Previous Blogs

Write to me if you have any thoughts you'd like to share, information you want me to have or a correction to any information you see here.  I respond to all emails.  CAT  NOTE: I reserve the right to NOT respond to whack jobs that waste my time.

The ongoing events and behaviors of those who murdered Eddie (and others)  on the Fort Totten Reservation, North Dakota.  How the ongoing criminal enterprise continues to flourish unabated and without a single response from the Justice Department.  Well, not surprising on that!  They would have to investigate themselves and how some of their elite were directly involved and have prospered from the corruption that exists, protected and funded by US Tax Dollars.

Even if you don't live on the Rez, it's your money, YOUR TAX DOLLARS AT WORK.  You owe it to yourself to peek in once in awhile and see what you are paying for

All the pages are not yet hooked up, but as they fill out, I will post a note here and you can go and see for yourself. 

New (2nd) Contact page is hooked up.  You can find information on contacting the Parole Board to Free Richard, HERE

Texas Monthly Magazine has done a feature on this case.  Read the October Issue, available at newsstands now.  OR, go to the online version.  Michael Hall went to the rez and saw for himself.

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June 4, 2007 Printer Version

Meet Tony McBony and His Family

I hear that the local propaganda rag for the tribe, the one that can't seem to come out more than once a month and never on a particular schedule (gotta love that "Indian Time" which stereo types that Indians in an unreliable light) has a big ol' story on Tony McDonald and his whole family! 

Wonder how much he paid to put that in there?  If you want to meet Tony McBony or any member of his family, that is not difficult.  That fine, upstanding preacher man, like I mentioned in the previous blog, can be found shaving $100 bills off of a wad of $100 bills and shoving them into the penny slot machines at the casino.  Don't ask where the money comes from, he would only have to lie or get mad or whatever it is he does when he is cornered.

Want to meet his daughter?  Mary Mack Truck can be found working as a dispatcher at the Badger shop.  She spies on people and reports directly to Poopsie and his clan if anyone is even thinking about investigating or reporting a crime committed by any of them. 

Back when Helleckson had to be in touch with Poopsie every single day, several times a day, she was the one that would relay to them where they were supposed to meet and when, because they were afraid their lines were tapped. 

She also might want to recall her glory days for you.  Back when she was just 14 years old and her daddy sold her off to the Turdclan and was paid well for her services in all ways!  She even stood up and lied in court against an innocent man and he remains in prison, to this day, because she is too gutless to ever tell the truth. 

Well, if she talked, her daddy, that man of God, that devout christian, that loving father, would personally kill her to prevent the Turd Clan from coming down on him for not keeping his end of the bargain.

I would love to see this article, in total.  I hear it is a real piece of work!  The only people that would be inclined to believe any of it would be people that never met Tony or his lovely family and never knew about the lies, the threats, the thieving. 

A-mazing that they would want to come out to the world in the most public lies possible, as if you have all forgotten who they are and what they have done!  Probably was a time that a splashy little article such as that would fill in the gaps of your memory, maybe even re-write history for you. 

But those days are gone.  Just about everything they do, all of them, Tony and The Turdclan (wow! Sounds like a great name for their band!), reveals more of their lies.  Moreover, it seems to reveal that they are desperate to hide in those lies, and need for you to believe them.

Time was back in the day, when you wanted to believe them.  I think now, that time is long passed by, and their propaganda just falls flat as a fart at a tea party, and stinks for what it is. 

But, just for fun, why don't y'all run up to them and ask them for their autographs?

I think you know where to find them. 

I can't wait to read what they say about Russell and his 'degrees'.  Maybe they can explain why he can't seem to do the job he is so well-paid to do?  Why he can't seem to get his paperwork to the government in on time?  It's only money.  Money designated for social programs.  What the heck, it would never get to those programs anyways. 

So, Russell sitting there, counting his degrees, is probably a good thing.  Wonder if they are for reals?  Or if he just paid for them?  He just doesn't seem that bright to anyone that has met him.  Maybe all his 'degrees' are because he lost a thermometer up his butt.  Maybe that is why he can say he 'has degrees'?

What Might Have Been

Now that you can see that there is no limit to the lies and self-praise that comes from the McDonald family, let us all remember that most of the people in those photos in that paper, are well aware that Mary McDonald (aka Lohnes) was sold into lying, on the stand, hand to the Bible, in order that they could all 'prosper'. 

These are not good Christian People, as they would claim to be, for they have supported her lies with their silence from the time she was sold until this very day, and they know it was all a lie because they were at Mary's Grandmother's bedside (Olive Wells) when she lay dying, which happened to be just the day before Eddie was murdered. 

They were all there, as a family, including Mary Mack Truck (aka Lohnes), and they also know that Mary could not be in two places at once, and that she never met, never knew who was Richard LaFuente, and she was nowhere around when Eddie was murdered, miles and miles and miles, from the bedside of Olive Wells.

So, they are all proud to be in the same picture?  They are all so fulfilled in their lives?  How much of what they have, was bought with their silence?  I say "All of it."

Richard LaFuente, on the other hand, is a solid good Christian Man.  He has spent his time in prison, proclaiming his innocence but not being bitter against anyone.  He has read his Bible, and has counseled other inmates, some who were on the verge of greater self-destruction, and he has used his time, not in feeling sorry for himself, but rather to help those with whom he has come in contact.

What kind of a life might a man such as Richard LaFuente have had had he not been trampled upon by the evil that runs rampant on the rez?  What if Mary had not lied and continued by her silence today, to lie and keep him in prison when she, and her entire family KNOWS, he is innocent?

Would he have had a chance to raise his family?  To have more children? To have finished his own education? A good and gentle soul such as his, has so much to offer the world, but he remains locked up, because of the lies and the silence while those who told those lies, and keep their silence, enjoy the glory of being "successful" in their lives. 

No wonder that when there is not a reporter around to glorify the McDonalds, they argue, fight, drink and gamble.  No wonder Mike, who froze to death mere yards from his father's door that winter night in 06, so deeply hated his father. 

No wonder Tony McDonald has to steal from the church to try and fill the void created when he let the evil come in and consume his soul, leaving him to then gamble away, one hundred dollar bills, one hundred at a time, in the casino where all can see his weakness and the darkness that dwells inside of him.

Not even the Church, with all its High Mass and prayers can save the soul of the man who sold his daughter, and who every day she keeps her silence, Richard remains in prison, a light unto others in that dark place, while Tony continues to slither through the community like a snake on his belly.

Mark that family, each and all of them, to be shunned for their part in this.  If you speak to them, tell them first "Tell the Truth!", and then turn your back when they stand silent.  Watch the look in their eyes when you tell them that they are the reason an innocent man is in prison, and the guilty grow fatter and wealthier by the day!

What you feed is what will take you.  Richard feeds the souls of those less fortunate and he, a long time ago, has found Grace in the eyes of God, whereas the McDonald's have fed the evil in that community, protected the evil in that community, and are empty inside except for the pain they have caused themselves.

Pity them, and shun them so that when it comes to each of them, whatever is in store for them, you will not, and your children will not, be burned by the same fires. 

Justice

Sometimes God will allow those who have done the worst wrongs to appear to thrive despite their sins while those who have been righteous and done good works appear to have so much less.  The truth is that those who appear to have accumulated so much, purchased from the wages of sin, merely have more to lose.  And when the time comes, and all their comforts are destroyed, they are left without shelter and without comfort, revealed to all for their ways.

Those who have done the good and righteous work, in a humble way, without ego, will find that their good works live well beyond their brief time on this plane of existence, and the light they carried goes forward and creates more light in every corner of this world.  When the time comes and they are called by the angels to their reward, all that is good, comforting and well done is theirs forever and ever.

Someone sent me some scriptures that really bring this home.  I will again revisit those letters and post those scriptures, to remind those, especially those who claim to be a family of God or a Man of God, that all that they do that is dark and evil in this world is not unseen by the One who will judge them in Forever that awaits them.

