Action: LONGEST WALK 3 (Reversing Diabetes)

(11 am. – promoted by DDadmin)

Brenda Golden made a comment in her interview on Red Town Radio with Chris Francisco (Navajo), national coordinator of the Longest Walk III, a couple months ago. “It’ll be hard to get people involved. It’s not something that makes people mad like racism (paraphrasing).” So here’s an email I got with updated links for the fundraiser. After that, I hope I don’t make anyone mad.

Crossposted at Native American Netroots

I’m still trying to help the LWNR. Do you think you might find time to update those sites with a link to the new Longest Walk 3 – Northern Route?

Here is the link: http://earthbornproductions.co…

We have several online fund raisers now and ALL of the funds will be used to fund the Northern Route.

Here are the links:

Facebook PayPal Fund Raiser:

http://apps.facebook.com/fundr…

Cafepress on-line store:

http://www.cafepress.com/LW3NR

ProvHerbials fund raiser:

http://provherbials.com/Lip_Ba…

Thank you! Have an awesome week!

I know what Brenda meant from my perspective; it’s harder to get involved in something we can change – ourselves.

Obama may’ve endorsed the United Declaration On The Rights Of Indigenous Peoples, but it’s the same ‘ol same ‘ol.

Summary: The U.S. endorsement of UNDRIP means “business as usual” for Native Americans

The bottom line result of the Obama Administration’s so-called “change” in position is really no change at all. At best, it is a “conditional” endorsement of UNDRIP, one which essentially allows the United States to ignore any provision of UNDRIP under any circumstance which would require a substantive change in US law or policy. Its greatest achievement does not benefit the indigenous peoples of the United States. Rather, it allows the United States to come in from the cold spotlight under which it has shivered since September 2007 as the last of the four pariah nations to have opposed UNDRIP without having to commit to changing any of its laws or policies that are detrimental to the indigenous peoples that live within its borders. At best, the Administration’s “change in position” allowing the United States to endorse UNDRIP entirely misses the point. At worst, it is a cynical move in the game of international politics that signifies nothing for the indigenous peoples of this country but “business as usual.”

As always, the burden of bringing about real change, “change you can believe in” will fall upon the native nations, tribes and bands of this country. No messianic figure, much less President Obama, is going to announce legislative and policy changes that will restore or secure the federal government’s recognition of our sovereignty and our concomitant right to freely determine our political status and freely pursue our economic, social and cultural development. If we want a brighter future for us and our children, a future filled with freedom to choose and opportunity to achieve, we shall have to seize it with our own hands. It will not be given to us. We shall have to do the hard work over the long haul.

But I had hoped otherwise.

What else isn’t new?

Now a group of scientists is adding another explanation for the most over-determined event in history: climate change. Writing in the journal Science, the experts claim that Rome’s Third Century Crisis — a period of political and economic unrest that inaugurated the empire’s slow decline — coincided with “distinct drying” recorded in tree rings, which may have rendered European agriculture less productive. Not just that — the appearance of the Plague in Western Europe correlates with a wet period, which may have provided conditions favorable for spreading the disease. So, the scientists warn, don’t underestimate the possible risks associated with contemporary climate change.

Some conservative reactions have been dismissive; Weasel Zippers called the scientists’ claims the “latest global warming scare tactic.”

But they shouldn’t be so quick.

What else isn’t new, is the energy crisis in context of most the remaining natural resources being on Indigenous Lands, the country’s overall unwillingness to go to a green economy, a new set of nuts in Congress who pat themselves on the backs for being able to read a word with five syllables, and healthier foods in any bargain supermarket besides Twinkies.

Bargain supermarkets have beef jerky and canned vegetables, but give me a Hostess Cupcake any day. I’d rather have something that lasts five minutes than something like a carton of eggs that’d last me 4 days for the same amount of money. And beans are cheap, but they give me gas. Besides, I hate cooking and God made things I like bad for me. But look.

My family needs me and sure I’d have more energy if I’d eat healthy. It’s like my drummer friend back home I played with for years said once about his marriage, “It gets to where – either I’m going to eat this bowl of ice cream or I’m going to f-k my wife.” He got divorced. Must’ve been good ice cream. But there’s one truth in all this “advocating for major changes in our eating habits, while promoting beneficial exercise programs. Our goal will be to REVERSE DIABETES AND RAISE THE CONSCIOUS OF AMERICA THAT WE MUST HALT THE WORST DIET IN THE WORLD!”

You let yourself down and it’s really beyond your control, you let your family down. We take better care of our cars, if we can afford to, than we take care of ourselves. And we wouldn’t put crap in the gas tank and expect our car to run.

So do we take care of ourselves or just kiss it all goodbye?

No messianic figure, much less President Obama, is going to announce legislative and policy changes that will restore or secure the federal government’s recognition of our sovereignty and our concomitant right to freely determine our political status and freely pursue our economic, social and cultural development. If we want a brighter future for us and our children, a future filled with freedom to choose and opportunity to achieve, we shall have to seize it with our own hands. It will not be given to us. We shall have to do the hard work over the long haul.

By the way, my drummer friend back home who said “It gets to where – either I’m going to eat this bowl of ice cream or I’m going to f-k my wife” died a few years ago. Healthy dieting would’ve helped him live longer, but who needs love when you can have ice cream.