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The Environment and How Outdoor Enthusiasts Come Into Play

By Jay North

“This land is my land, this land is your land, from California to the New York Island” sang Pete Seeger. While Woody Guthrie penned these now famous words, Mr. Seeger sang the song perhaps more than any- one else and definitely from the heart. There is an element of truth to the words. This is indeed our land and the question concerns whether we could all do more to look after it. Californians have a unique opportunity to enjoy the outdoors year ‘round, from the mountains to the sea, and we truly have it all at our collective finger tips. Whether people enjoy snowboarding, surfing, skiing, hiking, biking, boating or fishing, there is no lack of the endless recreational possibilities we may enjoy. However, along with these opportunities for recreation there also comes responsibility.

This focus is on California mountain streams and the endless beauty of the Eastern Sierra with its majestic peeks, national parks, as well as clear streams and lakes. Residents and visitors alike are blessed with so much beauty, unless it becomes trashed. Yes, trashed by men, women and children, the likes of which simply do not understand the harm that they are doing to the environment and the animals that live there in these sacred mountains. Therefore, a change needs to come. This land is my land; this land is your land, and together we should all look after it.

Interview with James Erdman, Biologist from The Dept of Fish Game and Wildlife. Stationed in Bishop, California.

On April 4, 2016.

“Don’t trash my woods,” said James Erdman.”

Jay: Good day, Mr. Erdman, and thank you for taking my call today. Mr. Erdman, what is the most important message you have for people that utilize the Eastern Sierra for recreation?

James Erdman: “KEEP IT CLEAN and don’t trash my mountains.”And then he laughed. No kidding. Really, there are not many outdoors enthusiasts today that have not heard the phrase or observed the sign that reads: “Pack it in, pack it out.” But this simple rule gets violated on a daily basis. It almost seems to me that a lot of folks just don’t care or cannot understand the damage being perpetrated on nature. Animals live in these mountains and near streams in the valleys and eating mankind’s left over is not a good thing. Leaving trash, broken glass and burger wrappers is not appropriate in the woods or next to streams.

He went on about outdoor people’s duty and obligation to be good stewards of the forest and the valleys.

Jay: What would you ask us to do when here in the Eastern Sierra’s wilderness or parks?

James Erdman: Follow the rules! Disposing of trash on the highways is illegal, as it is in the wild and carries a hefty fine. We have signs that tell us to report poachers, but we also need signs that read: Report trasher’s, too.

Jay: What about fisher people? What advice do you have for them?

James Erdman: Use barbless hooks and release more fish than you catch. Furthermore, release fish gently and don’t over fish your limit, even if you are not going to keep them. And please don’t leave your discarded line on the ground as it gets caught up in bird’s beaks and legs. It looks terrible and simply does not belong on the earth. Now, regarding the subject of releasing fish. If a fish swallows your hook, simply cut the line. The hook will eventually dissolve and the fish stands a better chance of living than having the hook yanked out or removed. When you release a fish, keep the body of fishin the water and keep your hands wet, so as not to remove their slime. Leaving fish to be caught by another angler just makes sense, and when it comes to wild trout, it just makes good sense to leave them in the water to breed.

Jay: Any comment regarding fly fishing versus bait fishing?

James Erdman. No, that is a personal choice of every angler; although my personal choice is fly fishing. Regardless, they both need to be performed consciously and responsibly.

Jay: What’s up with this New Zealand snail business?

James Erdman: Well, this snail business as you call it can be dangerous and costly. We have foreign snails finding their way into our waters, both by boaters and wading fisher people. They sometimes are tiny little things that can hardly be seen by the human eye, and they get themselves aboard and pollute our waters and drinking water pipes. The danger is the clogging of pipes and polluting drinking water. Therefore, the Department of Fish Game and Wildlife has asked all fisher people to be aware and to remain vigilant concerning this. When removing boats from lakes, they need to be washed thoroughly and then allowed to dry completely before entering new waters. The same holds true for fisher people. If they use waders, they need to be washed and allowed to dry for 72 hours before entering new streams or lakes. The California Department of Fish Game and Wildlife is working hard to rid our waters of these peskysnails.Oh, and one other way to clean waders is to freeze them for 24 hours before reusing them.

Jay: And what do you have to say about backpackers, climbers and campers?

James Erdman: (He laughs). Listen, Jay, when I say these are my mountains, I mean it. These mountains belong to all of us. This is how I work! When I take my crew up into the back country, we carry trash bags and ask crew members every day whenwe are in the high county to pick up one piece of trash every day.You would be surprised to see the amount of bottles, cans and plastic we remove each and every trip up in the woods. It’s truly a disgrace! I believe there are more educational programs in place than ever before and yet trashing the woods still occurs on a regular basis. And as far as campers go, I have to say they are the worst offenders of trasher’s in the Eastern Sierra’s. In fact, twice each year a highly popular group of citizens come together to clean up several rivers and drainages in order to remove mounds of trash from Mono Lakes, Mammoth Lakes, and all the way down to Alabama Hills. It’s only twice per year and only a two day event, but it does a lot of good to remove the things people leave behind.

 

Jay: Mr. Erdman, I would like to share a story with you. It was July 4t, 2015 and one of the Eastern Sierra’s busiest weekends. I was camped at Pleasant Valley on the Owens River, and as you know, it’sa wonderful trout fishery below the reservoir. It was dusk and here they came in minions. Directlyacross from where I set up, there was a group of folks, men, women and young children, all setting up camp. I knew it was going to be a sleepless night justbased on the rowdy nature of the group. After two days of this, oh my goodness, I was wondering what I was doing there on the 4th of July. On the third morning, a quite large group of boys were playing down on the Owens River. At first I thought to myself, “How nice it is to hear children’s laughter. But wait; there is more to this story. These young people were dumping their camps trash right into the river. “Oh Lord no,”I thought. “What are you guys doing? I yelped! The reply was not pleasing. Therefore, I took a stroll over the bridge, walked up to the camp, and with as much composure as I could muster I asked: “Whose children are these?”“What’s it to you came the terse reply. “Well, folks, your children are trashing my river. I cannot write the people’sresponse because it would tend tooffend too many readers. “Now wait one minute guys, these fine young feathered heads are pouring trash bags full of junk in the river!”What business is it of yours was the reply once again. “It is my business and I should be yours as well. This is our land and water.”Mind your own business was their retort. What business was it of mine, they asked anew? I then replied, “This is my river! The situation was about to become violent. I backed off, packed up my gear and called the authorities. Mr. Erdman, what do we do?

