Broken Lands Page 12
Little Wing entered a large room on the left. Tom was behind him, flanked by Big John and Solomon.
“Allow me to introduce you to Moses, the leader of our movement,” said Little Wing softly. “Please sit down and make yourself comfortable.”
Moses was in his mid-sixties. His long white hair covered his broad shoulders. He looked up and acknowledged Tom with a gentle smile.
“Welcome to the convention,” he said firmly and then continued writing on his notepad.
“What’s with the biblical name?” Tom asked Little Wing in a muted whisper.
“You will eventually understand the connections, but for now, we want you to calm down and prepare for the big meeting,” said Little Wing in a peaceful voice.
Tom was directed to the greeting area for registration and guest accommodations. Sarah, the receptionist, noted all of the information she needed about him and confirmed it with the identification he had on him. After the processing, he went on to his designated room, which had wall posters of important tribal leaders from the past: Sitting Bull, Standing Bear, Geronimo, Joseph, and many more. The Indian furnishings were made of raw, unfinished wood and the floor covered with woolen carpets and animal skins. Some fresh attire had been laid out for him on his bed, and he noticed that the closet was filled with more apparel. There was a pitcher of mint tea on the table and some corn muffins on a plate. The bathroom was set up with all the necessary items one would need.
Tom relaxed patiently on the bed while staring at the posters. He pondered the outcome of all he was going through. When the phone rang in the room, Tom picked up the receiver. He immediately recognized that it was Sarah the receptionist with her soft-spoken voice.
“Tom. Please be ready for the meeting in one hour.” Sarah stated.
“Thank you. Will I be free to arrive on my own?” he asked.
“No, Tom, you will be escorted by your guards to the meeting hall, and please wear the garments that have been provided for you.” she responded calmly.
He showered, shaved and got dressed quickly. He was quite impressed by the amenities that had been provided, considering that he was a hostage. When Tom was picked up for the meeting, he was awkwardly wearing the traditional Indian garments that were requisitioned for him. “I feel like a character straight out of an old western movie,” he said jokingly. When Solomon heard this, he gave Tom an extremely harsh stare, moreover, the previously soft hold that he had had on Tom’s left arm became a hard grip, emphasizing Solomon’s annoyance with Tom’s comment.
“Listen, Mr. Jacobs. Keep your clichés to yourself.” Solomon’s assertiveness was quite clear; accordingly, Tom toned down his demeanor rather quickly, and presented a composed air of calm restraint.
“I’m sorry, Solomon. It isn’t every day that I get to wear the latest in Native American fashion,’ he muttered. Luckily for Tom, the surrounding noise coming from the hall they were approaching drowned out the facetious remark he had just made, rooted in his usual comical manner. He would have to control his humorous demeanor; this wasn’t the office and the audience here had a different temperament all together. It was very clear that they were serious about their agenda; there was no room for joviality on their part in this particular setting.
The convention meeting was about to commence. They entered the hall just in time for the introduction. Tom was amazed at the sight of so many familiar dignitaries, many of whom he recognized from the basic coverage of the daily news events that were offered by his station. He was stunned to see Congressmen Will Abrams and Steven Hawthorn, the President of the Arizona First National Bank. BAM had rounded up one hundred and twenty people in all. They had planned their abductions for years, even during the budding years of their careers. Tom could not believe that so many famous people were being held as “hostage guests” at an Indian Convention. The multitude of politicians, entertainers and journalists were right in front of him, as clearly as anything he had ever photographed; and no, it wasn’t a dream. This was one of the biggest events in his or any of their lives.
‘These people mean business, big time,’ he thought, as Solomon directed him to one of the empty seats in the third row. The lights were dimmed and set a mysterious tone to the atmosphere. Seconds later, someone walked out to center stage and positioned himself behind the podium. Everyone’s eyes were front and center waiting to see who it was, as a ripple of excitement went through the audience. When the spotlight came on, Tom recognized Moses standing tall before the crowd.
“Ladies and Gentlemen, let me open by welcoming all of you to our convention. My name is Moses. I am the leader of the BAM movement. This is probably the most important event of the century for our people, and maybe for you as well. We have gathered all of you to witness and chronicle one of the greatest quests undertaken by our nation. We, the people of Native America, who hold true the beliefs of our ancestors, gather here tonight to witness the new horizon of the Native American. Besides the representatives we have assembled of almost every tribe in the North American Hemisphere, we also invited some special guests from Central and South America. Our determination and resolve stand for every Native American of the past and future. We will provide support for any group of natives who have had their rights infringed upon. Centuries’ worth of colonialism has evolved at the cost of freedom and justice for our people and now it is our time for redemption.
“As I am speaking to you, our administrators are hastily sending thousands of e-mails to every elected official and news agency in the USA and around the world. These e-mails include the scanned archival items which had been secretly removed from the Offices of American Indian Affairs. We have hidden these items in fear that they would be damaged or destroyed. They serve as evidence of the many contrived agreements for land rights. They justify every qualm we might have with the US Government. The documents, treaties and maps warrant legal action, and put an emphasis on our plight and the reason for our indignation; without which a very important chapter in our history would have been covered up and erased completely.
