Removal

           

How the Native Americans Achieved          the Return of their Land          5

         

         Emigrating is hard.  Deciding what to keep and take and what can be sold in a garage sale, what is a keepsake worth handing down or a Christmas gift that was meant to be regifted and never was. . . should the throw rug from great-great-grandmother Elizabeth stay or go - what value would my children attach to it?  The photos identifying ancestors who used to live where we are emigrating must be kept.  Factor in cost factors on schlepping anything from here to Inverness, Nova Scotia and sentiment can quickly flow to practicality once money enters the equation.  At least coming to Canada means we can use our car.  The ones who had to go overseas can't take their cars-not enough room, and besides the cost is unbelievable!  A thousand bucks just for a compact car which also has to have the fluids drained and certified as transport ready, another two hundred for that service.  Considering how crowded Europe will be now, it's a great time to invest in a motorbike, or better-a bike, since it only needs your energy and not an outside source.

         At least we're to Inverness.  Canada opened up their unpopulated areas, as did South America as graciously as they could; Russia demanded everyone who came to them had to naturalize and give up their American citizenry completely.  And China . . . well, they would only accept those who could prove they were Chinese immigrants or descended from Chinese immigrants.  Most countries took that stance when the land was reclaimed - prove you or your ancestors were once from here or don't come here.  All the Middle Eastern countries were nicer about it, but basically said the same thing - prove you and yours are from here or stay away.  The Israelis took all those who could prove they believed in Judaism only; last ones shipped out yesterday-they could only take a week of clothes and religious items; the rest was to be food.  Most of the countries on the African continent demanded fees from people emigrating to their country, or that people bring food and water to last

         Yeah, the news came as a huge shock to everyone.  Four months ago all the news channels were advising everyone to be sitting down that night at 9 eastern time, that the president had a major announcement to make and that everyone needed to be watching somewhere - and sitting down.  Every channel, even cable, ran a feed of the president.  The internet was only showing a live feed as well.  Every radio station on the AM and FM had only the audio feed available.  It really showed just how Big Brother the American government had become, which was terrifying, but not for long because it would only matter for another year.

         It was a shock to see the President of the United States, President Barack Obama, come on with the news on time.  Normally the president's announcements, no matter how big are late by fifteen minutes or more - it was disturbing to see this one happen on time.  Twitter was completely flooded just on that fact alone.

         And then the verbal bomb was dropped.  The document was shown, and the statement was flung into America's ear.  I think like when President Kennedy was murdered and everyone cognizant at the time would remember where they were, everyone aware enough would remember where they were when we were told.



         America was ending.

         America, in six months, would be no more.



         Hard to believe, even now.  The American government had known for SIX MONTHS before that and had tried everything to wiggle out of the deal while trying to find a way to move people if they couldn't snake charm their way out.  Six months of begging, pleading, and even talk of using force, including nuclear - and in the end we all have to leave.

         Well, not ALL of us.  Guess the Dawes Rolls were worth more than just trying to get some of the casino money after all.  If you could prove you were within a Tribe's guidelines for ancestry, you could stay.  Otherwise, hit the road Joe and sorry about your luck.  About this the tribes were unified down to the smallest tribe.  In the document they sent to the White House every single chief, head, and council member had signed showing they agreed on this - non-Native American people must leave the country's lands.

         It was our own fault though.  Let's face it, it is very common knowledge, a part of our history taught in classrooms across this country - Europeans came here and basically bullied, harassed, and murdered the native people here.  How could we not think that wasn't going to bite us some day down the road?  So when that kid, that teen, that fourteen year old smartass punk was told by his parents to clean the attic out, found that document back in 2000- found the one the government knew about but had hoped would never turn up - well, our days were numbered.

         Geez.  One old folded up paper has brought down a nation.  Compare it to the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, or the Declaration of Independence - all of those words mean nothing now compared to a note scribbled on a piece of dried buckskin and signed by the Patuxet Squanto (Tisquantum was his tribal name-I remembered it because it tis quantum) - "The Europeans can use the lands they call America for as long as the Patuxet tribe lives."

         Squanto kept the paper and gave it to a bride from a nearby tribe.  The woman gave it to her firstborn daughter when she married and so on.  At one point the daughter who had just received it was kidnapped by another tribe, and the paper, worn but cared for and still readable, slid into that tribe's history.  That tribe was attacked by one of the Crow's tribes, who were attacked by a Lakota tribe, who were defeated by a Cheyenne tribe - around and around that little piece of paper went, surviving through each change of hands along with its current owner.

The story of Squanto, the little girl and the paper was told each time it was passed.  Do you remember the teachers showing how to play "Rumor, Rumor" in school?  How they would whisper something to one child and by the time it found it's way to the final child the original statement had been deeply distorted?  Not here - apparently Squanto had the girl memorize the story.  It became the wedding tradition; for the girl to marry she had to recite the story exactly as it had been told her to her mother before she could walk down the aisle - impressive.

Sorry, I was caught up in the story.  Anyways, one day this kid finds this paper, hands it to his grandmother and she promptly calls up a police officer that she has known since childhood and lays out the story to him.  He contacts his chief; well, the woman and the paper wind up in front of the Principal Chief, Bill John Baker.  He realizes what she has and its value, contacts the other "civilized" tribes, then they contact the minor tribes and work up an agreement then what amounted to "Get Off Our Land" and took that to President Obama AND the United Nations.

So now we move.  Like I said, we're off to Nova Scotia - Inverness.  Canada was incredibly kind once I proved I had family from there.  And they let me bring my spouse and grown kids and their families.  Yeah, we had to sign agreements saying we'd learn their French and perform so much community service and some other things before they'd naturalize us.  But at least we've a place to go.

All those people in jail - most countries won't take a person if they have a record.  Yeah, the potheads could go to the pro-marijuana countries if no one else could take them.  But what about the murderers, the rapists, pedofiles, drug kingpins and gangbangers?  Boy, has that been a hot debate!  Staying is completely NOT an option - the lands now belong to the tribes, who are deciding now how to split them up.  I think they're using the old maps to help figure out where tribes should go and what the tribe wants.

It's better to go.  At least with another country you have a chance at citizenry.  Staying . . . well, it's better to go.  The tribes are emphatic about that.  Absolutely no one stays.  I know what you're thinking - the militants.  The tribes made it clear that anyone refusing to clear out was the American government's problem and solely its problem.  So the government took care of the issue quickly.  Nuclear wasn't used because Canada threw a fit, but the Rocky Mountains now have a wide spot to drive through from the west coast to the central plains.  Geez.  Montana and Idaho both look like they had a bad case of acne - pock marks all over.  There were a few smaller spots, but the states generally took care of those once Texas was toasted and Montana and Idaho were cratered.

Nova Scotia will be nice, damned cold but nice.  Hopefully we'll find work and eventually a little place with just one other family to share.  It'll be tough, people there will not be very happy having to help support and deal with such a heavy influx of southerners, as they like to call people from the U.S.  But me and the spouse and kids will work hard and find a way.  It won't be easy to make connections to long-dead ancestors, and I'm sure some will challenge it, but it'll all work out-kids can raise their families or start one, and establish themselves.  The old throw rug and the photos of great-great-grandpa Gillis - that's a start.  We'll do the rest.



Emigrating is hard.

         July 20, 2014          Susan Coleen Holmes Fuchs