James Erdman: We educate them one at a time, and yes, we call the authorities.

Jay: Is there anything else you would like to add regarding these subjects?

James Erdman: Yes, don’t trash my waters. People will come to realize this one day, but we are talking about our drinking water here and the health of our environment. I know there is a popular saying out in the world today that says, “Wake up.” And that is what humanity needs to do, exactly, wake up, take responsibility, and take action to preserve what is ours. Of course, there is a delicate balance we face between survival and personal pleasures. We are not just talking about people that enjoy the outdoors. It is everyone’s duty to protect and preserve what we have been blessed with. It is an obligation we should all sign onto in order to protect our planet. Our government can create all the laws it is capable of dreaming up, but in truth it is when people take action, that is become proactive, that we will see real results and not just here in the Eastern Sierra. No, we need to come together on important environmental issues all over the great state of California and in fact, the entire planet. But, I will tell you this: Don’t trash my waters.

To contact Mr. Erdman, pleasecall 🙁 760)873-6071.

Readers may be asking themselves: How safe is the drinking water from the Owens River? Well, when one considers the adverse conditions in third world countries, the water would appear to be considerably safer. In fact, the Los Angeles Department of Power and Water (LADWP) asserts that countless people work to ensure that the water in the Owens River is safe to drink. Despite livestock grazing, wildlife, and the unauthorized public use ofstorage reservoirs, the water is still safe to drink. Having said that, it is imperative that we all do our part in keeping it safe. Throwing trash such as bottles, cans, clothing and whatever else one desires to discard, isn’t helping maintain the quality of water we now enjoy. Imagine having to consume muddy water that is contaminated for survival? Some people in other parts of the world do just that, and yet the diseases associated with this consumption are frightening. And yet, while most people take safe drinking water for granted, there is no assurance that it will always be available if people continue to pollute streams and watersheds.

It is therefore incumbent on each and every one of us to think about our actions and how they can affect our precious environment. Outdoor enthusiasts especially need to stop and consider the harm they carelessly do. The collective destruction affects all of us. While the LADWP seeks to maintain the highest quality of water for everybody, detrimental and needless trashing reaches into everyone’s pockets. Maintaining healthy drinking water becomes costlier as damage to the environment increases. Man as an animal is careless, unfortunately. In fact, animals have a minimal impact on the Owens River. The real harm stems from careless men, women and children, who, seeking to have a good time, are nevertheless not thinking about the consequences of their actions. Sure, have fun, but be a responsible protector of the Owens River.

Let’s all work together and keep the Owens River free of debris that affects us all. To accomplish this, we can all do our part by properly disposing of our waste responsibly. Water is life and without it we perish. Think about that the next time you decide to toss a bottle, diaper or other harmful product in the river. Eventually, you may regret it, not just simply in terms of money, but rather in terms of your health and an available healthy water to drink for the future. After all, your life and mine depend upon it. Be responsible. Protect the environment!

 

In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, the USEPA and the state Department of Health ServicesDepartment prescribes regulations that limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public watersystems. Department regulations also establish limits for contaminants in bottled water that must provide the sameprotection for public health. For more information, please go to http://www.inyocounty.us/EnvironmentalHealth/drinking_water.html.

Writer Jay North’s comments:

Mr. Erdman’s views on environmental concerns in the Eastern Sierra touches my soul deeply. Eversince I was I boy, I have been enjoying these mountains and streams. They will always be here and for that I am deeply grateful. Things were completely different back in the days of my youth. People did not trash these mountains and streams, nor even dare tofeed the bears. It seems there was a collective consideration to preserve this beauty for many generations to come. Back then (in the 1950s) there was never a thought of not cleaning up after one’s self, nor leaving trash behind. We just did it quite naturally. It seems there was a silent agreement among outdoor folks to just keep the area clean. Somehow that has gotten away from us! When Mr. Erdman says, “Don’t trash my mountains and streams,” he is effectively saying, “Don’t trash our mountains and streams. I know he wanted to say moreand toteach children well, but I believe he just assumes we allwill. My hope and prayer for these mountains and streams is that they will be kept clean for as long as people use the resources of the majestic Eastern Sierra.

 

“This land is my land; this land is your land, from California to the New York Island” (Pete Seeger).

Thank you for reading.

Jay North

 

Group’s that people can look into and join include:

Eastern Sierra Fishing Guide Association

California Water Foul

Sierra Club

And of course, one may always Google Environmental Movement

 

Jay North, writer, outdoor enthusiast and social activist may be reached at www.OneGlobePress.com

End

Please purchase this article so the grandchild can eat.

Contact Jay North

805-794-9126

PO BOX 1211 Ojai, CA 93024

jaysbookshere@gmail.com

Press Release: What Authors need most? READERS!

Ojai CA
26/March 2016
Contact Jay North
PO BOX 1211 Ojai, CA
Phone: 805-794-9126
Email: jaysbookshere@gmail.com
Website: ProfessionalWriterJayNorth.com

What Authors need most? READERS!

According to Amazon statistics nearly one million new books come on the market every year. With staggering figures like this the question is how do fledging authors gain recognition?  While it is also a fact there are over 1000 routes to gain readership or more aptly stated “market ones book.”  Readership via electronic gadgets is growing, and readership of hard copy books is way down, the challenge for nearly one million authors per year remains the same; how to gain readers and actually make a living at their craft.

One may want to choose from the many low cost routes to the market via Facebook or Twitter to gain exposure, do personal appearances and book signings or make a plea to the press and media for exposure.

Bestselling author and book marketer Jay North offers authors the services they need to get their message out about their books. Jay’s constant statements to authors is “an artist creates to share his work with the world, a philosopher enjoys students and a writer writes to be read, and these crafts are not for our own enjoyment and we deserve compensation.”

Jay North offers low cost marketing and public relations services to writers of all levels and interest.  Jay can be contacted at ProfessionalWriterJayNorth.com.

Jay North, author, organic foods lover, businessman and service provider looks forward to all inquiries, ProfessionalWriterJayNorth.com       

End

Released for publication Jay North & One Globe Press.com 26/March/2016

It will never change until we change it!

By Jay North OneGlobePress.com

And the band plays on! While its politics as usual 2016 and all US citizens know nothing will change because the belly of the beast on Wall Street controls the whole damn machine. While many people have their eyes on the economy; 25 of the world’s worst man-made ecological disasters occurred in 2015 and little attention was ever given as to how or why. This is sad news for the whole planet and for the people that live on it.

http://list25.com/25-biggest-man-made-environmental-disasters-in-history

While so many American’s put their faith in big business, politics and the economy it just might behoove one to put equal attention on nature and our environment. As my adopted father Leonard J. Mountain Chief would often repeat “a change has got to come, sooner better than later.”

