One thing that the Standing Rock assembly showed the world was, that for many and for the first time,
they saw non-Indian people standing alongside Indian people supporting their aims.
2016 has for many, me included, been a very bad year, a year of great upheaval and changes all round. For me, everything went wrong, anything that could be broken broke, other things fell apart and the only thing left to draw on was Indian wisdom that things would have to change to improve.
I am not out of the woods yet, but I am nearer to the edge of it.
Which brings us to this time of year. For many of us this is a time for giving and in Indian Country Today, there was a feature on Bonnie Raitt and Jackson Browne, who had given $85,000 USD to the Indian people donated from their concerts. A great gesture.
Not being that well off myself this year, I did still manage to make a donation to Pine Ridge for the Christmas fund for the children.
Sometime ago I gave some business and economic advice free and as you may know, this included the advice on trade marks, to prevent fakery.
Some of the outstanding craft work made in the Navajo tribal areas
Sadly, I have seen examples of Far Eastern made goods which are 'in the style of' Indian made artefacts on the market and it is not going to be too long before either through error or design, they are passed off as genuine to the unsuspecting.
So, I was thinking recently about how this situation could be prevented and also how to raise the profile of the tribes and their peoples at the same time. So, how about a tribe having their own charity chapter which could act as a trademark guarantor and way of protecting Indian crafters?
It would also help people to get the best prices for their work, prevent copies, guarantee you buying from someone with genuine heritage, it would help to boost prosperity and jobs for the people and also to raise awareness of the people and their culture.
If you could buy products with for sake of argument for example, with 'Friends of the Sioux' on them, people might ask what that was regarding and so a conversation had and potentially someone could be in a position to learn more about that tribe or people as a whole.
In hand with this situation, the need to only use renewable resources where possible, could help sustain jobs by careful growing, harvesting and use. Also, introduction of new crops to meet the need could be done where required.
By doing minimal damage, this would be in line with the care for the planet ideal. What I am trying to say is that this project could serve many purposes but also be an example of sustainable development, helping provide badly needed jobs and money, which we do sadly need these days.
With the beauty of exclusivity of products made in short batches, you stay away from 'consumerism' and produce much as in the past, for trading and own use, but likely in this case, more for trading.
This has the potential to do many things and solve many problems for the reservation people. As with many crafters already, their work is highly sought after. With this, we can ensure that a greater breadth of people are recognised and perhaps interest in the culture generated.
The world has been undergoing something of a groundshift over recent years and for those involved in the spiritual side of things, they have noticed how people seem to be changing their outlook.
I think this 'friends of'...' could be viable and help bring greater things.
Standing Rock showed a groundshift. It also showed reconciliation, where soldiers of the present who came to lend support, asked for forgiveness for the soldiers of past. Who would have predicted that? If you'd said that this would happen five years ago, you would probably have been laughed at.
It has happened, this is progress. As Sitting Bull said, 'let us put our heads together and see what we can do for our children.'
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