Category Archives: Osage

Spending Christmas with the Monkeys

Cows have the right of way As we wind through the narrow roads in northern India, we occasionally see a cow alongside the car. Cows have the right of way in India. I wouldn’t be surprised if cows in other … Continue reading

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Becoming Buddhist

I am inching toward becoming a Buddhist and find myself torn. When practitioners “become” Buddhists, they are given the name of an ancestor. And this is where my panic digs in. It’s not just the accoutrements of religion–the bowing and … Continue reading

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Celebrating Native Humor

Countering the Stoic Indian  Artist Zig Jackson takes gentle digs at the intersections of cultural humor in Indian Country and urban America. A recent collection displayed at the Portland Art Museum showed an Indian in headdress (Jackson) poised against a … Continue reading

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Green or Blue?

Digging into words can be tricky And not everyone agrees with the theories about how words mean, which can drive you crazy. The most basic, common-sense idea is that people who hear messages invoke their own sense of what they … Continue reading

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What is your American dream?

Our local public broadcasting service is asking folks to share their vision of the American Dream. They ask: What is your American Dream? How have your experiences shaped and changed your concept of the American Dream? How, if it all, … Continue reading

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The Day Julia Joined the Osage

My uncle sat in the front seat while I drove his car, pointing out the sights on our drive to Pine Ridge—there’s Russell Means’ house, there’s the Agency, there’s Big Bat’s store. We parked the car and John, my daughter … Continue reading

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My mother: the cop

An enduring memory of my mother was her sheer authority. She literally packed a pistol. As a deputy sheriff for Los Angeles County, she carried a purse that had a built-in holster for her gun. One day, she clearly and … Continue reading

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What is courage?

Today’s news made me wonder: how do you define courage? I heard a report that one of the US presidential candidates was “strong” and “courageous” after taking on the gun lobby No doubt it takes guts to get behind sanctions … Continue reading

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30 Poems in 30 Days

My weekend poems took shape on the train ride to Seattle and return, and while we soaked up the sunshine in outdoor cafes, I tried to keep up with the 30 poems in 30 days promise. Poem 15 Safe Weekend … Continue reading

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Coping

Family Gathering This week some of my sisters and I returned to Oklahoma to take care of paperwork–always best done in person on the Rez–and visit relatives at Greyhorse cemetery. Our ancestors’ headstones stand side by side by side: Relatives … Continue reading

Posted in american indian, family values, Indian, Indian remains, memory, native american, native press, Native Science, Osage | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment