Here are some last-minute wishes for Santa. These presents won’t take up much room in Santa’s sleigh!
1) Equality and freedom for every man, woman, and child on the Reservation. Jobs, quality health care, education, and income to help create a sustainable living environment.
2) Extreme hopelessness becomes a thing of the past. No longer must the kids and adults grow up with such limited opportunity and accept living in 3rd world conditions with no hope of ever escaping.
3) Advocates from the Fort Peck Reservation emerge in all kinds of opportunities. College graduates, Chiropractors, business owners, culturally relevant social activists, professional athletes, doctors, and teachers all making a difference in the lives of those on the Reservation. Even if they happen to carry their talents off the Reservation, let them be shining examples of how far a person can go coming from Fort Peck Reservation.
4) The end of crime and violence, especially against children, women, and the elderly.
It’s easy to default and say this can’t be done. It’s gone on for so long. The people living on the Reservation have never seen equality and freedom, why should now be any different.
It’s because each and every one of us makes a difference. It truly takes such courage not to give up. So many people just accept what has happened for generations. Imagine having your children taken from your household and transported to Indian Boarding Schools, against the parent’s will? They were abused, had their culture, language, and traditions beat out of them and they were homogenized into the dominant Caucasian culture. How tragic, how can this happen in the land of the free?
Last week a little girl was thrilled to receive a blanket and when asked won’t it make your bed awesome; the girl said that she doesn’t have a bed. She sleeps on the floor with her other brothers, sisters, cousins, and a few dogs. That must change! It’s simply not acceptable.
Every year we visit the Reservation, there are more and more examples of people who are stepping up ‘big time’ to make conditions better. We saw so many teachers who truly care and invested their own money for materials to make their classrooms better for the kids. We saw principles that are truly grateful for the gifts they receive at Christmas for the kids. The teachers, staff, and administration were all partners in the future success of their kids.