Meantime, it is up to all of us to do our part, here and now, to bring the light of justice into play and end the suffering of an innocent man and end the reign of bullying, murder and abuse by the Turdclan and their cronies, be they in the highest offices of the land, or the lowest labors of Sioux Manufacturing Plant, the Casino, DTI, or the Blue Building. 

What you refuse to rectify that is in your power to do so, will come to your door and take from you, all that you thought you were protecting with your silence.

Best of luck to the McDonald Family, each and every one of them.  They are going to need it.  Until they speak the truth, until they do the right thing, they sin against God and God doesn't miss a thing!

You know where to find me.

~Cat

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June 5, 2007 --Printer Version

BIP

I do enough of these 'blog in progress thingies, so I may as well call them "BIP"  This is another BIP.

Walking Ego Pity Monger

I hear Carl Walking Ego was going to throw a shindig, cookout, whatever to "thank all those who supported..(him)" in this last election.  That would be the people he had in place that would not open up the voting until 2 hours after most people had to be at work, his daughter-in-law that would not allow eligible members to vote whom she knew would vote against him (at least 12 which would have shaved that 'win' down to a 'runoff' nub) and people in general whom he bought and paid for.

I was delighted to think that he would spend money, perhaps break into one of those coffee cans and go whole hog!  But alas, 'due to family emergency...' the event was cancelled.

Turns out the 'family emergency' is his wife, Barbara, who is in the hospital and miserable.  Told her two years ago to go through with the bypass surgery, that she would not do well if she didn't take care of herself.  But does she listen to me?  NOOoo-ah!

So, considering that Barbara works her butt off at the school, and that Carl has not for the past 15-20 years paid a dime of the household bills or expenses, including the electric bill for which the Tribal Council always paid up until 2 years ago and then the lights were shut down while Carl was in Valentine, NB, (on Valentine's Day!) with Josey McKay, I find it hard to believe that he would cancel a fun fest because of Barbara. 

He has yet to show up at the hospital for more than 5 minutes to see how she is doing, and never said a word to her.  He has, however, used his time to go and look up some other friends, girlfriends, boyfriends..

Meanwhile, Barbara languishes in that hospital bed, one of the saddest sights you will ever see or hear.  She cries all the time.  Her husband is rotten, the kids are rotten, and all she has left are the few days ahead of her.

Meanwhile, everywhere Carl goes, he is looking for people to feel sorry for him, HIM!  Why?  Because his wife is in the hospital! The same wife he ignores, runs around on, won't give a dime to, but a good reason to cancel his 'thank you' celebration, after all, that just wouldn't look right!

Yes, I know that Barb has indulged herself in the past with cash she dug up, but given the life she has lived and the man she had to live it with, absent as he was, maybe it just wasn't enough?

I say we should all pray for Barb's good health and healing!  That she can be back on her feet again!  Boy, would that ever piss off the old man!

Here's to you, Barb!

Quality of Life (PSA)

Public Service Announcement.  Skip this part if you don't care about living healthy, or living long.  Skip this part if you think that Diabetes is not a problem. 

Too many Indians are suffering low quality health for a reason that could easily be remedied.  Diabetes kills silently.  You may think you are fine, or just a little tired, or shouldn't have to go and get tested because then you might have to change your diet or some other inconvenience.  But all the time you are ignoring it, Diabetes is killing you, slowly.  Destroying your heart, kidneys, eyesight, circulation in your limbs... by the time you have symptoms, the inconvenience is the least of your concerns. 

Stopping the damage is like stopping a freight train.  It takes longer and the damage goes on.

Easily preventable in most cases if common sense dietary rules are followed and a lot of the junk food and over processed foods are not a way of life.  But, for most, that is not even a starter. It should be, but it is not. 

So, look around you.  What kind of diet have you had?  Feeling okay now?  Good.  Then there is no excuse for not going in and getting tested for Diabetes.  It's free at any IHS clinic (so I am told) and it could make the difference between you living to be a healthy 90 or feeling like a worn out 100-year old shoe at the age of 40. 

Find out if you have diabetes and treat it if you do have it.  Treat is sooner, rather than later, and you will not risk the heart problems, kidney failures, blindness or wounds that won't heal issues later on.  Talk about 'inconveniences'!  I would think those would outweigh treatment, any day!

I have a wonderful life long friend who lost his eyesight due to diabetes.  Another friend whose severe diabetes has been treated since she was 9 years old, manages to keep an active, full lifestyle, including being the single parent of an active 16 year old daughter.  The difference between the two is who was diagnosed and treated and who was not. 

This is something you can do for yourself.  Moreover, you can do it for your family.  If you do it, and you take care of yourself, your children, siblings and your friends are more apt to also do it. 

I had a friend, long time ago who suspected she was diabetic but put off diagnosis because she didn't want the inconvenience of daily insulin injections.  Her hair was so thin, she always wore a wig.  She was tired all the time, and her family wore her out.

When she was 42, she had a heart attack.  She finally had to go in and be diagnosed and begin treatment. That first year, for the first time in 25 years, she was able to grow good hair!  Her energy was way improved.  Life it seemed, was going to be good after all.

Sadly, she had waited too long to begin taking care of herself.  She passed away of a massive heart attack at the age of 44.  That was in 72.  She is still missed, to this day, by all her friends.  She was an amazing person and we often wonder what the world would be like today if she had not left us so soon.

The whole time she was ignoring diabetes, it was weakening her, destroying her organs, killing her. Don't let that be your story.  Go now.  Get checked and take care.

Indian people are more likely to have diabetes than just about any other race.  Not fair, I know, but it is treatable.  Look at your kids.  Want their kids to know Gramma and Grampa?  Or just be able to point to an old photo and say: "Who dat?"

Everyone on the rez knows at least 20 other people who have diabetes.  It is a disease that can be treated, but not by ignorance, not by ignoring.

Not everything so deadly is so easily treated and dealt with.  This one is an easy step.  Do it.

Long Blog/Short Blog

The next topic, Toxic Politics, which encompasses the way politics is poisoning the people, and the way it controls the mental health and addictions treatment on the rez, far too long for this blog. So I will make this blog a short one and we can make Wednesday's blog the biggie.  Buy some extra ink and paper, you will want to pass this one around!

Those of you who have an opinion, good, bad or ugly, about the Meth Conference that was held at the casino this past week, do drop me a line and give me your thoughts on it.  I already have mine and if you have anything to add, now is the time. 

Oh, and yes, I am hearing from people who are laughing their asses off at the "meet the MacDonald's" article in the paper.  We'll talk about those 'degrees' and others, in the next issue.

Meanwhile, this be the short blog.  And yes, I changed the date from the 06 typo to the 05 date!

You know where to find me!

~Cat

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June 6, 2007 --Printer Version

Toxic Shock:Political Disease

I have seen this up close and personal myself.  Small communities, isolated from the main, develop their own "chicken coop" mentality.  Good people who do good work but don't seem to brag themselves up, are easily taken for granted or vilified by those who would like to take the reigns of power for themselves, and prefer no input nor oversight by anyone that could see through their frauds and machinations. 

Getting the good people out of power is key to being able to run, mismanage, misappropriate budgets, finances and secure more power for themselves and their families and cronies, while the community suffers.

Toxic politics begins to replicate itself throughout the community.  It is in government, it is in employment, it is even in the basic volunteer aspects of a community.  I recall a volunteer fire department that was so toxic in its politics that volunteers were mocked, sabotaged by those who thought it was their private 'club' to the point where most people just plain quit. 

When a fire happened, everyone showed up to put it out, but those who were left in charge by virtue of their unwelcome, unappreciative and uneducated bullying of the rest, were often disorganized, unable to organize the crews that did show up, leaving the whole thing to whoever seemed to know what they were doing, and the natural cooperation among neighbors, which put the fires out.

Afterwards, the 'man in charge' would take a bow.  It was both comical and tragic in the same sweep.  Egos overshadowed cooperation in the tiniest of details.  Fund raisers became less profitable, and with ego in charge, no one was low enough to maintain the equipment which meant that some fires burned longer because of a flat tire, or lack of gas or water in the pumper. 

