Home Turf: A Visit to the Native American Baha’i Institute

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on June 18, 2012 in Personal goals, Social

I rode “over the hump” last Friday, taking I-40 from Barstow, CA to Winslow, AZ.. I couldn’t see “the Corner”, but I did end up paying homage to rock n’ roll. After being told a room advertised for $40 would cost me $60, I left America’s Best Value Inn, and went next door to Delta Motel. Here, a more reasonable room took me to Graceland. Elvis was everywhere on the walls.

I went through a few brain burps the next day. The worst was, once I got to the road that I always used to take to the Institute, I found myself battling a sand dune. A local couple came by, pulled me out with their truck and a chain, got paid for their trouble ( Always offer cash to local people who help you out on a Native American reservation. Even with casinos, not that many people are working.) and I was on my way to NABI in an hour’s time- by a newer and better route.

I arrived at NABI, at a good time. An elder, whom we refer to as a Continental Counselor spoke, followed by Mr. Kahn, who, with his brother, organized a Council Fire, a spiritual gathering of two-four days, in their home community of Pine Springs, in 1962. Thus, we were marking the 50th anniversary of this ground-breaking event in the history of the Baha’i Faith.

Mr. Kahn is an elder in his own right now, but still has a keen mind and led the gathering later in the evening, in a traditional Navajo social dance, known as a Round Dance. Couples danced clockwise, in a circle, following Mr. Kahn and his wife, who is a local teacher.

Below, a Mexican-American friend from California speaks to the group.

Mr. Bathke, another long-time resident of the area, who is now co-adminstrator, with his wife, of the Native American Baha’i Institute, gave a brief talk on Saturday, as well, and would speak further on Sunday morning.

The Institute has come a very long way, since some of us gathered here in 1981, and engaged in the process of putting up a rudimentary shade house and mainly slept under the stars, or in our tents. There was one time I was shaving by with the aid of my car’s side view mirror. A Navajo friend quipped, “What do you need a mirror for? Don’t you know where your face is?” Navajo humour has always given timely insight into the ways in which we have separated ourselves from nature.

Above, is the Dining Hall at Native American Baha’i Institute.

Ted Lew, a Chinese-American friend, remembers his visits to Navajo land over the years.

Alfred Kahn, Sr. and his family sang a Baha’i prayer.

The Baha’i Faith, in each country in which it is freely allowed to practice, is governed by a National Spiritual Assembly, which is elected every year by delegates to a National Convention, held in May. The delegates, in turn, are elected by a gathering of Baha’is in each electoral unit within the given country. This election takes place every October.

Above, a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of the United States is shown giving a gift to the Kahn family.

Jeff Jentz, a friend from many years ago, speaks of his experiences as a Baha’i on the Navajo Nation.

The Navajo believe, inherently, in the oneness of the human race. That there are disputes among us is largely due to the abuses of political and social systems on which we’ve depended over the centuries. More and more Native Americans, along with other ethnic and national groups, are coming to realize the need for people to unify, at the grassroots level, so as to avoid tyranny and oppression, and move forward to a truly global civilization, which honors the vast variety of cultural expressions.

This is why I feel I went home last weekend.

A GMO -Free Ranch

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on April 3, 2012 in Social

Genetically-Modified Organisms are industry’s attempt at feeding the masses, through altering the genetic codes of certain foods- Soybeans, corn, wheat are the most common items involved- and some tomatoes, potatoes and rice are affected as well. The idea is to make big bucks, while fending off microorganisms and other pests. It has had mixed results, in that regard. Pests are rather clever at finding a way around the ruse, using their own genetic engineering.

In the meantime, we now look at the first long-term results of the tinkering. Allergies, cancer levels and secondary mutations among farm animals are being traced to the GMO’s. GMO-free movements are cropping up, in many places being closely tied to the Slow Food movement, which, as one might guess, is a reaction to convenience foods and drive-through burger joints. Locavores and farmers’ markets are the most common manifestation of the blend.

I had the pleasure, last Saturday, of visiting Orme Ranch, a pesticide-free, hormone-free cattle ranch, about forty miles east-northeast of Prescott. The establishment has been around for about two decades now, and, while having its struggles with the agricultural establishment, may well represent the most promising future for meat production in this country. The cost of treating diet-related diseases is not going to decrease, and the cost to our economy of health-related absences from work and school is far greater than any of the powers that be want us to recognize.

This is where “streamlining” and “efficiency” are falling off the tracks. The Orme Ranch is, among other things, by following conscientious soil management, careful grazing policies, crop rotation and humane treatment of cattle, managing to keep soil erosion to a minimum and is actually restoring the water table- no small feat in our semi-arid grassland and chaparral- covered environment. The larger operations, pretending to be “too big to fail”, may very well be bringing catastrophic failure on themselves, through practices that look good on the balance sheet, but are Pyrrhic in the successes they present.

