Speaker 0 00:00:05 <inaudible> just tell me what is that? <inaudible>
Speaker 1 00:01:00 Wake up, wake up, wake up. Yes. This is indigeneity rising all across turtle Island and to all those Indian canoes out on the waters, we're heard only on caffeine on fresh air radio. So we are 42 years old radio without boundaries heard locally at 90.3 FM HD in Minneapolis, st. Paul, and live on the web
[email protected]. We're also on Facebook live this afternoon. So you can check us out there by going to <inaudible> dot org or Facebook and finding our live page there as well as we open every episode every Wednesday at one o'clock in the afternoon, central daylight time, the, that was Kelly Jackson, who is locked to Flambeau and she always sings that opens that up for us with a wake up. And that's a DOE NC on the hip hop interlude, uh, that, uh, Anthem came out of standing rock as well. So I hope you enjoy that.
Speaker 1 00:02:05 We enjoy playing it here. Every time we open the program, Alon Roy Tanner, Pawnee nation of Oklahoma, your host for news analysis, commentary and conversation, as well as inspiration about indigenous people, native American identity, your reality and experience. And this is the episode for a Wednesday, August the fifth 2020 I'm in studio stronghold is I've been saying for a while now on the bank. So beautiful many Hawk Creek you're in South Minneapolis in the heart of Minneapolis, Minnesota turtle Island. We're sending our signal out to across the Milky way out into the university, and we're gonna make our ancestors proud. I guarantee that today. I know people throw that word around a lot, but I can tell you that is the truth. I will tell you why in just a few minutes here, but, uh, just wanted to, uh, share with you that, uh, coming up on Sunday, I believe it is August.
Speaker 1 00:03:06 The ninth is going to be the United nations international day for the world's indigenous people. And that's a commemoration they've been celebrating that poor quite some time. Now it started out as a day, only in the early 1990s, I believe 1992. And then later the UN extended it to, uh, a whole week and then later a whole month. But, uh, that day in particular is the day that is always commemorated with activities in both in New York and in Geneva, Switzerland, and across, uh, across the globe, wherever there are indigenous people that are gathering as well. And then next Tuesday, I wanted to mention this because it'll have already passed by the time we're back on the air next Wednesday, but next Tuesday, and that is August the 11th. Back in 1978, the U S Congress passed the American Indian religious freedom act, which established a guaranteeing native Americans here in the United States, the capability to practice their traditional and other pan Indian native religions that had been closed off to them for so many years, almost decades.
Speaker 1 00:04:20 In fact, as part of the extermination and the assimilation programs of the United States federal government. So that legislation had to be put into place to guarantee that there were many instances, a native American church and other traditional tribal and nation religions that were prohibited both by missionary societies, by Indian agents and by the United States military. And so that had to be put into place to guarantee those freedoms that so many others had already other races, I should say that were American and already, uh, obtained. So that had to be confirmed. And particularly as it's a right of indigenous people, that's included in this international declaration on the world's indigenous people. Well, just wanted to share that with you before we get started this afternoon. And I have a wonderful guest, it's her first time here on indigeneity rising. So I'm going to welcome her in just a minute, but let me give you just a little background about her.
Speaker 1 00:05:26 If you saw the indigeneity rising Facebook page, I just barely provided a glimpse of what she is all about and who she is. And I'm talking about a great grandmother, Mary Lyons. She is leech Lake Ojibwe or initial NABI from here in Minnesota and reading off of from a wisdom lessons. This is actually the site for the book that I've been at stations that she has authored. It says her heart for adoption of care has been deeply saturated in her personal life, because she's been someone who has experienced that herself she's fostered children with disabilities for more than 30 years, she has an Indian child welfare act expert witness, native American family and child advocate for various tribes, cofounder of the celebrating the native child conferences, creator of native American chugs, which is children having unique group, a support and her ongoing support, a wellness and wellbriety, uh, particularly as it relates to, uh, chemical abuse and other drug abuse problems for native Americans.
Speaker 1 00:06:38 That's how I started to become aware of her singing her name. And of course with Facebook, uh, her personality, her portfolio is just exploded, uh, across turtle Island as well as, uh, globally as well. And she can tell us a little bit about that. I'm going to give her an opportunity here just to, uh, uh, tell us more about herself and her own motivation for this work that she is pursuing. She is, uh, an indigenous Soulja boy elder and, uh, an adherent of the, um, uh, Damon lodge religion, which is the traditional Ojibwe or initial not be a religion. And I'm also a family person. So she can tell us a little bit more about that her children and grandchildren. So welcome Mary Lyons. How are you?
