[A-List] From the Blackfoot Elders on the death of Mark Jones

["Craven, Jim" <jcraven@xxxxxxxxx>]

Dear friends,

Last night I was on the phone with some of our principal Traditional Chiefs,
Bundle Holders and Pipe Carriers of the Blackfoot Nation. They had all known
of and prayed for Mark and Natalya for many years and were looking forward
to meeting them in person in Blackfoot Country. Mark and I had discussed his
coming out in March for an extended visit on many different
reserves/reservations of various nations with an extended visit in Blackfoot
Country. The following is the message that I was asked to send to Natalya
and all of Mark's friends and comrades.

Oki,

We, representing the Traditional Chiefs, Bundle Holders and Pipe Carriers of
the Blackfoot Nation, forming elements of the Traditional Government of the
Blackfoot Nation, just learned of the passing of Mark Jones from this
dimension to another. Although we had not yet met him personally, we were
planning to meet him personally soon and we feel that we knew a great deal
about him through the words and stories of Omahkohkiaayo i'poyii who asked
us to pray for him and his wife Natalya in the past and told us of his
courage, honesty and care for all oppressed Peoples including Indigenous
Peoples of various Nations.

We believe that spirit occupies all creations of the Creator and so we do
not distinguish between "animate" and "inanimate" things. Although we mourn
Mark's passing from this dimension, and the sorrow and loss that his family
and friends must feel, we believe that his work, his name and his spirit
will go on in many forms and at many levels. When we see an eagle soar high
in the sky we will think of Mark and all that he stood for and all that he
gave to all the oppressed Peoples he touched personally and through the
media.

We do not have the internet here so we must rely on Omahkohkiaayo i'poyii
and other Blackfoot who have the internet to bring us the written words
about us from others. From what we have seen, Mark Jones understood us, our
conditions of life and our struggles very well. Sometimes someone you meet
personally, you cannot still know well; sometimes someone you have not met
personally, you can know very well by the simple courage, truth and honesty
in the words they dare to openly write and stand by. In that sense, we
believe we know enough to consider Mark Jones one of us--a Blackfoot. So
Mark's passing becomes our loss as well.

We give our honest sorrow and condolences to Mark's wife Natalya and to his
whole family including all his friends with whom he corresponded. We stand
ready to give whatever assistance we can to his family and his friends in
their time of sorrow and need.

We call upon all of Mark's friends to honor Mark's spirit, life, work and
passing with their own spirit and struggles for the rights of all oppressed
Peoples everywhere. In that sense, and in other senses as well, Mark's
spirit will live on way beyond our own passing from this dimension.

NI-KSO-KO-WA

Sikapii (Traditional Chief, Apatohsipiikani, Blackfoot)
Yellow Dust Woman (Bundle Holder, Principal Beaver Bundle, Apatohsipiikani,
Blackfoot)

Speaking in behalf of the Traditional Chiefs, Bundle Holders, Pipe Carriers
of the Ampskaapipiikani, Kanai, Apatohsipiikani and Siksika Bands of the
Blackfoot Nation.

James M. Craven
Blackfoot Name: Omahkohkiaayo-i'poyii
Professor/Consultant,Economics;Business Division Chair
Clark College, 1800 E. McLoughlin Blvd.
Vancouver, WA. USA 98663
Tel: (360) 992-2283; Fax: (360) 992-2863
http://www.home.earthlink.net/~blkfoot5
Employer has no association with private/protected opinion
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