An Education Saved My Life: Silver Wolf’s Path to Promise

My book is now published. It is open and free to read.

http://openscholarship.wustl.edu/books/12/

Do our values show up in our policies?

Why I asked you a question on Facebook...

A very generous colleague of mine who directs a research center has years of data indicating that children, mostly very poor children, who have assets like 529 college savings, experience improved health and wellness outcomes.

Although his distractors say that the child’s parents, more specifically, the child’s mother will spend the child’s savings, his research indicates parents leave that money alone as it is viewed as helping their children get an education and out of poverty.

  

The problem is that although there is sound, historical data supporting efforts to provide saving accounts for new born children, this idea does not sit well with policy makers. There are states that provide modest saving accounts for children and this was accomplished by framing this effort as – “job readiness.”

We began to discuss how to develop a different framing in order to better connect with folks.

I think to reach and get the attention of a large audience the approach has to tap into something that is deep, personal and equally shared across gender, age, politics, etc. For instance, consider the statement, “No child left behind.” This was the work of Ted Kennedy (D) and George W. Bush (R).

In reality, the general American public cares little about child welfare. However, the general American public does “support our troops.” Americans hold the idea/value that on the battle field; we will leave no soldier behind. It is un-American to abandon anyone in war. It is a crime to “abandon your post.” Our most valued heroes are those individuals who were willing to sacrifice themselves to save others.

The framing of No Child Left Behind, hits deep with us. We are all in favor of not leaving anyone behind – especially children.

Think about the recent events where our government used its resources to return one American hostage held in Afghanistan for several years after he left his Army unit (NOTE: After rescuing him, he is now being charged for abandoning his post and could go to prison). Where ever Americans go in the world, they are protected and valued by our idea of what it means to be an American. President Carter failed when attempting to go after hostages in Iran. Americans were upset not at the attempt – but the failure.

It is a deep seated American value that we leave no American behind.

Our “academic” framing of helping children in poverty has to tap into that same broad American value.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/02/01/driver-fatally-shot-aboard-alabama-school-bus/

The above link is a story about a man who entered a school bus, killed the bus driver and took a child hostage. The dead bus driver was an instant hero. The child is the victim and the man who took the child was the villain.

Every American – every human – values the safe return of that child. Every American agrees with the framing of that story and the players involved.

If Al-Qaida, ISIS or any “outsider” took a group of American children hostage and forced them to live in a rundown shack, feed them just enough to survive, did not provide them with medical care when sick, and blamed them for their own situation – Americans would demand, at any cost, to bring them home.

However, there are about 16 million children “held hostage by poverty.” Poverty forces children to live in inadequate structures. Poverty forces malnourishment. Poverty forces children to live without proper medical care.

If poverty was a foreign government, Americans would not allow this treatment to our children.

http://www.childrensdefense.org/library/data/held-captive-child-poverty.pdf

Unfortunately the idea of defending children or declaring a “war on poverty” carries a military framing. Also, the war on poverty was declared in the Johnson administration and ended in the Clinton administration with the 1996 Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act.  

War or defending framing is powerful and Americans are strongly connected to warriors. Below is the ending of the recent “American Sniper” movie. This sniper had 160 confirmed kills in Iraq and Afghanistan – killing men, women and children.

   

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZRC_-emLX0

A war or military framing widely connects with folks and is a deep value. However, these are played out. Declaring war on anything has been a mess.

Considering a different framing

There is however an American value that is also deep rooted and baked into our DNA. Whenever there is a crisis or life-threatening situation people value who gets protected first. This has beginnings with a sinking boat, in the novel Harrington: A Story of True Love, 1860.

Women and children first!

It was later widely expected and popularized during the sinking of the Titanic.

The “captain going down with the ship” was also expected during the same time. This is a very powerful value.

Americans love heroes and would love better to be one.

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2014/04/captains-who-abandon-ships-are-they-breaking-the-law/

Above is a story where Captains did not go down with the ship. They saved themselves – being one of the first off the ship. People were furious with these self-seeking captains and one will most likely go to prison.

