Nightwindsinmic, 80

Why I Care In all that I've read, seen and heard all through the years, I keep hoping to find that things for our Native peoples have changed for the better. It breaks my heart and outrages me that there is still so much injustice, not just current events, but all the past treaties and promises that were broken. What the white people - our government did and continues to do. I am only one person, just one small voice, but I care. I don't want to see the People lose their rights, or what should be their rights, their culture, heritage, history and language. I don't want these beautiful people to become nothing more than a memory. I want them and their history, etc., to go on forever. California isn't the only place I'm passinate about. It's beautiful, but so is South Dakota, Arizona and the western states. Everywhere you look is a photograph, and I have "tons" of them. I've been in all of the US states except Oregon, Washington State, Idaho, Hawaii and Alaska. There is so much beauty. I especially love the Black Hills - Indian Country. I think it should be returned to it's rightful owners. It should never have been taken away. To me, it is Indian Country and I feel blessed to have been able to go there. I'd like to live close to a reservation and be able to volunteer and try to do something to help and be supportative. Besides the people (Native Americans), I love the vistas, the mountains, lakes, canyons, etc. Walking through the land, I feel I am not walking alone, that the Native American Spirits are there, watching, walking behind, beside and in front of me; guiding my footsteps in a spiritual way that I can't even begin to explain or make anyone see why I feel this way, because I feel so deeply about so much, it overwhelms me. But, it has opened my eyes to the plight of so many Native Americans and all that has been stolen from them. I send my thoughts and prayers to them all, past present and future and hope the day will come when there will be peace and justi