U2: iNNOCENCE + eXPERIENCE Live in Paris (currently on HBO) is two and a half hours long. I have watched it twice, and loved every second of it. I first discovered U2 after the release of "Under a Blood Red Sky" which was recorded at Red Rocks. In thirty-two years, my love for the band and their music has not wavered. They have always stood in the forefront promoting peace and unity. Bono is a voice for anyone who believes that with humanitarian effort we can make a better world.
I can't believe the news today Oh, I can't close my eyes And make it go away How long... How long must we sing this song How long, how long... 'cause tonight...we can be as one Tonight...
And it's true we are immune When fact is fiction and TV reality And today the millions cry We eat and drink while tomorrow they die
(Excerpted lyrics from “Sunday Bloody Sunday,” written in 1983 by The Edge and honed by Bono.)
Video https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCK34htyQpSSuCNX9zlAEagQ
This was U2's message thirty-five years ago and it is still as relevant today. Many thought these lyrics were about the killings in Northern Ireland, but they were written to depict world violence as it existed in the 1980s. The Paris concert, performed after the November 2015 terrorist attack, was so beautiful, powerful, and loving, and moved me to tears more than once. U2 has always affected me that way. In the second hour of the performance, a voice resonated throughout the arena with a message for global unity - "When we see Earth from Space, We see ourselves as a whole."
This observation may seem simplistic, but there is no denying the reality of it, and on the other hand, the denial by some people of this reality. We inhabit one planet, and we all belong to the species Homo Sapiens Sapiens. Our creator blessed us with physical differences: skin tone, hair color, body type, eye shape and color; traits that enabled human beings to survive and thrive in their land of origin correlating with latitude and sunlight. Improved methods of transportation gave us the ability to travel great distances across oceans and around the world, eventually resulting in the merger of cultures and ethnic groups. Strong genetic attributes began to diminish as cultures blended. This integration has continued for generations and we are becoming a whole. The more whole we become, the harder political and religious factions seek to segregate the people and destroy unity. When I look at a person, I look beyond their genetic make-up and religious beliefs. I look into their heart. The heart has nothing to do with ethnicity or religion. The goodness of a person has nothing to do with ethnicity or religion. You can be an evil person if you are Christian, Muslim, or Jewish. Evil is not dependent upon your faith, the part of the world you inhabit, or the style of clothing you wear.
Religion has been used to divide and conquer since its inception. During the Age of Discovery, the Catholic Churches of Spain, Portugal, and France sent missionaries to the New World(s) with the sole purpose of converting the indigenous people to Christianity. This Spiritual Conquest of North and South America continued for the next four centuries, resulting in the genocide of millions of Indigenous people. Christians worldwide, including those in America, are guilty of genocide and the subsequent displacement of the survivors.
My point is, to instill fear in Americans while proclaiming that America and Christians are an elite civilized society that must be protected from the rest of the world is a foolish deception. When I see the divisive tactics being used and the shameful propagation of xenophobia in the U.S., I sometimes feel like an alien who comprehends the concept of Earth as one small planet in a vast universe. A planet that should not be carved up and destroyed by religious fanatics or power hungry elitists. A planet that needs love. A planet that needs saving. I do not understand why so many cannot see the big picture. We humans have much to learn.
One hundred and thirty-nine years ago today, warriors from the Great Sioux Nation, led by Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull, defeated the 7th Cavalry in the Battle of Greasy Grass. The gathering of the Oceti Sakowin stretched for miles, tipi poles high in the air as far as the eye could see. The battle was fought after years of broken promises from the white man, and their steady encroachment upon Lakota land proved that the treaties were not written to be honored, but were offered only as appeasement.
There is unrest right now in the Hills area, and the conflict surrounds an unlikely enemy - the Rainbow Family. I always support my Lakota people and rally behind them, but this display of hatred is unacceptable. While I may not agree with certain viewpoints, I understand that everyone has a right to their opinion – unless they are maliciously defaming others. Because I have stated that the Rainbow Family should be an ally and not an enemy, I have been accused of being a Rainbow.
I am Tracy Hauff from the Oceti Sakowin of Oglala and Sans Arc Lakota. I am Sixth Generation of Chief Crow Feather of the Sans Arc (brother to Walks As She Thinks - the mother of Chief Red Cloud.) My relations populate the Cheyenne River, Rosebud, and Pine Ridge reservations.