Speaker 2 00:07:24 Oh, good mean it's an honor to, to be here. So, uh, I just came back from the invisible line, in fact, that we probably pulled into the twin cities about an hour ago to full moon ceremonies. And, uh, and that's, that's my way of getting out and getting my fresh year as I go home or go to the reservations. We, uh, pick our medicines in his stuff and I get to wave to all my elder relatives, sisters and brothers, you know, from the car and, you know, and we have our, our, uh, our conversations of humor, which makes me laugh all the way home thinking about, you know, what we talked about, you know, the silliness. So I went up home to get some good medicine and out there. And
Speaker 1 00:08:11 Well, I was going to say, I certainly appreciate you taking the time to spend with us, Mary, you know, I wanted to have you on for quite some time. And particularly after the events of, uh, you know, the COVID, uh, 19 or the coronavirus declaration by the, uh, by the governor, but also the George Floyd incident here in Minneapolis. I'm so glad that you're, you're able to spend some time with us because I think we need your words and your wisdom. And the lesson says you describe that we all sometimes get, uh, distant from particularly those of us living here in the metropolitan areas. So thank you for joining us this afternoon. I appreciate it very much. I enjoy seeing your smiling face as well. I, you know, I follow on Facebook,
Speaker 2 00:08:59 Jerry I'm serious, but I can't ever it's. I just feel that, um, you know, I think to humble yourself and the reason why I laugh so, so much in this stuff is because that's what I was brought up to do because that's medicine. And, um, when times get tough and out there, that's what I say. You gotta have that medicine in you because it just sends a door opens and everything all over the place, but I'm hard of hearing. I can hardly see I'm slightly colorblind. I don't work. I mean, you can go on and on, but do I enjoy a way my personality on that? Probably, probably I would say you'd only be good looking for so long and all that, the rest of their opportunity, you know, 60 years, you know, and we're just kind of laughing at there, but yeah, I, you know, when you got ahold of me and when you, um, when you invited me on, I thought it was, you know, it was such an honor because I, to see you in the community, pretty much into a lot of the arenas of where, uh, myself and Matt, and just to give you a little bit of information, you know, um, I travel with a lot of the grandmothers and the indigenous grandmothers and a lot of the, uh, global wisdom keepers in anther.
Speaker 2 00:10:16 And that's all, all, you know, she's all just fancy in it, but it's not, it's always been that way. And, uh, I, my soap, you know, uh, was it helper with the grandmothers and just, uh, never wanted to wait my turn to sit at that seat until the great grandmother passed away. And of course it was given on, and that's just part of who we are as the medieval. And like you said, in a religion and people wanted on the day when a new lodge in this stuff, and they will go into that, but we've always kept that part of, um, our spirituality real close to us because we didn't want that to people to take up on it and to start, you know, buying into it, selling it personality. So for me, when they asked me about my day, when it's the good life, it's the time you entered that doorway until the time you leave that doorway is you have to practice all those seven grandfather.
Speaker 2 00:11:09 We called grandfather grandmother. She told me this stuff and do the best you can. You know, you come into the student, you walk as a student and you leave as a student. So we try to teach the women within our family. Um, and I think a lot of people see us coming around or, you know, they, I think we never really came up that much within our muddied practices or what we do until we got permission. And that was about, Oh, I guess I always want to say seven is going on nine years now. And after that nine years in a therapy, I really had this. Uh, and it's very rare that I say I, cause I always speak in the we, because it's, it's, uh, we were never taught to speak. I, because that is a grandiose and that is not the character of who we are.
Speaker 2 00:11:59 We talk because our spirit rests in his body. So we have our spirit of who we are that resting his body is it's a download of information about the ancestors that walked before us, because we always knew water carried memory. You know, it just took all these scholars, tons of, you know, to come up and say, Oh, you have never heard that, you know, water, cherries memory, you know, but we always student is indigenous people. So having said that, you know, we had to come out and to Sue amongst one another, because when people talk about seven generations, um, it started to be just a conversation and not a feeling that energy feeling was fading out because it became symbolic. And you could see the ancestors kind of weeping and crying because if somebody asked me what to say, seven generations, what was, how was it taught to me now, mind you, these teachings are right by anybody who's who speaks it, that breeze, that breath, because that's what their ancestors taught them.
