Best of The Zombieslayer

The Best of The Zombieslayer

Seven Generations

July 21, 2005

I'm a very fortunate man in many ways. I have a good wife, a good kid, good health, and an interesting past. Believe me, I do count my blessings and take nothing for granted.

I used to tutor Native American children with learning disabilities. It actually was all right. The Indian parents let me do my job. I think anyone else would have driven me nuts. I like parents who are concerned with their children's work, but if they interfere with what I'm doing, I'll stop tutoring their children. I don't want to be lectured by stupid parents who blame me for their parental shortcomings. That's reason #1472 that I'm not a teacher.

Since I supposedly did a fine job tutoring, I got invited to their ceremonies, everything from Pow Wows to Native American drummings. They taught me more than their culture. I learned outdoor survival skills as well as better hunting and tracking techniques. I feel very fortunate to have had these experiences.

Unfortunately, much of Native American culture has been lost over the years. In the 1930s, schools would beat Native American kids who spoke their own languages so we ended up with a generation of kids who spoke only English. The backbone of a culture is its language and with only two Native American languages going strong (Navajo and some language in Alaska, forgot which one), Natives have lost way too much.

So they started adopting a sort of Pan-Indian thing. For example, the Ojibway invented the dreamcatcher, but now practically every tribe now makes them. They've melded a lot of their belief systems as well, like the Seven Generations concept.

The Seven Generations concept is a wonderful philosophy. It simply states that when you do something, think in terms of how it will affect folks seven generations down the line. Like, do you really think putting a strip mall over that excellent farmland will be a good idea seven generations from now? Or, do you really think it's a good idea to let millions of illegals flood into this country? Or, should you really be buying gasoline with MTBE in it? Also, since we're supposebly supposed to be helping the Iraqi people, don't you think it's a bad idea to be using DU (depleted uranium) in our weapons? These questions need to be answered in terms of how it will affect the good people seven generations from now.

I've adopted this principle into my belief system and I think it's a wonderful concept. The concept is so simple, yet so perfect. It's right up there with the Golden Rule in my book.

And to my Native American friends past and present, thanks. Thanks for all you've taught me, and I'm looking forward to learning more. If I ever become a Congressman, I'll be all ears with your concerns.

Shootin' Political Correctness in the head since May 2005. If you're soft skinned or weak at heart, you might want to try elsewhere.