I urge all concerned people to read my book about my mentor/father in my book, Open Spaces: My Life With Leonard J. Mountain Chief, as seen at OneGlobePress.com in hard copy’s and FREE in PDF with your request to jaysbookshere@gmail.com.

“Without this place the children have no place to run and play, please tell a friend,” Leonard J. Mountain Chief. It will never change until we change it!

Thank you
Jay North

Letter to the editor; Stop Human Trafficking

In Nepal, most people live on about $3 a day, according to Rajendra Gautam, founder of 3Angels Nepal. In the rural villages, children—especially girls—are not well educated. Many times instead of attending school, girls must work in the fields and are often considered to be a burden to their families. Women’s rights are almost nonexistent in this country where hunger and poverty are more widespread than freedom or education.

After the recent government revolution and war in Nepal, many families, in an attempt to protect their children from the violent front, sent them away with family “friends” who promised to find jobs or education for them in Kathmandu or India. Families are tricked by potential husbands offering “secure” futures for their daughters. But in many cases, these girls end up in Indian brothels, with no idea of what is happening to them until it is too late. http://www.maitinepal.org/index.php

Fundraiser

Poetry Contest 2016 $250.00 Grand prize awarded to best poet of our choice. Free to enter! Help Stop Human Trafficking

Sponsored by One Globe Press

Submit Poetry to Jay North at jaysbookshere@gmail.com

Acceptable poems will be published in upcoming book “Contemporary American Poets.” Limited to 225 poems!

All poems must be original and not previously published.

Poem’s must arrive with contact information and a release for publication from the author no attachments will be opened, all pertinent information must be in the body of the email-including your poem for submission to the aforementioned   book titled “Contemporary American Poets”. Submit one poem only please. Not all poems received with be published. Cash prize awarded June 1st 2016. Award recipient will be announced in the book, “Contemporary American Poets.”  We will consider erotic poetry but nothing obscene, no hate material will be considered and no copied poems.

We thank you for your participation www.OneGlobePress.com

Release: all proceeds from the new book Contemporary American Poets will be donated to Stop The Trafficking of Young girls and women sold into sex slavery.http://www.maitinepal.org/index.php

Poems Released for Publication:

The author, in consideration of the acceptance of the below work for publication, does hereby grant One Globe Press and/or authorized representative to publish the author’s work in the upcoming book “Contemporary American Poets.” The author hereby affirms the poem represents original, unpublished material that is not under editorial consideration elsewhere. Thank you, www.oneglobepress.com .

Media contact

Released for publication One Globe Press & Jay North

PO BOX 1211 Ojai, California

93023

jaysbookshere@gmail.com

805-794-9126

A Very Special Spiritual New Year Lies Ahead

“The Light is around you and within you all the time. You are living and moving in the ocean of Light.” – Leonard J. Mountain Chief.

There is something immensely peaceful and joyous about the holiday season–not to mention how good it can feel to turn over a new leaf each New Year’s Eve. For many of us, this is a time of renewal. A fresh start!

Unfortunately, the universe will bring you ups and downs in 2016, as it always does. The comforting thing to remember is that if you trust in yourself and allow the Light to guide you through the rocky periods of your life. If you’re uncertain about how to face the challenges ahead of you over the next twelve months, allow me to provide you with some assistance.

I don’t believe that when you find an approach that works for you, you should keep it hidden. For several decades I’ve seen the fruits of my own spiritual labor, from my humble beginnings as an organic farmer to my current work as a professional writer. When you work in harmony with the universe and follow your soul’s most fervent desires, you walk straight into happiness and joy. You are consumed with it. The Light that Leonard J. Mountain Chief mentions in the above quote is more radiant than you might ever imagine.

Occasionally I’m asked, “Jay, how do you do it? How do you manage to remain so happy and at peace with your life?” The simple, brief answer is that I have simply reached a level of self-awareness that allows me to follow my instincts without fear or doubt. The Light does not disappear when you are walking through the darkness; it is only obscured for a while. And you can always find your way back.

It is my firm belief that many people are deeply unhappy due to their lack of understanding about their own souls needs. The sort of fierce passion that encouraged mystics in ancient times to wander into the desert is the same passion that stirs within each and every one of us.

Close your eyes. Meditate. Ask Spirit for an answer to the simple questions, “What would you have me do in 2016?” The answer may not arrive immediately or the way you expect it. It might not be a strong, overpowering sensation. It may simply be a quiet whisper that leads you in a strange and confusing direction. But it can be trusted far more than the everyday fears and worries that plague you.

Fear is a paralytic. It will keep you tracked in miserable situations—for years, decades… even the entirety of your life, if you refuse to make a change. We are not meant to live consumed by fear. Happiness is our natural state. The Light wants to be sought. Go out and chase it down.

As a professional writer, I have published a variety of books that discuss these topics and more. I wrote Open Spaces as a way of sharing my knowledge about the role spirituality plays in personal life changes. It is about the Native way to walk through life and make decisions- in a good way. If you’re interested in learning more about following your dreams and watching your life sore during 2016, please visit OneGlobePress.com and order this book. In addition, I wish you love peace and joy in your house and a new great start to 2016.

The History of Environmentalism and Chemtrails

By Jay North

Dating back to 1962, when Rachel Carson penned the groundbreaking environmental science book Silent Spring, the public has gradually been awakening to the truth surrounding harmful chemicals.But if we hope to secure a safer and healthier future for our children, we still have a long way to go.

The physical harm resulting from certain heavy metals and chemicals has been reported in the mainstream media, and few people can deny the amount of air pollutants poisoning our air, but information about chemical trails or “chemtrails” have long been scoffed at and considered to be the territory of conspiracy theorists, rather than educated scientists.

Silent Spring took Carson a total of four years to complete, and included very extensive research involving the use of pesticides on birds and amphibians. Carson accused the chemical industry of deliberately misleading the public about the effects their products had on various species, including human beings.

She posited that many of the environmental problems taking place in the late 1950s and early 1960s were caused by synthetic chemicals and were not, as many believed, simply a natural occurrence. Of course, a similar situation is at play right now, with many conservatives denying that climate change has been worsened by the use of chemicals.

