Another Day Another Way Another Thought About Crime, Punishment and the Indian Way

So I sit wondering about the Indian Way. I have been thinking about this ever since I can remember thinking. I remember the backseat of cars heading back to MN from SD and trying to put together the worlds in which I lived. In front seat Ma and Pa would be talking about who was who at the gathering at grandma's house. Pa would say so and so was a cousin to so and so, Ma would ask, "a cousin in the Indian way?" If Pa said, "No, white man's way," then the conversation continued. If Pa said, "Cousin in Indian Way," then Ma would say, "How (not hau)?" Then the conversation would take on the telling of stories, explanations, and "Let me see, how does that go."

As a kid and into adulthood, Indian Way always meant stories and explanation. When I was younger and was being edumacated, I always thought the explanation would justify me, my family and my Indianness. You know fact, reason, and rationale; the life blood of modernity. It is sad when we let the myths of others and our own myths create, define, and defend who, what, and why we are as individuals, families, people, and tribes. Especially, as I came to realize as I was really edumacated that some how myths become facts used to create more facts which are really myths. Now we have our own blood quatum mythmakers telling the TRUTH all over the academy and Amazon, the book seller. I am glad that explanation is alive and well.

I was going to talk about story but got side tracked by explaning myself again.