Speaker 2 00:13:16 So I'm by no means, say somebody is wrong. This is just the teaching that was bestowed on my ancestor line is that I know my mother, my grandmother, and my great grandmother. I know my daughter, my granddaughter and my great-granddaughter. I'm very fortunate. And I am the seventh generation that holds that balance that will tell the stories of three generations passed onto the three generations that is with me. I don't have that present knowledge and those stories that you can move to and from, it will become just a rhythm of words. And that essence of that feeling will be lost because it's sad these days, when you see people will say on I'm very cultural or I'm this, and I'm that in one breath. And as soon as they turn their head and they inhale and exhale, they will say the opposite of negativity or us.
Speaker 2 00:14:28 It's a good life. It's with every breath, you're your ancestors, right on that breath of life. And when you speak with the pork tongue, we say, split tongue is that holds that balance. And you can either bring it back into balance, or you can even just speak real good. Or usually when you have a split tongue, it means you're, you're not being a very good person. And so we, we bring this to light and it, it, you shouldn't have to come in the forefront to do something for you and your ancestors. And so when we move within anybody's territory and stuff, we were always taught. And that was another thing that we were, we had to listen to throughout a lands and this stuff. And that's with all the elders and out there, because they said the similar things from all the tribes, all the nations, um, just everything globally around the world is that as soon as the evidence presents itself through our prophecies, is that when we stop being the original gardeners and caretakers, and we've put that to being landlords, is that we shall be no more because our grandiose thinking, it's not creative, that's going to do it.
Speaker 2 00:15:50 We're going to do it to herself. So within all the elders and the spiritual leaders and out there, they sit silent in prayer. Many people don't even know who they are and that's the way we, you, he keep it. But you know, when they're about, because everybody knows one, because if you go into a crowd nuts, or you always meet somebody, it feels real good. You know, you always laugh, you feel comfortable around them. They got a real sense of spirituality. Cause we always say, we don't come just as us. And if there's one person, we come with millions because our ancestors are innocent all around us. Does that make sense? Yeah. So many people seem to forget this. And right now we are in those prophecies of when people are becoming landlords, even indigenous people, because they say, this is my land and they really take it to heart.
Speaker 2 00:16:52 This is this isn't our land we're caretakers. We were original gardeners. We were gifted to come and to be a student here and to nourish in what this world has to offer us and to hear in the laughters of the memory as indigenous people and indigenous people, even from the Island nursing and stuff that were the very last people that were to be colonized, still have this very strong belief in them. But even within those products, within those prophecies, we say that our rivers will become colorful. That means the rivers in our veins and the sta we will become the blended society as a oneness because we won't forget what humanity is about. And we will fight tooth and nail and show such destruction in anger that he will even shake the Thunderbirds in the heavens and their take of their thunder won't and be as terrifying as what is happening here on those little footprints on mother earth, because people will be walking around chaotically because they forgot those original obligations of what it is to be here.
Speaker 2 00:18:10 And to be here is to honor, because one year spirit comes into your mother's womb. He builds a blanket around that spirit for up to nine months, downloads all that information. And so the spirits swims in water and they feel the warrant. And when they enter that entrance door to mother earth and take their first breath air, and they combine it with fire that warm and they're welcomed into earth where they stand and they nourish, you see those four elements shows no prejudice, mankind, womankind, dude, that she err, you know, are I look out my window every day? And I say, such Jimmy, <inaudible> this tree here because that's my brother's sister. That's that's my relative because we share that same breath without that I wouldn't be breathing. And so you have to take into appreciation of all of this. But when we see today, which was told this, the prophecies were becoming more visible, you know, in the forties, in the fifties, in the sixties, in the seventies and everything was presenting itself.
Speaker 2 00:19:26 So the download was happening real fast, real fast. And so everybody, every tribal person wanted to be better than the other one. I can do this. I can do that. So we became very competitive at once against one another. And these were told in the prophecies, because they said that serpent will drop its negativeness into our pools of water and we'll drink from it. And there's so many prophecies that will lead to it because they say we were born in the purest pools of water. And when we come up, we'll seek the most dangerous of wealth. Now it's reversed, or now the spirits are born in the most changes of waters. And now when they come out, they want the most purest of Wells, which I'm saying is that alcohol and the contamination of our waters is so plentiful and so visible. It is created such chaos and it's right in front of you and people don't see it.