In spite of the backlash that Carson received from the pesticide industry for speaking out about the controversy, the book ignited passion in many ordinary Americans. It sold over two million copies. For the first time in history, the scientific community was unable to hide the truth about harmful chemicals.

In 1999, paranormal radio talk show host Art Bell began promoting the idea that the innocuous-looking chemical trails left behind by aircrafts were actually made up of a deadly mixture of chemicals.

Award-winning journalist William Thomas has become a well-known figure in the conspiracy theory community for his work uncovering secret information about chemtrails. He has appeared on George Noory’s Coast to Coast AM discussing his book Chemtrails Confirmed, which hypothesizes that many different kinds of law enforcement employees are well aware of the chemtrail conspiracy and seek to keep it hidden from the public.

Thomas’ book includes interviews with police officers, U.S. marines, airline pilots, air traffic controllers, and tanker crews that confirm that chemtrails are used for malicious purposes, and that the government willingly oversaw a project that ensured that chemtrails would spread harmful diseases to unsuspecting citizens.

Research suggests that Congressmen approved the use of chemical agents in military jet fuel that leaves long-lasting chemtrails in the sky. It seems likely that this is specifically occurring in highly populated areas worldwide.

Many people in areas with high amounts of air traffic have observed planes flying overhead, leaving behind thick chemical trails that linger for far longer than the contrails emitted by average passenger planes. They have also reported strange symptoms, such as fatigue, lethargy, aching joints, breathing difficulties, and a “sick” taste in their mouths, which appear to be related to their proximity to chemtrails.

In February 1999, Bell was inspired by Thomas’ interest in chemtrails and took it upon himself to conduct some amateur research himself. He claims to have ventured into the fields beyond his Pahrump, Nevada home to examine the aerial spraying left behind by planes. He reported an unexplained illness soon after.

Although Thomas and Bell were the first to publicly discuss this topic, it is clear that Americans have been paranoid about chemtrails since the 1970s and even earlier. It makes sense, considering the success of Silent Spring and the gradual increase in public concern for the environment in the last fifty years.

Over the past fifteen years, since chemtrail suspicion since took hold of the American public, the theory has only gathered more and more followers.

Today there is undeniable proof the chemtrails are detrimental to all live forms on planet. It is common knowledge throughout the world that chemtails are deadly poisons. So, one might ask one’s self why do they continue to blot out the sky’s and who benefits by its use. This writer believes these aerial attracts upon humanity and all living things needs to come to an end. Write political leaders throughout the world and tell them to stop killing people, now.

Jay North

Can be found at One Globe Press

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Sample Ghostwriting Service from yours truly

Jay North

Former President Theodore Roosevelt was vehemently opposed to hyphenating Americans, whether they were American by birth or had become naturalized. In fact, it was a well-known fact that he was extremely anti-hyphen, and the media frequently publicized several of his speeches against the intentional division of the races in the United States.

In a speech given at a Knights of Columbus hall on Columbus Day 1915, Roosevelt made his position clear. He stated that:

“There is no room in this country for hyphenated Americanism. When I refer to hyphenated Americans, I do not refer to naturalized Americans. Some of the very best Americans I have ever known were naturalized Americans, Americans born abroad. But a hyphenated American is not an American at all […] The one absolutely certain way of bringing this nation to ruin, of preventing all possibility of its continuing to be a nation at all, would be to permit it to become a tangle of squabbling nationalities, an intricate knot of German-Americans, Irish-Americans, English-Americans, French-Americans, Scandinavian-Americans or Italian-Americans, each preserving its separate nationality, each at heart feeling more sympathy with Europeans of that nationality, than with the other citizens of the American Republic […] There is no such thing as a hyphenated American who is a good American. The only man who is a good American is the man who is an American and nothing else.”

Roosevelt’s audience was made up primarily of Irish and German Catholics, many of whom sympathized with the plight of their home countries during World War I and caused suspicion among their U.S.-born peers who believed that due to their hyphens, they could never be truly loyal to America alone.

Roosevelt himself made it clear that he did not disapprove of naturalization, and welcomed immigrants of a variety of ethnic backgrounds. He saw the benefits of naturalization and recognized that one did not need to be born on American soil to love and respect the country. Clearly some great shift has taken place in the many years since Roosevelt gave this passionate speech, since we now not only view immigrants with suspicion, but cannot even accept an American-born black person as a full American!

President Woodrow Wilson was similarly distressed by the term “hyphenated American.” His belief was that Any man who carries a hyphen about with him carries a dagger that he is ready to plunge into the vitals of this Republic whenever he gets ready.” While this statement might seem overly reactionary in hindsight, it indicates the fact that by the mid-1910s, when Wilson was in office, the American people had begun to associate the hyphen with disloyalty, treason, and betrayal.

With the threat of war hanging so heavily over our country, Americans at this time wanted to feel certain that they were standing as one, rather than as a divided nation. Those who appeared unwilling to leave behind their foreign loyalties were often the first to be singled out.

Today, cultural differences continue to thrive in many communities throughout the U.S. For example, most large cities have neighborhoods primarily occupied by people of one particular ethnic background. Certainregions and states have higher percentages of Hispanics, blacks, Asians, and those of Middle Eastern descent.Contrary to Roosevelt’s prediction that naturalized Americans would have to cease celebrating their heritage in order to fully adapt to the American way of life, our country has broadened its horizons and allowed for much diversity.

For many Americans with different ethnic backgrounds, the hyphen has become a way of life in itself, and something to be proud of. Many of us don’t stop to question how it may be directly influencing white Americans’ attitudes towards people of color. But early Americans were aware of the consequences of creating a “hyphen-nation,” and Roosevelt wasn’t the only President who took issue with it. Woodrow Wilson was also outspoken about his dislike of hyphenating American citizens.

The term “hyphenated American” was first used around 1889. Initially, it was not used derogatorily, but as the years went by, American citizens with racial biases took hold of it and gradually, the term began to enforce thesecond-class status of people of color living in the United States.

On August 9, 1899, a political cartoon appeared in the magazine Puck, depicting an image of a disgruntled Uncle Sam standing before a ballot box, frowning disapprovingly as a line of people, all of whom had apparently recently become naturalized, stood waiting to cast their votes. The text read, “Why should I let these freaks cast whole ballots when they are only half Americans?”

By 1915, when Roosevelt gave his Columbus Day speech, it had become a highly controversial term in the eyes of many Americans. By 2015, it is undeniable that it is now an extremely racially charged one, too.