Occasionally, there would be recruitment attempts, promises made of cooperation, and people would join up.  Only to have the first meetings turn into the the 'club members' only, with new recruits being shunned, not listened to, and scoffed at by those who felt threatened by anyone that had an idea that did not originate with the good ol' boys club. 

Again, it all fell apart.  This happened in cycles of about every 3-4 years and far as I know, it continues to this day. 

Every aspect of life becomes a competition for power, glory and domination.  Like watching Chicken Coop Politics as some roostered up, others were sent down the pecking order, and nothing really was ever accomplished.

Those who remained in the Volunteer Fire Department often complained that they were not receiving support from the community!  They whined about how they were 'the only ones willing to do the work.'  To a newcomer, it would sound as if the community was lazy.  To an old timer, it was the same ol' same ol' cycle of toxic politics with no end in sight.

Rez politics are the worst.  People in power, stay in control.  They can use any illegal trick in the books and often write new ones, to stay in power with no Federal oversight to manage the process, hear complaints nor adjudicate for fair play. 

Again I bring up the Jack Abramoff scandal which found that many tribes had given him millions of dollars to lobby for a deal behind closed doors, not knowing that he was also working for the opposition, taking their money.

No one seems to want to ask the question:  What funds did the tribes take those millions from to do this in the first place?  No one will ask the question because before anyone could ask any questions, Abramoff fell on his sword, pled 'guilty' and the investigation slammed shut before any revelations regarding how funds, millions of dollars per tribe, could be so misused.

That money continues to be misused, by the millions, to bribe, buy, and as hush money, to keep those in power in power. 

Those in power can say and do anything they want and no one can or will investigate the veracity of their claims.  Anyone that did, even if they uncovered the Titanic of fraud, would be shut down and penalized because the political corruption that is in place, has that kind of power.

Take for instance, all those claims of 'College and University Degrees' by the McDonald clan out there. Anyone seen a sheepskin?  Anyone able to verify those degrees are real?  No. Say anything because you can get away with it because the people in power are close allies of theirs.

Russell McDonald is claiming degrees, running a department, and yet does not seem to comprehend the very basic terminologies of that department, nor of the system and process to make that department run. 

He has, by pure ineptness, allowed deadlines to pass without paperwork being turned in to gain the basic funding to keep his department, and others, running!  But we overlook that.  He engages in the most pathetic of infighting amongst the other corrupt in his circle in a display of Chicken Coop politics in order for him to take more power for himself.  Nothing gets done.

The people suffer.  Money is wasted, stolen, embezzled, all because of toxic politics.

And he and his family, despite being known throughout the rez for their parts in Eddie Peltier's murder (Demus McDonald was at the scene, keeping the drunks quiet so Eddie would die faster) and later, in the framing of the innocent by Mary Mac Truck lying under oath, over and over again, despite all this, they get up there and pose for the posse shot to claim how upstanding and righteous they are. 

Given how much they have lied, stolen, would anything they claim be true?  Given the level of incompetence in all that they do, would not it be wise to question whether or not these degrees that they claim are indeed 'real'?  I say that if you claim a degree, you should provide proof of that degree other than whatever falls off your tongue.

The people of the rez deserve better than what they have been given, so far.  Will they get it?  Not likely.  Not as long as the corrupt remain in power.  Only they have the authority to look into these matters and it serves them better, not to.

Health At Stake

Looking at the way departments that the most vulnerable rely on to render services is run, the matters of health and healing, we find the most ominous of toxic politics at its worst, firmly entrenched without concern, not one bit, for the well-being or safety of the community in mind.

The people who do the hard work, the real work of dealing with drug addiction and alcohol counseling, are the true heroes in my mind.  My husband did that for years, despite the toxic politics of the community he worked in. 

He obtained results people thought were impossible.  He was undermined at every turn.  Programs he wrote the grants for, once funded, were raided by those who were politically well-connected, and the programs, which had seen good results, crashed and burned.

I realized that tribal politics cannot go on as it has, with the powerful and the corrupt raiding the resources, invading privacy of the clients and disempowering the community at its core, if people get healthy, learn to stand up for themselves and lose their fear of speaking out against those who have offended them sexually and physically, in the past.

Unfortunately, the offenders, the worst offenders are often members of the political elite, and their families are immune from any repercussions, can silence any investigation.  In order to maintain this level of insulation, they must see to it that the community never is allowed to heal. 

By sabotaging and undermining those who are doing the work, the results are that fewer and fewer trust that they can proceed in the process of healing without being struck again.  They withdraw.  That keeps the corrupt in power.

It also keeps and ever expanding base of population in desperate need of counseling, rehab, treatment, for which the tribe can then promote that need into $$$$ from well-intended grants from government and other organizations, none of whom will ever audit the programs or their spending to see where the money is going. 

I am sure there is one, if not many more Jack Abramoffs reaping the benefits of these systematically corrupted entities.  Who's going to question it?  The Feds should, but they, too many of them, deeply in the pockets of those who have all that extra cash to spread around to keep them from looking under the rug.

Meth Conference

SLN recently hosted the Meth Summit at the Spirit Lake Casino.  Where was the program administrator?  Evelyn Cavenaugh, related to the McDonalds, who also claims glowing qualifications and degrees up the butt, but who also cannot understand the terminology/vocabulary or terms used in the field, did not attend. 

Had she attended, she would doubtless have been revealed as a fraud, unable to understand nor speak to the matter at hand.  She, as program administrator should have been there to discuss what is being done and what needs to be done and how the program is woefully under funded with basically, only one counselor (who has real degrees!) working in the trenches. 

Not one to risk being found out, she hid from the conference the entire time! A total no-show!

She maintains her level of insulation by hiring her family members to surround her as they have hired her to surround them.  Her brother is the driver of the shuttle.  He can overhear conversations and report to her if anyone is upset with her and she can deal with them in a way that will penalize them.  No one on the bus talks. 

Her sister, Peggy Cavenaugh, who only hires family members, runs the Health clinic.  She too, claims degrees that no one has ever seen!

So, there was a great opportunity with the meth conference being RIGHT THERE, to actively participate in, get new ideas, garner more funds and support, but Evelyn hid out instead.  Does that sound like someone that cares about the community?  Does that sound like someone that knows how to do her job? 

What it reveals, sadly again, is the total lack of integrity displayed by those who take positions of power in the Chicken Coop, to dominate and reinforce their control over others. 

Lies are nothing new to the McDonald Family.  That is how they got to be who they are.  Most of you already know them.  Pray the rest of you never have to.

I have no doubt, if Evelyn is true to form as I have seen in the past, over and over again, that she will do all she can to undermine, gut, sabotage those who are doing the work in the community.  They will burn out from the toxic politics and leave, and the community will have no one in place to do the work that so desperately needs doing.

The community will be further at risk from untreated addictions and addicts with no compass as to what to do next, will continue to make the rez more and more unsafe, and their own sad spirits closer and closer to the gates of darkness. 

Meanwhile, those who claim these degrees, continue to gain more funding, more money and wow, given the right reporters, more acclaim as the community sickens and withers from the branch.

Until the people find the resolve inside themselves to stand up, the consequences will continue to mount.

Yes, there is danger is standing up, but silence is lethal to the future.  No one will remember that anyone ever stood up if no one does it to remind them that it can be done.

Next: Those Who Return to Help

You know where to find me.

~Cat

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June 7, 2007-Printer Version

Correction:  Peggy and Evelyn Cavenaugh are cousins, not sisters.  Doesn't change anything about how they use nepotism to exclude the qualified from positions which they keep for themselves, and for which they have no qualifications or skills.

More on Diabetes

Just a quick note from a reader on the previous blog regarding diabetes:

I want to thank you for putting the diabetes epidemic on the fore front for natives and for non-natives who review your site.

Many do not realize the importance and the simplicity of the test. What is a couple hours out of a lifetime, compared to the pain of loss of circulation,
dystrophy, amputation, dialysis, death?