The founder of the United Urban Warrior Society (U.U.W.S.), James Magaska Swan, sent me this message on Facebook after I called him a bully because of his treatment of the Rainbows. And with this message, he proved that he is indeed a bully. In response, I say, “James, I have no desire to speak with you. I have listened to you shout threats and obscenities at others who disagree with you, and only a fool would volunteer to be on the receiving end of your irrational vulgarity.” You claim to stand with the Lakota traditionalists, but a Lakota warrior would not speak to an elder woman this way.
I could dismiss his intimidation, but in collaboration with the Lakota Strong Heart Warrior Society, he is now attacking my good friend Alex White Plume, a life-long advocate for the protection and preservation of Treaty Rights. Alex has more warrior spirit in his little finger than Swan has in his entire body. Alex has been fighting for the traditional Lakota his entire adult life. He was very close to Chief Oliver Red Cloud, the last recognized chief of the Sioux Nation and former Chairman of the Black Hills Sioux Nation Treaty Council. In 2012, Alex represented Chief Red Cloud in Geneva, Switzerland at the United Nations Third Seminar on Treaties. In 2013, Alex sat with Chief Red Cloud as the leader’s life slowly waned, and he received a special gift from Red Cloud - the chief told Alex the story of his life. Red Cloud also told Alex that there should be no more Lakota chiefs after he left this world, that the Lakota needed to strengthen their tiyospaye and each family should have a Nancha (interpreter) for his tiyospaye. Do you think Chief Red Cloud would have selected Alex for this great honor if he doubted Alex’s integrity or purpose for the Lakota people?
Video Courtesy of Kent Lebsock
The Lakota Strong Heart Warrior Society posted an article on their website on June 22, 2015 - Standing Together with the Lakota Against the Rainbow Gathering in the Black Hills. “We are asking for the public to call Floyd Looks for Buffalo Hand at 605------- and give him support and encouragement in sanctioning the following individuals who have sold out their people. These people are encouraging division and the disrespect of traditional protocols that protect a nation. Their unwise and unhealthy actions cannot continue to go on without comment.” There are thirteen tribal members on this black list, and Alex White Plume is one of them. When I read this, I was at first stunned, then angry, then sad. What has happened to these young men that they would dishonor an elder who has fought long and hard for treaty rights? Who is guiding them and filling their ears with lies?
They claim that Alex is promoting the sale of drugs on the reservation. This is malicious slander. It is no secret that Alex is an advocate of hemp farming, and he is the only farmer to openly plant, cultivate, and produce cannabis-related crops within the borders of the United States since they were prohibited in 1968. He also owns the only hemp seed that is acclimated in America. He pursues the dream of becoming a legal hemp farmer in the hope of generating income for his tiyospaye and a viable industry for tribal members. He is currently involved in an on-going battle with the Federal Government to lift a restraining order banning him from planting hemp. Alex has told me for years that he is only interested in producing hemp and does not want to get involved in the marijuana business, and I know this to be true because he asked me to help him write a business plan and it was for hemp production NOT marijuana.
I spoke with Alex last night, and he told me that earlier in the day he had a phone conversation with Floyd Looks for Buffalo Hand. Floyd is recovering from a recent heart attack and doesn’t understand why he has been receiving so many phone calls; he is confused by this. To attach an elders name to your cause without his permission is disgraceful. The Lakota Strong Heart Warrior Society also wrote that Looks for Buffalo Hand is the elected leader of the Black Hills Sioux Nation Treaty Council. This is not true. He is one of three delegates, and one man alone cannot make a decision on whether or not the Rainbow Family can enter the Black Hills. The truth is that the Treaty Council has NOT made a decision on this and Swan and others are fabricating stories to suit their own agenda.
Do the Natives who support the U.U.W.S. petition – “Rainbow Warriors Stay away from The Black Hills of South Dakota” – really believe that the Rainbow Family members are the only people who are violating the 1868 Treaty? Where is your outcry when ALL the other groups invade the Black Hills every summer? And this is a long list beginning with millions of tourists, to the hundreds of thousands of bikers at the Sturgis Rally, to the thousands of Corvette enthusiasts, etc. All journey to the Black Hills to vacation, camp, party, drink and possibly do drugs. Explain to me the difference between the Rainbows and the Tourists and the Bikers - in terms of treaty violation. Why should one group be allowed and another denied? What about the 250,000 inhabitants of Rapid City, Spearfish, Sturgis, Belle Fourche, Deadwood, Lead, Keystone, Custer, Hot Springs, Hill City and Newcastle and the many gatherings that these cities host?
