basis to where you come from but where you want to be as in relationship with, I believe yourself and that of our humanity, and that of your spirit . What role do you think the Native Americans should have in the discussions regarding bison policies? My history with this country is different than your history. My history is based to that of a relationship between government to government. We made various concessions and agreements with the United States government in order for it to expand. You have those individuals who perceived great wars. But it was the need to control this country from shore to shore. Also in the development of resources, but also in the development of a force of people to go to war against those people in Europe. They saw this. They‘ve achieved it; it’s happened within that the policies of the Indian. Every four years, within every president, you have a federal Indian policy it has existed throughout this country’s history. At one time, we were thought of as independent nations, sovereigns. Now we’re thought of in a period of time that we have to work with the Indian. He is dependent upon us. We are now at a time in federal Indian policies and decision processes where if you take it like a kitchen with a stove, and a counter and the cabinets. At one time, we were on the top stove. At one time, we were on a front burner. We got shifted back to a back burner. We got shifted back to a cabinet. And now, we are literally not even in the kitchen. But our agreements with the United States government still exist. The Crows made a friendship treaty with the United States government on August 4th 19 of 1825 at Mandan. We just happened to be there. Longhair, who is the primary leader of the Crows signed. They asked him to sign. It is referred to as the Friendship Treaty of August 14th of 1825. They deal with friendship, our peace treaties in actuality it was a surrender of the United States to the Crows. They came to us and requested friendship and peace, not us. Why? Because we were a substantial military
think like an Indian. And every day I’m still reaching and grasping for that, to think like an Indian. And I think too, hopefully, it’s therapeutic for me, this is therapeutic for me. Is that in the understanding of how I attempt to understand things, hopefully in the reflection of my philosophy, my beliefs, that one or two or whoever, if not now, at some point in your life, you’ll go that’s what he said, that’s what he meant. Cuz once again it’s not the seen that lives on it’s the unseen. There are things that as a boy, people that are gone that knew Plenty Coups, the last chief of the Crow tribe, who Crows that ran around on horseback and perused their enemies . Told me things and I’m realizing them now to this day. Think of it though. A hundred and fifty years ago, I’m a Crow we are riding around on horseback, hunting buffalo, and perusing our enemies, in loincloths. Think of that 150 years ago. Literally a breath, a moment in time and now, today, I can send you any information anywhere in the world like that. I have three WebPages. Isn’t that amazing? But what would I have preferred. Probably hunting buffalo and pursuing my enemies on horseback. Cuz I look damn good on horseback. Thank you though. I appreciate it.