Respect and Responsibility

I was noticing my sitemeter stats and my google traffic studies and I have found that an increasing number of people come to my site through google search. Increasingly, I am receiving visitors who have typed the very same things I once did, and wrote about. "Anishinabe Creation Story", " Old Growth Forest", "Cree Sylabics" , "Medicine Wheel" and many other First People's references. I am now getting hits from All over North America, as people seek to learn about the First Nations people of Turtle Island.

I'll get to the point. I feel a burden of responsibility and sudden respect. Who the heck am I, to dare speak on behalf of another relations culture? I kinda feel like I'm ripping the seeker off and ripping off my native brothers culture.

Picture a person who really wants to learn something about a native brother. They type in "anishinabe creation story", press enter and Voila....

They see this beautiful Cree symbol, which by the way, spells Don in Cree. I am not Cree, though I use this symbol as my signature on my paintings now. It was a gift to me from a Cree friend. I was told that W wasnt gonna cut it as a signature.....any way, I digress......

 People just cant help but click on that picture on the internet, and, in so doing, arive at my blogspot to a page called "Anishinabe Creation Story".
http://keepupwithdon.blogspot.com/2009/03/anishinabe-creation-story.html

I feel the burden of responsibility, because here is a guest who is seeking info on a particular culture group, and end up on the page of someone who hasnt even been to a POW WOW! In all fairness, when I posted the info, I too was searching and I only reported info that I found. YET, I am having a hard time wrapping my head around this....Who made me spokesman? How much of my own thought has obscured or changed the original intent? What gives me the right?

As a kid, I walked into a native craft store and picked up a souvenir. When I got home, I looked at the bottom and it said "Made in China". I was pissed off and I felt ripped off. What the heck does a chineese sweatshop know about a sacred totem?.....What do I know for that matter? How am I any differant?

This hasnt been some intentional thing. I dont want to replace the legitimate and real with my words as an onlooker....But what do I do? Stop learnig? Stop posting? Take my blog off the search machines? Change who I am and what I am becoming?

No. I think the answer lies in the fact that it has not been easy for me to learn about our First Nations peoples. I have had to reach out for any tidbit of info I can get. I have had to assimilate that knowledge and constantly adjust my own understanding based on greater knowledge. This is something we all must do. I just chose to document my journey and share it with the world.

I thought about maybe adding another disclaimer, but then again I already have "I seek knowledge of the great Ojibway peoples. If you can help me learn, I invite your comments and request your input" Which by the way hasnt done me a scrap good.

The only info I've managed to get, is the info I have reached out to receive. I have documented much of this journey here on my blog. I figure if I continue to love and respect my native brother, then the things I write, should be loving and respectful. What else could one ask for in this age of deceit?

waabaanakwad