Vine DeLoria Jr wrote a book in 1970 titled 'We Talk You Listen" and what this preeminent scholar and philosopher of NDN people understood then is that when we have something to say, and we always do, especially when it concerns us, White people do not listen. Their arrogance, the over inflated sense of self, the ingrained bigotry and supremacy makes it damn near impossible for them to seek out our people when it concerns us. Liberals are masters of taking a parental approach to the Indian problem. Whites, already knowing best, know exactly how to handle us without ever having to consult us in the first place. When decisions are made on our behalf without consulting us it is a slap in the face, it si disrespectful and paternalistic.
In 1990 four Original Women from Eastern Michigan University approached the president at that time, President Shelton, about removing the offensive severed head logo of the Huron, which had been the logo of EMU for 62 years at that point. These four sisters were joined by a Navajo man in this endeavor and they put in a massive amount of work speaking to various regent members, faculty and staff and student leaders. The president of the Student body, Jeff Rose, threw his influence behind the change wholeheartedly. Jeff was one of the first Caucasian student leaders to do so, I mention that because any type of assistance from Whites would come few and far and not much at all.
The Huron Restoration League is a typical conservative right wing republican voting "Murica love it or leave it" reactionary group. They are identical to the Tea Party in that the stated goal is one thing while the truth of it's goal is another. The Tea Party's goal is to usurp the authority of the truly elected American citizen president Barack Obama. He's Black and well............he just should not be in the position that he is. (Taxes are actually LOWER under Barack than they were under the Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Supreme Court appointed president George Bush. As Ronnie Reagan said ," Facts are stupid things")
After all of the hard work, the time, energy and effort that these brave and brilliant sisters put in the Huron logo was removed. A vote was sent out to the students to choose a new logo and the EMU was actually close in the running but the Eagle won out. I'd like to point out that if you ask a Native person what it would be like to be compared to an Eagle they will automatically tell you it is an honor and humbling. There is part of the rub, if we were ever bothered to be asked in what manner we would like to be honored we could answer but that is not the case. Whites just know better so they tell us that naming a assault vehicle or a sports team where the violence is inherent, after us is an honor we should shut p[ and take their word for it.
The two sisters who spearheaded the movement graduated and commenced to build a life for themselves outside of the university. Barb Gentry was the faculty person who was in charge of the Multi-Cultural center and Connee Sagataw who was acquiring her degree in human resources were left with a few other Native people and they were busy planning the first traditional pow wow for EMU. That was the year I arrived. Both of these sisters had commissioned an artist to render a painting of a Eagle to present to President Shelton as thanks at the first Board Of Regents meeting and they had asked if I would present it to him on behalf of the Native American Student Association (NASO). They both told me to be careful because at previous meetings there were members of the students and alumni who wanted the logo back and they would verbally harass and physically intimidate Native students because of the logo. Both Connee and Barb told me they had been kicked, pushed and followed by these people. Over a logo......think about that a second. The fact that these sisters made a stand on behalf of Native people and the way that we are presented to the world AND had the audacity to win caused them such psychological difficulty that they resorted to acts of violence, That is a special type of sick.
At the meeting while I was speaking the logo people were making hissing noises and actually booed me when I was finished. I was then asked for a quote for the Eastern Echo and the Ypsi Press. Certain student groups asked me to come and speak about the logo to new students. Professors and other teachers asked me to come to explain. This made me a target and I began to get harassed on campus while working in the kitchen, walking to class, while eating at the dining hall, having notes left on my dorm door and eventually I began getting phone calls. I was told I was a "dead red nigger", that "I should shut up if I knew what was best for me" and on and on. I made friends with a guy who was a member of the Nation Of Islam and he and I would hang out often. This made me a racist. I made an alliance with the Black Student Association and the Latino Student Association and this caused them issues. Numerous times when I would come to Board of Regents meetings there would be yelling at "Squaws" and "Here comes Davi and his niggers". Of course the Huron Restoration could deny this as being from them and not condoning it and saying it was "a few bad apples" yet the escalation of the Huron Restoration to get the logo reinstated directly corresponded to escalation of verbal and physical attacks against us. It was not a coincidence.
Flash forward to 2012. President Martin made the decision without consulting the Native students to put the logo back onto the band uniforms. The committee to make the new uniform had a member of the Huron Restoration Committee on it. NOT a coincidence. SHe has since apologized but her apology is lame, weak, tired, insincere and late. She made the conscious decision to spit in the face of those of us who put in work to remove that logo and then make sure it stayed gone. The logo is on the inside flap of the jacket. They try to be slick by hiding it but it is nothing more than them saying, "we can give you the illusion that you get what you want". That's how they treat us because they don't give a damn about us. They don't care about us as humans let alone as Original people.
The student group has offered to purchase the tools AND donate the time to remove the logo but President Martin is a liar and says that doing so will damage the uniform. I have asked Andrea Pierce, a good sister who I refer to as " The Odawa Martha Stewart" because of all the amazing things she does with material, and she said the tool is specifically deigned to NOT damage the material. SO, not only is President Martin flippant and unconcerned with a specific membership of EMU but she perpetuates a lie. I specifically asked her this question because I wanted her to lie to me and she did.
On April 11th Nate Phillips an Omaha Native was walking down Normal street in Ypsilanti near the EMU campus when he came across members of the swim and wrestling teams dressed in head dresses and face paint. They referred to themselves as "Huron's". He told them they were disrespectful and this courageous group of young White men began verbally abusing him telling him to , 'go back to the reservation" and threw a full can of beer amongst other things at him. He is pressing charges. Then on campus the hostility to Native people is increasing. All of this is in direct correlation to the powers that be in EMU being real life "Indian givers". NASO held a press conference and Amber and Michelle and Christopher all from NASO did a fantastic job of laying out concisely and succinctly the problems arising from the return of the logo. I was then given the honor to address the attendees, unsurprisingly when I got up to talk the Ann Arbor news people shut down. They remember me and my radical militant nature and the fact that I unabashedly remained close to members of "Farrakhans group" which as I stated earlier I still do to this day. They are my family, there are members of the Nation who's parents I refer to as "mom" and they do the same to me. During my speech I warned everyone in attendance, "If you choose to ignore these young sisters and brothers who are being so nice, so kind and are deeply concerned not only for themselves but others you do so at your own peril. The days of Native people going away quietly are over. The day of justice has arrived and if you ignore the nice then you get to meet me and those like me. The "not so nice" and we are not in the mood to beg or play." We are going to make some noise and our concerns will be addressed. We are not coming in the spirit of compromise, we are coming in the spirit of Crazy Horse, Running Canoe and the warriors of our people looking to create a better tomorrow for the seventh generation. You all have no idea how infuriating it is to know that these beautiful, genius nephews and nieces of mine on this campus are fighting the exact same fight that we fought almost 25 damn years ago.
We come peacefully to be heard. We will be heard. We will talk and you WILL listen.
On June 16th we are having a rally and I am asking that you please come and hear from some students and community members about what we plan to do to get our repect, what we will do to protect ourselves and what we demand in terms of justice. 2:00 pm in front of Welch hall on th campus of EMU. Let's gather as a family, present the best of us, dress clean, bring our hand drums, our spirit, our love and our loyalty to each other as Original people. Hear the truth being spoken to power as only WE can do it. Read this closely. When WE, The Original People, begin to pray there is nothing, absolutely NOTHING that can stop what is in motion.
