Mwalim's Word Lounge

An Easter Side Poem

2008-03-23T01:26:00.002-04:00

Okay,

The church, in spreading the word, would absorb and adapt pagan beliefs and practices into those of Christianity.

A lot of these practices were written into the seasonal celebrations of the church.

Since at least the 3rd Century, pagan cultures in Russia, Gaul (France), Prussia (Germany, etc.), and the Mongolian regions celebrated the Vernal Equinox; celebrating the renewed fertility of mother earth, where the plentiful presence of rabbits and eggs symbolizes her bounty.

Dig this:

The German surname Easterhausen (Easter Bunny) dates back to the 6th Century.

Since at least the 12th Century, this time of year has been celebrated as Easter, observing the death and resurrection of Jesus, the truth, light and way for those who believe in him, to ever lasting life.

A piece of the reflection of Easter is the shedding of his blood for the new covenant.

When the Spanish encountered the Aztecs, they were introduced to Chocolate, which the Spanish related to blood.

Go figure.

Chocolate is a sexual stimulant and the origins of giving chocolate were as an expression of sexual desire. These desires, if reciprocal, could lead to procreation.

Could even say they're fuc'n' like Bunnies…

Rabbits and older chickens were given as sacrifice to the goddess in ancient Europe during the Equinox period. The new chicks that were born were a symbol of rebirth.

Jesus gave himself for the sins of the world, according the church, shortly after the equinox.

Rabbits and chicks made of chocolate are given out as a symbol of the pagan traditions.

Jesus shed his blood for our sins.

Folklore has a way of merging when cultures collide. So dig this metaphorical peanut butter cup when I say:

Jesus is the Easter Bunny.

Chocolate is my sin.

For the Black Indian in America, the Devil has very little to show him... Ask A [former] Cherokee.

(c) 2006, M. Peters

Tribal Members Call For Meeting

2008-01-19T23:35:00.000-05:00

A Meeting Has Been Called by a petition of Mashpee Wampanoag Tribal Members. The meeting will take place on Saturday, January 20, 2008; 12-2PM @ The Sons of Italy - 28, Mashpee/Barnstable Town Line.

The Sound of Silence...

2008-01-15T09:27:00.000-05:00

MASHPEE - Happy New Year! My New Year wish for the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe is "balance". Why do I say balance? We seem to be a people of extremes and the problem with extremes are that they prevent things from happening. Case in point, the tribe requested that people not speak to the media around social and political issues within the tribe. One one level this was an excellent move as much of what goes on is nobody's business and most of the press is pretty anti-tribe for a variety of reasons. On the other hand, this silencing comes accompanied with a certain censoring of all Wampanoags from doing or saying things publicly. For example, I was asked not to give a lecture on Black Indians and folklore under this gag order. While my lecture has absolutely nothing to do with the social and political affairs of the tribe, somehow this was seen as an issue. I'm a communicator by nature and have no desire to to represent myself as the voice of Mashpee Wampanoags; I speak for myself.

While there have been a number of people, for whatever reason, have tried to derail the progress of their own tribe. In some cases, the economic and social jeopardy that their actions put the 2000+ tribal members in was of no concern to them because they have the economic means to take care of themselves. Therefore, halting the economic, educational, social, health, and housing programs of the tribe was of no concern to them. However, under this silence, individuals have come under public attack for simply criticizing the way things are being done by the council. Even though this criticism has been internal, the attacks upon them have been very, very public.

To some extent, I'm reminded of the McCarthy era and the House on Un-American Activities, whereby people were publicly paraded in front of congressional hearings and accused of communism based on hearsay and flimsy evidence. Unfortunately, gossip has always been a part of our community and we are quick to jump to conclusions about people and eachother based on very flimsy evidence. We also mistake personal issues with our ability to function as a people. The problem with this? WE ARE SOVEREIGN, a government can't be run that way, especially one where they are less then 5000 people involved. We can't afford to have internal enemies. In line with McCarthy, I'm reminded of the words of Edward Murrow, "If we confuse dissent with disloyalty — if we deny the right of the individual to be wrong, unpopular, eccentric or unorthodox... Every act that denies or limits the freedom of the individual in this country costs us the ... confidence of men and women who aspire to that freedom and independence of which we speak and for which our ancestors fought."