Speaker 2 00:20:35 And every person of color will fight for it. And it's legal. And now it has started to destroy the mechanics and the body of the women that are supposed to soar the purest of waters and sort of bodies are coming out. Spirits are wonderful. There's nothing wrong with the spirits, but their bodies are kind of like a damaged, they called me local health children. But this isn't something that's new. This has been around since there's been alcohol, because you know, if something doesn't seem right sound right, or how stupid was that they did, you shouldn't condemn a person for what, you know, they can do better on you folks to step back and go, Oh my God, they're not all 100%. Right? So they have some mechanical breakdown. So you have to work within, within what they're capable of doing because you know, that fight or flight, you know, people will go, geez, how come those women stay with those men?
Speaker 2 00:21:41 And they fight, you know, I was doing all that stuff, but if you step back and if you look at stuff like this, you have to remember, well, maybe something in their neurological component in this stuff, we're short of being proper wiring. And so there must be for self stimulation, deep body compressions and so on and so on. So what we think, somebody that's fighting, they're probably self-medicating by getting deep pressure, which now they're sending a lot of people to surface and having them do that and teaching them what is wrong with their bodies. So not having said all this. And we look at what is happening today.
Speaker 2 00:22:25 Today, the mask was lifted. You see indigenous people have such a library of healing. And we have been through this. I can't tell you how many times, you know, everybody's fearful or really scared. And the thing is here is a real spirit. It's a spirit. That's walking out there, it's moving, it's doing what it is, but you should never fear it because that fear is your friend, because it's telling you, listen, you're being body. You wouldn't be this wouldn't be alive in me. If you were doing something wrong, right. When you're doing something right. And your happiness stuff, there's no fear around there. But when something goes chaotic or whatever it is, that fear period, fear, spirit shows up. It says, we're going to check you on this, but see, and didn't use people do this from the beginning. And it's, we're in a huge classroom, right?
Speaker 2 00:23:26 We're in this huge classroom. And so when we all become not enough, the original teacher come back and remind us, who's a boss, right. And you're supposed to learn from that. But then you have to remember because indigenous people, because we were so blessed to be so filled with such nurturing love, and we're taught to be the original gardeners of the land and to be friendly, to be humor. I mean, you'll punish people in the world, our, um, our, our terrible people of turtle Island Anishinaabi and you know, all our cheap Pawnee, you and David misstep, you can go any place within our native American territory is going to show up and you can sit down. And my God, you're just like, you're, you're, you're sitting there seeing a live comedy and you'll just sit there and laugh. Humor is what's good tension. And they make sure that good intention, that rhythm is out there. Whereas some people are not like that. They'll make fun of people and you'll hurt their feelings just for them to get a laugh.
Speaker 1 00:24:37 Well, you know, Mary, on that note about good humor, um, let's say we started the conversation with that, but I need to take a break here just for a few seconds. Cause we've got to pay some bills here. So I appreciate you. I had taken a break with us and then we'll be right back with you to talk more about this. Uh, cause we, we do have a serious topic that I want to try and get to and then hear your observations on it. But I'm going to remind everybody that you're listening to indoctrinated rising. I'm your host, Roy Taylor. My guest today is Mary Lyons. She's snobby and we're here at 90.3 FM HD in Minneapolis, Saint Paul, and on the web at <inaudible> dot org. We'll be right back with you. After these announcements, programming
Speaker 2 00:25:21 Supported in part by the Minnesota department of health, reminding you to wear a cloth mask or a face covering around others, maybe transmitting the disease without knowing it because you can do so without you yourself, having any symptoms, be sure the mask completely covers your nose and your mouth for more information about protecting yourself and others from COVID-19 listen to KFH on Wednesdays at 6:30 PM for the special edition of Minnesota, native news, community conversations, holding your phone while driving is illegal. No F's hands or buts about it. Hands free as the law park, the phone, this life saving message brought to you by the Minnesota department of public safety.
Speaker 1 00:26:21 Now more than ever our community longs to be connected and hold one another up. But for the sake of our loved ones, it remains vitally important that we continue physical distancing, maintaining six feet or two meters of space between each other in public spaces to stop the spread of COVID-19. Remember wear a mask in public, scrub your with soap and water
Speaker 0 00:26:44 For 20 seconds. If you've touched things outside your house for help with essential needs and up in County can help call six one two three four eight, 3000
[email protected] slash COVID-19 Hennepin County.
