All of my 40+ years I believed that we were the brothers and sisters of man. Being a Appaloosa, I knew that the horse and Native American had a long, proud relationship. We carried our brothers on our backs when they moved, hunted, and went to war. We often sacrificed ourselves to ensure the safety of our brother. When you look at the great accomplishments of man over time, besides man's footprints are the hoofprints of the horse. Horses helped man become what they are today and we are proud of the work we have done. We love humans and have honored them with our service.
Now I find that the people we horses once considered brothers are now viewing us as a way to make a few extra dollars. The DOR has heard rumors for several months, but now it has made the news, our brothers are talking about opening slaughter plants on tribal land to address "the surplus horse problem". Well there is a surplus starling problem, surplus fly problem, not to mention a few too many tumbleweeds...what are you doing about that my brothers? My brother, how can you betray us? What real justification is there? Capture your stallions and geld them, practice responsible breeding, be humane in your treatment of us. You dishonor Mother Earth when you decide that money and convenience are more important than standing with honor to deal with a problem. I hope you remember the harm that you cause us will come back ten fold, the Great Spirit will dishonor you in the afterlife for the dishonor you pay to us now.
I am one angry old horse. I have stood in a kill pen waiting to be shipped to slaughter, I know the horrors that dwell there. Jack's mother was rescued from a PMU hoarder, he knows the terrible tales. Salty and Ginger have been in kill pens...they could tell you some stories.
There are some wonderful humans out there, ones that would never dishonor their horses by slaughtering them, they are the true heart family of the horse. This message is not directed at them, it is directed to the Kusi Kusi Ewash (yeah I went there, I used potty words-I am old and can swear if I want) that I once considered my brothers. There is not enough money in the world to make your betrayal of us worth the price of your honor. Is money more important than the life of your equine brothers and sisters?I hope you think long and hard before you open slaughter plants on tribal land.
Until I hear that the tribes who are considering this action change their minds I will continue to speak out against them. If the slaughter plants become a reality, this little spotted horse and his friends will do his best to have them shut-down.
Jack once talked about "appy power", he also said that every once in awhile you just have to smack someone up side the head with a big ol appy hoof...well here is several appy hooves BAM up side your head.
Sorry for the rant, but I am really disappointed with this group of people.
Life is so good! Oh and Jack told me to remember to say: Enjoy your day and don't forget to hug your DOR
8 comments:
To me the Native Americans did not have that long of a relationship with horses compared with the Europeans. There were no horses in America till they were brought over by the Spanish. I have always been so confused about why the Native Americans have this reputation, I am thinking it is more of a myth, if anything the Europeans would have more of a right to claim the "horse connection" and we all know that is bunk. Just stating something that has always had me confused. I have strong ties to Montana Native Americans and have been to their reservation many many times as my husbands father is a Native American (Salish Kootenai) and lives on the rez I just do not see any of them being that connected to horses over anyone else. Native Americans are relatively new to horses compared with people from other countries. What is going on in the horse world is shameful but not limited to any one group of people. Just my opinions I had to express. The Indians I know are as eager to make a buck in anyway they can as anyone else. But Jack you are right about the Appaloosa Breed being founded by the Nez Pierce but even then, Appies ancestors are still European.
The slaughter house issue is a terrible delima. It has to start with responsible ownership. People keep house pets until their live ends and humanly help their pets to the end.
Horses are passed around until they fianlly can no longer be ridden because of lameness or other health problems. Then when they are no longer of any use, few people have the resources to keep them as "pasture pets".
When I heard about this, I was so deeply hurt. Coming from native ancestry, from a tribe that was known for its Horse Medicine -- its connection with the horse -- I couldn't believe the betrayal.
Hopefully it will be fought. Hard.
And Amanda, many First People had prophecies about the horse before the the Spanish ever brought them to America. Most notable was Black Elk (if you haven't read Black Elk speaks, you should - it talks about his dreams of horses long before the Spanish horses stepped foot on American soil). Isn't that proof of a deep connection between the First People and the Horse?
Besides, it's believed that there were horses in America before the Spanish brought them back. They mysteriously disappeared; over hunted or just died out or who-knows-what.
I absolutely believe in the sovereign rights of the first nations. The people have done an amazing job of healing and thriving after genocide and colonization. I also believe that the slaughter of equines is an obscenity. Should any first nation seek to wage such a horror upon the equine species I will do every thing possible to fight it.
NO this can't be! with all the open spaces in the world there can never be too many horses!
The Indian nations should be shamed
I don't know anything about the issue with Native Americans, but wanted to say that it is sad that horses are regarded as throw aways like many regard cats and dogs. It makes me very angry..then very sad..
lucky kachina dancer
There were horses here (very small dog-sized) as well as camels and mammoths and Saber-toothed Cats and giant sloths. I also have Native American blood (Choctaw) running in my veins but and I stand by what I said. Native American seem to always be portrayed as the mystical stuck-in-the-past more spirit than human stereotype. I hate what they went through just as I hate what the Jewish people went through and the Christian people went through and the African people went through and what the Taliban women are going through as we speak, it sickens me no end. I wish Native Americans could be set as free from the image as they want to be. I was just reading an artical the other day written by Native Americans about this very subject of "dream catchers and eagle feathers, wolves, buffalo and horses". It was very enlightening.
Amanda~ I agree, they should be seen without the stereotypical feathers-and-rattles image. Certainly they are as modern as the rest of us. The last thing I want to do is push that view of First People.
That being said, I don't ignore the mystical side of any culture, especially those in my heritage. My grandmother's tribe is a huge horse culture, even now, which is perhaps why our opinions on the relationship between First People and horses differ.
That being said, I couldn't find much information on what other tribes were considering the slaughter. I wonder how far this actually spreads.
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