The bottom line: I didn't know Sovereignty would be so oppressive.

HOWLing at UMass Dartmouth

2007-11-08T14:45:00.000-05:00

UMass Dartmouth English Professor Explores Literature Through Experimental Theater

NORTH DARTMOUTH– Students in the Oral Interpretation of Dramatic literature course will be presenting a staged reading of HOWL by Allen Ginsberg. Ginsberg's epic poem and post-modernists anthem will be presented as a multi-voiced, environmental choreopoem, developed and directed by Morgan James Peters, and assistant professor of English. The presentation will take place on Tuesday, December 11, 2007 around 3PM in the UMass Dartmouth campus center.

Oral Interpretation of Dramatic Literature I & II are courses that were introduced in the 1980's by James Nee, Professor Emeritus of English at the University of Massachusetts. Through this course, Professor Nee introduced students to the basic principles of method acting, as defined by Lee Stassberg. Upon arriving at UMass Dartmouth in 2003, Morgan James "Mwalim" Peters inherited the course, seizing the opportunity as chance to explore the process of producing and developing theater. Taking it from the page to the stage is the motto of the courses.

Coming to the university directly from a career as a teaching and performing artist in New York City's Off-Broadway theater and nightclub community, Mwalim brought a philosophy that "all texts are dramatic literature if presented dramatically." The focus of the Oral Interpretation courses have been the development and presentation of readings and workshop performances of plays, using poetry, song lyrics, scripts, short stories, passages from novels, textbooks, magazine articles, and news clippings as texts for monologues and dialogues. With this, students explore the application of Brechtian, Stanislavsky, Strassberg, and classical systems and methods. Having worked in both traditional and experimental forms of theater professionally, Mwalim brings these experiences to the classroom. The piece is being developed using ensemble building methods learned through Mwalim's studies at New African Company with James Spruill and Lynda Patton and working with director Myles Corey.

This semester, the course is exploring the structure of the 'choreopoem' form, a technique introduced by Ntozake Shange with her monumental explorations, For Colored Girls Who've Considered Suicide... and Spell Number Seven... Using poetry as the dramatic text, the choreopoem form is very similar to the approaches that would be employed in staging classic Greek and Shakespearean theater in the present.

For more information, contact Mwalim (508) 999-8304 or mpeters@umassd.edu

At Least There Were No Nooses

2007-10-25T12:03:00.000-04:00

The story you’re about to read, might be true... It had been unseasonably warm this autumn. The weather had been so unpredictable, with mornings in the 30’s and afternoons in the 60’s. One never knows how to dress. Hugh glided home along Route 6, hopping off at what had become the routine exit leading to his home and family. They had lived there for about a month and a half, after Hugh had been on the new job for about six months. He had survived and passed the three month pleasantry exchange at the new job. The pleasantry exchange is that unwritten law, a gauntlet that all new employees of color must walk, as their co-workers and immediate supervisors size them up: can they cut it socially? Are they pleasant enough to be around?

Hugh knew the routine well, and followed basic rules: be pleasant, avoid excess conversation, except for the occasional coffee or after work drink, limit your socializing with co-workers, and most important; do not let them to far into your home life. Hugh waved to the cop sitting on the side of the road. In his first three weeks of living here, he’d met almost every cop on the town’s force, careful to remember their names during the ‘routine checks’. By now they all knew that he ‘belonged’ there. As he passed the police, he couldn’t help but notice a car load of young white males, in baseball caps travelling in the opposite direction. One starred at him with a smile and a nod.

He rolled through his development and onto his road, then up to his house, only to be greeted by the words N-word Go Home and Get Out N-word spray-painted across the front of his garage and all over the front of his house. Hugh’s wife and kids were in the house when this happened but didn’t hear anybody as his wife was in the kitchen and the kids were upstairs in their rooms doing their homework. The police arrived and took a report and a few pictures. They decided that it was an act of vandalism and destruction of private property, but not a hate crime because the perpetrators never used the actual word, something that local civil rights leaders celebrated as a minor victory.