The value that women and children are first is very powerful and cuts across all types of Americans. And those adults who save themselves first, is out of step with that value.

A greater and deeply seated value is the idea of “women with children go first.”

Females with children in many cultures are treasured. In the animal world, such as wolf packs, females and pups are the highest priority. Wolf packs are structured just like human families.

The mother and pups remain in a den and are protected by the other wolves. All the adult wolves take care of the pups. Adults bring food to the mother so she can care for her young. When the pups begin to eat meat, all adult wolves brings food to the pups, play with them, and make sure they are safe.

Wolves will fight to the death in order to protect their pups. Their system and survival depends on the health of their females and pups. These behaviors are directed by Mother Nature (DNA). When faced with the choice to protect themselves or their young – there is no choice. They do not stop and consider things. They don’t evaluate or plan the outcomes. Behaviors and nature are interwoven.

American families hold similar DNA.

Often times we focus on new policies without ever looking at or debating our current policies.

So, to play out our current policies: if a group of Americans were face with a crisis, like being inside a burning building, the natural, innate act would be to ensure women with children get out first.

This is why I asked that question on Facebook. Most responses were in favor of the woman holding the child being first out of a burning building. We value – in our behaviors – protecting mothers and their children. Honestly, who could be against this? This is cooked within our DNAs.

I asked on my Facebook post:

Question: If you were in a burning building with a group of other folks, who would you pick to be FIRST out the door? Assume they are all healthy.

Middle aged man

 Teenage female

 Female holding her baby

 Retirement aged female

 Teenage male

 Middle aged female

 Teenage male

Who is FIRST to safety? – pick only 1

 Thanks

Female holding her baby. Why?

Female holding her baby

Male not make

Is this a trick? You have teenage make twice?

Female holding Baby

Ditto,Professor

Female holding her baby

Female w baby

Female holding the baby

Female w/baby - not because there's anything special about women & children but because it's two for one.

Female holding baby because all would let her go first

Female holding the baby, although may not be my choice to choose who goes first. Teenagers would be last. Haha

Female holding baby

wondering why "self " is not on the list? baby is first....

The first person I came to. They all hold unique value.

Why are they standing around waiting to be dismissed from a burning building? They are all healthy and can make the decision to run or perish.

female w baby

 (Please note that this Facebook question is not scientific as I pick my friends because they most likely have similar values.  I may need to de-friend a few folks as the result of this question though!). 

From our current policies, if older people were in a burning building along with other community members, these older folks would be allowed to push aside or basically run over women with children. Older people get out of the building first.

Now, we value our elders and should. When I asked my youngest son, who is 13 ¾, he picked women with children to get out first. His second pick were elders. I asked a follow up question: Son, if you were the elder in a burning building would you pick yourself to leave before others, like getting out before teenagers or anybody else? He quickly responded – no. 

Under our current policies, if the Titanic happened today, life boats would be filled first with older folks.   

In the good ole US of A

The elderly, by law, get: $1.2 trillion.

Our children, get: $444.7 billion.

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2013/jan/28/federal-spending-old-young-numbers/

The largest category for children's spending is tax credits.

These behaviors (policies) go against our DNA and are also Un-American.

Our American heroes/elders would not allow this to happen. And people want the opportunity to be a hero.

New Framing: WOMEN WITH CHILDREN FIRST!

This framing taps into an old, established value that women with children are precious members who must be protected and respected.

If potential danger approaches, we sacrifice ourselves for women with children. If we are in a burning home, adults should not run over a woman holding her child. If that happened, Americans would be infuriated at such self-seeking behavior.

We want older folks to get off the sinking boat or out of the burning house safely. However, it should not be our policy that they lawfully get to stampede over women holding their children.

Thanks for your help and Peace, DAP

Ferguson officials should be charged under the RICO Act

Please allow me to open with…I’m no lawyer.

The reason for my opening? There’s a law that says people who are not lawyers, cannot assert themselves as lawyers. Isn’t that something? You can impersonate a teacher or truck driver, no worries. But act like a lawyer without paying a law school for a degree and, you are breaking a law.

