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has added a new journalhi there i am native american muslim. just wanted to say hello.
Alianna
Aaniin !! Welcome, please feel free to add any comments and discussions that you want.
masooma3333
Hi!
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has added a new journalDoes anyone have an opinion on using Native Americans as sports Mascots ???
I just had a big debate the other day with a co-worker who could not understand why is is inappropriate to reduce a human being to a sub-human level. She said that I was making a bigger issue out of it than necessary.
She claimed that some of the tribes in Michigan were asked for a formal position of the subject and they said it was ok. I have not verified it, but it really doe not matter. (There are many other issue involved here.).
My argument was that if all our laws and policies are stricted based on popular opinion we would still have slavery too.
Granted there is much more to the issue, but until we take the higher road and stop treating Natives as sub-human they will never be able to break the cycle of poverty and addiction. No other ethnic group is used as a mascot, for some reason we only single out Native Americans. I have more opinions on this one too.
I know that everything is not as simple as they appear. Does anyone else have an opinion ???
masooma3333
The junior high closest to my house used to be called the Rebels, after the Confederates (and we're in Colorado, so I'm not sure how that makes sense). They changed to Wolverines. The high school my mom went to used to be the Palmer Terrors with an "Indian" named Charlie as the mascot, now they are Thunderbirds, I think. My old high school are still the Gladiators. Well, and then there's Notre Dame - the Fighting Irish....Alianna
Yeah, its pretty bad. You can probably tell I have not only have an interest in the spiritual element, but the political too.Later I plan on starting a few other discussions on similiar topics within the community.
My family is from Ohio and I can't help but notice that most of the teams the are named after Natives. About 10 years ago they started a new hockey team and named them the Blue Jackets. Blue Jacket was a white man who was adopted by the Shawnee and later became a Chief. Singling out one specific human being. How rude is that?
masooma3333
Well that's pretty awful.
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has added a new journalThis place is amazing. This is the oldest continuously inhabited settlement in North America. The Pueblo Acoma people have lived on top this mesa for over 1200 years. I visited this place several times, there is no electricity, no running water and people still live there. This place is more commonly know as Sky City (a casino bearing the same name is nearby) It is located about 60 miles west of Albuquerque, New Mexico. (Yes, this is in the United States)
The Acoma people originally went up to the top of the mesa to hide from an enemy tribe, the Navajo. There is also an old church up there with many rainbows are painted on the walls. (photographs of the church are prohibited)
This place is open to tourists and I highly recommend it.
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has added a new journalMy absolute favorite Chief is Tecumseh! Of Course I am probably bias because he was Chief of the Shawnee Nation, of which I descend. He was probably the strongest political figure this nation has ever seen both red or white; he was feared as much as he was admired. I'm sure I will add more about him later. :)
Another Hero is Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce Nation in the Dakotas. (He is pictured on the front page of this village.) Chief Joseph was the Great American Pacifist, completely the opposite of Tecumseh. He made incredible sacrifices to protect his people. He gathered his people and they ran for safety in Canada, but the US Calvary chased them and hunted them down. The Elders and the children were to weak and were dying rapidly. They surrendered one day away from freedom. People frequently ask why didn't they push a little harder after all it was only one day. Everyday they pushed harder, the babies were dying and their numbers were sparse. Had he pushed that one more day NONE of them would have survived. Instead he surrendered and spent the rest of his as a prisoner. His only crime was protecting the children.
Does anyone else want to add their hero to the list???
Every contribution is welcome.
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has added a new journalI'm not Native myself
However, I grew up in the SouthWest, where I was immerssed and embraced by America's SouthWestern culture, much of it that of the Native American way of life
It was important to me that people see an attachment of mine to this village ---- otherwise, if there's anything I can do to help with village stuff, then let me know
THANK YOU - PEACE AND LOVE YOU ALL
masooma3333
Yes, Hovenweep is kind of like Mesa Verde, but smaller, in some ways better preserved, off the beaten path a bit more - it just had a more spiritual feel due to being a bit more isolated.masooma3333
Islamic cosmology is really really big that in a sense every thing is alive and has a voice - the rocks, the earth, the water, etc. Islamic cosmology in that way is often in tune with that aspect of Native American cosmology - but, the Muslim people by and large have lost that connection to the true Islamic cosmology just as most people have.Hovenweep in Utah is beautiful - not too far from the beaten path but fairly isolated. Chaco Canyon...., lots of beautiful places. Desert and wide open spaces make the earth seem more alive in the sunrise....
Alianna
I'm not a full-blood either. I am a 3rd generation Detroiter. My Grandmother and her people were Blue Creek Shawnees from Ohio. This is the part of my heritage that I identify with.I have not been to Colorado yet, but I hope too. I am a huge fan of New Mexico I like to go to those regions where they have few tourists. I like to move about with the locals and see how they really live.
I go out in the early morning and sit by the edge of the canyon to pray and watch the sunrise. It is an incredibly spiritual and moving experience. I keep thinking of the scripture in the Bible that says even the rocks cry out and worship Him. In the stillness of the morning hours you really can hear the rocks, the wind and the trees worshipping their Creator. I can not imagine how anyone could possibily deny Allah's existence.
Words can not even describe how small and insignificant I feel in comparision. You truly become one with the earth and everything is in perfect balance.
My heart gets heavy and I truly miss this place. I can still see Allah's creation in the city, but it is just not the same. Not even close.