A couple of weeks later, at the holiday party, Hugh received a gift from his supervisor: a red silk power tie, tied in the form of a noose. It was at that point that Hugh finally snapped at this obviously racist act, only to find out this was a common gift from this supervisor to all of the up and coming junior executives. Yeah, everybody remembers the time that Hugh over reacted at the holiday party. Can’t he take a joke?

Consider the Jena Six and know, the story just just read might not be true.

I Hear Your Mother Likes It Like This...

2007-10-09T09:27:00.000-04:00

According to a study currently being conducted by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, an interesting side discovery is proving that one of the strongest audiences for spoken-word poetry is the 65+ demographic. Regular and special poetry events at various venues that successfully draw consistent audiences tend to have an average 26% representation of elderly poetry enthusiasts, despite the revitalization of the medium as a young, hip activity. Senior citizen centers and programs throughout the country remain among the most consistent performance and workshop venues for spoken-word as well.

Spoken-word events and venues re-emerged in popularity during the mid 1990’s, mirroring the spoken-word movements of the 1950’s and 1960’s. In 2001, record and comedy show mogul, Russell Simmons, introduced Def Poetry Jam as an HBO series and eventually a touring, Broadway show. According to sources at Def Jam, the audience for their television shows and live shows have a similar demographic as that being uncovered by the MCC.

These findings are consistent with my own experiences as a spoken-word artist/ venue host. Having recently experienced a number of performances and book signings, book-buying, name-dropping elders recall their days of seeing Allen Ginsberg, Gil Scott Heron, Amiri Baraka, Oscar Brown, Jr., or Bob Kaufman. Definitely good literary and oral traditional company to be in. One in particular, when the Talking Drum Poets had an Art-I-Gras gig one New Years Eve and played to a packed house of elderly folks. It turned out that most of them were fans of our cable show and wanted to see it live.

When you consider that the jazz poets and Beatniks would now be in their 70’s and 80’s; and the socio-political coffeehouse culture of the 1960’s and early 70’s are now be in their 50's and 60's, it makes sense. For example in June of 2006, The Whaling City Poetry Review hosted a special celebration of what would have been the 80^th birthday of legendary Beat poet, and cultural icon Allen Ginsberg, also celebrating the 50^th anniversary of the publication of his epic poem, “Howl.” This event drew a generational cross section of poets ranging in age from five to over 90. Contemporary poets and spoken-word artists have also noted that most of their venue-based book and CD sales are made to the 55 plus crowd. As a spoken-word, it makes me wonder what the rooms are going to look like thirty years from now.

He Seemed Like Such A Normal Guy, Says Neighbor of Paul

2007-09-29T11:32:00.000-04:00

BARNSTABLE – It has been quite a week for Peter Paul, a 29 year-old roofer, accused of having an autosexual relationship with a Chevy. The quite life that he led has changed completely. His neighbors all avoid him and try to hide their cars when they see him coming. He is not allowed within 500 feet of any Chevrolet car dealership, and he comes home to find toy cars pinned to his front door each day. “He seems like such a normal guy.” Said one of Paul’s neighbors, “rather quite, kind of kept to himself. He used to like to wash his car behind the house.” One neighbor bristled with horror at a memory of the number of time he loaned his car to Paul to run errands. Each time, Paul brought the car back washed and vacuumed. “Probably hiding the evidence.” quipped another neighbor. There was a collective shudder as they recalled the time that Paul took a bus load of neighborhood kids to the go-kart track. “Who would have thought?” mused one woman. A warranted raid on Paul’s house, two days ago, revealed that Paul was a collector of niche car magazines and internet based photos of go-carts. He has not been formally charged with the new findings.

Early Morning Raid on Paul’s House Brings Interesting Revelations

2007-09-28T00:29:00.000-04:00

BARNSTABLE – At approximately 6:00 am, law enforcement officials raided the home of accused autosexual Peter Paul, armed with a search warrant. The search revealed thousands of car magazines, and photos of cars hanging all over the house, including niche magazines featuring cars, trucks and motorcycles in suggestive poses, sprawled over models in bikinis. However, after officials confiscated Paul’s computer, they found thousands of downloaded pictures of go-carts and mopeds on his hard drive. “It’s worse then we thought” said one officer, “apparently Paul is not only a autosexual he’s also a mopedaphile.” NMCLA attorneys are working to suppress the evidence on the computer as it was not part of the warrants purview. Paul was not available for comment.