There are many easy courses to take before the illness gets to far out of hand, Fort Totten has the Well and Fitness Center, Special Diabetes Program in the old clinic,
all the information is available to those who talk to the diabetes nurse an the Spirit Lake IHS, call the clinic to set up appointment. Many are a phone call away from healthier living!

Those who are pregnant should also get tested for gestational diabetes, it is far too commonly overlooked. (I was on glyburide for five months and
watched what I ate and I have no recurring problems
from gestational diabetes, three years ago)

Thanks for the information on your blog and maybe
someone out there will benefit from the information.

There you have it, from someone who both knows and cares!

One more:

Just finished reading the blog - diabetic neuropathy is another thing to
avoid. It's numbness in the feet and legs - some people feel it as pain and
it can be permanent damage - I had some in my feet and legs, but it's better
with treatment. If some are afraid of shots, Type II can be controlled with
pills - that's what I take. It is scary to go in - I waited 2 years and I
knew something was going on - I know Indians have a high rate of diabetes but
for some reason our whole region seems to have a high concentration of
diabetics.

I received many letters on this one, but these two seem to cover it the best.  Feel free to send in more if you think the point can be made even clearer to those out there who keep 'putting it off'.

Coming Home

I hear from many and many a younger person from the rezes that they love their community and want to get a good education so that they can come back and make a positive difference in the lives of people out there. 

They are idealistic, intelligent and they work very hard to avoid the pitfalls of drugs, alcohol, teen pregnancy and self-pity.  They work their scholastic butts off to get a good education, and a REAL degree and then they come home to apply what they know to the community they loves so much.

Only, instead of being welcomed and treated with respect or even appreciation for their hard work, they find they are shut out of positions for which they are sometimes the only qualified candidate.  The administrator of that department, head of that agency is someone who is uneducated, lacks ethics and integrity, and prefers to hand out the good paying jobs to friends and family who will support them, insulate them from being removed for their lack of qualifications.

Those who are entrenched in the positions of authority, resent, even fear those who are qualified.  They mistreat them, abuse them, ignore them, and won't even allow them near the work that they are so qualified to do and which the community so desperately needs! 

Those who find they have nowhere to go to apply their skills, in fact, left to languish unemployed while the unqualified continue to rule departments and agencies like dictators, then become discouraged, and leave the rez to use their skills and qualifications elsewhere. 

What they worked so hard to accomplish and share with the community they grew up in, love and want to live in, turns out to be the very thing that makes the potentates in power feel so threatened!

And then you have people like the McDonald's who claim all these degrees, but seriously, can anyone believe anything any of them say?  Clearly, Russell McDonald waaaay over his head in the job he has.  Failing at every turn, yet he has job security!  He even quit his job to make the point that he wanted to hire his own unqualified family members, but was over ruled by those who hire their unqualified family and friends!

He shouts "Corruption!" and storms out, but what he really means is that he wants to be the one in charge of the corruption.  He still draws a paycheck, still claims the job he quit.  Go figure!

The few that do find any work related to their fields of expertise in the community, are allowed only the lowest paying, hardest and dirtiest work part of the job.  Those who control that department, no degree, not even able to understand nor properly speak the terminology of that field, promote themselves, give themselves bigger and fatter paychecks, expense accounts, and then threaten and intimidate those who are more qualified, and who are really doing the work that needs to be done in the community.

Because of this rampant nepotism and it being considered 'business as usual' in the power plays that run the rezes, the best and the brightest are excluded, run off and what is left in the community are those who have low levels of skill, mostly unemployed, the drunks and the addicted who are much easier to control than are those who have the intelligence to act, to question and to speak out.

By not demanding that the people in positions of authority actually be able to do the job, your community is left to languish as a backwater of corruption and futility.  No wonder the children give up so early.  They see that so many of the adults have already given up.

If you want to change the atmosphere of hopelessness out there, you must be the example that shows that integrity, courage and hard work pay off.  You cannot do that by never standing up, never questioning, and by going belly-up and wagging your tails while pissing all over yourselves to please the corrupt and curry their favor.

When you get Naked Lawn Ornament, Walking Ego or the Turdclan to pat you on the head and smile at you, the children see that there is nothing in the future for them.  That is why they so easily go through the wrong doors.  They are just looking for something 'different' and they have few if any examples of 'better' to choose from.

Don't tell me you don't talk politics or religion because you don't want to offend anyone.  You don't talk it because you are afraid and being afraid is something the children see and smell on you in your platitudes, your subservience to the masters that rule you.

You may think you are not talking politics or religion, but you are feeding your children the toxic politics by your examples, and the most hypocritical of religious or spiritual values when you do nothing to make it better for others.

Making it better means fixing the problems, not getting bought off to keep your silence.  You think kids are stupid?  They are not! They do 'stupid' things because they don't have all the processes in place to figure out the consequences and their own value and respect.  They would have a better chance to survive, even thrive, if they had healthy examples to model after.

But they are smart enough to see and to know what misery is and what is ahead for them if they do what you do. Sometimes, they do it anyway.  Sometimes they do worse.

That lake is full of spirits calling your children like a Siren Song. And there are dark spirits waiting for them to take that drink, use that drug, so that their own spirits will sicken and weaken and the dark energy can flow through them, robbing them of their self-esteem, their will to live. 

When will you decide that it was better to have stood up for yourself than to have buried your child?

Only The Good

When I see that someone has died and their lives were ruined by drug and alcohol, I know they died too soon.  I know that some of them died pretty much the day they took their first taste because no one and nothing was there to help them climb out of that trap door they fell into.  Their fingers clutch the ledge and the cold winds pull them down and they are lost because not enough counselors and workers are there to help them save themselves.

Even though children see their beloved aunts, uncles, mothers and fathers turn into shadows from drugs and alcohol, they still go down that same road for the same reasons.

Drugs and alcohol only kills and ruins good people.  Bad people don't exist until they become that way by corruption of their spirit, their minds, and their bodies.  God does not make bad people. Alcohol and drugs does that and it can be stopped.

Take A Stand

But when the head of the department that should have been at the Methamphetamine Summit, doesn't even bother to show up, lest her lack of credentials be revealed, what hope does the community have that anyone can be rescued?

Are we all willing to accept that more and more people are to die from this so that those in power can continue to pretend that they hurt no one by stealing? Raping? Robbing? Are we all to pretend that because they give themselves titles and phony degrees that we are to believe them?

Why do we allow the meth dealers to walk freely?  The joke of Kalum being in jail, was the stuff of comedy writers from the dark side.  He was catered to like a little king.  The cops brought him his drugs, allowed his woman to visit him and bring him his drugs, a cell phone so he could continue to do business... all while they pretended they were 'law enforcement'? 

How many more good spirits will be evicted from their physical self and replaced by the anger, the insanity and the destruction of drugs and alcohol?  How many children must be neglected and abused before the community demands better?

How many good and qualified people, who love their community, who work to gain the skills and the education to make it better for everyone, will be run off?

People have to decide if it is okay or not.  Accepting it as a way of life, be careful when you do that, because the children are watching.

Allowing the Oh Oh Bar to be ON REZ LAND where it is more beyond the law than ever before, is saying to the community: "We know this will kill you, your children, and destroy the community. But it is how we make our money so shut up."

That bar, being on REZ land means you can shut it down.  There is a lot you can do to save yourselves and give the next generation both hope and promise by your example, but you have do actually do something besides pick up a shovel and bury another one.

You have so many areas where you can take a stand.  Pick one. The children are watching.

You know where to find me.

~Cat

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June 8, 2007--Printer Version

Interactive

I have heard from people who are very happy that I put in the information about the diabetes and people who are happy that I mentioned that the meth conference was not attended by those who should have been there.  I mentioned Evelyn Cavenaugh, as the administrator, by name.  I have heard from her family who thinks I am dead wrong, but I am not impressed because their letters are so contradictory. 

I know that if it is YOUR ox that gets gored, you are going to be upset.  I don't do this to make friends.  I also don't do this to slander good people.  And I have heard from both sides of the issue, supporting my stand and opposed to it.

