BOE Message..... hope
Lest we forget… One of the main strands of America’s moral fabric is threaded in the principles of the Native American culture. Those principles include but are not limited to; Reverence for Mother Earth, Love and Compassion for all children, Respect for all women and Courtesy for our elders. To be stewards of Mother Earth is to live in accordance with our creator’s intent; preserve, protect and cultivate.
As the American government's moral fabric weathers and fades, it is of utmost importance that we return to our ancestral teachings, identify our historical mistakes, embrace benefitting values so that we create a stronger more vibrant thread that we can weave into our social order. Regardless of the toxins polluting our Mother Earth and our lives B.O.E’s message is to bravely withstand, hold our ground, clean our side of the street and take pride in the resilient Indian that survives within, why might you ask? Well... because "the true wealth of a people lies in their positive contributions to the bigger social order." ….Thomas Paine
B.O.E's campaign is to simply showcase the Balanced Philosophy of the original People in a modern fashion that compliments science, technology and universal codes of integrity. B.O.E aims to showcase that integrity through the teachings of the original People, which lo' and behold is in alignment with ethical codes of conduct. From that point the how, where, when and who will manifest. In beauty... B.O.E marches forward to educate its foundational formula to mitigate our community's prevalent issues. Beauty to the six sacred directions, Balance within and Beauty throughout.
Bíí'ohíí
Gary Red Corn Maloney
"I am Bii’ohii the remainder of the ancestors who sacrificed themselves so that I may practice their faith and salvation. "
Redcorn Gary Maloney, RIP
Redcorn had a vision of BOE- of helping Native Americans being empowered to end addiction, trauma, and poverty. His vision is living on and moving forward.
Redcorn Gary Maloney
My Story
Yah’at’eeh (Blessings and Greetings),
I am Dine. A modern-day American Indian who is learning to walk a balanced path which involves todays positive philosophy and my ancestors un-dying integrity.My story begins being born on the desolate poverty-stricken Navajo reservation in a devout Christian home, a true minority race of people in their own Native country. Being born unprivileged and de-culturized for me has reaped more reward than repression. Before the reward I endured the tribulation of the subjected Indian who drank, fought, lied and drank again to drown the shame of having that blemished identity. The stereo-type drunken Indian staggering down the street was me.
The repression of accepting the idea that all is as it should be almost taking my life on several occasions. Whether it was depression, violence or depravity it festered until I faced the court of law. I was labeled the drunkard Indian, a true product of the Native American community. Being judged by men who knew nothing of the cards I was dealt lead me into looking into my ancestor’s history. The cards I held won me a prison sentence. The prison sentence became my reward because my education is a tribute to my incarceration.
Upon investigating my Peoples history, the intuitive instinct of what the Indigenous Americans identity was, resurfaced. The dying ember of my cultural identity ignited with a ravenous hunger. The warriorship and resilience my ancestors displayed inspired me to direct my story towards restoration for my People. Purpose, passion and pride fuel my devotion towards sobriety. I choose to rise above the predicted set of circumstances to enhance the next generations opportunities.
My experience is not anyone else’s but it can serve as a testimony for what is possible to the dejected and disregarded. What I promote and advocate is not reparation but self-reliance by harmoniously synchronizing dual or multiple cultures. My efforts will make a positive impact on a few but with a collective effort we can make a benefitting impact for our future generation.
I am Bii’ohii the remainder of the ancestors who sacrificed themselves so that I may practice their faith and salvation.
Bii’ohii.
asy.
I am Bii’ohii the remainder of the ancestors who sacrificed themselves so that I may practice their faith and salvation.