Paul Out On Bail NMCLA Comes To His Defense

2007-09-26T10:10:00.000-04:00

BARNSTABLE – Alleged vehicular rapist, Peter Paul was released on $10,000 bail this morning. The controversial organization NMCLA (National Man-Car Love Association) came to Paul’s defense, claiming that not having bail set was a violation of his civil rights, pointing out that even people repeatedly arrested for car theft have bails set in the low thousands. They also pointed out that if detained, the county would have to place Paul in protective custody if they held him, as it is well known what happens to autophiles behind bars. It was also pointed out that Paul is a low flight risk, as he has never been able to drive a car for longer then twenty minutes without having to stop and rest for three hours. Neither Paul nor his NMCLA attorneys were available for comment.

Paul and Monte Carlo Have History, Reports Law Enforcement

2007-09-25T22:18:00.000-04:00

BARNSTABLE – As reported earlier, 29 year-old Barnstable resident, Peter Paul was arrested for Vehicular Indecency, after being caught in the act of sexually assaulting a 2005 Chevrolet Monte Carlo. It has since been determined that Mr. Paul and the car have a history together. Paul apparently purchased the vehicle in 2004 and lost it to repossession in mid 2006 after missing several months of payments. The car’s present owner, Tommy Rindle, purchased the Chevy in early in 2007 and Mr. Paul tracked it to their home. Mr. Paul, a roofer, will not be charged with Statutory Vehicular Indecency as the car was purchased by him in 2004, technically making it of consenting age. Mr. Paul faces up to three years in prison. Meanwhile, Mr. Rindle is seeking a restraining order against Mr. Paul.

Man Arrested For Vehicular Indecency In Barnstable

2007-09-25T16:40:00.000-04:00

BARNSTABLE – A Barnstable man is being held without bail for allegedly committing “Vehicular Indecency” against a 2005 Chevrolet Monte Carlo. The vehicle was taken to a local repair shop to be examined and treated for damage. At approximately 2:30 am, several residents in a small development called local police, reporting that a man was seen at the side of a vehicle, bent over and could be heard moaning. Police arrived on the scene to find 29 year-old Peter Paul standing up against the gas inlet, with his pants pulled down, gently slapping the trunk and saying “whose tank is this?” Mr. Paul maybe charged with Statutory Vehicular Indecency as the age of consent for a vehicle is 3 years old. Police officials were not available for comment.

A True Challenge for the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe

2007-09-17T15:40:00.000-04:00

Beyond the media fed frenzy and controversy of casinos, looms the shadows of realities for a tribe. When all is said and done, ideally, according to all elements of our traditions it is the people that matter. There is a helpful reading list that I believe all leaders, hoping to be effective and balanced leaders, should absorb; be they community leaders, elected statesmen, corporate heads, etc. I’m going to place it at the end for those who are interested. In the book, Vote For Me, by Dick Gregory, he defines the essential difference between a statesman and a politician. A statesman being a leader who understand politics as a tools of the trade into establishing and sustaining their vision; versus a politician who’s goals are power and will adapt their vision to the desires of those who will bring them into power. Ideally, the leadership of the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe will be states people, understanding the true traditional philosophy and ethics of the people they lead, the first being the concept of the circle, as opposed to the hierarchical model of the pyramid or triangle.

I’m going to revisit the metaphor from my last blog post: does renovating a house mean that you have to tear it down? Sometimes it means a bit of rebuilding and replacing parts of the structure. Taking out and/or adding walls, replacing boards, supports, windows, doors, steps... the metaphor can translate to music. The song not sounding right doesn't mean that the issue is with the songs chords, melody, or lyrics. Sometimes, it's just issues with the arrangement. I'm sure you get the idea, but this is what happens when you let a guy blog without an editor.