I think that is healthy.  In fact, I think it is time that some of you silent types out there, write to me and tell me what you think of Evelyn and the job she is doing.  Is she a good administrator?  Have you got stories that illustrate her dedication and hard work?  If so, send to me and I will post them.  Only one condition:  You must sign your known by name to the article. 

IF someone is wrongly accused in the community, whether deliberately or not, it is incumbent on those who know the errors, to speak out.  You don't have to agree with me, because that is NOT the point, but you do have to start standing up for people in your community you feel are being wronged.

If you know of specific incidents, such as the meth conference, where you think she has not fulfilled her responsibilities, and you have a series of them, send those in and I will post those.  Again, your real name is required. 

I want to see how many of you out there will stand up for what you believe and for whom you believe in.  If the letters are just snarky, they won't get passed the mailbox.  If they are well thought out they will.  I will probably ask questions before I post them if I see discrepancies that are confusing or misleading.  You can straighten those out.

So, let's see if you will stand up for someone you feel is wronged, or if you just stand by and let it roll. 

Like I said, you don't have to agree with me, because that is NOT the point.  Getting the Good People of SLN to stand up and speak up, is the point.  You don't even have to be right, but you do have to be willing to both speak up and to listen to others.

It is what makes a community work. 

Also, if Evelyn has been wronged and no one stands up for her, it might be a sign to her that she is not appreciated and cannot count on anyone. 

My bitch with her is that she did not attend the conference.  That she hires relatives.  THAT is also the problem with just about every agency out there.  Nepotism, which leads to mistrust and is a form of corruption.

For the most part, those of you who agree with what I wrote, slamming Evelyn for not attending and for nepotism, need not write.  My position is already posted.  People know what I think from what has come in so far.

What I would like to see, is the other side.  If you think I was unfair to Evelyn, stand up for her.  If you think she has done a good job, tell it.  If you are afraid to speak up for her, but you think she is doing a good job, then 'splain it to me, Lucy.  I want to know what is preventing people from standing up for people they think are mistreated or misrepresented out there.  If we can sort that out, maybe we can all make some healthier changes in how things are done out there.

Evelyn, if you have a good reason for not attending, speak up.  I will post your statement without comment on my part. 

No Shows and No Go's

Now, as for the others who did not attend and should have, your Tribal Council, I hear, was a no-show as were the police.  I have to wonder who among the elected and authorized out there actually does give a flip about the worst scourge to hit the community, Indian People and ALL communities for that matter, if those who are supposed to be front line, sit on their blankets and google themselves.

And please do not recite 'degrees' for me unless you can give me the school, date of graduation and prove it.  If I hear one more person tell me that this or that person is 'working on their Masters' I'm going to blow a fuse. 

EVERYONE that has graduated high school, technically, is 'working on their masters'.  Unless you are attending university at least 4 hours a week, in post graduate program and in conference with your mentor once a month or more, you are NOT working on anything. 

Don't tell me about degrees being worked on if you are not enrolled and in attendance! "working on" implies that you are working on, not waiting for, taking recess from, or never completed.  If someone is 'working on' their Masters, prove it by telling me their date of completion!

That was another thing that was bandied about in the toxic politics I witnessed with Tribal and Band Councils where health and wellness were concerns.  Some of the most toxic people were administrators and saying they were 'working on their masters' but the 10 year limit on obtaining their Masters had expired years earlier!  They never completed their studies and most government types never investigated to see if it was true or not.  Just sounds so impressive!  I found that several people who had not seen college or university for decades were claiming to be working on their 'Masters'.  I am just a hardened skeptic at this point.  I know that most of those claims are fraudulent.

Don't claim a degree you don't have. When you get it, take a bow and post it on your wall.  Until then, you ain't got it, got it?

Muddying The Waters of Mystic Lake

Since the Minneapolis paper ran the very detailed story about how the man running the Mystic Lake Tribe, who claimed hereditary rights to money by virtue of a totally fictitious genealogy, the case has gained momentum.

Turns out that more than just fictitious genealogies are being spun out like cotton candy from the man and his cronies (Skip Longie being the one that helps fabricate family histories); there appears to be a series of fraud upon the people who were contacted by the attorneys that are working on behalf of the non-indian-Indian.

Notices were posted and people who might qualify under a treaty were told to send in their documentation to see if they qualified to have status as part of the Mystic Lake Tribe.  Trustingly, many did just that.  Sent in historical family documents ---the originals, to prove their claim, hoping to join in.

What a shock and surprise to them when nasty notes were issued from the attorneys, calling them names, mocking them!  Their documents were never returned.  Many have been told that their documents, one of a kind originals, have been burned!

Apparently, the only way to hang onto ill gotten gains is to hire shylock types of lawyers, who will resort to dirty tricks, fraud and worse, to insure that their client doesn't have to give up a dime!

Meanwhile, the government, which should have frozen the assets of the tribe as soon as it was established that the man in charge of giving out status of enrollment (first in a letter to himself acknowledging he was a member! And then to his family and friends..) was in fact a fraud and his claims were fraudulent. 

For some reason, the government has decided to keep paying the crooks (and, in a perfect irony, his name really is "Crooks") so that he can keep paying Skip Longie and his attorneys to keep perpetuating this fraud!  Meanwhile, those who are true descendants are being mocked and denied!

Coincidentally, Skip has a knack for digging up questionable 'historical proof' from time to time which supports the claims that are already a known fraud, as 'genuine'!

Truly a circus out there!

Rewriting History

Not content with the fraud and the millions he has already garnered for himself and his pals, Skip was bragging this past week that the case against Crooks and the rest of them will never move an inch because "we will have that thing so tied up in court it will never come to trial!".

To that end, he has enlisted the help of a real Boy Scout.  Fed him a story that counters the historical (the real historical) documents and that naive (or very stupid) man wrote an article that is supposed to rewrite history, and claim the premise of the rightful claimants (that of their ancestor who was a scout at the time) 'might not' be valid after all. 

He uses "may not" and "Might Not" throughout the article as if he is not sure.  Hey, either you research the article or you did not.  I say he did not, but rather in a move that can only be described as criminally stupid, wrote the crap that Skip fed to him and had it published.

Laying a False Trail

He thinks that by couching his words with ‘maybes’ that people will assume he is uncovering real historical facts and what he is saying is true. Further, he thinks he can escape the rules of research and obligation to the truth and suffer no consequences as the result. Wrong. It only clarifies that he is attempting to deceive.

He wants to lead pseudo scholar types down the wrong path and hope they are too embarrassed to back track and get on the right road. I have to wonder aloud, “how drunk was he when he hatched that plan?”

Skip is going to have the Shylocks present that story (based on fiction) presented in court as 'historical research' and try to tie this thing up in more knots that Turdmother's hair!

So, when the lawyers slap down that article, the writer will be left holding a bag of sand, standing on the alligator of Publication Fraud, and his career will be swirling the porcelain bowl while Skippy and his buddies continue to count their moolah in the back room.

I sure hope that Boy Scout is prepared!  He sure is not bright!  And if that is what Skip thinks will tie up a court case, he either has to have the judge in his pocket, or he is more desperate than I thought.

He is able to milk millions out of Mystic Lake funds by being the one they have to rely on to keep their fictional genealogy boats afloat.  He is currently taking money out of there as fast as he can because he knows that well will dry up real hard, real fast.  But he continues to reassure Crooks and the rest of the crooks, that he has it 'under control' and 'not to worry'. 

But history is not so easily rewritten. Sure, many valuable historical documents have been destroyed by those who want to bend the rulings to their shape and form, but too many more continue to exist and are verifiable by anyone that is an expert in old documents.

For those of you who sent in your original papers and documents to the lawyers, Kardell or whatever his name is, remember that it was Skippy that misled you down that merry path, and it was he that received a bounty percentage for all of you that he was able to bring in and knock out of the proceedings. 

What do you think of that man now?  What do you think of his family and friends? 