Sub-Human and Sub-Culture
Indigenous Americans were once identified as sub-human with an intellectual capacity that was no better than an animal. However, my ancestors had a perspective of nature that embodied all form of life and all life shared one breath. Quintessentially, all life existed in a balance that deemed all form of life equally relevant. Tribes lived in an ordained balance. The stock of virtue was abundant, and harmony was in season throughout one’s life. Before guns, germs and foreign religion the indigenous culture was thriving. What is left of my original culture is almost totally eradicated due to forced assimilation. My ancestors fought European men valiantly but were forced to heed to foreign maladies (measles, small-pox, influenza, etc.…) Facing total extermination they decided to assimilate. Natives were forced to learn European ways, European language and a European religion that just so happens to be a religion stolen from Judeans.
The religion went through many changes and today its known as Christianity. Despite the noble ideals in the Cristian faith the foreigners believed it the work of their god to eradicate the indigenous sub-humans. Although biblical
teaching is good in some context it undermines the truth of my ancestor’s belief and philosophy. Their bible states that their devil (an evil entity) came to steal, kill and destroy and yet people either refuse to acknowledge that or
they rationalize the fact that the stealing, killing and destruction was justified. Needless to say; that religion is not the essence of Jesus Christ’s teaching, it’s the organized church. The church must be thanked, blamed and buried. It may be thanked for the principles and values of the bible, blamed for their ideological campaign to convert entire nations of people and buried for the fear they instilled unto the countless souls they laid waste. Looking and reaching beyond the heinous atrocities; we have the power to extend the olive branch.
What occurred in our history is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit. The burden of guilt is alleviated when we acknowledge that we all have a voice. Thus far, I have learned that people have a natural inclination to project unto uninformed people their own beliefs with-out an attempt to understand the belief of the pupil. As redundant and cliché as it sounds, we have an opportunity to exchange ideas, beliefs and teachings to mold a model that is worthy of admiration. I am indigenous to this land and if that means I’m sub-human; I embrace it, because I am an equal to the plants and the animals. What is a sub-culture to most is my culture and my inheritance.
The late Chief Manuelito of the Dine people is to have said to his people “Go my grandchildren, go and climb the ladder of education”. I have clearly failed Chief Manuelito, but I will say that the future for the modern indigenous Americans is to cross pollinate differing views and ideals to cultivate a benefitting personal revelation. When we choose to cross pollinate, we educate ourselves by expanding our intellectual horizons, we gain tolerance for opposing views and we enable understanding to determine our degree of education. Education is a process that encourages exploration,and my voyage is nowhere near an end.
The soul takes nothing with her into the other world but her education and culture… Plato
Bíí'ohíí
RedCorn Gary Maloney
Depression in psychology is a mood or emotional state that is marked by feelings of low self-worth or guilt and a reduced ability to enjoy life. Depression for me is the unresolved issues of the past that I either avoid out of procrastination or it's my unwillingness to face the challenges. Or fear of what efforts it will require of me. For a lot of us Native's depression is a very deep and undermined issue. Suppose the depth of depression is not on an individual basis. It's actually not far fetched to observe the enormity of depression in our communities. That being said, it is not an opinion that the following lines are written. This is fact and how I will proceed is by deciphering how depression is a drought to the morale of our minds.
Why depression is a deep issue can be identified by understanding the historical truth of our country. Keep in mind that our issues aren't anyone's fault today. However what you are about to read is going to offend and hurt a lot of people's feelings. Nevertheless, this truth isn't written to appease any institution, religion or the followers of such institutions or religions. This truth is for those in the perils of alcoholism, addiction, poverty and the identity crisis in our society.
Three deeply rooted factual points will be brought to attention here...
● The first point is the introduction of alcohol to our ancestors. The introduction of alcohol was a psychological weapon for the U.S calvary to cripple the morale of the original People. It was a strategy as well as a tactic. The strategy was to inebriate warriors and the tactic was to demoralize the entire indiginous way of life. We cannot turn back the hand of time and what happened cannot be undone. We can't fight this disruption with money, lawyers or doctors. What we can do is accept what happened and truly understand why it took the introduction of alcohol to compromise the Balance of our circle.
The second point is the introduction of the organized church. The organized churches that are involved with the introduction of cultural trauma must be blamed, blessed and forgiven.
