Are we even looking?

The world did not know about North America, or at least it pretended to not know for a long time in our history. This is ironic because we often do the same thing today.

We didn't know then, we knew, but we did not see, or pretended to not see what was there...we were told not to see.

So here's land, here's people, but they must own the land, we we don't know or pretend we don't know and we will take that land...and continue to pretend we don't know in so many ways.

We don't know their culture or at least we pretend not to know and instead of learning of that culture we will just pretend there isn't a culture and ignore it. But there it is?

No if we keep our eyes closed...but they know...we'll send them away to forget...but it isn't something you can forget...

It will just be easier to pretend, we will force them we will....but won't this end bad?

We will pretend there is no consequences, we will ignore the consequences till we believe...but they don't go away, the consequences... bah we will ignore...

Truth, it IS out there, it lives and breathes. Why don't we face it?

We pretend on big and small alike...Oak trees mast acorns, they produce more every 5 years and it rotates where every year...passenger pigeons knew this and would find the mast, so that every 5 years or so they would appear and this went on for longer than anyone could remember, perhaps even before memory of any man, or woman could store it as they had not arrived. Millions flew in giant sky snakes it is believed, people would build monuments to them.

So, we shoot them, what could it harm, there are plenty...we will pretend there will be no consequences, but now they are gone, we couldn't stop...all had to be gone because money had to be made. This was the culture we didn't ignore, this was the way...

The Bison, they roamed the Great Plains, travelling, eating and crushing the scenery till the earth built up and the land was rich. But we shot them, this was the way, the culture was to shoot them for money and ignore the consequences...

The Wolves would hunt, they would follow the rules, they took what they needed, for it was there to be taken, they didn't own it, and neither should we but we thought we did and therefore began a war with the wolves, and in many places the wolves are gone, and the rivers and land reveals the consequences, but we need not worry for we can pretend they don't exist.

The people, there were people, many of them, and they followed the same rules. The Pigeons, sometimes in mass numbers sometimes not, were there to be taken, and were consumed but this was just a part of life, you didn't sell your hunt, you fed your family and when it was fed you stopped.

The bison were hunted, it was there to be taken and when it fed and clothed all it was left alone as no amount of paper could replace it. That was the consequence, a long forgotten pile of paper.

The wolves are even smaller in our culture for to see it you have to look and culturally we have been shown to not look, or not see or pretend we didn't and that is the way...

We even go smaller, there is a rock, it is a council rock where native people met and commune with each other and nature. We know of one because it is written on it, but doubt it because there is only one...we know or pretend to know of no other, but there is and we know it that is the truth, but it isn't the way...there are other things out there, but we don't know, or pretend not to know and THAT is the way...

The people who were here, they did none of this, they faced the truth and they want to have the truth known. They want to have the truth that a pile of paper, or precious metal does not replace what it has taken away. They want the truth of what happened to their children...their land...their way of life...for you to stop pretending.

The world is a scary place, but is it more so when we see it or when we don't...locally, provincially, nationally and internationally we see those who say they see, they know the monsters and often they are the monsters...the rest of us just want to live.

Art Duval Pipesmoke of the PAST