There was a small white envelope waiting for me when I got home,
it reminded me of some work I had done two years ago on some land
matters that ended up in federal court. It was a subpeona, it said be here
at this time and don't be late or else bad things will happen to you. So I
went, it was a long day, not that day but the day before trying to catch
up on some things, so I worked late till 4 in the morning, went to get
some sleep for couple of hours and got up real late...what did the paper
say....8 and don't be late, well it was about 9 when I got there.
The federal court building is a magnificent granite ediface, marble and
granite, the court room was all mahogany, quiet and stately.
I sat there waiting while the preliminaries were done and it is one of those
cases that is going to go a couple of days...those lawyer types dressed
in pristine white shirts, and black suits waved me over...we will probably
need you tomorrow they said...but since you are a witness you will
have to wait just outside, don't wander off we might need you, so don't go
anywhere. I wentoutside and stood in the hallway. It was a large hallway
white marble walls, cold and quiet.
A couple of people from the tribe were there, it involves them and the
work I did for them...I stood there with them, all dressed to kill with
white starched shirts, a blue tie for me and a suit, one that I like that fits
comfortable and so I stood there with them. We talked about fishing, and
a little about the snow of late. Them two from the tribe dressed just as I,
holding up those white marble walls....
The hallway began to fill little by little people of different shapes, colors,
from nations like Iran, China, Sweden, Thailand, Mexico and a lot more,
just down the hall. I walked down there and saw a sign, a paper on a door.
It said, Citizenship ceremony at 1:00, assemble here.
We stood there and watched them as people kept coming slowly, with
children, grandmas, an Hassidic Jew with a feathered hat, an Indian woman
in a sarong, Iranian women wrapped head to toe. The went into the room and
spilled out into the hallway.
The court room where we were in, was off to the side, the lawyers inside
took a break, one of the ones for the government came over and stood with
us three natives in the center of the hallway. I had heard he was Native but
not for sure so I sort of asked him from where he came, he told me he was
Seneca Cayuga and spoke to us of his people. There were just us four Natives
standing there, quietly talking and looking down the hall at all those people just
over there.
It is a naturalization ceremony, they are to be sworn in as citizens. We all
looked at each other, and without saying a word walked over to the door and
joined the masses standing there...these people from all over the world....
wanting to be American.
I am not sure who said it, but one of us did. Maybe we should join them
and get sworn in. We all started to laugh. The people there looked at us,
those four making noise...wondering what country we were from...we
looked at them closely and wondered how it would be...so the break was
over the case resumed....
I stood there for a minute and watched those waiting to become American
and they looked at me.....I thought about it and after being told they did
not need me to testify until tomorrow I wandered over there into that
room and stood there and watched them, 90 there were all together....they
raised their hand and swore to be American. It felt strange to stand there
and listen to them, a Native American out of place. I stood next to a man
from India, he asked me, Where are you from? I told him, I am born for
Bitahni, the Folded Arms People, and that my father is Tsinalbiiltnii, the
Mountain People, that I come from Dinetah, and some would say I was
Navajo, a Native American...he looked at me and we just smiled at each
other....he said are you here with someone...no I said just taking a look
around...he said you come from a great country...and walked away....
I stood there and thought, I guess I am an American and after listening to
those folks talk about where why we are here. I am tired, I have put in a
long day, and sleep won't find me quite yet. I have been thinking about
some things and one of them is that sometimes I get restless, I am not
sure why. I find that I want to go home sometimes, to the reservation, and
to stay there, but in reality I know that I can't do that.
It is kind of funny I was in the room watching a ceremony celebrating
citizenship and yet I felt I did not have a place there, they were doing
something I never had to go through and no where were native people
and that once this was all our land mentioned. But then they made a journey
to come to a new land, and it was a hard one for them, having come
from far off with a dream and having overcome difficulties to get to this
time and place...it made me think I guess I am glad I am an American,
and a Native....then I left to find me a burger and a Coke.....rustywire
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