#naitve

Today I'm uploading my first experiment from Clip Studio Pain! I wanted to try drawing Pocahontas' father, Powhatan, for something different, and I'm pretty happy with the end result!

Powhatan is © Disney

One thing that I have learned is there are a lot of things that distract us from our lives. It could be from the news or it can be from our own minds, that inability to see optimism in the bigger picture.

I know for a fact that I always get caught up in my in thoughts. So much so, that I began to feel the stress of inevitability of failure, when in reality it is the realization of work that must be done and its difficulty.

Case and point I am referring to the turmoil plaguing the Navajo Nation. Though it should be noted that our Nation has been in turmoil far before this last general election. The election has shown the pain that is still exists in our Nation. The pain from the Termination Era, an era in which the US attempted to totally annihilate our culture. Like all wounds, there are still some from this era and we are stilling trying to heal from that ordeal. Shame has taken the place of understanding. Shame to either speak or teach the language. Shame that fills in our when we do not know the language. Even though I stated before we are still healing we have somehow created a new pain from the injustice that had happen to us. A pain in which we try to belittle one another of not knowing the language. Fluency has taken president over our K’e and Hozho’. A term in which no one truly knows if it is possible for much of our language is fluid and differs from region to region. Much of our elected leaders and leaders that are task with the difficult job of defining this term have done much harm by placing an ENGLISH (fluency) word above our own.

If we truly want to place a blame on someone then only look at the flag at our capital that is placed higher than the Navajo Flag. The story of why this flag is higher will be a tale for another time.

Aside from the whole language issue, let me speak on the issue of how our government is now chaotic. For one those of you who may not have kept up or do not give a damn. I will try to summarize to the best of my ability to give a summery. (And yes I may miss something which is why you should go out and read articles in the Navajo times or any other newspaper that covers the Navajo Nation so you can fully know.)

Before I start I should mention that I am a non-native speaker. I am in the processes of learning, but peers of my age will know that is hard and everyone has their pace.  I also believe there should be a qualification, but I will talk more about how to deal with that on a later blog.

ACT I: The People’s Choice?

Well it all starts when Deschene telling the truth that he does not have a strong grasp on Navajo language. Something that most of my generation can understand. They only problem with that is AFTER the general election two candidates who did not win, Dale E. Tsosie and Hank Whitehorn decided to file a grievance with the office of Hearings and Appeals that he should be disqualified.  The problem with Whitehorn’s and Tsosie’s problem is grievances have to be filed between the 10 days after the Candidacy application. But I believe, the Navajo Supreme Court order the Office of Hearings and Appeals to re-evaluate the grievance to be heard, for the reason that Tsosie and Whitehorn made a very good point. Deschene “lied” on his application. Matter of fact I’m pretty there was other people who lied, but that’s my opinion and not fact. So thus goes on the drama that is Deschene and fluency. Fluency having Tsosie’s and Whitehorn’s Bilighaana attorney, who absolutely did not speak Navajo, present the case of Deschene not knowing how to speak Navajo. It was an interesting show until Deschene with his logical pride had said that he did not want to take the “fluency” test. A test that was developed by his opponents, prior years, and basically had no standard as Navajo really does not have a standard or one way to speak it. Therefore the test was literally a conversation on “where are you from?” and “tell me where that is.” Not really that hard because you are just basically talking to each other. Though for Deschene, he believed it was unfair to give this test to him, because he had the legal argument of “no one else had to!” Which can be big, but seeing him and Shirley where the two that made it to the primaries made no sense to go with that argument. I mean if you gave a “fluency” test to Shirley, he would literally serenade you with his Navajo. Due to his love of principality that if everyone did not have to do it, he should not have to either. Deschene gave the Office of Hearings and Appeals more than enough legal ammo to say “Disqualified!” (David Bowe). As Deschene filed for an appeal to the Supreme Court, he gave this imperative task to someone else and that someone else will forever be known as the person who forgot one paper to make the appeal go through. Ending a good chance to be back on the ballot. During the time of and after the hearings the Navajo Council was trying to amend the qualifications to have “fluency” defined by the votes and competency of Navajo voters, rather leaving “fluency” to the Navajo Supreme Court.

Native Sun Feat. Yael Naim

Wrapped this up this morning. Enjoy.

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