I sadly remember the several young
Oglala Marines I "sent off" during ceremonies when I lived and worked on the
Pine Ridge Reservation. I was asked to do so as a prayerful honoring of the
boys. Although I had mixed emotions the whole time, I could not reject the
requests. Recruiters promised one youth he could return for ceremonies if he
was stateside but when they requested time to come back, he denied. The youth
went AWOL and would later be arrested by the military police). When I was asked
by Rick Two Dogs to raise the four American flags around the Sun Dance grounds
for my first Sun Dance, I nervously told him of my own reservations about
honoring a government/nation that continued to conduct illegal wars and
continued to practice genocide on our people, he spoke with the spirits who
told him we could raise them upside down.
All the flags throughout the Standing Rock camps are upside down in
recognition of this universal indication of distress.
On this Veteran's Day, I hope we can remember the responsibility and courage each of us have in us to reject the orders of our corporate sponsored government. When I look at the National Guard in full military attire facing our young people in prayer at Standing Rock, I cannot help but think that the best way to stop this pipeline is to get all the soldiers and police to simply refuse their orders. And if our new Commander and Chief, the man who said torture is a good thing and whose violence promoting campaign brought him to office, creates more unjust wars than we already have, I hope we can in mass make the sacrifices necessary in resisting or refusing to go. Meanwhile, instead of thanking our veterans for their service and promoting the pro-military propaganda, honor them by asking them to protect our relations, including the water, from assault because they deeply know how sacred life really is.
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