Inconspicuous Indians

Instant gratification, That is where most of our people operate from these days. Why? because they want everything right then and now or else they don't want it not all. We have lost the ability to struggle and strive for progress we deserve, we are too quick to compromise, to give up and give into simplicity or the illusion of it. We have lost sight of our radiant tradition of Resistance and traded it in for a life of assimilation, and the conditioning of ourselves into internally oppressive behaviors for the pursuit of selfish benefit of our own comfort. People rather take comfort, defend and re-enforce their flaws rather then exert energy to correct them or even prevent the passing down of these flaws to their children or grandchildren. The spurious grand tradition of self inflicted, self loathing oppression and comprise all in the name of personal achievement and self preservation. No longer a tribal mentality, but a every man for himself attitude imposing itself obnoxiously to sabotage, and damage the progress of our struggles we currently face today, at this very moment. The urgency to improve our stance to defend ourselves against these assaults more effectively has been upon us for quite some time, perhaps prior to the existence of most of us embattled in theses enduring struggles we are fighting today. We live in a society of convenience, why disrupt it right? And most take this fact for granted rather then appreciating the ability we are afforded today to confront our perpetuating problems more effectively. The older generations show more envy and resentment against us then consideration and compassion. They call us down and try to belittle us for our youth and energy because we refuse to take comfort in their backward, stubborn, ignorance of solving our problems from their now obsolete, out of touch point of views. The world has passed them up and they refuse to addapt to the requirements it is now calling upon us. Information is practically free and ready at our finger tips if we're only but to notice it. But the fact of the matter is the problems we face today as Native people are unprecedented, we were raised into a more hostile world that they have failed to prevent from desensitizing us from its brutality. This rift in the generations is a costly consequence to the problems we face today. Because from one end of the spectrum we have those of us trying to innovate the solutions our children require, and on the other we have those trying to conserve and promote the ineffective ways that have contributed to further pushing our communities to the brink. When no wisdom, but only criticism remains from these cynical individuals, I have found in my short years on this earth that it is wiser to continue forward to the next glimmer of hope rather then trying to breath life back into defeated and diminished spirits. Even if they might not be wise as of yet to realize I struggle forward for them as well, with the strength of wisdom they were able to spare us. Each day we grow stronger, more aware, more intelligent, more effective, more astute. Are these not reasons to rejoice and invest your approval of this fact of our potential? Or am I not yet wise enough to no longer believe in myself as well? Maybe I to will become an inconspicuous Indian as well one day, but not until they break my spirit as well or kill me. I prefer the latter of my options. Not for glory, but for the assurance my children might live better lives then I was afforded.