JC> After "cyberconversing" for a few years now on various nets relating to
  > Indian Affairs, "NA religion" seems to be the only subject people want to
  > discuss. I keep waiting for people to discuss political issues, business
  > issues, etc., but either nobody knows, nobody cares or nobody is 
interested
  > or....
I don't do the internet, but am developing a theory that most of the
folks that talk on the native conferences on BBSes are not native.  A
couple of the net groups are gated over to a BBS system, and I see a
similar thing there.  There used to be a number of natives on Indian
Affairs.  Most of them quit for one reason or another, and religion
(read New Agism) discussion *was* one of the biggie reasons for exiting.
I know there are some private groups (invitation only) that are pretty
much all native, but not having an internet link, I can't get myself
invited into any of them.
JC> Nobody talks about proposed modifications to the ICWA. Nobody talks about 
t
  > ramifications of Ben Nighthorse Campbell switching parties and becoming a
  > Committee Chair in Congress. Nobody talks about the great loss in the NA
  > Community due to the death of Michael Dorris. Nobody talks about efforts 
in
I've noticed that, too.  The death of Michael Dorris did get discussed
on TMT, however; and a bit on a writers' conference I belong to.  I was
very saddened by it.  I think it got discussed more on the writers'
conference than on any native conference, however.
  > their communities to improve intertribal relations particularly between 
the
  > NA community and the mainstream culture. Nobody talks about efforts to
 > improve the knowledge of their people particularly in the areas of 
anguage
  > Nobody talks about neat websites on the net that they have found.
That's true.  Not even I discuss these things much anymore.  I don't
even do the biting satires about native issues anymore, like I used to.
Partly, I think, it's because there are so few natives here.
JC> Does anybody want to discuss Public Law 83-280 and its impact on Native
  > Americans? On Tuesday on A&E there will be a progam about "Justice & the
  > Citizen from the Indian Rez to the Inner City." Will anyone watch and
  > discuss it?
I won't.  I don't have cable.
JC> Several months ago I mentioned Sherman Alexie's newest book, "Indian 
Killer
  > I think _one_ person indicated they had read it.
Probably me.  I fell in love with it.  And disagreed with those critics
that thought John Smith did the murders.  He really didn't, you know.
JC> The other thing that happens a lot on other nets is that eventually the
  > subjects of "religion" and "life" ("worldview", "culture", "lifeways"
  > whatever one chooses to call it) become virtually one and the same. The
  > last "explosion" (on another net) I saw had to do with "Native American
  > art". Just try to discuss that without getting some kind of "spiritual"
  > belief involved. There is an exhibit currently in Portland of some 
acific
  > Northwest Coast masks. Very controversial because some people claim the
  > artist "copied" ceremonial masks.
Actually, you can't discuss art of any type without getting a least on
the outskirts of spirituality, unless you are discussing the
technicalities of the art.
JC> BTW, we went to the restaurant here in Portland called "Fiddleheads". 
oes
  > anyone know (or did I already tell everyone the answer?) what fiddleheads
  > are?
I grew up eating fiddleheads.  They're great steamed and served with a
little butter.  So I won't answer the question.
JC> BTW, the last discussion I was in about "shamans" I asked for anyone to
  > post what they _thought_ an NA "shamanistic" practice might be and I 
ould
  > see if I could relate it to _any_ NA practice I have heard of. No takers.
JC> And another discussion regarding "religion" was squelched when I asked 
ne
  > of the participants to define "religion". BTW, the Supreme Court can't
  > define it, either. Along with obscenity, art, music, etc.
Grin!  Someday I'm going to get on the internet, and join all these neat
groups (for a month or two until I get bored).
JC> If you can get others to talk about something they don't seem to be
  > interested in, I'm all for it and would like to know the secret.
I'll work on it. (g)
                Sondra
-*-
 þ SLMR 2.1a þ A hug warms the soul and places a smile in the heart.
--- Opus-CBCS 1.7x via O_QWKer 1.7 
---------------