Sunrise and tsores
I start my day off as usual: walking the half mile and back from the Village to the levy, listening to my book.
After making coffee and sitting quietly at the campfire, listening to the birds, allowing the warm breeze to softly encompass me, I set about cleaning up a little around the land. I take down the battered tents that no longer are usable and stack along side the other garbage, separating out things that are still usable, picking up all the small pieces of trash blowing across the village or smashed into the hard earth.
I separate the cans and bottles from the bags of garbage and hope someone can take them to the recycling center.
Ruth stops by with her boys who all remember me, even though it's been months since I've seen them. We catch up around the fire and share coffee and fruit.
One of the cemetery family representatives stops by also to convince me they are justified in taking away Native land. I'm so deeply sad she, who lives over 400 miles away, would want to eliminate this village that until the tribe took over responsibility for it, was nothing but overgrown vacant land.
The tribe, who was so deeply committed to stopping the construction of the 'wall' they put their bodies on the line, has a vision of not just reclaiming land they never gave up but of making a string of villages along the 'border' with various purposes besides housing, like a museum, cultural center, community organizing and creating a vibrant Native-centric village life. She represents the people who believe that the wall is no longer a threat - which is why they agreed to the Village in the first place - as it did not get funds appropriated this last session - which means we were successful!! For now...
Earlier the county sheriff banged on my door to let me know that some people filed a complaint against me, saying I was trespassing. He was quite confused when I told him I came there at the invitation of the tribe's chief, that I wasn't on cemetery land but on unceded Carrizo/Comecrudo Nation land. He asks for my name and information which I refuse to give him, then informs me he doesn't have the authority to make me move but that the judge will have to decide whenever it goes to court.
I told the cemetery representative how disappointed I was, angry even, that they couldn't face me and talk with me themselves, how dangerous let alone disloyal it was for them to go to men with guns to solve their issues.
Like we don't have enough to deal with today?
If I can't get my Radical Ride Baby fixed, I'll probably leave her here to hold the space if that is wanted until other members of the tribe can come over and stay here.
After making coffee and sitting quietly at the campfire, listening to the birds, allowing the warm breeze to softly encompass me, I set about cleaning up a little around the land. I take down the battered tents that no longer are usable and stack along side the other garbage, separating out things that are still usable, picking up all the small pieces of trash blowing across the village or smashed into the hard earth.
I separate the cans and bottles from the bags of garbage and hope someone can take them to the recycling center.
Ruth stops by with her boys who all remember me, even though it's been months since I've seen them. We catch up around the fire and share coffee and fruit.
One of the cemetery family representatives stops by also to convince me they are justified in taking away Native land. I'm so deeply sad she, who lives over 400 miles away, would want to eliminate this village that until the tribe took over responsibility for it, was nothing but overgrown vacant land.
The tribe, who was so deeply committed to stopping the construction of the 'wall' they put their bodies on the line, has a vision of not just reclaiming land they never gave up but of making a string of villages along the 'border' with various purposes besides housing, like a museum, cultural center, community organizing and creating a vibrant Native-centric village life. She represents the people who believe that the wall is no longer a threat - which is why they agreed to the Village in the first place - as it did not get funds appropriated this last session - which means we were successful!! For now...
Earlier the county sheriff banged on my door to let me know that some people filed a complaint against me, saying I was trespassing. He was quite confused when I told him I came there at the invitation of the tribe's chief, that I wasn't on cemetery land but on unceded Carrizo/Comecrudo Nation land. He asks for my name and information which I refuse to give him, then informs me he doesn't have the authority to make me move but that the judge will have to decide whenever it goes to court.
I told the cemetery representative how disappointed I was, angry even, that they couldn't face me and talk with me themselves, how dangerous let alone disloyal it was for them to go to men with guns to solve their issues.
Like we don't have enough to deal with today?
If I can't get my Radical Ride Baby fixed, I'll probably leave her here to hold the space if that is wanted until other members of the tribe can come over and stay here.
posted by Xan @ 1:05 PM
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