Witte Museum- Give Back Our Ancestors

I recently attended a protest against the Witte Museum, an institution that has been around San Antonio since 1926. They had obtain a collection of Native American remains in 1928 from Seminole Canyon located near Del Rio, TX. These bones have been in dry storage for years until a St. Mary's Native American Student Association member photographed the remains during a pow wow held by United San Antonio Pow Wow Organization at the Witte. A plan of action was instituted, and we are now asking the Witte out of common courtesy to give the bones back over to the Native community for reburial.

The argument that the Witte has given our community is that the bones are not related to any of the Texas Indians tribes, because they were here long before any tribe developed in this state. The validity of this argument is ludicrous at best, and completely out of context with regards to common sense. One would never say such statements regarding their own heritage, then why make inflammatory remarks against any Native group? If we would go digging up the Museum employees' Great Great Grandparents stating we are doing so in the name of scientific research, we would be locked up for grave robbing- not to mention having to give the remains back for reburial at our expense. Not only do they claim their crime was done in the name of science, but they use the very laws that were enacted to protect our burial grounds from being exploited on our people. For any group to get back the bones, a Federally Recognized Tribe must lay claim to the remains and prove a connection to them. I wish that was true to the money the Federal Government asks from us in the lieu of Income Taxes- at least that's what I think.

The Witte, just like the Bureau of Indian Affairs, keeps using the laws to circumvent their treachery against the Native people and will keep dong it until the Federal Government steps up and actually enforces their own laws and treaties that they themselves have broken by deceitful means. So to be courteous to the Texas Native community- do the right thing Witte and give the remains back without spewing legal doubletalk.

Native Americans and Mexicans- Why the controversy?

Seems like wherever I go in this state I hear the same things over and over again. We recently (Running Waters & ADRIT) were asked to go bless a park for a event that was upcoming in the near future, and were given the details of what was to be done. The next statement rang in my ears like a bad note from a out of tune piano, as the person requesting our help said they didn't want "any Azteca or Mejican drumming" at the event. I was not surprised by this statement, but I was disappointed in this particular relation as to their attitude against those of the southern land.

First of all, Native American is a misnomer (America was a name given to this land by a demented mapmaker named Amerigo Vespucci, because those who "found" the "New World" failed to name it.) given to the people of Turtle Island (both North AND South) by the United States. Because of this, most Indigenous people have a warped definition of Native, thinking being Native American means being from the United States. Native Americans encompass all Indigenous people of North America and South America, as well as the Caribbean Island area. This attitude toward our brothers to the South could be likened to the movies seen in Hollywood- when we talk about Mejicans (pronounced meh-shee-kan, not meh-hee-can) it is almost like the line by Charlton Heston in Planet of the Apes where he says "Damn you dirty apes, damn you all to hell." We need to rethink the way we perceive Aztecan/Mejican culture, because immigration is not just affecting the Mexican Nationals, it is affecting Native Peoples who enjoy the Dual citizenship of both countries- like the Tohonom O'ahdam, the Kickapoo, Lipan Apaches, etc. The Aztecan culture has survived its share of atrocities just like every other Nation here today, and they must be shown the same respect in order for our people to live in harmony and strength when the time come for the 5th world to manifest. I for one embrace our brothers to the South, and I see their culture just as important to my learning as my own Lipan heritage. We are all related by our actions to Earth Mother and the Creator, only division is the teaching of the EuroAmerican social order which is out of balance of what we are taught by our elders. Respect is the most important quality we have, and we must respect all Indigenous peoples- Mejican or not.