● Blamed for instilling fear, hate and undermining the concept of Native American spirituality.
● Blessed for the efforts the church is making to accept its role in the eradication of the Balanced Philosophy and for the charity, empathy and humility it shows to our country.
● Lastly our community must extend the hand of forgiveness because if we don't we are showing that we are no better than our oppressors.
The third point is the curriculum of the systemized education system. For my generation of students... We were taught to be sheep. Sheep who are at the mercy of the government. We were taught that an employer was the absolute provider for a fixed income. We were taught that our Native ways were barbaric and uncivilized. We were taught that our traditional ways were irrelevant. What the three points did was forcefully instill foreign concepts of human existence unto a people who lived in Harmony and Balance. The points conditioned indiginous people to denounce the identity of the original People. The 500 years of forced assimilation took its toll by coming in the form of liberty and justice for all. That facade plagued the people with irrefutable feelings of low self worth.
Today we are the generation that can begin to heal. We were plagued with guilt which in turn reduced the enjoyment of life for the present generations. Depression doesn't have to be our story. We can have the option to be the difference maker for our family.
Depression in our Community
The Three Sisters
Three Sisters are represented by corn, beans, and squash. They're planted in a successive order to ensure the growth of all. The corn is first to get planted so the beans vines have something to reach out and hold onto. The squash was planted last and it's role is to shield the bean from too much sunlight, while also keeping birds and rodents at bay with it's wide brimmed leaves. The bean and squash are planted at the base of the corn stalks. The stalks offer support to bean vines as they reach for sunlight from the earth. The bean provides a vital nutritional
booster in the form of nitrogen. The giving sister (bean) pulls nitrogen from the air and draws it to the ground to enrich all three sisters. Without the bean the corn and squash do not have the dietary supplement it needs to flourish. Without the corn the bean does not stretch it's limbs to the heavens for photosynthesis. Without the squash the bean is exposed to birds of prey and other predators.
The Three Sisters method is companion planting at its best, with three plants growing symbiotically to deter weeds and pests to enrich the soil. The three sisters are the holy trinity of North America.
The Indiginous People were Master Cultivators
From that understanding I am suggesting that we resort to the symbiotic relationship between the three sisters to cultivate a field within the mind. With a clear field we will proceed with elaborating on three seeds that reinforce the clients journey into lifelong Recovery.
The first seed is identity. Identity is so vital to our culture that it's our standardized staple of existence. For the Indiginous People identity courts confidence. That's why you never saw a bowed warrior, a confused mother or an unlearned elder in our history. With the planted seed of identity the client has a platform to establish him or herself from that foundation. Which provides an eagle's eye view of their own passion.
Bringing to attention the second seed. Passion is the second seed because it opens the portals of curiosity, education and training. With the opened doors the client discovers empowerment by seeing alternative choices in life that doesn't involve drugs and alcohol. It encourages the client to pursue their hobbies and interests with the enthusiasm that laid dormant during their substance use. The passion that the client unveils will set the stage for the next seed.
The third seed is purpose. Purpose is what most people never consider themselves worthy of. Purpose is arguably the most important factor in a person's life. For the Indiginous People, our ancestors taught that we decipher and decide what our plan of action was to walk a life of meaning and purpose. Purpose was taught to be the individual's legacy. Purpose is so fundamental that most people don't consider their life's purpose so we resort to mind altering substances.
All in all the three sister are as indicated… Bean is identity because it nourishes the other two.
Corn is passion because it makes the beans stretch it's vines outward into the heavens to reach out of its comfort zone to pursue it's passion.
Squash is purpose because it serves the bean with protection and it also deters pesticides from invading the corn stalk. Each serves a purpose to one another in an equally balanced fashion. All work in coordinated order for uniformity to be naturally displayed.
It must be noted that as the seeds are planted they will be under immense stress. It will be cold, wet and dark. The seeds will be under a lot of pressure but at the end of this curriculum the client will recognize the necessity of temporary discomforts. Redcorn
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