THE CONCEPTS OF THE BLACK ROBES
COMPARED TO THE NATIVE AMERICAN THEN AND NOW
WHY SOME ACT AND FEEL THEY WAY WE DO
By: ShaunaSay WhiteFeather
I begin this article, as an answer to several questions on the same subjects of the Native Americans. Many has asked do we believe in God? Jesus Christ? Christianity as a whole? What does our Spirituality consist of? What was the truth about the “Black Robes” to the Native people?
Those questions I hope, will all be answered in this article in a way, to help understand how and why the Native people believe the way we do, from then until now..
First off, as with multi-languages all over the world, all may be saying and meaning the same thing, but in a different tongues. In the (Tsalagi) Cherokee Language, one of the words for the English word (God/Jehovah) is: “Yowa” or “Yahweh” Sounds the same way as the Hebrew “Yahweh” does it not? Just spelled different.
(Jesus) as said in the English language, is pronounced in the Tsalagi Cherokee Language as: “tsi sa”
Many have a hard time with the concept that the Native people knew already, who God and Jesus was before the black robes came among the people. In the Holy Bible of the Christens (Followers of Christ) faith, it does state how Jesus Christ appeared to multitudes around the world, before He ascended up to the Father in Heaven.
Jesus or “tsi sa” said in the Cherokee (Tsalagi) Language, made His appearance to the Native people, long before it was ever recorded on the Talking Leaves paper of the English...
The verbal history of Legend Keepers/Story Tellers, told of the time long before the “u ne gv” (white) came with the black robes, had already been visited by the Great Sky Fathers’ Son and told of His love for all His Earth Mother children and what events were to take place in time. Natives were even told of how the “un ne gv” (white) would come as the many herds of buffalo, so many in fact that one could not count them. Natives were told of how “tsi sa” (Jesus) himself would be put to death by these “u ne gv” (white). Also told of how even the people of all Nations and Tribes, would suffer much at the hands of some, because of their greed and want to destroy if they could not control.
Even so, as the children of “Yowa” (God), it was meant for all to welcome the “un ne gv” (white) ones as brothers and sisters in peace, respect and love. Because all are from the same Sky Father and Creator!
Keeping this in mind, the chain of events that I will go into in this article, as well as all other articles written in this column or others, is not to cause you the reader to feel a projection of a pure negative attitude of hatred or racism. These articles still only reflect what came from the Native Ancestors of older days, passed on into the present. These are to help you see our side of the story, not someone assuming what the Native may have seen or felt or know. Again, I am not an authority on any subject, I am only a Legend Keeper/Story Teller of my people, the knowledge and experience
was passed down for me to tell you...
As history records, the Europeans were looking for a way to have freedom from taxes, and freedom of religion, along with other issues. When the first Europeans met with the Natives of that area, it did not take long for the communication between one another to break down to where one could understand the other. A genuine friendship and wanting to share with one another took place.
Sharing of ones’ beliefs and spirituality came to the conclusion, each did believe in the same one true God! They thought. So many of the Natives embraced the black robes practices (as well as their own).
The black robes were only convinced the Natives were truly “Converted” if they laid aside all their practices of how they worshiped the Creator God, and only followed the patterned rituals they taught them. When they seen the Natives celebrating certain seasonal festivals, dancing and wearing carved face masks with skins or heads of certain animals, feathers of birds in our hands, burning wild sage and tobacco up in the sacred smoke of prayer. All ways of worship to God the Creator was paganism, songs sung by our people was blaspheming, the “Native” social structure was unheard of and uncivilized, The clothes was improper and shameful! Because Native language was not understood, became nothing more than gibberish! and not the correct proper English. Once again, it was not of the “civilized” human race.
The black robes became very angry! and in their opinion, the Natives people would always be uncivilized heathens undeserving of forgiveness.
The black robes then so decreed that all Native people who had lived on the lands, even though it was since from the beginning of time, was not worthy to have such fertile lands or to own any possessions of worth of any kind.
Slavery to them and all Europeans, was to become the peoples fate, or die for not obeying the rules and will of their “so-called” civilization. What began as a labour of love and friendship, of building churches and homes, sharing food, ways of life and how to balance their lives with all of Nature. The black robes and others, caused everything to become a cruel hard task of sorrow instead, for all the Native people. Love soon turned into confusion then a bitterness and then into hatred. Wondering what had the people done, to so anger these new brothers and sisters? Ones who supposedly believed and taught about the same God of love and friendship and unity? To turn like the snake only to poison and kill.
All the young was taken from the Native people, and put behind barred fences that adults and elders built! To be held there to go to their schools of learning. The black robes decided that the older ones were unteachable and forever lost. The Native babies and infants became their project of converting and brainwashing and moulding them into what they deemed as a proper and correct human being.
The children’s names were change to Christen names, their hair was cut short, their buckskin clothing and sacred medicine bags were stripped from them, along with any trace of their own heritages and cultures of who and what they were.
They were forbidden to speak their own languages ever again, or be whipped severely for doing so! If caught doing anything against their rules, the children were treated worse than what any animal would have been, beaten to a bloody pulp or starved to death or shot in front of others! Even worse, was that the children was subjected to do sexual favours, girls raped, boys sodomize over and over, by these same “Holy People” of God the Creator, all done in the name of “Christianity”.
