A Career destroyed? A Movement diluted? What can we learn....

This is all a hot mess, but I find stories like Joseph M. Pierce's authenticate the harm being 

done by rigidity within populations that should embrace the complexities of heritage and 

identity, especially to the vast population who are products of non traditional relationships 

that carry a heavy burden, stigma of legitimacy of worth as human. I was told recently 

that I should shut up because I'm not a "practicing native".  No one cares what I have to 

say.  It's amazing how people will use a culture to culture shame another person. Hmmmm...

We need to be careful who we drag along with Elizabeth Warren's condemnation besides 

her, which is unacceptable and vicious, in my view. Discovering MORE about the past, 

who we are, what courses through our blood is important for many reasons regardless of 

whether "you" personally care or not. Many people don't care about the past and that's 

ok, but it is not ok to condemn others that do and not realize it is why we have historical 

dialog in the first place.  It also represents a white dominate past that many cannot see, 

viewed through white eyes, as anything but racist, with a valid point.

Yes, there are reasons to fight this past, but it is there and cannot be erased.  I am not 

a racist purely decided because I have predominantly Irish and British heritage, BUT 

there are many things I have been allowed to be oblivious of because of my whiteness 

and privilege. There were many white people much more privileged than I as well.  

My immigrants were poor Irish, Scottish, not so poor-not so rich British, German, Swiss, etc...

Many families, including mine and my wife's were a huge melting pot of culture, and 

suppressed culture.  My step-dad from the age of 6 on was Mexican, my twin sisters 

1/2 Mexican, my wife 1/2 Vietnamese, born in Vietnam. My nephews 1/2 black, 1/4 

Vietnamese.  Who the hell are we all??  Does my embrace of bloodline discoveries 

demonize other "legitimate" populations?  Why?  These are valid questions that don't 

have definitive answers.

You can judge me on my authenticity more by my actions and ability to change. You 

will get nowhere by telling me my whiteness means I don't have a clue before you know 

anything about me.  Who is the judge and jury?  No one seems to care that what is genuine 

is Elizabeth Warren's family story.  She distances herself from tribal councils probably 

because it will be viewed as her attempt to claim something she doesn't want to do 

because how it will look.  What the hell is she supposed to do when everyone has a 

different opinion about what is the right thing to do?

What defines families for better or worse through many generations is what we are talking 

about.  It's a huge mucky mess, but we should talk about it.  As a genealogist it's a 

double edged sword.  Oral histories are wonderful starting points that many times turn out 

to be not what they seem.  Misconstrued information by just common error, or downright 

made up to hide other unpleasant events, or a variety of scenarios many times leading 

to having to change the "oral history" documentation to match real documents.  This 

doesn't mean there is not a purpose for oral history, without it the indigenous population is 

left with a scarce history. 

Sally Hemmings had children with Thomas Jefferson proven through extensive research, 

AND DNA. That is important to history. Documentation aided by DNA testing can be very 

important tools.  Diluting this by trying to say her descendants can't claim blackness or 

whiteness is a silly argument. Elizabeth Warren will probably be able to find the exact 

grandfather or mother, in time, who was full blood indigenous, it may prove to be 

Mexican indigenous, Cherokee indigenous or many of the other tribes that were forced 

into Oklahoma by white settlers, but not all whites. It's a messed up stew to make huge 

generalities.  What is White?  That term is a slippery slop.

How much blood is enough? DNA is a starting point to lead to more documentation, 

not a diffinitive test like all the testing sites claim it to be.  They were in the business of 

selling kits with bad marketing ideas. We are all paying for this greed.

How much blood is enough can never be answered, but yet we all seem to have an opinion 

on that. Why is the Dawes Roll, which was a government controlled census, used to 

determine authentic Cherokee admittance to the Cherokee Nation when history tells 

us how many people rejected this "white man's" census and were not counted? Why 

is this the gauge for purity? How do we all understand and parcel out heritage and culture?  

Are they definitively separate and un-mutable?  Much of this is taken out of historical 

context.  Much of this is about helping a deeply depressed population have access to 

more opportunities.