You know where to find me.

~Cat

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June 11, 2007  --Printer Version

Breach

There is an excellent movie coming out soon that details some of the major ineptness of the FBI.  The movie is called "Breach".  It is about Agent Hanssen and how he managed, from a high position at the TOP floor of the FBI managed to bypass every protocol and sell of our countries biggest and most important secrets, for decades!

What you must realize if you have ever explored the rampant corruption of the FBI in instances that are both small and enormous, is that they go on for extended lengths of time.  The reason is that the FBI has become, since its inception, a cult of power and secrets. 

The extremely good and qualified individuals that work in the agency are just the false front that are paraded out, daily, to give us all the illusion that everyone in the FBI is a model of brilliance, integrity and possessing a strong moral compass. 

The truth is far from.  Those who have power in federal agencies that literally rule our lives or ruin our lives, do as they please. 

The movie is called "Breach" because it illustrates both the Breach of Trust and the huge tear in the fabric of our security, both domestic and foreign.  If you cannot trust these people, and they are the only ones who investigate (or not) those who are in positions of power and authority in our country, then where do we all stand?

Breach of Confidentiality

As I mentioned in the earlier posting on Toxic Politics, that people in positions of power and control on the rez, especially those who oversee the most fragile and important work of Healing and Wellness for the tribe, that family politics too often play into the scene and confidentiality is breached at the expense of the client. 

Worse, others who seriously need help do not come forward or seek it because they cannot trust that they too, will not be violated and exposed by those who have no scruples, no moral compass.  This would leave them, already battered by abuse or addiction, even more vulnerable to those who would use this information for their very own 'amusement'.

When I named Evelyn Cavenaugh by name, as the administrator of the program that does such important work, and that she did not have the qualifications to hold the position but rather, it was through 'politics' that she took that position, I heard from a relative of hers that was livid. 

In their anger, and among their lies, they exposed that they, as her relative, had gone into the computers of the center, explored and snooped through files and emails of the counselors and even worse, they named by name, people who had sought help from that center!

They then tried to accuse one of the three counselors of 'breaching confidential matters'.  That was ironic in that they had, by proving they had been allowed to snoop through those computer files, demonstrated that as her relative, they were able to gain access to people's personal information.

I am alarmed at this, and so should each and every one of you. If people cannot find safety and sanctuary in seeking help for drug and alcohol addiction, or recovery from rape, incest or molestation, then the community will grow darker and sicker.

Keeping someone in position that allows this sort of thing, is not qualified to hold the position, is throwing money away and giving power and authority to someone who will and has misused it.

I do not know the real name of the person who claimed Evelyn to be their niece, and if I had it, I would tell you now as you would need to be warned of what selfish pursuits that person has done to your community and to the most vulnerable in your community. 

I did alert the one counselor whose files I know had been violated. I received a thank you and Adios. 

Although I hear from people in the community who say that Evelyn and Peggy Cavenaugh, despite being cousins, are not friendly to one another, it is clear by what was exposed to me in those emails this week, that they both employ the same tactics in taking a position and violating the trust of the people.

Road Not Taken

How different would the present be if people of integrity were running your Tribal Council and selecting those who do the critical work of healing and law enforcement? 

As long as you allow people to hold office that misuse their position to install cronies and the unqualified to get the money for work that should be done by the qualified and the honest, you can only expect that the future will grow ever darker, and those families and individuals who desperately need help in coping with the demons of drugs, alcohol, mental illness will only have bigger devils to fight if they seek help.

Personally, what I have seen of counseling and work that needs to be done there are two qualifications that need to be in place, aside from honesty, integrity, and those are people who have themselves recovered and know the lies people tell themselves and others to evade the healing they know they need, and those people must have completed not only their own sobriety and recovery must be ongoing, but they must also have taken the years of training necessary to cope with the elements of the work necessary if they are to help others.

Those who administer such programs must be experienced as both counselors and qualified as having several degrees (real ones) from accredited institutions.  Administering a program is different from counseling in that the details of budgets and application have to be adaptable, creative, and foresight required to understand what comes next.

Promoting someone from secretary to administrator because you like them is NOT in the best interest of the community.

Because your community is abandoned by the Federal Government and its henchmen who give millions to those in power and turn a deaf ear to the pleas of the people who have been abused, their rights trampled on, and because those who are in power continue to abuse and limit the horizons of those in their trust, and because those who have access to the most sensitive secrets and vulnerabilities of the most fragile in the community use this information for their own purposes; and last of all, because those who get the education and return to do the work are shut out for fear they will make changes that will remove the corrupt; the community is sickened and weakened as from the well of toxic politics that run your lives.

Another Road

As I have said before, no one is coming.  The 'someone is coming' that you have been waiting for is already there, in each of you. The road is hard and there are no guarantees, save one: That if you do the work, grow your courage and stand up, your children will have a chance.

Whatever it takes for you to stand up and do what you KNOW is the right thing to do, you must do, each and every time the opportunity presents itself.

There are two kinds of Indians out there: Blanket Indians who historically have waited for others to do the fighting and the work for them; and Warriors who stand up, speak out and do the right thing, regardless of who agrees with them or not; regardless of who betrays them or not.

When you see someone standing up and doing the right thing, support what they are doing.  You need not support them as a person if you have a history of feuding or animosity for whatever reasons big or petty; but you must support the right thing and stand with others who also support the right thing.

You have seen the strangers, gang members, move into your community where they have found sanctuary to manufacture and deal drugs with the support of your Tribal Council who trucks them in to "vote" to keep them in power.

These criminals are openly poisoning your children.  They give them a drug that addicts them from the first take.  It eats them alive, takes the love, the dignity and their future away from them, and you do nothing? You shrug and say: "what do you want me to do?"

Tell me again, how much you love your children.  Now, tell me how you voted in the last election. Let's see if it matches up, shall we?

You must go to the meetings, demand accountability.  You must demand genuine credentials from those who have positions of administration of any program or office.  Weenie Boy is unable to read or spell and yet he has controlled all the employment on the rez since 95, and before that, for 20 years, the housing? HUD funds in the hundreds of millions went through HIS hands?

You know what is wrong out there, and only you can clean it up.  No one is coming. The road is rough, hard and you will be both hungry and thirsty, as well as worn out and tired, but if you do not start on that road of healing and honesty both within yourselves and your community, there will come a time when that road also, is closed to you all.

Those of you who have misused your connections to family to gain confidential information for your own purposes, you owe it to the community to step away from those Black Road practices and become a better person; the one you claimed to be but never lived up to.

Those who have breached confidentiality in the healing of that community, it is by your hands that the people have suffered. 

Those who have taken positions based on false credentials, and who truly lack the qualifications and the integrity, it is by your hands that the people have suffered.

You also, must walk that road, change your ways, and stop hurting your own community.

The rest of you owe it to yourself and to your children, to hold accountable to a truer standard, those whom you allow to 'lead' you.  They can only lead you to where they are going.  If they are going down a black road, they will take you with them because you allowed them to lead you there.

No one is coming to save you all from yourselves.  It is your work and it is still undone. Some have begun this work, others are waiting for it to be 'a good time'.  Tell me, when is a 'good time' to stop the hurting and start the healing?

All around you are signs of what needs to be done and no one steps forward to do it. In your own home, in your own life, things you know you must do if you are to be a healthy example for your relatives, or just another person to be feared for bad temper and behaviors that sicken the family and the community.

It is your choice.  It was always your choice. Feel sorry for yourself or stand up. 

You know where to find me.

~Cat

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June 12, 2007--Priner Version (9 pages)

T-Storms

We have huge thunder and lightning storms coming in so I may have to unplug all my electronics and appliances at some point, which will make this Blog In Progress a little more delayed than typical.  Have no fear, it will be completed. (I LOVE storms like this!)

Coyote Dancing

Received yet another letter from the person who claimed Evelyn was their 'niece'.  Now saying it is not a blood relative but 'Indian Way'.  Really upset with me because I revealed that they had revealed to me and proved to me that they had snooped into the computer(s?) of one of the Drug and Alcohol counselors.  (*Were there others? Most likely.  Afterall, why stop at one?)