The Rainbow Family has been around since 1972. I had my first encounter with them in Boulder, Colorado in 1971. At age 17, I hitchhiked from Rapid City to Boulder specifically to satisfy my curiosity about the hippies. I saw hundreds and hundreds of hippies. I watched men play Frisbee, strum guitars, sing, and blow on their harmonicas. Small audiences crowded around long-winded poets who were waxing philosophically about peace and love. Women wore halter-tops and ankle-length skirts, swaying to the music, many with a baby propped upon their hip. Older children twirled in dizzying circles, their peals of laughter filled the air and were infectious to everyone near them. Toddlers meandered about wearing nothing but diapers on their bottoms and wildflowers braided in their thin sprouts of hair.
I was fascinated with these strangers and their laid-back energy. Many were having serious discussions about the Vietnam War, but most were jovial, living for the moment. I never asked, but I must have had a hungry look in my eye because I was offered food and drink, which I gladly accepted. There was no animosity from anyone and no drunkenness.
That was my first, and only, encounter with "real" hippies that have now become the Rainbow Family. The hippie subculture came into being because young people were protesting the federal government, the Vietnam War, and the practice of brutal military policing tactics at demonstrations. They held the first organized Earth Day. These are just a few of the similarities I see between the Rainbow Family and the Lakota. I often call myself an "old hippy" because I strive for love and peace, not because I have ever lived the lifestyle.
Rainbow Family members are being accused of panhandling. I have seen many Natives panhandle in Rapid City. It is an unfortunate way to have to get money, but it is not a crime, and it is not exclusive to the Rainbow Family.
Swan called these people the very same names that Natives have been called by ignorant racists - “dirty,” “filthy,” "druggies," “bums.”
“I will say this!” he (Swan) continued. “I have met a bunch of you and do find some of you to be legit. As far as the rest of you … you can burn in hell for all I care! I can handle it and encourage it! Bring whatever you think you got!” Unnecessary inflammatory bullying.
The Rainbow Family does clean up after themselves, they have a system in place, but no one wants to talk about anything positive regarding them. Below is an excerpt from a Utah television station following the 2014 Rainbow Gathering in Utah.
“After the 8,000 people at the Rainbow Family Gathering packed out of the Uinta National Forest, the group left behind a cleanup crew. Thousands of pounds of garbage, trampled trails and plants, temporary kitchens, fire pits and slit trenches were all taken care of. The Forest Service says the Rainbow Family left the 1,300 acres of land they were camping on in great condition. And because of their thorough cleanup, in addition to a lot of rain in the past month, vegetation is growing back better than expected. Officials with the Forest Service said there is no additional cleanup necessary on the land.”
I would love to see a gathering of the Oceti Sakowin at Pe'Sla in the Black Hills. The sight of hundreds of tipis, children playing, dogs cavorting, and Lakota, Dakota, and Nakota men and women coming together would lift all of our spirits. Why do we want to disgrace another group of people who do this?
Certain members of the U.U.W.S. and Lakota Strong Heart Warrior Society are creating division. They are inciting hatred and promoting cultural prejudice. They do not represent me. I am not sure who they work for.
It may seem a tad
early to begin political reporting on the 2016 Presidential election, but the
list of candidates is steadily increasing, and I, like Hunter S. Thompson, cannot
silence my fear and loathing of some politicians embarking upon the campaign trail. This
day, I am targeting Ted Cruz – the first person to announce his Republican candidacy.
He looks like a BMW
car salesman with a perpetual condescending stare, delivers fire and brimstone
speeches patterned after Evangelical ministers and geared toward Christian
conservatives and angry Tea Partiers, and he is backed by the Koch Brothers.
His political views are borderline fanatical, saturated with Christian
supremacy and privilege. He is emerging as an unofficial leader of the religious
right with strong ties to theNew Apostolic Reformation (NAR). In 2007, during
a ceremony in Texas, NAR leaders destroyed Native American artifacts in
an act of spiritual warfare they say was intended to promote “reconciliation”
between estranged groups of people.