How do we meld all the good intentions together without demagoguing individuals with 

good intentions?  I have lots of questions, while everyone around me seems to have 

deep opinions that don't answer these questions.  At least, not in ways that speak to a large 

swath of the population that is trying to understand this and not loose more connections to 

people.

I understand we are dealing with a hugely, enormous problem with a disparaged indigenous 

population that is on reservations. We are also dealing with people who want to use ethnic 

cleansing using this info for harm. I'm not going to say "so and so" is an expert on all of this,

 because quite frankly it could not be more complicated for experts as well.  But, we do 

need to listen.  All we have that is genuine and human is intent. Does a person intend 

harm with claiming a heritage ever so distant?  We can call a person on their mistakes 

and ask for a dialog about what this brings up. BUT, what has happened here is the 

ugliest form of tribalism from all sides. I hate joining clubs, religions, social groups.

I have many reasons based on "heritage" to belong to soldier groups from the most prestigious 

to common ones among big wars.  I come from a long line of warrior patriots that were very 

white.  I don't need to join an exclusive club to honor them because they had other attributes 

I'm not so proud of.  BUT, that is not why I don't join.  It's a huge complicated mess 

for me that causes me anxiety. I'm uncomfortable with people wanting to join the 

Mayflower Society.  But, I don't see why people can't celebrate this heritage, 

even though it is white, represents people who clashed with the native population. 

I think people would join the Iroquois Confederacy Society if they could prove lineage, 

and it existed.  You can honor the past and see it's horrors as well.  It's when used as 

a weapon to suppress people that we have an issue.  BUT, for some damn reason we 

can't seem to parcel out the differences.  We judge...it's our damn nature.

What we need is MORE space to be authentic to our experiences, not less.

Thank you, Joseph, for sharing your experiences.  I'm hoping to spread your authenticity 

a little further.  Cheers!

Joseph M. Pierce"In the end, I am writing this to attempt to be authentic 

to my experience of self in the face of this unknowing but also this new

knowledge. It seems to me that to deny this legacy, this heritage, however 

distant and bureaucratic it has been, is to participate in the erasure of the 

Indian populations of the Americas. It is to continue to silence that history. 

It is inauthentic. My choice is not to do that. So I do say now that I am 

Indian. But I say those words with humility. I say those words knowing that 

they are part of a circuitous path toward Indigeneity. I say those words 

knowing that I do not speak Cherokee, knowing that I do not know so 

much about what it means to be Cherokee. But I also say those words 

knowing that not having access to our oral history is an authentic 

Indian experience."

Man's treatment of Women. NEVERMORE

Chivara Orrin gives amazing testimony in the linked article. Chivara's Facebook post that struck me
Truth will not take a back seat anymore. The more stories of strength through insurmountable obstacles MUST be told and honored. Only then can we remove major obstacles that bolster Trump and his followers lustful egos. Their definition of "Winning" is always connected to domination, money, and life as a competitive sport. The bully mentality is breed through laughter, and lack of empathy.

If Trump's ego is not fed he has no status. Starvation of behavior must come from within. Men need to stand up in the locker room, on the job site, at the home, on the street and say "Nevermore!" You will be called out for not being able to take "a joke", "you're too serious, lighten up". Other men will ostracize you. If you're a man, you will learn to step up. If not, you have chosen the comfort of your privilege as a man, and don't want anything to change. Why should you? You have the world as your playground. Why should you share? Said every child before learning self responsibility.

The shear number of women coming forward with their stories of aggression by men is earth shattering. We need to step back and say a collective "my heart is breaking because of my blindness to this travesty". We are right now turning our backs on women. That is a stain that will be hard to recover from. It's no longer hidden...we should take a huge world pause and realize we can never pretend we didn't just get jolted into a place of never going back. You can't erase what you know now, please don't try.

I apologize for my extended rant, but I am devastated by the realization of what we have done to women, and most of all, with the knowledge we now have, we are doing nothing concrete to shine a light on the cockroaches. I re-imaged one of my favorite poems by Edgar Allan Poe.