“We have come to this moment through periods of immense pain and persecution, humility and disrespect. The appeasements endowed upon certain tribes that have survived, allowing casino gambling and the exemption of taxes, have not diverted our resolve towards complete salvation. The informative details you will hear in the next few hours are bound to change your spirit and soul forever. You all know some of the history of our people; at least the way it has been minimally expressed in your prejudiced textbooks. We intend on making our eternal mark on this rampantly deteriorating, vicious planet, regardless of the fact that the educators of the last century and recent decades have seen to it that our legacy as a people is excluded as often as possible and obscured in the pages of American History books. Our culture thrived for thousands of generations. Our traditional idioms, languages and social structure persisted unceasingly, until the self-righteous colonialists from a multitude of cultures and races, descended upon us, captured our lands, destroyed our lives and souls, and erased as much as they could of what was the sacred ground upon which we flourished for centuries. This type of expansionism called colonialism has been around for thousands of years. The North American Colonialists from Europe systematically killed and raped their way through endless miles of native lands. This had been done before to different cultures throughout the Middle East and Africa. We all know about the actions of the colonialist nations of Europe who were behind the many annexations of lands in the Asian and African Continent. Millions were turned into slaves, just as the Egyptian kings had done to the Jews thousands of years ago. More recently, in the last hundreds of years, colonialist had no problem taking over many lands and enslaving many poor people, especially from Africa.
“For example, we see that Israel and the Jewish people suffered overwhelming blows that affected their lives severely throughout their history. Its people were scattered everywhere, left without a lan
d of their own, but their spirit and determination to survive was not shattered. Even the recent Holocaust, the epitaph of their horror, was a seemingly final attempt to erase them as a people. But instead, many of whom who survived, with a relentless justification of their birthright, returned to their homeland as a free people.
“Sadly, even today, slavery is still rampant in Africa, even after all that has been taught about freedom and basic, human rights. Africans and Arabs are abusing their own, in the worst way. Inhumane working conditions in Asia, and in Central and South America are in fact a type of slavery. The corporate world is cruel, motivated by economics without any sensitivity for the lives of people. There is constant conflict caused by the power play for authoritative control, leaving the people living to confront the issues of hunger and disease on their own, on a daily basis. These rich, powerful leaders have had no problem turning aside and looking away from those shameful realities in their midst.”
There was a buzz among the abductees, as heads were turning in every way to see others’ reactions. Noticing the reaction, Moses paused to sip some water from the glass in front of him. He then looked in all directions into the faces in the crowd. He wiped the sweat on his forehead, drank some more water, and continued after the low-level noise level diminished.
“We have no intention of letting anyone eradicate our culture and legacy. Our purpose is to bring back the major elements and character of our existence, to bring into focus the pure substances and foundations of the indigenous people that we are, and to reinforce the honor of our native heritage that we have preserved until this day. The quest for an independent Indian nation shall be realized by means of setting our goals and directives and implementing them in the most efficient way possible.
“The show of strength and assertive behavior is status quo during processes of making international policy and the negotiation towards the acceptance of changes in human relations. We will resurrect the spirit of the Native American people and provide them with a homeland in which their own rules and laws will be their guiding force, living in harmony with nature and respecting all that is around them. The call for equal rights for all has been a recent expression, yet as we see today, most places on the planet have yet to be bestowed with these realities and activations. We will do this primarily by ourselves as much as possible, yet have gratefully accepted the support of a few friendly nations who have the vision to comprehend the truth about our legitimacy. We have waited too long, all the while believing that the judicial system at the roots of the supposed greatest democracy in the world would serve us equally like all of its citizenry. We have let others make policy for us, but now we know that we must plot our own course. Our emotions have been subdued to the point of nonexistence; but now our resolve and fortitude shall be the symbol that we will carry proudly to the forefront of our battle. Never again shall we let down our guard. We proudly recognize those of us who have assimilated into the mainstream of present-day society, but we also recognize that they have lost their connection to their cultural and spiritual roots.”
The BAM members in the crowd went wild with a round of ear-shattering applause and cheering. The abductees were restless; each had a look of astonishment.
“Never again,” he cut in to calm the crowd, “will we depend on others to do take care care of our needs.” The decrescendo of the noise was immediate. “Never again will we put our trust in another people to control how we should act or think. The dawn of a new age is upon us, and the new sunrise shall beam forcefully and deliver the wrath of the Indian Nation everywhere. Together, our tribal conglomerate shall bring us a stable unified nation that carries the forces of nature as its ally.”
