And now:Ish <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: X-Sender: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Unverified) X-Mailer: QUALCOMM Windows Eudora Pro Version 3.0.5 (32) Date: Sun, 02 May 1999 21:56:21 -0500 From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: K Marvin Moss: It is time all Americans' ancestors find rest in peace. K Marvin Moss: It is time all Americans' ancestors find rest in peace By K MARVIN MOSS Capital-Journal columnist Some things in our lives are very, very precious. At this moment, I am thinking of how sacred the final resting places of our ancestors are to us. We set aside one day each year to honor those of us who have left this world. We have monuments, huge grave stones and large plots of land that mark the resting places of our dearly departed. Some are revered more in death than they were in life. The stories of their heroic deeds, flawless behavior and outstanding citizenship seem to surpass even that of fictional characters. And the deceased aren't around anymore to substantiate or disprove myths created in their image. <Picture>When Americans talk about their long-departed ancestors, one group of people is seldom mentioned. Many call them Indians, others call them Native Americans. No matter what the current name, one thing is certain: They have ancestors buried here, too. And their ancestral burial grounds are just as sacred as ours. For centuries, Americans have been digging up Indian grave sites in search of artifacts and to learn how older civilizations lived. Most of this grave robbing was said to have been done for scientific purposes. But we know now that most if is was done for profit. Go to any major museum and you will see an exhibit depicting the American Indian culture. Where do you think those buckskin jackets, feather headdresses, beaded breast plates, fringed pants, hatchets and knives came from? Do you think they fell out of the sky? Many of the artifacts that weren't stolen from graves were swindled from destitute descendants of a once proud people. They sold their family heritage to survive in their own country. How would you feel if you knew people were robbing your family plots? How would you feel if you went to a museum and saw the wedding ring, shoes, belt and skull of your great-grandmother? What does it feel like now that the shoe is on the other foot? For years, Indians have been fighting back. They want their ancestral remains returned to their rightful burial places. They want their sacred graveyards to remain intact. They want other Americans to respect their dead the way they respect their own. Interstate highways don't have to plow through Indian burial sites. They can meander around them. How would you feel if a group of businessmen said they wanted to build a skyscraper where your family's burial plot sits? The Indians have gone to court on numerous occasions to block the relocation of their ancestral burial grounds. They have gone to seek the return of their tribal sacred artifacts. In many of these cases, the courts have sided with them. But in many others, lawyers have succeeded in keeping the cases in the courts for years. Put another way, there is a great deal of money to be made dealing with Indian artifacts. But the Indians aren't cut in on the profits. We all make mistakes in our lives. Some we get over and others we don't. Almost three centuries ago, Native Americans extended a helping hand to a group of Atlantic sea travelers who were looking for a better way of life. The sea travelers survived the first harsh North American winter and began to send home for more of their own kind. The once small campsite of foreigners began to swell into a village. As a Native American back then standing on the Virginia shoreline, I wonder how I would have felt gazing out across the horizon. I would see huge wooden sea vessels filled with Europeans and their belongings. Upon landing I would see the joy and hope in their eyes. For this, I would be happy. As I turned to walk back into the woods, I wouldn't know what was in their hearts. Only time and newer arrivals would change the way of life of Native Americans forever. And for this, their ancestors aren't resting in peace. K Marvin Moss, Topeka, is president of the Annear Group, a management consulting and training firm. Reprinted under the fair use http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.html doctrine of international copyright law. &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& Tsonkwadiyonrat (We are ONE Spirit) Unenh onhwa' Awayaton http://www.tdi.net/ishgooda/ &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