I love a good joke, but never at the expense of having to be funny off someone else's back. I love to lighten up, when it's the right time. Now is not the time to back off and let it all go. We men have done that for too many years now, mostly to be one of the guys. I don't want to be "one of the guys" anymore if that involves demeaning women, demeaning the poor, demeaning those that don't follow archaic norms of the past. PC is the term conservatives rant against as a blanket generalization. Oh, how damn inconvenient that I have to watch what I say all the time. PC = respectfulness. No one said you had to be perfect, just that you try. Resentment against "just trying" is huge, overwhelmingly white and male. "Let them eat cake!" by Marie Antoinette (she may not have really said this) is a great example of how people can be oblivious to others lives. When you cannot get outside your own skin and imagine or try to understand you brothers and sisters, you have lost your way. You are not in a position to be given power of any type. You are an infant that needs to step back, observe live, and learn.

We are at an extraordinary time of dysfunction because the infantile have control of our country. They are not capable of learning anything, they take great pride in not seeing any world except their own and those that see their world in a similar way. They are not the majority and when the unhinged minority have power you have instability that ripples through the universe, especially if you are a large dominant country.


Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore—
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door—
"'Tis some visitor," I muttered, "tapping at my chamber door—
Only this and nothing more."
Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December;
And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor.
Eagerly I wished the morrow;—vainly I had sought to borrow
From my books surcease of sorrow—sorrow for the lost Lenore—
For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore—
Nameless here for evermore.
And the silken, sad, uncertain rustling of each purple curtain
Thrilled me—filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before;
So that now, to still the beating of my heart, I stood repeating,
"'Tis some visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door—
Some late visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door;—
This it is and nothing more."
Presently my soul grew stronger; hesitating then no longer,
"Sir," said I, "or Madam, truly your forgiveness I implore;
But the fact is I was napping, and so gently you came rapping,
And so faintly you came tapping, tapping at my chamber door,
That I scarce was sure I heard you"—here I opened wide the door;—
Darkness there and nothing more.


I have a new interpretation for this famous Poe poem that most view as a representation of the loss of his wife. We need to hear women rapping at the door, we need to hear her stories, we need to morn our oblivious nature to her struggles and triumphs without our own egos saying "what about me?". The door is open, the darkness pleads for us to awaken and say "Nevermore", she is rapping at your door.

Can Elizabeth Warren escape condemnation from the people she serves best?

So..democrats are going to make Elizabeth Warren's good, yet probably flawed, intentions be the deciding factor of her viability for office, while we have ZERO viable candidates below 70's in age and progressive representation with anywhere near her credentials coming forward for this office? 

We need to be making vital decisions about how to win against the worst attack on our country's well-being. Democrats have always been best at harming themselves while Republicans watch, mock, and marvel at the ability for the left to shoot itself in the foot. Can we stop splitting hairs, look at intent, and the fallibility of humans? Give them opportunity to show worth before condemnation? 

I am mostly white, I also have Native blood, 7 generations back which gives me a small percentage in the DNA.  Yet two, probably three of my 7th, 8th, and 9th  great, grandfathers were Chiefs, proven in historical documents. That really doesn't mean crap...but how much is enough to allow me to honor that heritage, study it, and learn without being accused of diluting the indigenous movement? That discovery for me was definitive in my pursuit of historical study, of historical connections to the past, of trips to the tribal area in Virginia to stand on the land. Why doesn't this not serve the indigenous population?  I also have a very small trace of West African. This should show us how diverse and "one" that we all are than not.  I don't want to claim tribal affiliation.  I don't want to tell my Black friends I'm one of them.  But, I do believe the discovery is a great tool for learning and understanding connections, NOT differences, if we chose respect.

People that want to know their DNA want to embrace heritage. I believe that is a wonderful thing and only helps all of the diversity and connections to Indigenous, Black, and Hispanic lineages, cultures, and distinctions. It's extremely rare for anyone to take a DNA test to prove tribal membership, thus, why many tribes do not recognize DNA as a test of proven tribal connection. It's VERY complicated and I am both critical and understanding of both stances. Who decides the line in the sand? How much is enough blood? Why do we draw such exclusionary lines in the sand if tribal membership is not the goal? Why do we have such a need to belong to a group? 