I implore the tribe’s leadership to closely examine the events of August 27^th at the Sons of Italy, not so much as an insurrection or plot of dissention, as much as a cry for help. Obviously beyond the folks with personal and political agendas, there are still a number of folks who are unhappy and dissatisfied with the way things are going or being handled. Employees and community people alike are feeling that their needs are not being met or addressed. Along with them are a silent, yet cynical body who don’t expect to be their needs to be addressed by the powers that be. To simply silence folks for speaking out is not a sign of strength. In fact, quite the contrary it demonstrates marked insecurity in your administration and at the same time, potentially martyring inept crackpots. As a tribe, we have found ourselves at that delicate place between growth and disintegration; death and rebirth; expansion and stagnation. People are happy, scared, maudlin, anxious, apprehensive, hopeful,

What brought these folks together? Consider the wise words in The Art of War, by Sun Tzu, “My enemy’s enemy is my friend. So, let us be friends.” Hence the forces were able to rally around a common thread, their dissatisfaction. If after the smoke and mirrors has faded, and the story is no longer fuel for the local media hype, the fact of the matter is that a considerable faction of tribe (considering that the enrolled tribal body is less then 2,000) is dissatisfied it stands to reason that the leadership needs to find a way to address the cause(s) of the dissatisfaction. At the same time, escape the trappings and seduction of the outside. Those ideas and concepts that can feed your ego and cause one to lose sight of the true purpose and goal.

As a community we have our history, traditions and values, which have been impacted by forced and passive interactions with other cultures. However, As many of the motives behind the actions and orientation of the dominant culture are not our own, it is imperative that we find a way to walk the fine line between their ways and our core values. This requires the application of acculturation, adapting the tools of one culture into the context of your own; as opposed to assimilation, abandoning your own culture and values for those of the dominant culture. A quick glance at our history demonstrates that we have a long and proud tradition, as a people, of acculturating our tribe into the larger society, with leadership that kept us together.

As I listen to my elders reflect on the old ways, back when the tribe and the town were basically one in the same, I can’t help but realize that to a larger extent, we’ve lost our sense of community. things like Wamp Pride Day and A Mashpee Wampanoag Summer Thing were positive initial steps towards community development, focusing on the youth, elders and family, but the need to take steps back to this core value, but these effort need to be enhanced and expanded to save them from being token, monumental events. A serious, bottom line issue that the tribe and it's leadership faces is the rebuilding of their infrastructure, as a tribe and community. Having worked with a number of tribes on the east coast, I've learned that infighting is nothing new among tribal folks. In fact, this is a factor in all small close-knit communities, if you consider the nature of politics and position in your small town governments, or even the issues that brew up in large families. In reality, the tribe is a large family and issues like this can’t be dealt with in anger and counter attacks, but a level of understanding and cooperation on all levels.

Unity has become a favorite word around the tribe. Yes, we must all come together, but at the same time, bullet wounds will need to be addressed with more then band-aids, essential needs must be addressed, walls might need to be replaced as opposed to re-painted (oops, there goes the house metaphor again). Yeah, that’s basically it.

How To Win Friends & Influence People, by Dale Carnegie
The Prince, by Nicolo Machiavelli
The Art of War, by Sun Tzu
Seven Spiritual Laws of Success, by Deepak Chopra, MD
Black Skin, White Mask, by Franz Fanon (Particularly as it relates to acculturation)
Where Do We Go From Here? Chaos or Community, by Martin Luther King, Jr.
Understanding Media, by Marshall McLuhan

Coming of Age: When Your Family Acts Up in Public... Laugh Clown Laugh

2007-09-07T18:28:00.000-04:00

As I stated in an earlier blog, I’m a nationalist. With that philosophy comes a considerable sense of self-determination and self-sufficiency. Part of that is a sense of having your own stake in the game so to speak. In this case, it’s media. As I tell my students all the time, “those who document the present control the memory of the future.” It is normal for people who are of one social, cultural and ethnic set of norms to view others with a certain confusion, misunderstanding, and at times, even a fear. For example, I site Margaret Meade’s Coming of Age in Samoa, (first published in 1928), where her own Euro-American point of view seriously colored her assessment of what she observed about Samoan adolescents and sexuality. Her text is still widely regarded in academic circuits and is still the bane of many Samoan-born anthropologists and sociologists academic existence, as Meade’s ethnocentrisms, despite her unusually iconoclastic and liberal upbringing by academics, it was simply a matter of the fact that she didn’t understand what she was observing.