The BAM members in the crowd responded with another round of cheers and applause. he atmosphere in the hall was lively and filled with energy; similar to that of many political conventions. Tom noticed that one of the hostages turned to looking at him rather intently. But he quickly realized that he too had been homing in on every person who was within his sights. ‘What were they thinking back in the office?’ he wondered. ‘I am sure that they have been trying to call me. Maybe someone reported the fact that my car is still sitting in that parking lot.’
In the meantime, the news crew at the station had gathered for a special meeting. Instead of talking about the usual daily distribution of assignments, they sat and talked about this latest event that affected everyone in the country, but one that touched them much more personally. Everyone was quite worried about Tom, not knowing about his whereabouts. It was a scene filled with tension, especially since any attempt to reach Tom went unanswered.
Tom was obviously aware that this was a special event. …….He was impressed by the energy and unity that was expressed.
Every individual was an integral part of the movement. Otherwise, there was no point in the direction or goals for the tribal conglomeration. The guests in the crowd were moved and excited about the speech. Most of the hostages were beginning to put it all in perspective, as they realized the relevance of this whole affair. The historical references were new to some of them who had not been exposed to the same censored information that was provided in the textbooks they had read during their schooling. Tom looked at Big John as Moses continued to close his speech. He noticed a tear rolling down his cheek. ‘This is emotional stuff,’ he thought to himself. ‘I can easily put myself in their shoes. This is going to be a great story.’ There was a special element of sensitive content in which this movement was getting itself established. America had many experiences of having its citizens taken hostage for political motives. It had happened in Iran, Iraq, Syria, and North Korea but never quite in such an expansive way; and certainly not with such a wide variety of people, and certainly not within its own borders.
Tom began feeling more secure and comfortable; he felt a closeness with BAM’s quest for justice. By the look of the excitement of his peers scattered in the hall, they, too, were quite touched by the undivided energy and vibrancy in the air.
“Let no one fear the outcome,” continued Moses. “We shall get our dues after all these miserable years we spent in darkness as prisoners in our own realms. We shall accomplish our goals and deeds, and most of all, we shall reunite as the strong nation that we had once been, for eons, right here in the lands that are now called the Americas.” Again, the BAM members in the crowd raised their fists in the air, calling out traditional cries of victory in a sign of unification, as the unforced applause of the abductees gradually joined in tandem with those of the BAM members cheering excitedly.
Moses, smiled with an air of satisfaction and calmly took another sip of water, waiting again for the level of applause to diminish before continuing to speak.
“I need not remind anyone here of the spirited message conveying the deep belief and loyalty that is the basis and foundation of the National Anthem of the United States of America. We have heard this anthem many times, yet we, as a people, have perceived it in quite a different way. We don’t recognize the slave ships, or the racism streaming through the ramparts of freedom for all. But the last line is the most significant one for our tradition, purpose and roots; which emphasize the links to this land we value: “. . . the land of the free, and the home of the brave.” The crowd went into a roar singing the words over and over:
and THE HOME OF THE BRAVE,
and T H E H O M E O F T H E B R A V E,
and T H E H O M E O F T H E B R A V E.
Moses, with a stern expression, thumped his fist against his heart. “Bravery in war, in battle, or in the everyday struggles of life is always to be commended, and there were many reasons that the white men called us braves. We were, we are, and we will forever be brave. Certainly not like the soldiers of the American Union who carried out atrocities against our many tribes; nor like the deceitful politicians who made promises, wrote treaties and then broke them, all the while chasing us away or breaking us wherever we went. The 183
0 Indian Removal Act has now reflected on. Now, we Indians will remove you out of our picture. Now we are continuing with Act I, Scene II.” Moses raised the exhilaration of the crowd, raising his fists and waving them in the air, his head facing up as if getting a message from his ancestral Tribal Heads up in heaven.
A crashing response of loud cheering boomed through the hall. People were applauding and whistling as loudly as they could. He held his two fists up in the air, accelerating the crowd’s spirit into high gear.
“It is time for our redemption,” he continued speaking but raised the volume of his voice to be heard over the noise that had accumulated. “It is time to revive the past and mold the future. Our brothers, the Hebrews, who were exiled from their land for centuries have made a home for themselves in Israel, thousands of years later -, but not before the loss of millions of their people at the hands of the Nazis and other anti-Semites. The creations of new religious movements made sure that anything that was meaningful to the Jews be destroyed. When Christianity came upon the civilized world, following the Pagan rule, it continued the brutalities of their political predecessors. When Islam rose out of the midst of Christianity and Judaism, it too did its utmost to stamp out other religions. Today, we are seeing the same injustices repeating over and over again. Hate is abundant within groups and sects of the same religion, who not only fight among themselves, but still find extremist elements to spread their despicable actions against conflicting religions and ideologies. As I am speaking to you now, the Palestinians are fighting to reorganize and bring about changes within their nation, to rid their nation of the corrupt leaders and the radical Islamic agendas that have poisoned their people. Their new movement called Inkasar was organized in order to bring back the promised peace and coexistence that was laid out in the peace accords with their Israeli neighbors. Their acts of bravery are inspiring and we support this group completely.