Today, some linguistics experts argue that the term is simply a way of indicating foreign ancestry, and if anyone manages to find a negative racial connotation, they are being overly paranoid. The negative associations have long since been erased, they say, and hyphenating is merely a way of clarifying a person’s heritage. But history tells a different story.

There was a time when many Americans did employ the term to differentiate between what they saw as “real,” full-blooded Americans, and the other.In 1914, a group of Americans formed a “Nordic supremacy” moving, which was headed by Madison Grant, the president of the New York Zoological Society. This ideological movement took hold and spread rapidly after the release of Grant’s book Passing of the Great Race.

A popular view around this time was that the Nordic race was scientifically superior. Racial cleansing and eugenics were better, so-called “nationalists” claimed, for the fate of humanity as a whole.

This basic ideology encouraged racial prejudice and perhaps began to give communities affected by the wara scientifically legitimate reason to view “hyphenated Americans” with particular suspicion and disdain. And this very same worldview continues to encourage anti-black biases today.

Modern conservatives often point to Roosevelt’s speech as proof that the early Presidents did not wish for the United States to become a diverse, multicultural nation—even though Roosevelt’s opposition to the hyphen had more to do with anxieties about the impending war, and not diversification. He clarified that he was not opposed to naturalization as a general rule, but did not trust immigrants who still felt loyal to the countries of their birth.

According to the Literary Digest, released in October 1915, the hyphen was by far the biggest and most significant political issue of the day. Roosevelt, and to a lesser extent Wilson, saw the American people’s fervor surrounding this subject and attempted to suppress their anxieties about the war.

In the spring of 1916, Roosevelt would again discuss the hyphen in a speech given to an audience in St. Louis, Missouri. He spoke on the issue of what he called “Americanism.” This was the belief that to be a citizen of the U.S., one needed only to encompass the American “soul” and “spirit.”

His speech, now famously entitled “America for Americans,” centered mainly on the importance of maintaining a duty to American needs and leaving behind loyalty to other nations, no matter where you were born or raised. During wartime, this seemed reasonable to many people, although many others still believed that they had a right to divided loyalty. As such, they adopted the hyphen in order to carry their heritage with them proudly.

Later, people adopted the phrase “America for Americans” as the slogan used to advertise Roosevelt’s fierce opposition to the hyphen.

In this second speech, Roosevelt made the claim that:

“The children and children’s children of all of us have to live here in this land together. Our children’s children will intermarry, one with another, your children’s children, friends, and mine. They will be the citizens of one country. Even if they wished, they could not remain citizens of foreign countries. The attempt to keep them with a half citizenship, with a divided loyalty, split between devotion to the land in which they were born and in which their children are to dwell, and the land from which their fathers came, will merely mean that they fail to remain citizens of the old-world land and yet do not get the benefit of being citizens of the new-world land. The effort to keep our citizenship divided against itself by the use of hyphen and along the lines of national origin is certain to breed a spirit of bitterness and prejudice and dislike between great bodies of our citizens.”

He also goes on to say that when a foreign-born American returns to their home country, the citizens of that country immediately recognize that they have been Americanized, and as such no longer view them as fully Scandinavian, or fully Italian, or fully French, or fully African.

“The American of German descent who goes to Germany is not looked upon as a German. He is looked upon and treated as a foreigner, as an American; and his ways of thought are different from the ways of thought of the people of the land […] He becomes a man without a country who has forfeited the right to be stirred by the feeling of patriotic devotion to any land, or to have a special and peculiar kinship with any people. The American birthright is the birthright of all of us; and it is a shame and a disgrace for any man to barter it for so poor a mess of pottage as is implied in that kind of hyphenated citizenship which means that the individual tries to be a half-way citizen of two lands and forfeits the right to be a whole citizen of any land.

When our nation was formed in the stress of the Revolution, it was under the lead of men of many different race strains […] But they were all Americans and nothing else. Their loyalty to this country was whole-hearted and undivided, and they sought to serve only the United States and not any of the countries from which their ancestors had come.”

The resounding idea that all Americans are created equal has been passed down throughout the decades, from generation to generation, until its meaning has become so diluted that many of us say the words without being fully certain what it actually refers to.

If the original intention of “Americanism” was truly to erase our differences and ensure that we all had an equal chance at success in the new world, then it has become distorted unimaginably in the time that has passed since then. Americanism and Nordic supremacy became so intertwined at certain points in history that they were indistinguishable from one another, and today’s white nationalists claim that they are only protecting their ethnic heritage.

We now live in a vastly different socio-political climate than Roosevelt did in 1915. Racial tension is at an all-time high. Reports of police brutality against black Americans indicate without a doubt that prejudice and violence are still commonplace in America. And the hyphenno longer seems to be used as a marker of loyalty to America. Now it is simply used as a signifier, one that says clearly “you are different, no matter if you were born here or not.”

Still, we use it! Contrary to what Roosevelt would have wanted, we continue to use the hyphen, unceasingly, often due to the prevailing belief that we are doing the black community a disservice by not intentionally drawing attention to our otherness.

We are told that we must celebrate our uniqueness and our diversity, while simultaneously adopting a hyphenated name that does not necessarily speak to our own histories. While the U.S. has been built on the strengths of many different ethnic backgrounds, and it is important to recognize the differences in races, calling oneself an African-American without any personal association to Africa isn’t logical.

Roosevelt did make some accurate predictions. He was correct in assuming that the U.S. would become a uniquely multicultural nation, and the descendants of many people in his audience that day probably did end up raising several generations of American-born children who are raising their own children stateside today. Additionally, interracial marriage has become increasingly common, due to the diversity of ethnic backgroundsthat can currently be found throughout the United States.

What Roosevelt failed to predict was how the term “hyphenated American” would change over the course of a century to mean “someone with divided loyalties” to “someone who is different than you.” This is an important distinction to make because many of us continue to use the hyphen without realizing that it is a subtle microaggression.

In certain parts of the country, such as southern California, Hispanics have raised families for generations, and yet are still frequently viewed as outsiders, even though their parents and grandparents were born in the U.S.

I am not referred to as an African-American because I was born in Africa and became a naturalized citizen later in life. On the contrary, Americans like myself are Americans through and through. We are given that particular title in order to establish that we are still second-class citizens, distrusted solely by the color of our skin and not the legitimacy of our birth certificates. The hyphen serves as a very subtle reminder that we will never live up to the standards of the ideal American—that is to say, a white American.

