This is Black History month. In the last few days two musical artists of indigenous descent have been noted; Buffy Saint-Marie, a singer, songwriter, and Zitkala-Sa, which means Red Bird, who is also known by her anglicized name, Gertrude Simmons Bonnin, a violinist and composer. Zitkala-Sa was born in 1876 and died in 1938. Both these artists ran into suppression from the US government for their advocacy of Native Americans. The people these artists stand for are Americans. The ideas that made up the constitution of the Iroquois Confederacy created a representative form of government, which started evolving in the 1300s and was first made of five tribes. The power structure included the women. To ratify a treaty, 75% of male voters and 75% of the tribes' mothers were needed. To change major laws and customs 2/3 of the mothers had to agree. Interestingly, the council of the mothers could veto a declaration of war. There is so much more to know than we usually imagine. This part of our history doesn't even have a month. Every facet of our culture needs to be seen. Every culture that we have included needs to be seen. What a far reaching shift of paradigm it ill be when this finally happens.
We can begin in the present by teaching the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It delineates 30 essential human rights. If we are not all free, then none, really are free. The first right states simply,"All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights." This is important. L. Ron Hubbard said, "Human Rights must be made a reality not just an idealistic dream.", L. Ron Hubbard. YouthforHumanRights.org
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