societal clusterfuck

An overwhelming reaction to Chief Raoni seems to be about his piercings, and his lip not his pain, or his concerns, or the issues  he brings before the whole world. The crassness of us in the Western world, and our disrespect and our unbelievable facility at trivializing enormous and complex problems is far worse a scar, or a piercing, or tattoo within our being for indigenous peoples  to overcome, and get around to keep their sacred lands, and traditions alive as they stand humbly in front of world governments, and corporations!

If their presence is so odious, and renders us  incapable of hearing their plight as we hurry back to the simple-minded pleasures of Twitter, and the micro-managing of minutiae then it is our souls in need of healing. It means Jesus' teachings, and saving grace have proven to be empty, and void of any of the enlightenment, and salvation spoken of for 2,000 years! For centuries Native peoples around the world have had discussions about their plight, and paid attention to their dreams, and the dreams and prophecies of their Holy People concerned about the problem of the new comers who profess Jesus, and progress, acquisition of 'their lands', and the removal of Earth's resources without regards for her. Imagine, if you can, the intellectual and moral dilemna of the tribes faced with the reasoning, and the military might of the newcomers telling them their ways are not the ways of God! And now in the shadows of economic collapse, and the scarcity stories running amok, and Water re-claiming land, and the trembling of the Earth, our Mother those new comers come to Chief Raoni and the peoples he represent, and tell them to dance to their tune to restore order to the lands they threw out of order?

Who are we, and what is it we are doing? What we are doing is dangerous. Pretending to fix a problem and retain things as they are is that healing work? Is that how balance is restored, and transformation gets a grip on human consciousness?- Gregory E. Woods

Chief Raoni is a famous international activist and spokes person for his people; a living symbol of the fight for the preservation of the Amazon rainforest and of  indigenous cultures.