CHERISHED MEMORY
I wish to convey a sincere “Thank You” to all the staff there…Your publication has helped renew hope to a lost soul, although I do not practice Christianity, I do follow Judaism.
I am the son of a Creek Indian father and a Cherokee/Irish mother. Born and raised in Oklahoma. Since leaving my homeland, I have strayed from my Native roots. Of course, I’ll always be “Stajodi” at heart or Indian as my “race” is listed here.
I don’t attend the American Indian Religious service here because the circle is many times over desecrated. I pray in a native Hebrew tongue which I discovered is very, very similar to the “Muskogean” language I was taught at birth. So Judaism itself has helped to kindle the fire in my heart as to who, and what, and why I am the person G-d created.
I felt tears well up in my eyes as I remembered my heritage. There are many stories I remember as I sat at council with my elders.
As a small child, we were taught to identify the “wild onion” from an “imposter,” Aunt “Sajee” called them. These imposters if accidentally mixed in would ruin a whole pot of the “wild onions” not to mention [give] a bad bellyache.
It is still not uncommon in the early spring to see local Natives out on dirt roads walking with baskets gathering the “wild onion” that our Creator would provide when no meat was found, snow covered the ground and every year around the Town of Okmulgee, Oklahoma, my Tribe (Creek) still has the “Green Onion Festival”…
Much the same, each year the Jews gather First Fruits to give the Creator His offering, then to receive of what’s been provided by HIS open and generous hand.
Thank you, “Indian Life” for a cherished memory relived! Also for the blessing you all deliver in your bi-monthly paper.
S.A., North Carolina
RADICAL CHANGE
I have been receiving Indian Life for the last 8 years while being incarcerated. I have greatly enjoyed it. I have had a radical change in my life when Jesus came in.
The only thing I care about is seeing people receiving Jesus…I know that in Indian Country there are a lot of problems and it hurts me, especially since I am Crow/Cree and I hear reports from family or in the newspaper of deaths, suicides, assaults going on the rezs.
K.R., Texas