The ranch wife pointed out something very humbling: “The only true wealth comes from the earth. It is grown, mined or hunted.” All else, then, is wealth that exists on paper.

It may look desolate, but Orme Ranch is surprisingly productive. I wonder, when I go to Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas next month, how many heartfelt farm and ranch folks will I encounter?

Who’s In Charge?

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on January 13, 2012 in Social

I know for sure that the election season has started. The crazies are trotting out the rumours of Obama being a Muslim (“One of his college classmates even said so!”), wanting to be President-for-Life (That’s one way to lower one’s life expectancy.) and of both Romney and Obama being handpicked by the Club for Growth (Wowabunga!)

People don’t seem to have a hold on their senses, when it comes to dealing with other people or institutions in which a great deal of power is invested, by statute.

In reality, though, those same people who fear “the powerful”, “the rich”. “the liberals”, “the conservatives”, “the Christians”, “the atheists” are not exactly being proactive when it comes to exercising their own power. Each of us is given strength in at least one key area. Another writer in Word Press pointed out this morning that we are learning about ourselves, and growing, throughout our lives. I am still finding out things about myself, at the age of 61.

Today, I was challenged by one reader on another blog site, regarding my Faith. I was also threatened by another reader on that same blog site, also for mentioning my Faith. In neither case did I insult or denigrate the other person’s beliefs. Each of us is responsible for, in charge of, learning the truth for ourselves.

So often, of late, we see people of limited self-awareness and excessive sense of entitlement, imposing themselves into the lives of others. Ironically, the post in which I was threatened was written by a friend, who was making that same point.

An example of the above is about to occur on the tiny Dutch-owned Caribbean island of St. Maarten. A young woman, with the approval of the Dutch government, set sail alone some two years ago, and has sailed nearly around the world. As she makes ready to land at St. Maarten and complete her mission, there is word that a grandstanding Dutch school official plans to have her arrested upon docking, for not keeping up with her studies to his satisfaction, while on her journey. This has had the effect of causing the young woman, who has bothered no one, to want nothing further to do with the land of her forebears. She has hinted strongly that she will move elsewhere, to the land where she was actually born.

Who’s in charge? It seems each person needs to approach this carefully. There are too many of us, coming from too many backgrounds, with too many genetic makeups, for a “One size must fit all” take on life. Perhaps the overriding theme of this century will actually be “The Death Throes and Demise of Fundamentalism”.

On Oracle Road

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on January 9, 2012 in Social

This is a repost from Xanga, but it expresses my feelings about what went down a year ago, in Tucson. My site, my rules.

A year has now come and gone. The Tucson shooting rampage has had its predictable First Anniversary media blitz. Congresswoman Giffords is on the road to recovery, and may well run for reelection. Her husband is at her side, as he has been, to the extent possible, all along. The families of those killed grieve on and virtually all are giving back to the community which stood by them. The President is silent, and suitably so. He needs to stay in the background for this one. The wounded progress and live their lives in the way that best suits each of them.

I read through the entire newspaper segment on how each of them are doing. It is a low day for me, for obvious reasons- a trigger, but I made it through, just because I could.

The media did not have to look far to find a gadfly to the hoopla. He is George Morris, widower of one of the slaying victims. He blames Mark Kelly for his wife’s death, for not having provided security on that day. I am sorry for your loss, Mr. Morris. I know what it’s like to have lost a soul mate. Contrary to your understanding, though, let me point out something: The spouse of a congressperson is not who provides security at congressional events. My Congressman, Paul Gosar, provides his own security, through his office budget. I believe it’s the same across the institution. Ms. Giffords most likely had no idea she would be attacked at a minimall.

He also faults Kelly for “going off into space”, while his wife was in the hospital. Fact is, that space flight was a GROUP decision. Ms. Giffords, Kelly’s daughters, both sets of parents and NASA all weighed in on the pros and cons. It was his last flight, so to him, it was six or a half-dozen. Since Morris regards Ms. Giffords as “worthless”, how would the space flight matter.

Well, grief leads people to say strange things. This, I know. Personally, I grieve for the Tucson victims, also. I grieve for Judge Roll, Gabe Zimmerman, Mr. Stoddard, Mrs. Schneck, Christina-Taylor Green and for George Morris’s wife, Dorothy. Each had a good life ahead. If Judge Roll had lived, he’d have seen the courthouse he planned for Yuma get built. If Gabe had lived, he’d be the one coaching Ms. Giffords back to health and might have been a fine surrogate candidate, had she been unable to run. If Mr. Stoddard and Mrs. Schneck had lived, they’d have seen their grandkids on to higher levels of achievement. If Christina-Taylor had lived, the sky would have been the limit, If Dorothy Morris had lived, perhaps George would have had the chance to clear the air with his Congresswoman, instead of lashing out at her now.