Speaker 2 00:27:01 We are here with you. We're here
Speaker 0 00:27:03 For you. <inaudible>
Speaker 1 00:27:48 Well, you're listening to indigeneity rising fresh air community radio and community media, 90.3 FM HD in Minneapolis, st. Paul and streaming on the web at <inaudible> dot org. I'm your host, Roy Taylor. And we're just coming back from some messages. It is Wednesday, August the fifth. And I'm talking with Mary Lyons, my guest here this afternoon. And I'm Mary. I just wanted to give you a chance to finish up that thought about, uh, you know, moving from humor to, uh, to, uh, Oh, I guess disagreement, uh, people maybe, uh, lending themselves to a spirit of, um, uh, uh, being upset and being jealous and all of that. Uh, and then let's, uh, I want to let you finish up on that. And then I do want to talk a little bit about this whole event that happened last week, that I know you were present at the opening of this office here in the twin cities, uh, by the justice department and the department of interior and get your thoughts on that related to missing and murdered indigenous women. Cause I know you've been very active on that in the past, as well as some of the, all the other activities that you've been involved in. So go ahead, Mary.
Speaker 2 00:29:10 So what I was talking about, what, what is eating into just what just, what you just spoke of is that obvious you see me at bet around for, you know, spring kick and I am not, not, I think what happens is when you look at through the decades, especially within Minnesota here of what is happening. And we always like to think Minnesota is probably one of the spots that has really progressed throughout the century. Um, you know, we had a lot of the migration of tribes and stuff for education and out there. And, um, it just kinda blossomed, you know, all the way up to, you know, having our Lieutenant governor being from, uh, one of our tribes, inaccurate and fuss. A lot of, we have a very, a lot of colorful people within our government. Well, my sister, uh, in, um, 1989 was murdered and, uh, we were going down to the Indian center to the sobriety.
Speaker 2 00:30:13 I don't know if it was, I think it was a first sobriety Paolo. I can't remember at the center and she went home to change. And when he went home to change, he never came back to the last time we seen her, he left us, my older sister and her baby and, uh, her significant other was waiting there further. And, um, he killed her. He murdered her, he stabbed her was so unrecognizable and my sister went into shock and the baby had, you know, as babies, do they want to cry and scream for their moms sinner? And he called him his mom. And during this time the police were called, ambulance were there and my sister could see that have what was happening, but he couldn't move. And she watched, and she still was so parallel allies that the baby was, he was cut up so bad that he was starting to drown inside of a ribs by her heart because his hands got stuck in the ribs.
Speaker 2 00:31:09 Now this took me over 30 years to even speak to this, right? So this isn't something that just decided I was going to happen. I was going to do it. Yeah. Then at this, even before then, because we had so many other relatives that were murdered and, um, it was always told that, um, they either committed suicide or something or another, nobody wanted to pay attention. People was gone, we were supposed to be just okay with it. And it was always sad. So it was always left on the reservation to know stuff with, uh, children is, you know, you always have that feeling, you know, is this going to be the last time I'm going to see you because our parents know stuff, we'd go racing, go deer hunting. You know, they'd go over to the Dakotas to go potato picking or, you know, whatever it is.
Speaker 2 00:31:56 And you never knew what you were going to be coming into. But in the earlier days in this stuff, what was happening if you had a lot of the people that were fishing it or hunters and the stuff would come up on a reservation and out there, and then they'd see all these young girls, even boys in this stuff and they would go after, so this, this isn't something new. This is not something new. This is just being unveiled. The truth is being unveil. You can ask probably every other native American boy, man, grandfather, as well as young girl, mother and grandmother, if they have been victimized or know somebody that has been any answer will be hundred percent. Yes. So it seemed, we were being groomed by the non-indigenous people to be okay with this because we were always secondary citizens. Now, mind you remember, I'm older.
Speaker 2 00:32:52 So I've came through generations of seeing such change. And I was so proud to see a lot of our people rising up from the ashes, just say no more. You know, they may say, you know, they're, you know, prisoners or whatever it is, but I can remember, you know, my brother was 50 and 60 years old, why he was picked up, you know? And when he was picked up, put in jail in this stuff, we never seen him again. And we didn't know if he was dead or not, but that's how they used to put our young men into the military. And he was 15 when he went into the army. So, you know, we, we seem to settle with that and it didn't sit right because our voices were never heard. And if they were heard, we better be lighter than the color that we look like.
Speaker 2 00:33:41 And we got to assimilate into another world where our feet had no business being done. And they also reminded us. They have no business being. And so that world started stealing the personality of our people. And when they stole the personnel, you ever people, you have to remember that sadness. Okay. You just said 1978 practice of freedom, right. We could have been hunted down and killed in 1977. If we have our Monday launches in this stuff for healing and not there. So if you can't go to your healing and you're trying to protect your children, if somebody asks you, where are you wearing those? So kids are saying, you know, they went to Alondra ceremony in this stuff and they're telling a nun or priest or whoever it is. And they get the crap beat out of them. I mean, you know, sure our society is become broken and it's not because of fear.