Said I was supposed to protect people that wrote to me.  Yes, that is true.  I do protect my sources, but there is a whole nutha class of individual I will not protect and that is someone that is the 'Moron Squad' which many of you are familiar with.  Some people attempt to get in there just so they can google themselves, so I am very particular on that one.

The other type of person I cannot protect is one that is doing harm to people out there. When I am informed, and it is proven to me that something as critical as confidentiality has been breached, peoples' most private details are being spied upon without their knowledge or consent, I feel it is my obligation to inform people so that they can protect themselves.  I would expect as much from any person of integrity, were it my life being spied on by some voyeuristic narcissist.  (Go ahead, spend a dollar on a used dictionary, it's in there!)

Now the little coyote comes dancing at my door again, denying they said this or that (I save the letters so if the argument continues I may well post them to see if you all can follow the lies as they are coming in!).  The beady-eyed, furry little thing wants me to think it is my 'true friend', and it pretends that what it said it never said.  Wants us to be friends again?

That is the least of it.  I can tolerate this kind of annoyance.  I have a junk mail filter and I am not afraid to use it!

But the other, more pressing issue is this:  To where will people turn when they need help?

I have no easy answer for you on that one. Evelyn, it would appear by her allowing a 'good friend, relative-in-Indian-Way', to pry into the confidential details contained in the computer of a D & A Counselor, perhaps for a very long time, but regardless, it was done for personal purposes only is only one of many betrayals.  Devastating.

People do not trust those who have betrayed them.  Yet she is running the very program that has at its core, 'confidentiality'!  I can only assume that all the counselors have had their computers spied on.  I see no reason why this person would only spy on one person and not the others. 

They felt 'entitled' and they did it, even though it was wrong.  Now they come dancing at my doorstep, acting like they never said what they said, did what they did and hoping I will believe the current lies, and ignore the pain of the people they have hurt.

Comes to me and demands my protection?  The one who, at will, invades the privacy of others at their most vulnerable? My protection? The one who has ripped out the sense of safety from everyone out there, dances at my doorstep and talks to me of my owing them protection?

Could it possibly become more surreal?  I am sure that it will!

Tangled Minds

It was not an easy decision for me to reveal that people had been invaded on the privacy and confidentiality of their treatment.  But to keep quiet would make me an accomplice to the very most harmful acts I despise. I would be an accessory after the fact.  Not my style.

People who have their minds tangled by abuse, drug addiction, alcohol addiction need help, and we as Human Beings owe that to them.  Our own realization of our own imperfections mandates that we reach out and provide safety as they try to regain their spirits and their lives and their dignity.

"There but for the the Grace of God, go I," is a familiar saying. It applies.

IF, and it is not likely, but IF Evelyn is fired, it is unlikely that anyone any better will be put in her place. Most likely, it will be someone worse. That is how the TC likes to do things.

 "You don't like the corruption?  You can have worse! There, now never stand up again!"

I knew I had to tell people, to warn them.  But I also knew that it would remove from many out there, their last false sense of safety, as the lack of integrity of that program was exposed and the people can see how it only hurts them worse.

Should I have kept my mouth shut? Perhaps.  Perhaps I should have waited until more people were hurt by this, or their healing derailed by their confidences being exposed and them being mocked.

I am the bearer of bad news on that one, and I did what I knew had to be done.

Where To Go?

Those of you who feel you are benefiting from the counseling can do many things to help yourselves. One is to keep on going, even knowing that you are being betrayed, not by your counselors, but rather by those in power. 

Decide that you will not be ashamed of what has been done to you, and continue, regardless, to learn the tools of your recovery and healing. Aware that you are being betrayed, grow stronger and face it.

You can also seek out private help from your counselors, and work out a barter if you do not have money, and many of you do not.  Trade your skills, your work, your time, your products, with the one that is helping you to heal.  Cash and trade are also good ways to do the work of healing yourself.

And you can do one more, very important thing: Learn to pray and pray everyday.  I don't care what religion you are or are not, but find a way to connect to that greater power, and strengthen your spirit once again.  A strong spirit cannot be denied.

And don't pray like a list to Sandy Claws, "I want this and I want that", pray for forgiveness and learn to forgive yourself.  Pray for guidance and read the signs as they come to you, in whatever form they come to you.  If you miss one, don't worry, it will come again, louder, harder and way bigger until you do get it!

Prayers are covenants between you and your spirit and The Creator.  It means that when you pray for something, it will arrive, not falling from the sky like a gift you merely unwrap, but as a task or a deed that you must do to earn the steps that get you to where you want to be.

You must always do your part.  Remember the story in the essays about prayer on this site, about "the good woman" who prayed for this and that to 'happen' but each time the opportunity was clearly at hand for her to bring about the changes necessary, she declined.  Finally, the opportunities quit coming, and to this day she only wails about how much grief she has in this world. 

A world she could have changed, but she declined. Many people think that when they pray, it is then up to God to do all the work and present them with their prize. 

It is always up to us. And now, with the hardest task at hand for so many who are suffering from the tangled mind of abuse, addictions, neglect, abandonment, jealousy and futility, it is time we learn to pray together for the peace and understanding that will allow us all to heal together.

Those who have not the affliction of addiction are not unaffected by it.  If one person suffers, that suffering rings out like ripples in the water, in some way, affecting all of us.

I ask you all to pray for the people, as well as for yourselves and your families, that the healing can come.  When it comes, it will be in the form of tasks and deeds, hard work and heartache, but it must be done.

Betrayal is not the end of the road as it might appear to be.  Rather, it is a sign that we are to do more for ourselves and others so that times will be better for the children should they ever come up against a forest of tangled minds and have to find their way through.

Big Picture

One of the ways in which the corrupt are able to stay in power, is to misdirect attention towards smaller and lesser issues, and blow them up like it is the only news of the day.  Our own media does this, more and more by not presenting us with what is clearly news or even relevant to our lives as a nation, but by over feeding us "junk news" as if there is nothing going on that we need to know about.

The whole Anna Nicole thing, day and night, every channel, every day, relentlessly numbing our senses to where if anything of any real importance was to come across the airwaves, it would be drowned out, and essentially unheard.

The same is and was done with the whole Paris Hilton thing last week, and to some degree, continues to this day, but not as much. 

When you see the media put so much focus on the most irrelevant individuals, you must ask, "what are they NOT telling us that we need to know?"  Obviously, with all that is going on in this world, there must be something more important to all of us.

I do recall, also, that when OJ Simpleton went on trial for the murder of his wife and her friend, that the only safe haven, if you wanted the TV on, was the cartoon channels.  Most people do not realize that at the exact same time as that whole media overload was going on, the trial we should have all been watching and most concerned about, was Manuel Noriega.  They started and ended at the same time, those two trials.  One was of a celebrity and a brutal murder, and the coverage, daily, hourly, moment by moment, yielded nothing, nothing and more nothing and we all stood by waiting for more 'nothing' to show up. 

The other trial, that of Manuel Noriega, who had strong ties to the CIA and there was important information that should have and could have been revealed in that trial about how our government installs, supports caters to despotic tyrants, often replacing democratically elected officials we help to assassinate or overthrow.  It talked about and we never heard, about the dirty deals that allowed Noriega to stay in power, broker huge drug deals with the cartels, all with the approval and often the assistance of the CIA.

Later, when it suited our purposes, we sent our military down there to overthrow Noriega.  Only got one side of the story, assumed he was a bad guy and the US was all the good guys, and his trial went invisible under the radar while the media circus played on for the Simpleton effect.

Worse, it went without question.  As a nation, we have turned into reactionary droids that will intake information without ever questioning it or the source of it, as long as the media is feeding us a stream of garbage from the mouths of would-be models and super-models, we assume it is all there is to know.

There is always more to know.

