It is interesting to note that the chaos/complexity "paradigm" is
often portrayed as "cutting edge; the notions of hidden order in
complexity and complexity out of assumed order, fuzzy logic, strange-
attractors, spirals rather than linear chains of causality etc.
The earilies known date of the Mayan calender, on which all later
Mayan dates were based was 3372 B.C. according to "Native American
History" by Judith Nies. The Mayas of Mexico and Guatemala conceived
of time in terms of cycles within cycles with the smallest
measurement being a cycle or religious year of 260 days inside a
secular year of 365 days. The Mayan civilization in Yucatan, Mexico
located time within large cycles like intermeshing wheels (3), with a
system based on precise celestial measurements, developed a celendar
more accurate than the calendar later developed by Pope Gregory. Some
Mayan documents placed the end of the world at around 34,000. Of
course elements of some of the essential concepts of
"chaos/complexity" theory (paradigm?) can also be found in classical
Taoist writings and Siberian Shaman stories as well.
On another note, we have our very own "Tuskeegee" experiment in
Washinton State. For over ten years, the multiplying physiological
effects of radioactive waste leakage into soil and groundwater around
Hanford were measured by using Indians living in surrounding areas as
experimental subjects. Without notifying anyone of the monitoring or
any Indians what was being examined, Indians were given "free medical
exams" to take blood and tissue samples to test for escalating levels
of radioactivity from radioactive waste. Further, those suffering
diseases generally associated with radiation were given special "free
exams." No theraputic treatment was given to any of the subjects.
The Native American Student Council at Clark College, in reference to
these experiments and to the celebration of "Columbus Day" have
elected to propose a combined "Eichmann/Mengele Day" to the Board of
Trustees and invite all students to "celebrate." They will be
gathering quotes from Eichmann and Mengele contrasting them with
quotes from the Diary of Columbus and making posters with pictures
from the Nazi Holocaust contrasting them with images from the Indian
Holocaust.
The NASC has also proposed to gather from propaganda posters and
other media, the most ugly and offensive (self-indicting) images and
caricatures of people of various racial/ethnic/religious groups to
create counter mascots/symbols/rituals/names for current high-
school and professional sports teams. Suggestions included: "New York
Niggers" (with an ugly caricature of an African American carrying a
watermellon and doing the "watermellon shuffle"); "Kansas City Kikes"
(with a football helmet symbol of a Dollar Sign superimposed on a
Star of David); "San Franscisco Spics" (With the symbol of an
overweight Puerto Rican sitting under a mango tree taking a siesta)
and many other patently offensive (clealry self-indicting)
caricatures--as offensive as "Washington Redskins", "The Tomahawk
Chop", "The Bucktoothed Indian" of Cleveland etc.
The NASC has also proposed to set up a Pow Wow and American Indian
"Mall" (Foods, Arts/Crafts etc) at one of the Cemetaries of the Oregon
Trail Pioneers since so much of Indian burial lands are covered by
supermalls they figure a dramatic illustration to show how it feels.
As the Faculty Advisor, I urged them not to do some dramatic stuff as
it is "axiomatic" and "automatic", that the dialaectic will unfold,
and capitalism will collapse under the weight of its own mounting
internal contradictions, and therefore we don't have to actually "DO"
anything ;-), but they had some kind of idea that more than just
talking and writing to the converted is required for substantive
change. Oh Well.
Jim Craven
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