Speaker 2 00:34:40 It's because of sadness. There's many people that don't speak our tongues because nobody says, why don't you learn that? Because our grandmothers and our grandfathers sacrificed that they knew it was always in it because our ancestors were there, but to save their lives, to save their seeds. And today, a lot of them get culture saved. So I always tell them, stop doing that. Don't do that. So as we go on this particular moment with, with my sister, he had numerous, numerous restraining orders. And we've always came to her because she was indigenous or you're going to take them back on the outside with him because he was not didn't sit well, no matter how much you went to was you get to, you get tired of being dismissed.
Speaker 2 00:35:40 And listen, if you want to understand the law, you better start going and sitting in those classrooms and figure out why these laws are being made because they're being made. And it's almost like these odds are being made against us. They're not being made for us. And so when you sit and think about it, nobody really invited you up to change a bill or to have a voice in this stuff because he thought, Oh, we're going to give you a privilege in this stuff. You got a care person. We've got some Minnesota cure portray. We got all these tribes and working in sync together in his stuff and out there. And all, let's give you a few million in his stuff to put that first line three pipeline in that was, you know, 30, some years ago or whatever it is, a little did they know they one, they cut it along highway two and out there, the kids were swimming in it and doing all this stuff.
Speaker 2 00:36:30 And nor did they even want to go back in and even check on them because the highest rate of cancer that was happening and not even so much as cancer happening, but the missing girls in this stuff, all, they probably ran up and got married with him. Oh, I think of stuff. There was always something really passive aggressive, but nobody wanted to look and Andale. What was really happening. We had people that had left and never came back and said, Oh, you're married. They live in some other place. Never heard for them. Nobody knew what was about. So we have so much, you know, we don't have closure to all of the things that are going on. So you keep going at it and going at it and keep bringing it up. And it's to the point where you become almost like a bee that keeps stinging people, they get annoyed by you.
Speaker 2 00:37:19 So they start swatting. You want to kill you. And so you keep, you have to start educating in a way that you, you have to be sneaky. You know, you give them all the credit and you keep, go around them and move on. It doesn't matter who gets credit, but you just have to move and you have to move for a nation because that's what our people did when they would set up camp. Even my dad, my dad was born in 1889 and my grandmother was 52. Never knew her. Uh, so he was, I got teachings. My great grandmother was in late 17 hundreds. My grandmother in 18 hundreds. And my father was born in 1889. That's all the teachings that God, I don't have a whole bunch of 16, 20 years in this stuff and I don't have it. So my knowledge that I have as a past and their stories is that when they would move and they would do something, they would say, I wonder today, if they even know what part of what they call regalia, but who we were as our quoting, what it was meant to be why we carry drops, you know, and why they were not sign it.
Speaker 2 00:38:32 So somebody came you, they would hang on to it and we'd have to know who we were taking with us, but we made sure to never have a lot and to always be clean because we would make it. So nobody would even know we were there and to do what we have to do. And today it's the opposite. That's forgotten. So when they started enticing it and making the contusion was in who these family units are, it's almost like a predator, predator, grown and grown and grown. And then they play one against one another. And then they go in for the kill. You see, that's not our way. And what happened when we passed what I need. We it's all the women, all the men, all the two spirited, all the people who legislator to finally walk in there and to have not one governor to governor, but we were anonymous on it on passing that taskforce, bill two, to get everybody to work together.
Speaker 2 00:39:45 You know, that's County, state, federal to start compiling and it, and so it took a community of all walks of life. And isn't this something John, just Minnesota, there's a Dakotas, it's going state to state. Canada's been doing it for a long time. And all of a sudden you have somebody that just wants to come in here and let's put a cool case. And you know, we're going to put, I feel so bad for this young native American man in his mom. You know, cause you know, being a mom, you know, he probably was so proud and I'm sure he's going to do good. You know, I have no conflict of negative negative on there, but it was how it spotlight, how it was in the past. Even what they used to do to our tribal leaders. We're going to give you a few million.
Speaker 2 00:40:35 It's going to help you. And when you're in poverty, you think, Oh, that's going to help a little. Do you know? That was the worst thing they could've ever done on signing a lot of leases in that there. So now we're coming up election time and this stuff that's going on, Hey, listen, we all pay taxes here. And let's take a look at history of what the Bureau of Indian affairs has done to our people. You know, how, how did that, how was that forgotten? And a lot of people that to be revisited occurs probably right now, they're watching this stuff are probably ready to shoot venom at me. And that's okay because I know everyone in there doing the best job they know how to do. But all I'm saying is if we don't speak up for who we are as a people, we're no different than we're holding the eraser and erasing away or ancestry because our ancestors didn't walk and go through hell for us to be just self centered. And so having said, we first originally went there because we heard it, Oh my God, you think something like that was happening, they would have spread the news. You know, they would have did zooms. He would have did this. And they would have brought this person in and to see how we can work together.
