[News] A Sad Passing.... Vine Deloria, Jr.

Tue Nov 15 08:36:14 EST 2005

     From:       <mailto:Wiyaka_Ska at msn.com>Wiyaka_Ska at msn.com
     Subject:     [LPSG-Southbay] A Sad Passing.... Vine Deloria, Jr.
     Date:     November 14, 2005 9:35:20 AM PST

Sadly I pass this on which I just received from my Friend 
Rick......Pilamaya Rick for letting us know.....

Toksa ake,
Wiyaka Ska

Sent: Monday, November 14, 2005 9:35 AM
Subject: [NDNAIM] A Sad Passing.... Vine Deloria, Jr.

Sunday, November 13, 2005
In Honor of Vine Deloria, Jr. (1933-2005)

The great indigenous visionary, philosopher, author and activist
Vine Deloria, Jr. passed over to join his ancestors today, November
13, 2005. Our thoughts and prayers go to his wife, Barbara, to his
children and his other relatives. The passing of Vine creates a huge
intellectual and analytical void in the native and non-native
worlds. He will be greatly missed.

It is appropriate on this website to reflect on the meaning of
Vine's contibutions to indigenous peoples' resistance, and to
reflect on our responsibilities to maintain and to advance the
lessons that Vine gave to us. It is safe to say that without the
example provided by the writing and the thinking of Vine Deloria,
Jr., there likely would have been no American Indian Movement, there
would be no international indigenous peoples' movement as it exists
today, and there would be little hope for the future of indigenous
peoples in the Americas.
Vine Deloria, Jr. was a true revolutionary when he wrote "Custer
Died for Your Sins" in 1969, the first of his scores of books and
scholarly articles (for a partial bibliography of Vine's important
books go to:
<http://www.ipl.org/div/natam/bin/browse.pl/A31>http://www.ipl.org/div/natam/bin/browse.pl/A31). 

He had the courage
and the vision to challenge the dominating society at its core. He
was unapologetic in confronting the racism of U.S.law and policy,
and he was prophetic in challenging young indigenous activists to
hone their strategies.

We will write much more about Vine in the upcoming days. He was our
elder statesman and mentor. For now, we will share this passage
from "Custer Died For Your Sins," as a reminder of our
responsibilities, and to ensure that we are more deliberate and
strategic in our resistance.

"Ideological leverage is always superior to violence....The problems
of Indians have always been ideological rather than social,
political or economic....[I]t is vitally important that the Indian
people pick the intellectual arena as the one in which to wage war.
Past events have shown that the Indian people have always been
fooled by the intentions of the white man. Always we have discussed
irrelevant issues while he has taken our land. Never have we taken
the time to examine the premises upon which he operates so that we
could manipulate him as he has us."
-- "Custer Died for Your Sins: An Indian Manifesto," (1969) pp.251-
252

and this relevent passage regarding the example of the great Oglala
Lakota leader Tashunka Witko (Crazy Horse):
"Crazy Horse never drafted anyone to follow him. People recognized
that what Crazy Horse did was for the best and was for the people.
Crazy Horse never had his name on the stationery. He never had
business cards. He never received a per diem. *** Until we can once
again produce people like Crazy Horse all the money and help in the
world will not save us. It is up to us to write the [next] chapter
of the American Indian upon this continent." page 272

For many of us, Vine was a contemporary Crazy Horse. Perhaps we
squandered his time with us. We took him for granted, and assumed
that he would always be with us. Now, the question is, not only will
we produce more Crazy Horses, but will we produce more Vine Deloria,
Jr.s?

Vine, we will miss you, but we will continue your work toward
freedom for native peoples everywhere. Mitakuye Oyasin.

(For a partial bibliography of Vine's important books go to:
<http://www.ipl.org/div/natam/bin/browse.pl/A31>http://www.ipl.org/div/natam/bin/browse.pl/A31) 

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