Not to mention, the widespread fear surrounding undocumented immigration has made it increasingly difficult to be certain whether white Americans fear immigration as a whole or simply a certain kind of immigration. Historically, as Roosevelt said, we have not had a problem with immigration. We have, in fact, welcomed it, seen its value, and used it to create a diverse and strong nation made up of the combined strengths of many racial backgrounds.

Near the end of Roosevelt’s May 1916 speech, he described his own personal experiences with naturalized citizens and immigrants who became proud to be Americans:

“Here in this city I could repeat name after name of men of German birth who as American citizens have had distinguished records of intense loyalty to the Union, […] and as patriots.”

The same could be said about Americans today, many of them black, many of them given the label “African-American” as a misguided sign of respect. Most likely, you have black friends, neighbors, and colleagues who, at the back of their minds, see the hyphen and allow it to serve as a reminder that they are different, that they will never be viewed as full Americans, no matter what their personal experiences may be.

The hyphen began in Roosevelt’s day as a way of signifying patriotism. Now it has been twisted into a subtle, seemingly insignificant code word meaning “other” or “different.” Having now lived in the UK as well as the U.S., where the hyphen is unnecessary, I would love to see Americans begin to make a step towards removing it from their vernacular as well.

Please send a friend to http://ProfessionalWriterJayNorth.com

Emergence of the rainbow tribe

New World Rainbow Tribe Order—The Time Has Arrived 

Live by the golden rule—live and let live.

People throughout the world today recognize that where ever the IMF, The World Bank, Wall Street and US government policy has gone, mayhem has been left in the wake. Speared on only with power and control the dark side has had control for far too long. But people, real people speared by love peace and harmony will shake the world awake with the New World Rainbow Tribe Order and help reshape freedom and teaching of the Rainbow way to live and let live.

We The New World Rainbow Tribe Order

We proclaim our humanhood, living as free spiritual beings; and we proclaim a new way. Beginning with- live in harmony with planet Earth. Share more, start local groups that have local interest in mind. Stop depending on federalism. Serve and inspire others to service free of change. Make love the key component to all life—Spirit comes into our Life to teach us how to live in unconditional love, its time the message is taken to heart by all peoples worldwide. Utilize methods of cohesive living, discard principles that do not. Retrain police and military to be servants with compassion and understanding. Work together for the common good, not for completion. Work out deference’s with resolution communication not fear, jealousy and hate. Create a monetary system that leaves no one out. Redistribute wealth so that every humanoid on the planet has a decent standard of living. Make changes in laws that treat people with common good and stops punishing people. Create more food sharing programs; get everyone housed in safe and peaceful housing-worldwide. Start more free (non taxed) barter clubs for goods and services. End all wars, develop a department of Peace- allow female school teachers to run it. Take money out of politics, allow each community to govern its self. Re-treat the earth with environmental education for its people and expand recycling around the world. Outlaw game hunting except for food substance purposes—no living thing should be treated as a game animal. Collect and conserve water. Change energy use to free energy gathering and distribute it without charge to consumers. Rid the planet of all nuclear power. Use sun and wind energy to power our homes cars and other transportation. Rid us of GMO’s and make freedom in organic farming a principle.

Reestablish the tribe to respect and look after elders. Influence creative thinking in schools, support artist writers and inventors. Let no race creed or religion be left out. Ware rainbow colors daily, laugh sing and dance; the rainbow way has arrived. Raise your children with pure love.

Live in harmony-live and let live. New World Rainbow Tribe Order has arrived, just the way Leonard J. Mountain Chief said it would.

Aho brothers sisters come into the new sacred way

www.OneGlobePress.com

Who Is to Blame for Disastrous Fires Throughout the West?

By Jay North

Those who have been following the news for the past several months will recall the horrific wildfires that occurred in the Western states this past summer—primarily beginning in the Northwest, but causing ramifications as far south as the Bay Area in California.

Wildfires in California, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana, as well as the Canadian provinces of British Columbia and Alberta, were most disastrously affected, leading to thousands of people being evacuated from their homes and businesses.

Close to 2,000 professional firefighters combated the blaze in two affected areas in north-central Washington, but little hope could be restored to families who watched their neighborhoods burned quite literally to the ground.

It may come as a surprise to hear that those states considerably further away, seemingly out of the line of fire, were also facing consequences during this summer’s so-called “fire season,” mostly due to diminished air quality.

Satellite photos released by NASA show a frightening picture. The smoky haze is clear in these images taken above California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and parts of Montana.

Air quality stations in the mountainous regions of the northwestern states have also been extensively tracking these readings, and established that wildfire smoke has affected the quality of the air as far south as Tijuana, Mexico.

So why are we not having more success containing these natural disasters? Dry, hot weather resulting from climate change has long been stated as the primary reason for the increase in fires during the summer months, and the affects of these unpredictable, unseasonable heat waves cannot be overstated. The dry atmosphere has provided the ideal conditions for lightning strikes, which prompted several fires.

But there are other issues at play here that the media is conveniently ignoring in favor of more palatable information. The truth is, the U.S. Department of Forestry is in over their heads, and they know it.

It should not be surprising to learn that these wildfires are claiming lives, but the actual number of fatalities is higher than many Americans might assume. The death toll currently stands at fifteen firefighters, all of whom died while battling the flames in dangerous areas over the past two fire seasons alone. Other firefighters have been hospitalized due to non-fatal injuries, and at least one civilian has died this year in northern California, near Monterey County.

According to a statement released by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack during the week of September 20, a record $243 million was spent during that week alone to battle aggressive, fast-spreading wildfires.

Over eight million acres in total have been destroyed by fire. Homes in California, Washington, Oregon, Montana, and Idaho have been reduced to ash, causing devastating consequences to those who call those communities home. Firefighters from Australia were recruited to come to the U.S., as they have done numerous times over the past fifteen years when fire season became too great for American experts alone to handle.

Vilsack shared some more disquieting news. For the past six out of ten fire seasons, the U.S. Forest Service quickly found themselves running low on funds. (The budget set in place by Congress for firefighting is fairly small.) In order to continue fighting the fires, they quietly borrowed funds from organizations usually focused, ironically, on restoring forests and setting in place safeguards against fires.

Even though President Obama declared the state of Washington to be in a state of emergency this past August, many other scorched communities felt as though their health and safety was not being prioritized. Residents of several Napa County communities in California took matters into their own hands after being forced to evacuate to a fairground in Calistoga, California.

The residents stated that, due to the Red Cross’ dismal effort to reach their cities in time, they felt inclined to start their own grassroots relief corps to serve their own community. The northern California Valley Fire forced hundreds into evacuation, but the Red Cross’ slow response time indicated a startling lack of concern.

