From: beaver.cs.washington.edu!gnosys!anchor.esd.sgi.com!lyn (Lyn Dearborn)
Subject: Re:  Darwinism, social and otherwise
Date: Fri, 11 Sep 1992 07:24:58 GMT

Original-Sender: anchor.esd.sgi.com!lyn (Lyn Dearborn)

I actually enjoyed reading the current positing from Martha Dunham debating
what Alan McGowen has said, what Peshe has said, and reminding us all that
Scientists are, after all humans, and while they are expected to be
objective .... etc..... Frankly after being surrounded with Scientists for
the past 25 years, I can personally verify that "they" may be objective in
their scientific opinions (HA!) but on a personal/political/emotional level
a vast majority of them have an incredible problem dealing with relationships
with anyone except perhaps the earth, and anything bordering on what we may
perceive as reality.

Marthan goes on to say:
>  I, for
> one, would like to learn more about what Native Americans see as their own
> role in politics.  Given sovereignty, how will you affect the larger
> governing body?  What is your (individual or collective) stance on
> environmental issues?

Sorry, but this is exactly one of the major problems separating Indian from
Non-Indians.  We acknowledge that Scientists are after all humans..... Why
can't "we" be considered as such, rather than a culture, like the lost tribes
in the philipines, who have been SO REMOVED from human society for SO MANY
YEARS, that the collective "we" need to be "polled."

God, as an urban mixed blood, mixed-up cultural person, I would LOVE to see
a comprehensive answer to this one!  Darn, Most of us here on the Net don't
even know "WHO" we are ... there is no convenient coding in our mailing
address to alert social science students to "psssst! this one's a Native" or
"psssst don't bother with this one, she's just someones secretary at NAS
 ... make that NASA who is spying for the BIA.  We're all just a collective
group of email addresses, and unless an introduction has been a "dead giveaway"
we haven't a clue even as to the percentage of natives on the net versus
curious anglos, or those who genuinely want to learn about those "true
Americans" who unfortunately Discovered the blundering Columbus on the gold
finding, slave collecting mission who was totally lost, but curiously went on
to fame and glory.

As a non-Native American, what do you see as your own role in politics?
Eliminating shameless waste of tax dollars to celebrate the life of this
murdering explorer would be my wished-for collective role in politics -- that
and eliminating the entire Republican Party.  BUT fortunately for anyone, I can't
even pretend to be giving you a true opinion of how Native American view their
role in politics.  Given sovereignty, how will you affect the larger
governing body???? This is a question for a meeting of various TRIBAL COUNSELS,
not individuals on the Net ... and even with a tribal counsel, like our
senators, they may or may not be representing the wishes/thoughts/dreams of
their constituents.  Collective/individual stance on environmental issues?
Better not ask residents of reservation slums in Nevada, parts of California,
etc. where "white" values have been thrown at the inhabitants to a point where
they will do anything to shock the viewer as perhaps nothing more than a
revenge thing.

I know I've said this at least twice in the last years, BUT anyone who is
on the Native Net for the purpose of finding our collective stance on ANYTHING
is out of luck .... except perhaps where admiration for C. Columbus is
concerned ... and we don't even agree on how that sentiment should be expressed,
some ... like myself believe in education and silent disrespect are best ...
some others believe in violent (if necessary) demonstrations of vandalism
against anything done in his honor, even if it makes us look disrespectful
and subhuman.

The best any "student of human nature" can hope to attain, is the
individual stance on any issue ... and how will you know for sure that the
person you are "interviewing" is even Native American?  Or maybe someone is
playing games with you?  Have you ever given a false answer when asked how
you feel about a particular issue -- either because you thought the person
asking the question was "full of it", or just to be "cute"/"funny" or even
"just to be difficult" just because you were tired of snoopy questions?
I just returned from this incredible "pilgrimage" to the northland to contact
elders/traditionals for my son's path into maturity, and some really incredible
things of a spiritual nature happened along the way, here and there, both on
and off different reservations, including something almost mystical at
Medicine Wheel, but will I go into details on the Net as a collective?  No
way, Jose! ... and mostly because "we" don't know who "we" are!  My experiences
were amazing and very personal ... not something to study or ponder by
sociology or anthropology students ... or worse yet students of comparative
world religions.... I feel the need to protect myself, perhaps unreasonably,
and have disclosed this information to only one other person on the Net
thus far ... another Ojibwe ... perhaps in fear that "sharing with infidels"
might rob me of the significance of my encounters, or affect future guidance
from other shape changers/guides, etc.  Wondering what others in my position
experience is a very lonely thought, and it would be WONDERFUL to be able to
ask a collective question, BUT no one wants to be studied, collectively or
otherwise.  Those of us who are truly urban in background may not feel as
strongly about this, but there is still a certain level of "superstitiousness"
at least in myself, that I might lose something very precious if I share
my experiences with unknowns.

So, if you want to query us individually, on a Poll asking such things as
"are you a native"?  Urban or rural"?  Raised within a Tribal environment?
etc., etc., etc., you might be able to put together a database that could
draw some collective conclusions about where WE stand as members of NativeNet
but where we stand as Native Americans with Clan/Band/Tribal affiliations
is going to be darned near impossible, for all the reasons listed above ...
and even here, you have a good example of what I'm talking about.... THIS IS
ONLY MY INDIVIDUAL OPINION, SINCE I CAN SPEAK FOR **NO ONE EXCEPT MYSELF**
now or any other time .... as is true for everyone else, I imagine.  We may
THINK we can speak for the immediate members of our own families ... but is
it true, really? ....  Would our answers be TRUE?  ... or what we THINK is
wanted from us and its easier to go with the flow rather than risk being the
one "odd" individual with a given idea... I sincerely hope you get my point.

lyn

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       +++ Walk Gently in Peace on Our Mother the Earth +++

     Lyn Dearborn                  dearborn@anchor.esd.sgi.com
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