Observations and random thoughts
By WILLIAM LEDFORD
Lately I find myself repeating myself, so I will again; the more things change the more they stay the same. America and Canada have attempted to begin a period of healing and understanding after the discovery and repatriation of the “newly discovered” remains of Native children who passed on under the watchful eyes of those bent on our destruction, Cleveland finally changed the name of their MLB team to the Guardians and then the Atlanta MLB team made it to the World Series. Then a fateful event occurred.
I’m not talking about the team winning the Series, they’ve been notable losers in the Fall Classic in years past and so they finally won another championship. I didn’t care. I’m not an Atlanta fan, never have been. No, I’m referring to the appearance of one Donald J. Trump, also a notable loser, at the game in Atlanta on Oct. 30. Ex-POTUS 45 was there for a reason and not because of his love for MLB having called for a boycott after MLB passed Atlanta over for the All-Star game because of their highly restrictive new voting laws. Nope, he was there for a reason.
Thanks to Trump and the TV cameras focused on him and the ex-FLOTUS exuberantly chopping away to the sound of thousands of chanting idiots we, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI), are now the laughingstock of Indian Country. The stories rolling out nationally, both print and digital media, all reported and specifically spelled out that we, the EBCI, support the team and their stereotypical offensiveness. Now, I’m sure there are some who do, but I happen to know quite a few Eastern Cherokee who DO NOT support this BS, nevertheless we got lumped in.
I looked for and it took me awhile to find the original story the One Feather ran detailing this “agreement” and nowhere in the article was anything that stated that we were comfortable with the “tomahawk chop”. I did read that the Atlanta management was “listening to our concerns”. I suppose they finally decided that the agreement with the EBCI didn’t matter in the slightest.
Were we, the EBCI, asked if we wanted to support this agreement? Did we get a vote? No, we didn’t. Anything of this nature, something that possibly, and negatively, affects the entire tribe, and believe me, it does, should have been put to a vote by the EBCI. But it seems that someone decided that we weren’t intelligent enough as a people to make the “correct” decision, so the agreement was discussed and finalized, and I suppose it all happened in a closed-door session. These kinds of agreements should never be decided upon in a closed-door session with Executive Office, heck it shouldn’t be decided in an open-door session with all the parties mentioned above, this should have been out there. And, in my opinion, those who brokered this agreement should all be fired.
I want to say more but I’ve put my two cents in, for what it’s worth. I doubt that I’ll be listened to. Someone else out there has gotta raise hell. I suppose it’ll have to happen at the voting booth. Until next time, see ya!
Ledford is an EBCI tribal member currently residing in Albuquerque, N.M.