Awareness quickly spread across social media, urging locals to stop by the Napa County Fairgrounds to provide assistance, since the Red Cross had failed to provide even the most basic necessities.

Supporters of the Red Cross have claimed that the relief corps prioritizes building safe shelters, and sometimes that takes longer than is ideal. They also urge critics to keep in mind that the Red Cross responds to a vast array of natural disasters worldwide, and that they have very specific guidelines set in place in order to safely maintain evacuation shelters for extended periods of time.

But for northern California locals who witnessed their homes burned within minutes, the realization that their safe haven did not have blankets and toothpaste available was a distressing affirmation of their worst fears. Sometimes, the professionals will not be there to assist you, and when they fail to show up on time, human survival instinct kicks in.

Small communities of volunteers–motivated by compassion for their friends, family, and neighbors—often make a very large impact in the wake of traumatic events, and the hundreds of families herded into the Napa County Fairgrounds evacuation shelter are no exception.

Even the Red Cross itself is not trying to deny this harsh truth. Cynthia Shaw, who works as the regional communications director for the Red Cross of California Northwest, admits that local volunteers made up the majority of the shelter.

During the first few hours of the fire on September 12, Shaw said that only two paid Red Cross staff members were on site at the shelter. The shelter was otherwise being maintained, on a 24/7 basis, by a group of dedicated volunteers.

It is not especially comforting to learn that organizations like the Red Cross, who employ staff who are trained to deal with large-scale domestic and international disasters, are not always capable of providing immediate assistance, nor are they always able to distribute materials effectively. The shelter in Calistoga, for example, was seemingly ignored in favor of another in the nearby city of Kelseyville—and both were quickly filled to capacity.

For those who reside in upper rural areas, warnings do not always come soon enough. Residents of isolated areas such as Cobb Mountain in northern California are suggesting that they were not properly prepared for evacuation in the first place.

Government agencies typically contact residents via email or text message using a service called Nixle, but certain Cobb Mountain locals said that their warnings arrived hours late, after the inferno had already driven them out of their homes.

With a 2014 census indicating that the western states experienced the greatest population growth second only to those in the south, and the population of California alone being expected to grow to 50 million by 2050, many people are left wondering if the risk is too great to make their homes in these natural, idyllic mountainous regions of the country. Those who have called this part of the country home for many years are faced with the reality that one sweeping wildfire could destroy everything they hold sacred.

So what, exactly, is being done? According to XMRFire, an emergency services consultation company that operates in the western states, it is much more costly to fight a fire that has already started spreading than to set preventative measures in place beforehand.

There will never be enough personnel, water, equipment, and aircrafts to completely defeat the fires. What is possible is effectively strategizing and inspecting the danger zones so that necessary precautions can be taken.

XMFire provides comprehensive training for foresters to utilize cutting-edge technology such as GIS analysis, cause-origin investigations, and spatial fire behavior models. They also employ aerial and drone photographers to capture images before and after fires, and then map the area.

Threats, they say, can be minimized, if not completely suppressed, by investing time into educating foresters on prevention. In the long run, this could save a significant amount of money in damage. Potentially, lives could also be saved.

XMFire operates out of San Anselmo, California, but their services are widespread. They currently have numerous wildfire prevention projects set in place, and educate firefighters in departments throughout Ross Valley, Marin County, Lake Valley, and more. They are also associated with Urban Forestry Associates, Inc., a company of arborists and ecologists that specialize in forest management, tree risk assessment, and arboreal disease diagnosis.

Correctly identifying diseased and rotting trees could very easily be the key to preventing many wildfires in the west. Pathogens can quickly cause the health of trees to decline, causing the wood to rot and pine beetles to nest in them.

Other common pathogens are fungi and viruses, as well as the benign oak gall wasp pathogen, but the beetles, experts say, are causing the biggest problem. Back in 2013, Joseph Romm, a journalist for The Energy Collective, discussed the correlation between insect infestations and wildfires:

“…the mountain pine beetle, has already killed 70,000 square miles of trees—area the size of Washington state. As winters become milder, weather becomes drier and higher elevations become warmer, bark beetles are able to thrive and extend their ranges northward. An increase in some species of bark beetle can actually increase the risk of forest fires in areas affected by the beetle — the study notes an outbreak of the mountain pine bark beetle, which attacks and kills live trees, created a “perfect storm” in 2006 in Washington, where affected lodgepole pines burned “with exceptionally high intensity.”

However, a study conducted at the University of Colorado Boulder indicated that forests with large amounts of beetle infestations were not more likely to burn. Researchers first selected three particularly disastrous years for wildfires in the west (2006, 2007, and 2012), and then examined specific areas of land that were destroyed by fire during those times.

The study was extensive and thorough. Researchers used ground, air, and satellite data to produce clear images of the landscape. The lead researcher on this study, Sarah Hart, stated that:

“The bottom line is that forests infested by the mountain pine beetle are not more likely to burn at a regional scale. We found that alterations in the forest infested by the mountain beetle are not as important in fires as overriding drivers like climate and topography.”

In spite of this, it is still important to note that mountain pine beetle outbreaks have made a significant impact on the natural landscape throughout the U.S.—even as far north as Alaska, Hart said. Trees have suffered a higher mortality rate due to pine beetle infestations caused by unusually warm, dry temperatures throughout the west. These small insects have destroyed 24,700 square miles of forests across the western states.

In Colorado, where logging has become common, environmentalists are not convinced that wildfires pose as great a threat as the U.S. Forest Service would have them believe. They have a growing concern: has wildfire prevention gone too far?

The state of Colorado, where wildfires are inevitable, has long been heralded as a region of immense natural beauty, and for centuries, fire has encouraged the forest and its wildlife to thrive. The occasional inferno has helped make room for new growth. In addition, recreational activities and snow sports such as skiing have caused the area to prosper.

But now things appear to be changing. Loggers from the U.S. Forest Service, who believe that forest thinning can prevent wildfire and keep both animals and people safe, tax locals up to $1,200 per acre to essentially destroy the landscape that Colorado residents call home. Many locals are disturbed by the implications of these projects, such as the Ophir Mountain Forest Health and Fuels Reduction Project in Frisco, Colorado, which seeks to “protect communities and restore natural processes to forest ecosystems.”

Many of the national forests that are being logged in Colorado are miles away from the nearest residential area, so locals do not understand why such extensive precautions are being taken. Scientific evidence gathered by the University of Colorado Boulder’s Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research suggests that forest thinning is ineffective at preventing wildfires in areas that are already prone to extreme dryness and drought.