Native sovereignty is crucial right now, thus the urgency to defend and protect. But, these are valid questions that many have no immediate answers, but are contemplative in nature, which can get us better answers, better human interaction, better movement forward....

We have no evidence that Elizabeth Warren has done anything intentionally malicious, yet she is being skewered as such. I believe she's damned if she does, damned if she doesn't here. ALL while we have a definitive person who is malicious, calculating, and damaging to our country beyond anything that has ever happened in our US history. 

PLEASE, let's not go on this divisive divide that will do more harm than good. Native American, Black American, Hispanic American, Gender non-conforming American, and women's rights are our biggest issues right now for good reason. The US population is getting very near the best melting pot of representation than ever before. But, these growing pains are happening while racism, bigotry, misogyny, and hate of "un-whiteness" is at a peak. The stew is a boiling and we have a lot on our plate. I want to let the Warren thing go. She took the test, she has native DNA just like many of us do going far back. Warren has asked for the million dollar bet to go to helping a Native charity. I believe this was about the best she could do...

The important part of this issue is her being a woman and being attacked by Trump. The context is important. If she is to run for President, she had to address it. Trump and his minions would not let it go. 

Take all the information in...do we chuck out Elizabeth Warren and hold her to a higher standard than anyone else on the table?  Is this a killer for her history of efforts on our citizens behalf which she has a terrific record for service especially going up against big money? I was not happy with many things she didn't do last go around.  I'm not campaigning for her, but I'm campaigning for "US" to get Donald Trump, Mitch McConnell, Paul Ryan, Jeff Sessions, Lindsay Graham, Chuck Grassley, Nut Gingrich, Sarah Palin, Kirstjen Nielsen, Betsy DeVos, Brett Kavanaugh, etc, etc, etc...as far away from our government as possible. 

Can we achieve this by using the same tactics of division, lack of unity, that got us Trump in the first place?  As liberal people how do we learn to defeat the tribalism of the right, move forward with more inclusively, know what we will be asked to compromise on, and pick our battles carefully, yet justly?

"Eye on the Prize" could not be more vital than it is today. There is too much at stake right now. These are pivotal historic times that will literally shape the future for better of worse. We have worse. It's time to try "better"....

None of us will be allowed to be complacent. 

My $.02

My Voice

To everyone who has been drained by the energy vampires trying to exhaust you with arguments over the Kavanaugh appointment. 

You may find you cannot engage with conservatives, period. They are taking an event that should be a turning point in our understanding of how women are treated, a moment we can all grow from and saying it doesn’t matter, it isn’t real. Or, at best, it might be real, but  there’s no proof, so it’s just sad confusion, and...well..just boys being boys. Slap!  Not going to let anything change, matter of fact, they’re going to reverse any progress.  You feel defeated.  They can smell your blood.

The past and the future could not be more at odds. Engagement is volatile. If you use logical points, any energy vampire knows how to manipulate and push buttons. They are rallying and using the same talking points.  They will try to ridicule you for qualities they find weak. A laugh emoji is not an argument, but a tool to insight anger, so they can drain your blood.

They are energized because they were at a point where defending Trump was getting difficult.  Now they have a new rallying call, and the energy vampires are coming out in droves, like cockroaches. Their favorite attack is emotion. Why?  

We are at an unusual time in history, that I am thoroughly convinced, is the same experience citizens under extremist regimes have been through.  

Because of this experience I find it imperative to study and find ways to understand and cope with what is before us. 

I know more about how drained and confused the German populous must have been during Hitler’s time, and how the poor, starving populous of Russia in the early 20th century felt.  We have an opportunity to really learn from a study of emotional thought and reaction during key times in history and change the outcome, hopefully, for the better.  That is what historical study is about at the core.

We need to see that what is “just” in your heart is being mocked by those that are fighting for a past they believed was glorious because they benefited from it. That is a form of hoarding, greed. Who are they if you are telling them what they cherish was really a lie. 

You will not change their minds, and at this point you shouldn’t try. Why?  Because of motive.  Because of their protectionism.  

There’s a pattern. All of my conservative friends, family, and acquaintances disappear from discussions on social media when they feel outnumbered.  Yet, when events like the Kavanaugh hearing results validate them, they return like they haven’t missed a beat. The hibernation is over and they’re seeking new blood sucking sources.