In Indian Country
we cherish our resources. Indian activists are in the front lines all across
the nation fighting for clean water, fresh air, and treaty rights to hunt,
fish, and gather. In the beginning, before colonialism fractured the Lakota way
of life, the creator, in his infinite wisdom, took care of all survival needs and today we must protect
all he has bestowed upon us. I was raised in the Episcopal faith as many on the
reservation are, but the more I witness the destruction of Unci Maka, the more
I appreciate Wakan Tanka, the Great Spirit.
We should understand well that all things are the works of the Great
Spirit. We should know that. He is within all things: the trees, the grasses,
the rivers, the mountains, and all the four-legged animals, and the winged
peoples; and even more important we should understand that he is also above all
these things and peoples. When we do understand this all deeply within our
hearts, then we will fear, and love, and know the Great Spirit, and then we
will be and act and live as he intends. ~ Black Elk
Senator Cruz’s
father, Rafael Cruz, is a pastor who declared that his son has been “anointed
by God” to bring righteousness to the presidency of the United States of
America. Thanks to his father’s tutelage of “Mother Earth Worship” (the elder Cruz’s
term for environmentalism); Senator Cruz is a strong supporter of the Keystone
XL Pipeline and a naysayer of climate change. In 2013, he co-sponsored the
Federal Land Freedom Act which would “authorize a state to establish a program
covering the leasing and permitting processes, regulatory requirements, and any
other provisions by which the state would exercise its rights to develop all
forms of energy resources on available federal land in the state.” This would allow
states to lease energy rights on
federal lands.The National Conference of State Legislatures
(NCSL) determined “The use of trust lands is governed by the tribes, subject to
certain federal restrictions, and the land is usually not subject to state
laws.” Incorporating the word “usually” opens the door for debate on Sovereign
Immunity and encroachment by the states of trust lands. Since 2009, oil
production on state and private lands has increased 61 percent while production
on federal lands has fallen 9 percent. The Federal Land Freedom Act proponents
cite this statistic with enthusiasm. They do not want to see any potential oil
field or mineral bed go untapped.
On Welfare Reform, Cruz is quoted, “Government is not the answer.
You are not doing anyone a favor by creating dependency, destroying individual
responsibility. 55 years ago, when my dad was a penniless teenage immigrant,
thank God some well-meaning bureaucrat didn't put his arm around him and say
let me take care of you. Let me give you a government check and make you
dependent on government. And by the way, don't bother learning English. That
would have been the most destructive thing anyone could have done. Instead, my
parents worked together to start a small business, to provide for their family
and to chart their own future. That's the American dream.” This nice story
about his family’s struggle is based on a Republican principle that everyone living
in the United States who is “capable” of working and chooses not to, does so
because they would rather live off government hand-outs. This flawed simplification
of poverty does not consider the genocidal strategy and oppression that Indians
have dealt with for hundreds of years.
The Senate convened for its first calendar session on March
26, 2015. Proposed amendments covered social issues of health, education, and
welfare that would benefit the low-income population - natives on and off the reservation. The outcome of the voting
reflects the power the Republican majority currently has. Below are just a few Democrat sponsored amendments
rejected by the Republican Senate.
Amendment No. 432, rejected: To provide additional resources
to create the opportunity for more Americans to obtain a higher education and
advanced job skills by supporting two free years of community college paid for
by raising revenue through requiring millionaires and billionaires to pay their
fair share. 55 votes against - 54 Republican, 1 Democrat - Manchin WV
Amendment No. 601, rejected: To create a point of order
against legislation that would privatize Medicare, cut guaranteed benefits,
increase out-of-pocket spending, or turn Medicare into a premium support plan.
53 votes against – 52 Republican, 1 Democrat - Warner VA
Amendment No. 828, rejected: To provide additional resources
to save student financial aid and keep college affordable for more than
8,000,000 low-middle income students by restoring the $89,000,000,000 in cuts
to Federal Pell Grants in the Republican budget. 54 votes against, all Republican.
Amendment No. 951, rejected: To establish and fund a new
Federal-State partnership to expand access to high-quality preschool programs
for children from low- moderate income families, offset with revenue from
closing loopholes. 54 votes against, all Republican.
Amendment No. 1072, rejected: To provide additional resources to
reject the Senate Republicans' proposed $435 billion in cuts to Medicare. 54
votes against, all Republican.