Fires in Colorado’s forested areas have historically been common, and many homeowners have accepted this reality. Locals who oppose logging and clear cutting point to the many federal, regional, state-wide, and regional grants available to Colorado residents wishing to “fireproof” their homes with the appropriate treatment.

Fire resistant homes really do seem to make a difference. In 2014, a wildfire just north of San Diego, California, destroyed some homes—but left many others relatively unscathed. The homes left standing shared some commonalities: they did not have flammable brush anywhere nearby, their trees were not trimmed, and they had placed small screens over their vents and other openings.

It appears that those homeowners who do not overlook small details and take the necessary steps to protect their homes are the most successful. Something as seemingly insignificant as an uncovered attic vent or pine needles in the rain gutters can be the difference between a house and a pile of ash.

It may not be possible to construct an entirely fireproof building, but when such small steps have been proven to protect homes, it does make one question whether excessive logging is necessary.

Jay North, author, environmentalist, social activist and organic gardener can be reached at OneGlobePress.com or professionalwriterjaynorth.com

Come into Sacred Ceremony

With Jay and Leonard J. Mountain Chief

Leonard said, “One day all people everywhere will come to know who they are. They will realize their own strength and power and be able to give loving service through their newfound knowledge and personal power.”

He said that people already know this and that they either mask this inner wisdom or have somehow managed to forget who they truly are. “People act in funny ways when they are not being their true selves,” he said and laughed out loud.

Leonard said that we are all leaders, writers, and artists; we are all mothers and fathers, teachers and healers. To Leonard there was nothing more important than people knowing who they are and what their true calling, or purpose for life, is.

“Come into scared ceremony,” Leonard called. “Retrieve your soul, and never be shrouded in mystery again. Carry with you a hand drum, a shaker, sage, and a gift offering.

“Deep in those mountains, there is a valley. It has been sacred to our people for thousands of years and holds great medicine power unknown to most. Some of your people may not even recognize the power as they sit on this land,” he said.

“Walk in, come to sacred ceremony in reverence and silence as you approach this valley. Ask the ancestors’ permission to be there. Give praise and thanksgiving to the Creator for providing such a wondrous place. Take with you a valued possession and offer it as a sacred gift. Build an altar and chant a prayer. It does not matter in what language,” Leonard said. “The Creator hears all languages.

“As you near the center of the valley, find your spot or the place you feel most comfortable, lay a blanket, and sit. Quiet your mind. Do not speak until it is time. Call in the ancestors and the great ones to be at your side and welcome their presence. Sit quietly for as long as you can. Light the sage, and with its smoke, bless this place, the surroundings, yourself, and whoever entered with you.

“Drum the drum song, chant and sing, and allow the Great Spirit to take over sacred ceremony. Allow Him to do the talking through you as you ask, ‘Who am I?’  It does not matter if you are unsure of the words that come, let them come. Dance, sing, and chant. If you have located running water and it is nearby, use your hands to scoop up the water to wash your face and head. Ask for purification. Continue to wash until you are cleansed. Continue. Allow the words to come. Be not concerned about whose words they are; be not concerned about your brain or any other apparent distraction, and simply ask.

“Now, ask again, ‘Who am I?  Who am I?  What is my reason for being here?’  Allow the great one to speak and you listen,” Leonard advised.

“Some may need to go into the sweat lodge to help find these answers. Others may need to fast for several days. Some may need to climb the sacred mountain and stay on top for a week or more. Others will find it necessary to live the teepee life alone for an entire year to discover who they are and why they are here. No one is exempt from knowing these answers,” said Leonard. “Money will not buy the desired result, drugs will only mask the way, and many therapists are of no value. Only the Great One can help reveal this and He does so through sacred ceremony.

“The only way for one to know is to ask, look, and be silent.

“Sacred ceremony is for anyone who chooses to know. It is not for the coward, for once one knows who they are and their reason for being, they will find they must take action in their lives and this may require drastic changes. This is not an easy way and the lazy will not attempt this path at all,” he said.

“Come into sacred ceremony,” Leonard called, “all the answers will be revealed there.”

“This is not a once in a lifetime action. All mysteries are not revealed all at one time. No,” Leonard said, “it is continuous. It is a process for your full development as a human being here in this place and the unfoldment of your soul. It takes patience and persistence. Remember this,” he continued, “just when you think you have gone as far as you can and you’re just too tired to go on and feel like giving up, that is when the mysteries will reveal themselves to you. There are many mysteries that will unfold during ceremony, and that is what makes this a process a lifelong journey.”

Leonard said, “Once I had a young man come to me crying, ‘I am going insane, Leonard, what do I do?’  I replied, ‘Dive deep into the pool of insanity. That is the only way for you to transcend it. That is your ceremony. There is no other way.’

“To walk the Red Path takes courage and determination. Never take the weak or half-hearted into sacred ceremony; you will only waste your energy,” said Leonard.

“When one comes out of ceremony with newfound knowledge, they often cry in gratitude and want to offer a gift to the leader of ceremony. If you lead, never turn down the gift; you would only take away their appreciation and accomplishments,” said Leonard. “For now they know who they are and know they know their path. Now they can fully love themselves and their neighbors. No one has told them this. No unwanted advice was given; no special training was required. Their own knowing and willingness to do ceremony has given them the knowledge that so many crave and no one can ever take that away.

“Never go into sacred ceremony lightheartedly,” he insisted, “You can only enter with reverence, in silence, and with appreciation in your heart and love for the Great One.”

Leonard could not stress enough the respect we must demonstrate for sacred ceremony and the appreciation we must show. To always praise the Creator and give thanks in deep appreciation is of paramount importance to The People of the Blackfeet Nation.

In a casual world, we no longer approach things with the reverence they deserve. Are we afraid of being serious? “Perhaps,” said Leonard. Maybe we would be well served to ponder the seriousness of our lives, to focus on our health, our path and the welfare of others. Laughter, it is said, is the best medicine, and no one enjoyed a good laugh more than Leonard. But he was not afraid to give any situation the reverence it called for. “It is basic human respect,” he said, “there is no other way.”

Leonard said, “They may take our land, they may destroy my body, but they can never take away my real life and knowing who I am.”

Leonard was a great man, huge in spirit, quiet in demeanor and a pure joy to be with. And still is very much today.

From Jays book, Open Spaces; My life With Leonard J. Mountain Chief

OneGlobePress.com