With this in mind, I have to thank Peter Kenney for inspiring me to start a blog on Cape Cod Today. Reading his accounts and twists of the Mashpee Wampanoag’s issues and problems, as well as the fact that he has decided to chose sides, made me revisit my own philosophy. Should the only outside voice and documentation of a people be the voice of an outsider? Particularly if it’s a hostile, sensationalists documentation? After years of watching him on public access and short, seemingly pleasant exchanges in the halls of the Yarmouth community television station, I have a fair sense that Mr. Kenney lacks Dr. Meade’s social advantages and educational background, it would stand to reason that there needs to be a flood of Wampanoag, native, and or people of color in general blogging, sharing ideas, points of view, and insight.

DISCLAIMER: I by no means am a spokesman for the tribe, nor do I purport to hold the opinion of the tribe in my hand. We are far from the monolithic group of people that writings and comments from readers would suggest. I’m simply one Wampanoag who happens to be a writer. I also happen to be one of the members of the tribe who chooses not to ignore my ethno-cultural heritage, hence I have always (much to the chagrin and disdain of some of my fellow tribal members) identified myself as a Black Wampanoag. Understanding that it’s the responsibility of everybody to support their community, I took on the roll of Chairman of Education. I happen to be a Peters, but my family has last names like Hicks, Hendricks, Oakley, Mills, Bearse, Helms, Tobey, Boardley, Haynes, Cash, Turner, Avant, Pocknett, Coombs, Frye, Sturgis, Harris, Green, and all derivatives there of. Amelia Bingham is my aunt, my late father’s eldest sister. Glenn Marshall is my cousin, as we have the same great-grandmother (Amelia Peters). So don’t expect me to always agree with my family and by the same token, don’t expect me to turn my back on or denounce my family, who’ve been there for me in times of difficulty. So on this disclosure, understand that my point of view is subjective, just like the opinion of an outsider. Removed does not mean objective as all people bring their baggage and critical thinking skills (or lack there of) to any situation.

When your family fights in public, it cab be very embarrassing. When your family humiliates themselves in public, that also can be humiliating. But worst of all is when your families dirty laundry ends up being aired by them through other people. Of course, there’s always the factor of what goes around comes around... karma... don’t do unto others... A while back, I fell upon a blog called Wamp Facts. However, it was a lengthy comment attached to the past posting by my cousin, Paula, that prompted me to think about this. I love my cousin Paula, as she is always well meaning and passionate about her convictions even though I don’t agree with them at all. But the passion of her last post reminded me of my father’s funeral, when she jumped up and delivered an impromptu Eulogy that was well intentioned, heart-felt, a little narcissistic (a family trait, I suppose) and at the same time wildly embarrassing (like when she referred to my son as my father’s great-grandson... unless she was subtly accusing my {then} wife of having an affair with one of my nephews...). This too shall pass.

It’s amazing what the media chooses to ignore. For example, we just had a very successful summer program, A Mashpee Wampanoag Summer Thing where we addressed the social, cultural and academic development of a group of youth from the tribe and launched the beginnings of a youth council... it get’s no ink or screen time. We had a Wamp Pride Day on September 1^st, bringing together the tribe as a community for a wonderful outdoor event including an old fashion softball game, basket ball tournament, cookout, and subsequent dance at the Sons of Italy. No coverage. Not even a mention if the Barnstable County Report. The press was invited to both events, but I guess since it lacked the pageantry of the event of powwow, no fights took place, no law enforcement involved, it wasn’t news. Oh well, this too shall pass... or make a really funny story years from now.

There’s a West African proverb, of Ghana origins I believe, "When two brothers fight over the farm, strangers always reap the harvest." I think we need to catch a clue from this. It’s nation time. We need to come together behind Shawn Hendricks and ready him and ourselves for the things to come, good and bad. Holding our leadership accountable means being accountable, as I advised on a comment in Wamp Facts, become a part of the solution for the good of US and those we impact. Yeah, it's nation time. Renovating a house doesn't always mean tearing it down, sometimes it just means replacing boards, and walls, pillars and posts. Get me? It’s nation time.

A Means To An End?