Speaker 2 00:41:49 But isn't this something we've got seven openings and we're so grateful. We're so grateful that they're finally going to do something for us. They're planning going to do something for us by opening up core case office. Now I want you to think about this, everybody out there think about this. If you're going to open up a cold case office, you're going to start 500 plus years ago on all the ones that cherished other than just the few that they think last year. And I say this as an elder, and I say this, when you go and you move for the people, you don't do it with an enticement of a non-indigenous person, because I say this again, think of how a creditor grooms a person and how they love to play people against somebody one another. And I'll say this again. I have faced in truth in our, and in our Indian people that this young man is going to be wise enough than anybody they're going to put in there.
Speaker 2 00:42:59 But I also want everybody remember, we have organizations, we have people, we have elders. We have people in the prisons in this stuff. We have all our indigenous people have been working on this since, since the beginning of time. And we're the last ones to ever come to that table at justice. And we're still groomed to fight for the crumbs and fight for one another. And I can't say this anymore. And I don't know if you've ever watched governor Kunal over in New York and his stuff. Talk about when the PPE and this stuff. And they had to fight for it. Newer having to go in and bid from another state and everything against their own government. I mean, if people really look at what's going on, listen, we pay taxes.
Speaker 2 00:43:49 Majority of people have reservation, paid taxes were included or in that we, the people, if they want to stick on that line up there, you know, and that's why I'm so poor. The doctor and discovery and you know what Oren lies and them all talking about their education and knowing the knowledge of how and what works president goes down. I'm hoping this office won't go down. I'm hoping if I'm whatever it may be. I hope it goes well. But all I'm saying is let's work together. We went through to support. We went there for excitement. We, there, nobody knew anything about it, but we were also reminded of whose land we were on and to an Ojibwe woman that cut deep because I thought we were on creatives and I knew I was in somebody else's garden, but how it was told. And it was spoke to because they already started the mixture of getting the indigenous people to fight against one another. So we had to say, you cannot be angry at them. We have to try to figure out how to make this positive. We need to support, but the way this operation was one man show for the Bureau of Indian affairs in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and covering these States in that they're one man for cold cases. Can you imagine, wait, I know a lot of people in legal system and people in the state of Minnesota were like what nobody knew what was going on.
Speaker 1 00:45:33 Well, I hope they certainly do some followup with you and Mary <inaudible> Dean. And, uh, I know Nicole Matthews, uh, both of them have been on the program. They are also co-chairs of the missing and murdered indigenous. Women's a committee that the legislature that you're referring to. And we intend to keep following that as well. We've been focusing in the summer here, mostly on the COVID, the coronavirus to COVID-19 and then also with the, uh, racial unrest and the native, uh, contribution to trying to bring attention to some of these issues about police brutality. So, but we are going to return to that in future episodes. And I'll be glad to have you back to talk more about this. I just wish we had more time, but before we have to leave, I do want to give you an opportunity to tell us just briefly about a wisdom lessons. Cause I know it's available, I've seen it on Amazon. And uh, is there any other place where it can be purchased?
Speaker 2 00:46:30 Well, the work that I do in this stuff and out there, I couldn't commit to a lot of the book signing. So, and me, I just figured it's out there and we put it out there. Um, and I just say, if they really, really, I don't, if they want it, they can go to Amazon and they can order it. I don't like to put something crawling. You know, my father always said, um, never make somebody, uh, don't ever talk somebody into wanting something that you want, you know, it'll call for them and that there. So these are just short instructions to push your empowerment button, because what is in there is, um, mostly geared around within the Mo a lot of the water teaching sent out there, but it's there to empower you because when people say they wish it could be like the, or like anybody else they are, because my strength comes from everyone. And that way we all walk side by side and assist to empower one another to know that just self worth is like, Oh my gosh, every riches in the world, you know, smile when you can in this stuff and out there. And just remember that when you get so mad and that anger is there in a sta don't think that's a way to disparities, take it in as, um, energy, you need to go forward in a good way.
