It reads, in part:
Dear other peoples inhabiting the region that the United States Government calls "Arizona":
For countless ages before you or your ancestors came here, our forefathers, the Hisatsinom wandered this area freely, and in peace and tolerance. We did not demand "proofs" from the occasional stranger that wandered in.
We did not demand "proofs" from the Navajo that now surround us, when they finished their journey here.
We did not demand "proofs" from the Spanish when they came from Mexico. And, we could not ask them to leave, when, by their force, they committed grave crimes against our people.
That said, later, other people with white skins, far more numerous, came. We did our best not to stigmatize them, though we could have done so.
To no avail.
And, their descendants, you the people who now claim to "govern" this land you call Arizona, go even further.
Many of our elderly still are not fluent in English. They do not have driver's licenses, utility bills or credit cards. If they were born before 1924, they were themselves not even given the chance to be considered American citizens at birth. And, when they were, we had to decline, in order to maintain our sovereignty. So, they could be mistaken for Hispanic "illegal aliens."
Therefore, we must respond to SB 1710.
As a sovereign nation under United States Government law, we forbid any officials of the government of the state of Arizona to come on our land.
Leave us alone.
That said, we recognize that we are, ourselves, a fiction created to satisfy certain demands of the United States Government. Real discussion and consensus, about which we cannot inform you further, is done in our kivas and other locations on a village-by-village basis.
We can say that there is true consensus on this bill, though, and that it is not the consensus of the "Hopi Nation" but of the villages of the Hopi people.
To Anglos not knowing the traditions of governance, leadership and consensus within the Hopi people, you are referred here.
6 comments:
The Hopi Tribal Council does not pass "Bills." It passes Resolutions and Ordinances. I know this for fact because I have worked in the Hopi Tribal government. Also, the Hopi Tribal Council has not met since the passage of Arizona's SB1710. So, whatever this is and wherever it came from, it is NOT "Tribal Council Bill 1710." I am opposed to Arizona's SB1710, but only oppose it through truth, not through fiction.
Correction: I am opposed to Arizona's SB1070, but only oppose it through truth not through fiction.
"Anonymous," you were apparently born without a sense of humor, at least one of satire? If you read the whole thing, you'll note that I note serious issues, really serious issues, don't even pertain to the council, anyway, per the link at bottom.
Beyond that, I used the word "bill" to deliberately parallel the Arizona Legislature. And, ditto on the idea of "bill," vs. "resolution" or "ordinance."
Oy.
No, I was not born without a sense of humor. Normally I appreciate good satire. However, this came to my attention via a "Google Alert" that recognizes the word "Hopi" in internet postings. Having never been to your website before I did not pick up on the satyrical nature of it...I only saw what I thought was another article about Hopi by someone who didn't know what they were talking about and I quickly got defensive. You would be surprised how much misinformation there is out there about Hopi by self-proclaimed experts or New-Age wannabees or people claiming to have secret knowldge from Hopi elders...etc...that sound a lot like your satire. Now that you have informed me of your intent, I understand where you're coming from...though it wasn't obvious to me at first. I will take another look at your website to better appreciate your humor.
No problem; I grew up in Gallup, so I'm familiar with Hopi traditions myself. And, my one sister used to live in Prescott, so I've seen New Ageism at Sedona, too.
That said, I am a skeptical left-liberal. The actual Arizona law is A. Stupid and B. Unconstitutional, so I thought I would "fire back" with something from Arizona's "original residents."
I agree on "A" and "B." Also, racist. I find it difficult to come up with "reasonable suspicion" without racial profiling. And...if you've read the law...it targets people trying to get work (day labor) in public places. Just about the only people doing that are Hispanic. So, it targets a specific ethnic group. This in the hands of that throw-back to Birmingham Commissioner of Public Safety Eugene "Bull" Connor during the civil rights movement in Alabama. For proponents to claim this is a wake-up call to the Feds is a bit like if George Wallace had claimed that his stand against desegregation was motivated by a desire to inspire federal intervention.
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