The Sierra Club Nebraskas policy advocate Ken Winston penned a touching recollection for the Lincoln Journal Star about his fathers relationships with Native Americans in their community while growing up, and how it frames his perspective on the Cowboy and Indian Alliance: Dad could speak Lakota, at least enough to carry on a conversation with the guys from the Pine Ridge Reservation who wanted to buy or sell a sax or a trumpet. Growing up in a tiny Nebraska town in the early 60’s, I didn’t realize how rare and respectful it was until much later, after he had died. I remember sitting in our cluttered living room that doubled as a music store, hearing the distinctive intonations going back and forth, occasionally punctuated by laughter. I didn’t realize for years how rare it was for a white Nebraskan to speak Lakota, nor did I realize the respect he showed by caring enough to speak with our neighbors from a minority culture in their own language. ...I doubt that President Obama can speak Lakota, but I hope he shows the same level of respect my Dad did for the voices of Native Americans. #NoKXL (Photo by Mary Anne Andrei: Gary Dorr of the Nez Perce and Nebraska rancher Ben Gotschall)
Posted on: Sun, 27 Apr 2014 19:35:47 +0000
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