It is important to note that The Keystone
XL Pipeline Act is far from dead. The Senate has resumed consideration of this
bill and it was the subject of lengthy discussion on the Senate floor on March
26, introduced by Senator Murkowski, Alaska (R): “Mr. President, we are back to
continue debate and voting on amendments to this bipartisan Keystone XL bill.” With
over 100 amendments currently proposed on the Act, President Obama’s veto is
only one small step in stopping it. The Republicans are still determined to see
it pass.
I’m not worried that Indian Country will vote for Senator
Cruz in the unlikely event he should win the Republican nomination, but I am
concerned about voter apathy. Like it or not, politics play a critical role in
the coming times. The decisions that politicians make affect your future and
the future of your takoja. Whether it is Ted Cruz or Rand Paul or Marco Rubio,
Republicans do not represent Indian Country and they are now in the majority.
We must not let the 2016 Presidential election become a repeat of the 2014
Midterm Elections when the Republicans swept the House, Senate, and
gubernatorial races. This sweep gave the Republicans 54% of the voting share in
the Senate and 56.6% in the House. Votes cast in Indian Country are extremely
important; our voice is critical and it is not too early to get involved.
Apathy has never furthered any cause or won a battle.
One thing I know for certain is that you cannot please everyone; even more true in this age of social media. Attack is the modus operandi of bloggers, pundits, Facebookers, and even those who were once on your side. If you know me well you can vouch for my veracity; when I spout off about something it is not idle conversation. I have a conviction, an objection, a cause that nine times out of ten is based on personal experience. I don’t select areas for protest that I know little about, I stick within my realm of knowledge and my well-rounded nomadic life has provided me with an abundance of enlightenment.
I advocate for victims of domestic violence because I am a survivor. As a former multi-gun owner who has pointed a gun at another human being in self-defense, I disapprove of the NRA and support stricter gun laws, undoubtedly my least popular soapbox because Americans do love their guns. I protest the destruction of the rainforest because I’ve been there, love it, and understand the critical role it plays in the survival of our planet. Along this same environmental vein, I oppose The Serengeti Highway because I detest corporate rapists who do not respect our world which includes all wildlife. I thank all the valiant warriors who fight for Unci Maka and our water; on this issue I am on the sidelines admiring your bravery and cheering for you. Currently, I am a caregiver for my mother and father who have dementia and Alzheimer’s and the treatment of these incurable insidious diseases will no doubt be what I will take issue with next. I am too mired in its devastation right now to be of any use.
The first cause I ever became involved with was women's rights in the early 1980s. I had recently escaped an abusive relationship, entered college, gave birth to a son ten months after studying for the final 101 Biology exam with my lab partner who—surprise—was the baby daddy. We married five months after our son was born.
At the University of Wyoming, I was a volunteer for the Women’s Studies Department, fortunate to be involved in the tail-end of what was known as “second wave” feminism. I planned meetings, typed up agendas, made signs, researched, and recruited other volunteers to further this cause. Second wave feminists focused on the workplace, equal pay, reproductive rights, and domestic violence issues. The feminists were responsible for the nationwide establishment of rape crisis centers and battered women's shelters. They were instrumental in changing custody and divorce law. This era celebrated the first annual Domestic Violence Awareness Week and held the first National Women of Color conference.
The 1980s feminists wanted to believe that equal pay for equal work would be common by 1990. It wasn’t, and in 2015, it still isn’t. And that’s all Patricia Arquette was trying to say in her brief speech during the Academy Awards. I knew exactly what she meant. I didn’t dissect her words looking for fault, misconstrue her good intent, or attack her on twitter, in fact, I thanked her on twitter. I understand she was speaking for all women. She wasn’t maliciously singling out women who never had children, or excluding women of color or lesbians. She wasn't saying that minority groups owed her anything, she was asking for these groups to join her in her fight. Does it matter that she is paid more money per movie than most women will make in a lifetime? I don’t think so. She works in an industry that pays well, but pays women less than men across the board. I could never be an actress and do what she does. I can’t even speak comfortably in front of a small group of people. She had just won an Oscar and instead of making that moment all about her (which it was) she chose to speak up for a cause that she believes in. "It's our time to have wage equality once and for all and equal rights for women."