2007-08-31T20:49:00.000-04:00

If you listen to the discussions around the tribe as opposed to the media version, you will find that this is what we all want. I've heard folks in the tribe express dreams of developing and operating everything from restaurants, hair salons, to e-commerce ventures, alternative fuel ventures, and various other micro-enterprises and cottage industries. My personal interest is in a black box theatre, connected to a media production company. I even have a full business plan written out for both, complete with a five-year plan. However, all of these goals and dreams require venture capital. Many of the tribal members are not in the economic circumstances to receive business loans. Hence many of these dreams and goals might remain dreams and goals.

Now, if you consider the cooperative economic development models enacted by some immigrant groups, particularly those of Asian extraction, you see the blueprints of a way to make things happen. For example, I remember in Boston, ten families pooled their resources to obtain a place to live and eventually purchase a store front or eatery. When that business produced, the profits went toward obtaining more living quarters and starting more businesses, until all ten families had their piece of the pie. Of course, this model pre-dates the latter day Asian immigrants, and can be seen in the history of the early 20^th century West Indian American communities in New York City, all the way back to the formation of the Free African Society in Philadelphia in the 1770’s by Absalom Jones.

If you follow the current trend of American business, you can see that the days of free enterprise are quickly fading in the wake of massive corporate mergers, hostile take-overs and small businesses going belly-up to franchise competition. It’s as if people form businesses these days for the express purpose of having them taken over by somebody bigger. So the question remains, how does a group raise capital in today’s economic system that will allow them economic self-sufficiency? Well, consider pre-Castro Cuba or your present day, independent countries of the Caribbean. The economy of these countries depends on the large-scale development and investments of corporations and conglomerates who come into these countries, build their businesses around the tourist trade and in exchange offer all kinds of opportunities for employment and well as infrastructural improvements (roads, buildings, law enforcement, etc.). The leaders of these nations are forced to make decisions that, in theory, should benefit the needs of their country... sadly, often tainted by greed and corruption, leading to revolution.

Following this same principle, a sovereign entity and it’s leadership in this territory is also forced to find a way to provide for the social and economic needs of their community. In the 1980s, gaming became the means for sovereign native nations and tribes to gain capital. What may seem to be a focus on a casino is our effort to cultivate resources and choices for very real and immediate needs. Many of our tribal members are have-nots living among the haves. A casino is not a way of life but is a boost/ jump-start with which we can offer education, occupational training, healthcare, provisions for our elders, housing, business opportunities. We can no longer give them the old way of life with the woods, clear waters, aquatic and wildlife rapidly disappearing, but we can give them a chance to succeed. As I look at the resources that have come to the Mashantucket Pequots, for example, where each member of the tribe receives an annual share in the profits totaling $150,000 - $250,000 (did I mention, each?); I could have my theatre space, and a little left over to start that pharmaceutical venture that one of my readers kindly suggested.

Now, let’s say that Governor Patrick decides against allowing a casino. We still have 5553 acres in Middleboro with-which we could build a resort, convention center and/or even a theme park, with land over to address the housing issues faced by many tribal members. While not bringing in the revenue that a casino would, it still would provide an economic development base of the tribe. More to come...

Anti-Casino: What's Really Behind These Feelings???

2007-08-29T21:33:00.000-04:00

I remember when I bought my first house, a tiny, cozy cottage, just right for a single artist with no family and two cats. It was dirt cheap o boot! I remember being advised by several elders, both tribal and African American, that I should not discuss my purchase with any of my white co-workers because they would resent it. I was a little mystified as almost all of my co-workers were home-owners, in many cases, large, beautiful homes and renovated estates. Why would they resent me owning a tiny cottage? The common answer: anytime a person of color gets anything, even if it's a shack, they will resent it. Also working at this job was a fraternity brother, African American, who new about my purchase. I guess not having access to the same elders, he innocently mentioned my purchase at a social function of our co-workers and sure enough, attitudes towards me changed dramatically. Thinly veiled, snide comments began to abound. The words, they don't want us to have anything, echoed in my ears.

The issue of casinos seems to be one the sparks a number of opinions from folks. Here in Massachusetts, the anti-casino movement is boisterous, if for no other reason, but to make it seem bigger and more supported then it really is. A prime example is the vote that recently took place in Middleboro, where the anti-casino voices could be heard loud and clear, they filibustered at the special town meeting for two hours and lost the vote by a landslide. What's particularly interesting is the fact that although the state itself is looking to create some state owned casinos, the focus of most of the anti-casino movement seems to be the Mashpee Wampanoag. Hmmm, why is this?