Speaker 2 00:47:54 Good stuff. You know, that's what it is. So it's, it's reminding, you know, up showing balance of when they can do disparities are so great. But one, one thing in closing of this stuff, I want to say again, um, we totally support, you know, anything that is positive. That's in a unity of anything of the moving of the missing and murdered indigenous women peoples too spirited. You know, we just want to work together. Cause I think if we get in a better platform of all working together in this stuff, you know, I just don't want our people to fight for the crumps of the table, you know, because that's not who we are, you know, we're stronger net. We need to rise above it. But once again, like I had said to, you know, any way that I can support this stuff. And, um, I also want to send my apology, you know, to that young man's mom. Cause I'm sure that was kind of real sad for her. And that was not our intention, you know, because he was, he was, you know, very proud of him being appointed and you know, and yes, he's over people, you know, he's indigenous. So we're here to support, you know, we're not here to be mean in this stuff. We just didn't see the other and the operations of the non-indigenous world, how it happened because it was too sneaky, you know,
Speaker 1 00:49:20 Grandmother, Mary Lyon's, initial Nabil, thank you so much. You've graced us with your time here this hour, and you have left us with a wisdom that we should all contemplate and then act upon and then try and do our best to be authentic. I always say, you know, we're all trying to work out our own indigeneity one day at a time. So, uh, you've given us that, uh, that encouragement and that inspiration to do so. So I appreciate that. And I definitely want to have you back. I just apologize. It's taken so long here, uh, trying to get this queued up. So within the, within the year, I think I have a feeling we're going to have to have some of your wisdom and your humor available to us around election time here, coming up in November. So we'll keep you on the short call list.
Speaker 1 00:50:11 Okay. Blessings to you and your family and everybody else that you've touched through your writing and through your, uh, your activity there as well. Thank you, Mary. Okay. Bye bye. All right. That was my guest, Mary Lyons, and this should not be older and we were just, uh, uh, having her on the first time, believe it or not. Uh, so, um, I know we're going to have her back in the future here soon. She was able to come back into town and then spend some time with us this afternoon. I hope you were able to pick that up, but if you did, uh, uh, come in the middle of the program, you could go to indigeneity rising Facebook page and like it you'll find out more about all of our guests, the topics you can also go back to kfb.org and look at the on demand function there.
Speaker 1 00:51:02 You can see the program for this week, which would be August 5th, and then you can also check out the Facebook live. If you want to see me, my image, I know you want to see Mary. She's such a beautiful, uh, older, uh, within our community there. So take a look at that as well. Okay. Uh, last, uh, I just want to give a shout out. I shouldn't say shadow. I show maybe a romantic shout out to my partner or my spouse, uh, Catherine Mary Gillis or Katrina. Uh, just want to let everyone know that on Monday we going to be celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary. And the in fact we knew each other for quite a long time before we actually, uh, jump the broom as our African-American relatives would say. But, uh, so August the 10th, uh, back in 1995, that would be 25 years now that we have been married, unfortunately we're, we're celebrating it during the coronavirus pandemic here.
Speaker 1 00:52:05 We might take a little day trip, but other than that, we're not going to be able to have a big celebration. We'll have to hold that off maybe until sometime next year. But I just want to share that with everybody, Catherine, that I love you, and that I really appreciate all of your support over the years. And, uh, looking forward to spending possibly I can't predict, you know, another 25 years together. So just want to make that announcement and then let you know, be sure and stop in next Wednesday. I'll be right back here, Wednesday at 1:00 PM. And, uh, here on caffeine, I'm going to have, uh, Robert pilot joining me a whole chunk. Uh, Robert has been on the program before you know him. He has his own program on am nine 50, and I believe he also is doing a half hour broadcast here on KFC.
Speaker 1 00:52:56 I, so I want to check that out with him next Wednesday, but we're going to be talking about, uh, Robert is a, also a Saint Paul public school teacher over at Harding high school. We're going to be talking about, uh, the opening of school, the public schools, and we're going to hopefully have another guest with us, maybe a Minneapolis school teacher, or maybe one of the alternative schools that, uh, serve, uh, the native community here in the twin cities. So we're going to be talking about the recent to open up schools here in Minnesota. So be sure to join us here next Wednesday at one o'clock alright, I gotta go here. I've got to jump on my little steel pony and head out, take care of some stuff, some errands, uh, around the community. So, but, uh, just want to remind you, you can pick us up here next Wednesday, 1:00 PM. And I'm your host, Roy Taylor on the nation, but here he comes, Indian car
Speaker 0 00:53:59 <inaudible> please. Mr. <inaudible>.