Now, when I think about a law, for some dumbass reason, I think they should apply to everyone equally. Surely, our law makers would not spend all of their valuable time creating laws that applied to some groups of folks and not others. I think laws are created to help everyone.

Can you imagine what would happen if a small municipal community in Missouri announced they just passed a law that would raise $1 million per year by targeting drivers within its city’s limits? Wonder if it was further reported that through the efforts of the city’s police department and judicial system, older white, male drivers would be allowed to be targeted to cover 80% of the new law. Basically, cops would be on the lookout for white males driving about town and pull them over. 

The cops would find multiple “violations” which would require white men to pay $800,000 per year and others to pay $200,000.

The hurricane-force shit storm that would rain down on this community would be epic. And rightly so.

Anyone who lives around St Louis knows that there are certain municipals that target African-American drivers. It took us a few months to notice who mostly were pulled over by the cops. When we would ask folks, they were open about things – especially in Ferguson – before it was “Ferguson.”

The Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) is a federal law designed to combat organized crime in the United States. According to NOLO “it allows prosecution and civil penalties for racketeering activity performed as part of an ongoing criminal enterprise. Such activity may include illegal gambling, bribery, kidnapping, murder, money laundering, counterfeiting, embezzlement, drug trafficking, slavery, and a host of other unsavory business practices.”

“To convict a defendant under RICO, the government must prove that the defendant engaged in two or more instances of racketeering activity and that the defendant directly invested in, maintained an interest in, or participated in a criminal enterprise affecting interstate or foreign commerce. The law has been used to prosecute members of the mafia, the Hells Angels motorcycle gang, and Operation Rescue, an anti-abortion group, among many others.”

The whole Ferguson system - its leaders - should be charged using the RICO act. The recent Department of Justice report lays out all kinds of unsavory business practices.

There are no laws that allow these practices to occur. Ferguson’s police department and its criminal justice system are an organized crime syndicate similar to the mafia. Our U.S. Department of Justice would have a strong case against the criminal organization in Ferguson using RICO.

But there again, I’m not a lawyer.

Peace, DAP

Older is Better

I was sitting in my favorite chair: a recliner that allows me to arm-reach everything I might need -- end table with small drawer; lamp; electrical outlet; TV remote; etc.  I was thinking about an earlier chat I had about the importance of bringing back, or more importantly, hanging onto our indigenous wisdom.

This internal dialogue was interrupted by my son’s text saying that he needed a ride home. It was Sunday morning.

A bit of history: Friday evening after work I had to swing by his school on my way home because he needed $10 to buy a ticket to attend a dance Saturday night. I pulled up to his school, handed him a ten dollar bill from my car window. He vanishes back into his school. Several minutes later he and his two buddies walk out and get into my car. Those three hung out after school while waiting for me – more importantly -- my $10. My son’s two friends remembered that they needed to bring $10 to school before Friday.

My son…he forgot!

After several trips over the weekend, I realized that I am my son’s personalized Uber. The main difference is that I give him money after riding him places.

Back to my chair and thoughts about indigenous knowledge. As I am typing this my two sons have their faces in their smart phones and my lovely wife, although it is Sunday, is on her laptop finishing her work from the past week.

Information is not knowledge. We are bombarded with information from our TVs, world wide web, and all kinds of other technologies. We are not obtaining knowledge from these tools, what we are mostly doing is obtaining information. Mainly, unusable information.

We are extremely lucky to be living in a time with so much information at our fingertips. We have many great tools in our lives: Cars, electric, walmarts, etc. Our Native American ancestors, our great leaders, had to get information and “things” in a very differ way. The older way is better.

Which would you prefer, living in a world with clean water, air and food with very little technology? Or in our current world where everything we need is arm’s length, but the air we breathe, the water we drink and the food we consume – are poisoned?

Our ancestors’ bodies and minds were clean - not toxic like ours. They were vaccinated by Mother Nature. The strongest survived, led and taught. There teachings came from purity of thought, body and community.

Our Native Ancestors lived in a world that was pure, clean, and full of knowledge.

We live in a world that alters the body and mind with contagions.  

Older is better and we need to learn from our clean ancestors and never let that knowledge go. 

Ferguson cop benefited from state help

Let us be clear about the benefits of being a cop when it comes to killing a citizen.

I am certain the state employee was informed about all of the state’s evidence. When the grand jury decision was discussed on TV, the prosecutor indicated that eye witnesses where “confronted” with physical evidence during their testimony. This resulted in some witnesses changing their story. If an eye witness story changes, credibility is called into question.

The cop benefited from knowing and being coached on how to respond to the grand jury. The child killer knew all of the evidence and had a team of helpers.

No other witness that testified before the grand jury was as educated and prepared as was the state sanctioned killer.

Cops benefit from being a state employee and getting help from other state workers. These helpers include prosecutors, detectives, lawyers, and media coaching.

No other witness before the grand jury benefited as much as the cop benefited.

Cop in Ferguson -- The "demon" needed to be killed

Viewing minorities as something other than human allows the state and its employees to rid our communities of these Satan beasts.

Recall, our employee, the cop, indicated that Michael Brown looked like "...a demon."

Missouri's employee said he was justified to kill Michael Brown "the demon" because the demon "punched" our employee "two times."

When the "demon" was fleeing away, the state's employee decided the evil spirit must be destroyed.

As the "demon" stood 150 feet away -- half a football field away -- Missouri's employee acting on behalf of the People, fired his godly weapon 10 times insuring the destruction of Satan's spawn.

The People of Missouri have now sanctioned our employees to gun down the appearance of "demons."

Our President said last night that america has made great progress.

Yes...we do not allow communities to place demons in bags and throw them in the river or burn them at the stake.

We have progressed to allowing our state employees to see a demon -- kill a demon.

The outcome

Shot 12 times total, 10 were while Michael Brown was 150 feet away.

At 150 feet away, what exactly was the main threat on the cop's life?

A 50 yard threat!

Is there a law that a cop could break in the act of shooting an unarmed human?

The next time you are approached by a cop, please know that the second s/he believes her/his life is in any danger, regardless of all else, s/he can kill you -- by law.

There are no measures to that feeling, like, "on a scale from zero to ten with zero being no danger and ten being the most in danger." If a cop felt in danger at a "one" on that scale, it seems s/he has a right and sometimes the duty to kill.

If the person is minority, that feeling of threat could be less than 1 -- like 3/5.

Waiting on the Ferguson outcome

If the police officer (a state sponsored employee) is not indicted for his action it would be an indication of how rotten the system is.

If this action is legal – what might be illegal by a state sanctioned employee?

We will find out tonight whether Michael Brown is viewed as a human or something less-to-human.

A 12-year old boy – boy! – child – kid was gunned down by the state in Cleveland earlier today.

Terms: The state sanctioned employees are “law enforcement” – the community victims are “protesters.”

   

If I plea for you to be peaceful – what is my belief toward you? 

We will have some answers in about an hour. We will see if our system is rotten or not. 

Native Americans Understand…Thinking about Ferguson MO

My family moved to Missouri just over two years ago. Although we have lived in a few states around the US, I have discovered that most places are about the same. When we were in the transition phase of our move, selling a house in Buffalo NY, buying and moving to one in St Charles Missouri, we had an opportunity to spend some time around the famous Arch. I learned much on that day.

There is an Arch museum that is underground at its base. We did not realize that just beneath the earth, where the Arch stands, there are so many things to do and see. Riding the escalator down I saw a huge open scape with lots of people walking around. There was a long line to purchase tickets to various activities such as riding up to the top of the Arch, watching a movie about Lois and Clark or visiting the Westward Expansion Museum. Knowing that my lovely wife Nicole would not mind standing in line and picking our destinations, I was able to walk around and mostly people-watch.  

