME AND I TELL YOU THIS WILL BE THE SAME FOR YOU WHEN YOU PASS, YOUR REDSKIN, STRAIGHT BLACK HAIR OR INDIAN CARD IS NOT GOING TO MATTER EITHER YOU WILL BE SEEN AND JUDGED SAME WAY AS I AND IF I WAS RED ENOUGH ON INSIDE WHERE IT COUNTS FOR CREATOR NOT ONLY TO SEND ME BACK BUT PUT ME ON THE RED PATH THEN IT SHOULD BE GOOD ENOUGH FOR YOU.. WADO SAWE