Reznjun

i got a message the other day on facebook. someone i met previously was asking about a pow wow drum. i emailed back that i had one i made with a buffalo bull hide. we agreed to meet this morning so he could look at it. we met at the citizen band complex in rossville. as soon as he heard the drum ring after i hit it he said he would take it. i thought he might. i was proud of that drum. i put alot of work into it. i can still remember my shoulders and upper body burning from all that scraping on that hide. the hide of a bull is harder to work. that drum had a real good sound to it. i know they will enjoy it.

i was out and about today delivering tobacco for our spring dance. i got to talk with lots of our people. many were looking forward to it. it is always something our people enjoy. the other day after one of our ceremonies someone asked me about the hate mail i had received. i told him one was particularly hateful. the anonymous writer said he or she was tired of hearing about my “fake ass ceremonies”. the guy i told that couldnt believe someone would have that kind of hatred. i agreed. i said i didnt care what they thought of me but to hate on the ways of our people is disturbing. many of my friends told me not to pay much attention to people filled with that kind of ignorance. i assured them i dont.  our people dont make anything up. we respect our ways and try our best to carry them on. they were handed down to us by our ancestors who loved the ways as much as we do.  that writer must really be ashamed of being indian. was too ashamed even to put their name to it.  its sad to hear of some of our people that are beat down that bad.

i was at our senior citizen site and got to fill out an application for the art market that will be held april 10th at our casino. native artists will sell their art which includes beadwork, jewelry and hand made crafts. i will take some of my roaches and hand drums over there. kinda looking forward to that.

i got a call about the mound tour i went on last year in quincy illinios. they are having it again this may 22nd. i was invited to come over again. i met a guy that worked in the northern part of illinios. they have mounds up there also. he was telling me that a potawatomi chief named senajwen was buried on one of the mounds. i told him i would like to go visit the site someday. it has been arranged for me to go up there before the mound tour. the farmer that owns the land will meet us there. he is the one that knows where our tribal ancestor is buried. i told them i will bring my pipe to smoke there. they said they will let me have time there to do whatever i wanted to do. that is nice of them.

it  must be getting to be spring my chickens are starting to lay eggs again. i was tempted many times to just butcher them for tortilla soup. i resisted because i love to have fresh eggs. my trips to the clinic will allow me to enjoy them. my cholesterol levels are now okay. i had to go pick up my arthritis meds today. they are the only ones i take now. i told them at the pharmacy that my other ailments are gone now. they said that was good. it is nice to live without pain. i will continue to make my appointments.

i may let my big garden plot lie fallow this year. i have used it for a few years now.  i wont plant anything in it. i will add lime to it and till it under. the plot i had turned over last year will be the only place i grow vegetables. i still have alot of things that i canned, dried and froze last growing year so i wont need to plant as much this year. that will save me much labor. i will just plant things we will can.

i am now anxious for our spring dance. our new year.