I was sadly surprised by the backlash from other women. Elizabeth Stoker Bruenig's blog in the New Republic was particularly scathing, and I think, completely off the mark. I often lament that young women today take so much for granted. They are scarcely aware of the blood, sweat, and tears shed by the women who fought for decades so women today can get that promotion, file their restraining order, enjoy corporate paid daycare, and participate in sports. Arquette’s simple speech was about all of that. It was about realizing that gender inequality still exists.
A group of Native people came
together Monday, January 5, in Rapid City, South Dakota, to discuss and
prioritize the needs of the local native community in the aftermath of the
Allen Locke killing. Chase
Iron Eyes, Founder of Last Real Indians, encouraged everyone to consider what
they could contribute individually and collectively to #NativeLivesMatter.
L to R Witko, Chase Iron Eyes, Robert Cook, Lamont Cook, Cody Hall
“We’re
not just activists anymore,” said Iron Eyes. “We’re lawyers, doctors, and entrepreneurs.
We’re business owners, artists, and musicians. We’re graphic artists, we’re
website designers, we’re writers, and we’re media owners. It’s unstoppable. We
have the critical mass now.”
Panelists
representing the fields of education, childcare, and legal services shared common
ground with an audience passionate about developing a strategy to tackle racism
in the Black Hills area. No one disputed the fact that the children are
a priority and the focus should be on creating an environment that allows them to grow up
in a city free of racial tension. “We need to restore promise to our
children for a better tomorrow,” said Robin Page, a member of the Lakota Community
Homes Board of Directors.
Karin
Eagle, Editor at Lakota Country Times, stressed that her voice comes from that
place of caring for the community. Her son, Miguel, was a welcome addition to the group. A sophomore at Rapid City
Central, he told the group that he accompanies his mother to meetings that are
about Native American issues because he believes that the youth voice has been
missing. “I possess that voice,” Miguel said.
Elizabeth Cook-Lynn
Author,
Historian, and Professor Elizabeth Cook-Lynn, urged the group to focus on the
genocide of natives that is happening in Rapid City. “We’ve got to do something
about the police situation in this town. This group has the power to focus on a
couple of things and one of them I think has to be this police issue. The man
that you mentioned, he didn’t just die, he was killed, and he was killed by the
police. The death of American Indians and killing of American Indians is going
on here and it not only goes on in that kind of killing, but it goes on in the
genocidal practices that we’ve all been talking about. Somebody has to begin to
use those terms.”
Heads
began to nod. This is the seriousness of racism here. We have talked, we have posted
and twittered, we have gone viral on social media, we have rallied, and organizations before us have tried time and again to bring about change.
#NativeLivesMatter Rally the day before Allen Locke was killed
It is
not for lack of caring that others sometimes give up; it is the crushing weight
of continual push back dispensed by the institutions that dictate. It is the entrenched
structural racism that has wormed its way into every level of government from local
administration up to executive federal branches that triggers our frustration and leads to derailment.
The
twenty-first century genocide in the United States goes beyond the genocidal
practices Indians have been exposed to for generations; substandard health
care, higher rates of incarceration, educational deficiencies, and the irrepressible
cycle of poverty. Racial profiling is
a reality in law enforcement and has been observed for decades, but
recently police officers are blatantly assuming the
role of judge and jury, making the decision to empty their handgun into a warm body. Native citizens do not call the police to have their loved one
killed; they call the police because they need help. In Rapid City, the Indian
community has lost faith in law enforcement; their trust shattered by
the unfaltering racial prejudice demonstrated by the department. Case in point is the Department of Criminal Investigations statement released on January 16clearing RCPD Officer
Anthony Meirose of any wrongdoing in the shooting death of Allen Locke.
Rapid City Police Chief Jegeris said it was a “suicide by cop decision on
Locke’s part.” Natives were not surprised by the report; it echoed previous similar investigations.
As
a member of the Oceti Sakowin, I am aware it is time for change and confident
that our young energetic leaders will rise up – wielding laptops, tablets, and
cell phones, maximizing social media, gathering research, statistics, and facts,
and assessing the needs of existing organizations. Many embrace the
return of an Akicita society, and I for one, am all for this plan of action.
The new activists are armed with college degrees,
wisdom provided by elders, and a thirst for change. They inherently possess the heart and spirit of warriors and are strengthened by the
conviction of a people desiring a better
world for future generations.