Thunderheart Dances With Wolves

One of the best movies depicting the policies and tactics used by the US Government to install, support and cater to the tyrants that run the reservations, is Thunderheart, starring Val Kilmer. It was made in 92 and has made most of its sales in video/DVD and pay per view because overall, because it is "Indians" and not glamorized like "Dances With Wolves", it received very little notice and not many theaters carried it at the time it was released.

Further, DWW was an 'older story' about a time that no one from there is here now, to discuss.  The stories that are told are generally kept in families, occasionally make a book, but are not regarded as anything more than 'fictionalized accounts of...' so DWW was a 'safe' movie to promote and discuss.

Thunderheart, on the other hand, too close to home and too close in time and many who went through those times are still among us. Too edgy? Perhaps.

Overall, both movies, past look, recent past and present look into problems and issues that our government, to this day, ignore.

Our media, in many ways, strives to NOT pursue any issues that have to do with Indian Country. for one thing, hard to get government to respond to inquiries.  Media wants to appear 'fair and balanced' (Like a circus dog balancing a ball on its nose, hopping on its hind legs across the ring) and so with the government never speaking, or telling media that it will get back to them, the story never gets written or read.

If it does show up, the government sends out a terse response that the story was obviously one-sided and defective. Journalists are in a quandary. Either get what the government feeds you, or starve.

Propaganda: Food of the Gods

Propaganda has become the rule. Advertising is sneaked in as "news", and journalists and news anchors never or seldom if ever, ask logical follow-up questions to statements issued from authorities.  They just swallow it whole.  No chewing allowed.

The SMC plant bust a year ago in May, is an excellent example of that. Even while the place is being raided because of suspected fraudulent practices with a $25 MILLION contract, and the FBI is carrying out boxes of files and computers, (ignoring the drugs that were everywhere in that one office), steps were being taken, at the Federal level, to send yet another $12 MILLION contract into the jaws of that same corruption!  And, within 30 days, it was a done deal!

Anyone outside of Fargo even get a whiff of that raid? Those on the outside, who did get news items on it were fed the most watered down, minimalized version of events possible.  They got that from the news wire, aka, the government's press release!  No Journalist required?

And, with the largest Kiddie Porn Bust in North America following right on the heels of that investigation, coming down in the same rez, again, not a peep.  What the media released was only local and it went from enthusiastic, to mundane, at the speed of apathy and the Giant of Public Awareness was lulled back to sleep almost too easily.

We used to click our tongues and shake our heads when we saw how other nations, non-democratic nations, controlled their people by propaganda.  We felt sorry for them because we knew that valuable, important information was kept from them and they were unable to make decisions to rule their own lives, run their own governments because they were kept in the dark and only fed Propaganda and they in turn, supported the government that fed them that.

"What would they do," we wondered "If only they KNEW the truth?" And we envisioned they would rise up, throw out the dictators and despots, the corrupt and the inept, and replace them all with the best of the best among themselves.

Our nation has become a nation dizzy from spin and rhetoric, and we are bloated on propaganda and junk news.  Our failure to look into Indian Country is the result of that and the main purpose of that.

For as long as our government can keep the people in Indian Country separated by denying them the rights of an American Citizen, denying them recourse through the Judicial system, and can continue to throw them back into the jaws of the corrupt, inept and criminal intended who run their 'sovereign nations', our government can continue to reap the benefits of having a backwater off-limits (even to conjecture or concern) area where they can dump billions of taxpayer dollars to support the corruption, which will in turn, give back, unseen, half or more to those with whom they do the business of politics. 

NO AUDITS of the BIA have been done, EVER, that we can find anywhere. Only one partial audit of one department back in 68 was ever done.  The Auditor who did that one and requested additional information, was forced to quit his job.

Waking Up

IF ever people wake up and look at Indian Country and the range of crimes that are protected there from Government Fraud, Money Laundering, Murder, Drugs and Child Porn, we would, as a nation, for the first time, see how bad off it has become for the whole nation, and be able to take steps to rise up, overthrow the corrupt and the inept, and bring Justice to the whole country.

Given that every Civil Rights abuse possible is committed upon Indian People and that they must endure the shirking of our Elected and Appointed officials who pretend to not see and not know and not be aware, and who continue to throw these same people back into the very same idiotic and blatant jaws of corruption, only to be chewed up again and again, I have to ask the question:

How long before a Native American can become a Citizen of the United States? 

Why is it okay to abuse them, allow their leaders to abuse them and use thug tactics to keep themselves in power?

Why is this okay with our government? Why do the elected and appointed officials support these abuses?

Why, when Indians ask for remedy to the abuses, are they turned away? What options does that leave any of them?

What options would that leave anyone?

The media is not interested; The government is not interested.  Shall they just lay down and die? Would you?

Turning The Wheel

Those who find conditions and circumstances that abound in Indian Country and are appalled, and speak up, are demonized by the corrupt. The ones who carry the message that something is rotten in Indian Country are portrayed as racist, ignorant and “Indian bashing”.

Is bashing corruption and poverty the same as bashing “Indians”? Are they one the same now? The corrupt would have you think so. They try to rally the very people they abuse to rail against the very people who carry the message, all is not well, all is not good, in Indian Country.

Propaganda and spin go into overdrive. Rational minds would see through it. There is an awakening in that the messengers are not going away. There will be an accounting and those who have benefited from the inequity, the injustices, the corruption, will be revealed and held accountable.

When our government says that they are 'sovereign' it is not out of respect. It is a way to deny them the rights of every American Citizen.  That government money is funneled into Indian Country, and the abuses that continue despite the Federal rules that mandate that abuses connected to these monies be investigated, every elected official sidesteps the issue, and issues some glib statement that ignores the question completely.

The Rez should be a place where Indian People can practice their culture as a community. It should not be a bastion of corruption, the worst kinds of criminals in charge. It should not be a backwater for money to go back and forth between power brokers: it should not be a drowning pool of futility, hopelessness and massive unemployment, violence and no laws to protect, and no justice for the aggrieved.

But that is what it is. Could it be that was that what the government intended? To keep it quiet on the rez. To make sure no one looks in? 

Those who do look in should be willing to look past the brochure images of beadwork, pow-wows and past the storefront success stories, some of which are phenomenal, others of which just the by product of corruption, opportunity to the well-connected and the corrupt.

The question should be asked: How can we change things so that there are more success stories? But we must be willing to know that the answer is to change the fundamental ignorance of the public and the apathy of the elected and give Indians the same rights as every other citizen.

They need not give up their spiritual practices and community. That should never be a condition of “welfare sovereignty”. They should be allowed the same rights to succeed or fail as any of us. To continue the practices of corruption and oppression and shrug it off as if it is without remedy is callous, cruel and stupid.

Indian Country remains socially "off limits" and government continues to pump the propaganda and stereo-types into an already lethargic, bloated public awareness, and insure that the worst crimes committed by our government and those whom they put in places of power, be it Noriega, Dickie Wilson, James Yankton or anyone else, are not bothered by public scrutiny, the justice system nor anything or anyone else that would shine a light onto that rancid back water, and nothing changes. Nothing that is, except more children born with defects from drugs, alcohol; more violence, more die young, more futility. 

The drugs and the violence, the millions in fraud, the kiddie porn, all spill out at our feet, and we are not even aware that we are in it.

Meanwhile, Senators, Representatives, Attorney Generals, and Judges, they all get richer, more powerful, for doing their part in preventing Indians from finding justice.

They wait for the frustration to boil over, for the people to become angry.  They wait for a protest and they send in the troops, bring in the guns, exclude the media, but feed them press releases to keep them in the dark; and they do the work they must do to keep the people down.

The "People" they are keeping down, my dear readers, is ALL of us.

Read again the words that made our nation the strongest and most powerful in the world: "We the People..."

Ask yourself how does it serve you, me, any of us, to not allow Indians the same rights as the rest of the nation, even those illegally here, to have?  Ask yourself also, whom such twists of abuse do serve.

You know where to find me.

~Cat

PS I know this is a long posting. I will be starting a new blog after this one. I will give it a few days to the end of the week, to be read and then it goes into the drawer.