Well, let us consider an unspoken aspect of American society, good old Economic Racism. In the structured image of those who pursue the American Dream, prosperity is only reserved for those of European extraction. People of color are supposed to be poor or preferably non-existent. Indians are supposed to be defeated, drunken, poverty stricken people who are supposed to invoke sympathy or scorn from the majority. Quakers, for example, seem to love Indians when they are a 'cause,' but put an Indian in a position of social and/or economic power and now they're a problem and untrustworthy. Indians are supposed to live on barren reservations, and sit around saying poetic and esoteric things. The thought of Indians living in nice houses, sending their kids to the best schools, and driving nice cars sickens some people. For one thing, in their racist way of thinking, the notion of people of color achieving what they have failed at is more then they can take. This is exemplified by the actions of former Mashpee selectman, George Benway, in his persistent and open attacks on the Mashpee Wampanoag's tribe's bid for recognition, where several of us heard him on a number of occasions, particularly after a Mashpee Town Hall meeting in March of 2000, calling the Mashpee Wampanoags "niggers,". revealing how he feels about two ethnic groups.

The unfortunate fall of Glenn Marshall as the chairman of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribal Council was a major blow to the confidence of a lot of people. While this is by no means an excuse for his actions, the fact of the matter is, he did what many American politicians have done before him... it's just that many of them never got caught, or held accountable. However, what made him a real target for scorn was the fact that it was under his stewardship that federal recognition became a reality for the tribe after a 30 year struggle. How dare he give people of color an economic advantage in life! If they are real Indians, they don't need money! Why can't they just sell arts and crafts at powwow and tourist stands? By the way, these are actual comments that I've encountered in my interactions with folks.

The next time you find yourself scoffing at the notion of a casino, ask yourself: would I have this reaction if it were Donald Trump or MGM trying to open a complex in Massachusetts? We've discovered that Trump, by his own admission set up and anti-casino group to take native people out of the game that he's made so much money in. I also reference the article Anti-Casino or Anti-Indian,by Michael I. Niman as a detailed reference on this point. When I read the quotes of many of the anti-casino activists in the paper, old terms pop up in their comments, such as "Those people" referring to native groups and tribes.

The question remains, what's at the bottom line of these feelings? Is this truly a disdain for gaming and gambling in their regions or is it a matter of possible subconscious disdain for people of color economically advancing? To date, I have not heard a single anti-casino activist offer an alternative suggestion or plan for large scale economic development among native groups. I guess it all goes back to the saying, "If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem."

Moving Right Along: New Leader, Same Goals for the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe

2007-08-29T20:21:00.000-04:00

MASHPEE - Today, August 29, 2007, A press conference was held at the grounds of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, where the tribe's new council Chairman, Shawn Hendricks came to address the facts and fiction that have been put out about the tribe since the unfortunate circumstances surrounding Glenn Marshalls resignation as tribal chair. With him were several council officers (Richard Oakley, Desire Hendricks, Cheryl Frye-Cromwell, Yvonne Tobey), elders, and over 120 tribal members showed to support the tribe's new leader. His message: that the economic and social development plans of the tribe will continue to move forward.

grandmother, tribal elder, Ellie Hendricks. Hendricks spoke of the true and immediate needs of many tribal members, health care, gainful employment, improved educational andIn his speech, he honored and acknowledged the elders sitting with him who were among those who began the tribe's fight for federal recognition back in the 1970's. Hendricks honored his housing opportunities, and why the tribe cannot delay their plans to sign the land trust agreement with the federal government on Thursday, August 30, 2007. This is one step closer towards the tribe fulfilling their economic development plans, which includes the development of a 1 billion dollar casino and resort complex in Middleboro, Massachusetts.

These plans are contingent upon Governor Deval Patrick's ruling on allowing class III gaming in Massachusetts, which was scheduled to be announced by labor day weekend, but has recently been postponed.

Tribal elder, Eleanor Thaxton also spoke in support of Shawn Hendricks and the Tribal Council, presenting a petition of confidence in the new Chairman and existing council's abilities to govern the tribe.