After a short time Nicole and our two boys returned and explained our plan. We would watch a short movie/documentary followed by visiting the top of the Arch. Luckily, for our convenience, we were able to purchase a ticket for multiple events that just happen to be scheduled back-to-back.

The movie was first. It was a story about Lois and Clark’s journey narrated by Jeff Bridges – The Dude! The scenery in the movie was beautiful and because we were going to make St Louis our new home, we were all fairly excited to learn more about these two adventurers. My boys were eleven and thirteen at that time and were seated in the middle of their mom and me.

The topic began to center on Clark’s Slave, York. We already knew something about York. The Indigenous folks out west called him “Big Medicine” as they had never seen a man like York before. They had great respect for him. When my wife or I talked about York to our boys we also did so with respect -- and truth.  In the movie, York was not labeled a slave; he was referred to as Clark’s “Companion.”

Companion?!

When I repeated that word quietly, under my breath, my oldest son seated next to me gave me a look and nod. When we got out of the movie theater, he quickly brought that statement back up.

“Dad…York was Lois and Clark’s companion?” he said…waiting for my reply. He already knew what was up, but just wanted to see my reaction. Both of my boys understand. Calling York a companion rather than what he was – a slave – is an attempt to spin a word. It is like calling the killer whales at Sea World, “entertainers.”

My boys understand and understood what was happening.

Wise Elders have told my sons some of the history of Native Americans. My boys understand that Natives used to be considered savages and called all sorts of words. Native Americans were and most times still are, considered on the same level as an animal. Savages and animals can be treated a certain way without much thought or push back from others. When humans can be transformed into something that is less than human, then all kinds of things can happen. They can be justifiably killed, tortured, or placed under the state’s control.

Native Americans understand suffering.

When a young African American man was killed by “law” agents in Ferguson Missouri recently, Native Americans understand. We understand the hurt; the frustrations; the loss. Native Americans understand what it is like and what happens when the majority sees you as less than human. Laws are written by majority rule and applied as such.

Above is a picture of the Wounded Knee Massacre where about 150 men, women and children were murdered. This image and many like it are burnt into the minds of Native Americans.

And when we see this current image below, of a typical reservation…

…we know that those two images are connected. People, who have suffered, like many Native Americans, understand what it is like to be born into a community with a long tragic history. When we see images on our TV’s showing a community in Ferguson Missouri… we understand.

My family has been talking about what is happening in Ferguson. We try to speak openly and honestly without filling ourselves with hate and rage. We ask ourselves what we can do to help our community. We talk about how we can be part of the healing process.

So, we do what we have been taught to do during these times -- we get our good minds together. We prepare ourselves internally. We make some personal sacrifices, praying to somehow connect with those who are suffering.

We try to become one. One mind. One people.

When my small family performs our usual ceremony, we will keep our good minds on our own health and wellness. We will also put our good minds on the people who are suffering in Ferguson. This is what we have been taught to do over the years.

We are all connected. We are all related.

And we understand.

UPDATE: Indian Country Today read this post and I had an opportunity respond to one of their stories: http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2014/08/21/separate-and-unequal-ferguson-has-implications-all-ethnicities-156516

Peace, DAP 

First Native American Miss USA -- Indiana

Unfortunately Mekayla Diehl, Miss Indiana USA 2014 did not make it to the final round of the contest. She is a beautiful young lady who has overcame a lot during her short life. I hope this is the beginning for her and not the end.
 

 

 

If you don't know much about her, it is worth reading her story on-line. The sad thing that you will soon discover if you google her name, in stead of focusing on the good things about her, it seems what the focus has been after the Miss USA contest is the shape of her body.

 

It's a pity, shameful, and misses the best thing about Mekayla -- her as a human being.

 

Most Native Americans who reach high levels of success in our society do so after overcoming huge barriers. In reality, this beautiful young lady should have never made it to the contest, much less make it to the next round. She had people in her life that supported her, believed in her and surrounded her with love.

 

The message should be, regardless where you start, surrounded with honorable people who love you, there are no limits to what you can achieve!

 

Peace, DAP