They are motivated by exhausting you.  Liberals have ALWAYS had a “too nice” problem. Bullies, energy vampires breed off of this niceness.  I’m not suggesting we all abandon niceties completely, I’m suggesting this isn’t a time to be all that nice.  I know...shocking.

We who seek equality and justice in a cruel world are emotional for good reason. That rare quality is the most valuable resource a soul has. The vampires will use that to call you weak.  Look at patterns, recognize diversion tactics, but most of all don’t feel you have to feed their blood sucking lust which is the hardest part. 

Facts are mutable to them.  So, no matter how hard you try, your spinning your wheels.  They will stick to their talking points and ignore you pointing out logic, facts, or anything that clarifies what they want murky.  Don’t waste yourself on people that are unreachable.  They will say they just like debate.  That’s a lie.  I don’t like closing off doors, but sometimes other priorities are more important.  How is your energy best spent?  Mine will be seeking life as it should be, not as it is.

 “When life itself seems lunatic, who knows where madness lies? Perhaps to be too practical is madness To surrender dreams - -this may be madness; to seek treasure where there is only trash. Too much sanity may be madness! And maddest of all - to see life as it is and not as it should be!”  Miguel de Cervantes

There are rare times in life when Art meets life’s stark reality.  I’m in the midst of performing in a show that crashes with current events.  It’s about chivalry, honor, the harsh realities of life, gang rape and the subtleties of power and powerlessness, and mostly how women should be treated.  It intersects with my own life experiences, and special people. It’s a tremendous rollercoaster that energizes and drains you beyond your capabilities at times.  

When you realize you have been propelled into a belief system that has matured beyond what you have been able to tolerate in the past, that is tremendous growth. Events pile up on your back, string up a burden you struggle to manage, that is growth.

So, my hope is we are all capable of following our heart into the battle for our souls.  We are able to know when to retreat to self care, and when we are desperately needed to step up, speak up, and not yield.

People are desperate for heroes.  Maybe we are all being asked to be heroes. We are capable and strong with "emotional" integrity as our sword of penetrating light. 

While the Kavanaugh nomination has brought out how distructive our current government is, it is a time to avoid Trumpian talking points that delude truth and stay focused on action. 

Above all else, our beacon is the fact of how and why our Constitution was drafted, it’s flaws and strengths.  What Democracy means.  How we have been a country of popular vote electing officials that serve the MAJORITY populous regardless of their own personal biases. While history has shown us inept in many areas, the key has been our progression, our attempts to learn and grow.

That is NOT the government we have right now.  That is not the minority Trump populous we have now.  They care for nothing but self service.

To address this, left leaning and progressive voices have to be willing to be activist in small ways, and support those who can work in bigger ways.  Our youth is a big part of this picture.  We need to identify leaders, not “A” leader, that can work cohesively for the greater good of a large populous.  None of these leaders will have everything to offer alone, but if a group works together as a wall serving the majority populous we cannot be stopped.  Truth, honor, and nobility have never and will never be easy paths.  We must chose this burden.

We already live in mild tyranny on it’s way to fascist totalitarian dictatorship.  Those that will vote again for Trump are not interested in democracy.  Why?  They do not recognize THEIR “values” in the majority populous anymore.  They would rather see the country burn to the ground than support progress that doesn’t line up with their white male role models of the past.  They are an angry mob fighting to maintain their fear of change.  Don’t attempt to use facts or logic with them. They are energy vampires.

Our President has the lowest popularity ever, our Republican leaders in the House and Senate do not serve their populous, nor do they care to listen.  They fear town Hall meetings where they have to face the people they were elected to serve.  They push through unpopular agendas to feed their addiction to power and money. This is NOT a democracy.  We have been made vulnerable to this by greed on both sides, but clearly the difference is the left is seeing the mistakes.  The right has no time to ever admit error, thus they do things in the darkness of night.  They distract you with the Kavanaugh hearing and give another tax windfall to the rich, heaped on our already burdened backs.  Laughing down at us while they mount a higher hill of soot and filth for us to drown under. 

I will not yield......