Many ask, “What has all this to do with the Native people of today”? That all was in the past you think? No my friends, not just the so distant past, but even into present day. The memory and hurt are still very real, and there are generations still living from when some of this took place.
People have told the Native, “Don’t dwell on the past” it is not that the people dwell on it, it is a fact it still exists into present day! Granted there are a few changes here and there, but it has only been recently in this age of modernization. It is only because the Native Americans “Blended and Mixed” so well into the melting pot of civilization becoming the “Hidden Indian” of today.
Do you realize that Native “Americans” under the Constitution of the United States, were not made American “Citizens” until the late 1900's? A country and land that the Original Peoples had lived on since from the beginning of time. What if the tables had been turned around? How would the Europeans have felt if the Natives had invaded their lands and people and religious belief, changing everything they had ever known and loved for centuries of generations?
The Native “Americans” in some States even to present day, are segregated and still classed lower than any other minority or race of human beings, on the face of this planet! No other race of human beings has to have a “Government” card, to prove to even their own people and race that they are Native! Treated as if like animals, that had to have “Pedigree Documents” to show they are not mongrels of lesser breeding and worth, to even be counted as a human. The brainwashing never ended did it? Think about it. In the everyday work place today, every company, business, factory etc. has a “Minority Quota” to fill for the “Non-Discrimination act”. What is not told, that each minority that is hired, that organization or company receives $500.00 for each head, like a heard of cattle. Then after the 90-day probationary period one is given to prove their worth as a productive asset to that company or organization, the shuffling begins all over! Some are kept working for maybe a year or so ( only to make it look legal and above board) then the cycle begins again with new hires and lay offs.....Sound familiar to some of you? The only way to succeed and have a decent chance to advance in any field, is to bluntly lie on the job applications about their own race and claim to be that of the Caucasian race.
Sure, being mixed is no problem, but, some have too many “prominent features” on the outside to do this.
Now the suicide rate among the Native people to recent date April 2005, is up to 400% than any state level, young and old alike. This is not counting the birth-rate that is declining along with it. Alcohol, drugs, combined with utter hopelessness among the people is soon to become unmeasured by any standard known.
Ever been to an Indian Hospital? Granted some has nice facilities, appear to be quite modern and up-to-date, but behind the scenes are quite different! They usually are staffed with the ones that are irresponsible social rejects of what are suppose to be Doctors and Nurses and Physicians. Those that could not meet the par and social standing, in any of their fields in other “regular” non-native hospitals. Ones whom either have an attitude problem from day one, or just plain do not care for anything but a pay check. This goes for all of our Nursing homes as well.
Other hospitals on the reservations, The one or two native with maybe one non-native staff members are usually so overworked, under equipped, that they cannot handle the increasing overflow of patients on a daily basis. Either way, many die needlessly, or do not receive proper care and treatment in the agonizing process.
The few (very few) Doctors and Nurses and Physicians that do honestly care, are swept up in that same madness of pure hopelessness and despair that they cannot seem to do enough, or to even make a dent in all of it!
Yes, religion and faith in the Creator God, has become stained to a point over the years. Not to the point of being wiped out in daily lives totally, though it has at times made one doubt humanity.
The Native people have learned harsh lessons indeed, and found what was taught by the Sky Father’s own Son has truly come to pass on the people.
Because Native Americans are human beings just the same as anyone else, become weak in spirit at times and despair. Specially when one is constantly down trodden and ridiculed openly in front of people, or even from behind the masks of prejudices, jealousies, deceit or hatred. Told and made to feel over and over, they will never amount to nothing but alcoholics, drug addicts, prostitutes, and “Sit around the Fort Indians” always depending on the government for a handout!
But, in the mist of everything, there is an “inner strength and knowledge” that still burns brightly as the sacred fires burnt centuries ago of all the ancestors. That fire and knowledge is the wisdom that all will be made right once again! No more evil and destruction physically or spiritually, of man or beast or Earth Mother!
This is what Spirituality has always consisted of as well as others of the same faith. Standing and Believing in the Love of the Sky Father’s for All His Children Everywhere! where All are Truly Equal and can Truly Care and Love Each Other! Not to become just talk or wrote on a piece of talking leaves paper, to eventually disappear into nothingness as soon as it is said or wrote down, with never having any meaning or purpose.
History speaks very loudly! of the lie that was presented to all people everywhere of equality of all men...When the “Liberty Bell” was to toll as a sign of freedom and liberty for all...Cracked! Everything was a lie! When the bell was repaired, tried once again to be sounded for truth and justice and equality of man...The Creator showed to all one final time, these people lied.
Hopefully, now maybe some can realize why, if one asks a Native American questions about their beliefs and faith and spiritually, and ask if they are “Christens”...
That if you see a sour look on their faces, or hear a negative response, you will understand, that the “God” and “Jesus Christ” presented to the Natives by the “Black Robes” did not turn out to be the same ones the Native people knew.
All races, all cultures are different and special and all are very important. But none so special or important as to dictate an entire “One-World Mould” to become something people are not, it goes against the true nature and balance of the universe which was set up by the Creator not man!
We all want to live in peace and harmony, turmoil and strife has went on long enough, and has took on the same as the “Liberty Bell” cracked and wounded. The only complete healing will come about, when the hands of the Creator God Himself will reshape this world as we know it now -
one last time!