We’re all adults here, so I sense Ms. Giffords half-expects to get some tongue-lashings from the disgruntled among us, even as she works on recovery. Such is life in the public eye. The vast majority of Americans, however, are pouring out good will, and not because we’re media sheep. It’s because we’re human and the hurt of one, or of the few, is the hurt of all.

The scene we see today, on Oracle Road, is of a memorial. For a long time to come, may its cause not be repeated.

Food Stamps or Paycheck?

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on January 7, 2012 in Social

Newt Gingrich said today that black folks should choose a pay check over food stamps. How this is limited to black folks is something only Newt could explain. I hope for his sake that he does.

I don’t use food stamps. I live alone, and I stocked up on emergency food boxes while I was still working regularly. I would use a paycheck, once I get one of the jobs for which I have applied. I’m not black, but again, how that matters is something only Newt could explain.

He also was quoted as saying that, if he went to any given neighbourhood in America and polled the residents, a majority would choose food stamps over a paycheck. Really? I see lots of people going into work, every day. 8.7 % of working-age Arizonans are unemployed. That means at least a majority of working-age Arizonans are working. The rest are off the grid, or like me, semi-retired and still willing to work. I don’t know what percentage of Arizonans are black, and I really don’t care. People are people.

I am getting some money from SSDI each month. If I get a job that pays over the maximum that SSDI allows, I’ll give up that benefit. It’s not the end of the world. Fair is fair.

It was not fair that I was let go by a social service agency three years ago this May, because the director was uncomfortable with my having a disabled wife, and thought I wasn’t bringing in enough money to the agency. I cringe that those people are still allowed to present themselves as “mental health professionals”. Life went on anyway, and guess what, Don and Dave, I’m still here. I will continue to work with children, because that’s where my heart is.

Lots of things are unfair in this life, as JFK once said. The course of Newt Gingrich’s campaign from here on may strike him as unfair, but let’s see him spend just 48 hours being told he’s too old, too ethnic, wrong gender, overqualified, underqualified, wrong background, wrong personality. The voters of New Hampshire may just tell those very things, next Tuesday.

Adam vs. The Man

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on January 3, 2012 in Social

I had a chance to view this broadcast, online yesterday. ‘Adam’ promises to be a regular feature on Real Truth network. The host is a veteran of the Iraq War, and considers himself a Libertarian- neither “right” nor “left”, thus reserving the prerogative of calling out the self-appointed experts of both ideological poles, and those in-between.

He regards everyone from Barack Obama to Sean Hannity as being full of hot air, and has no use for social icons, such as Bill Clinton and Bill O’Reilly. Adam seems more of a down-to-Earth, let’s have a drink together kind of guy, but is deadly serious about the need for a more intensely people-centered system of government. He refers to his concept as “Love-olution”. It is, so far, short on specifics (surprised?) and long on name-calling (SHOCKED?).

Here in righteous land, I will be addressing social and cultural issues, specifically, one at a time. As with yesterday’s post, “Who Owes Whom?”, I want to be focused on these things, avoid platitudes and not seem dreamy-eyed. It didn’t work in the ’60’s, and won’t now.

I believe in the power of Millennials (born 1980-1998) and “Generation Wired” (born 1999-present) to act more cohesively, and less self-centered than those who came before them. They have had plenty of training in attention to detail, even to minutiae, on a minute-by-minute basis. What is needed along with this skill, however, is patience. The idea of processes versus events does not come easy to those raised in an age of instantaneous communication and problem-solving,. The notion of overcoming setbacks comes hard to many who have been raised in a climate of political correctness and inviolable self-esteem. Hard Knocks is an alien concept, for those raised to act entitled.

So, my challenge to the young Libertarians is this: Develop a Five-Year Plan, a Ten-Year Plan, for the “Love-olution”. My son, a young conservative, has lots of ideas for building a society based on empowerment, group cohesion and good, old-fashioned elbow grease. He is learning patience; learning that a setback or delay does NOT mean, instantly, that someone or some “They” must be to blame. Put together the best qualities of the rising generations and of those who came before them, and we will actually see a global civilization based on love and harmony, rather than tyranny and division.

Who Owes Whom?

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on January 3, 2012 in Social

The Arizona Senate, in its “wisdom”, is actively considering a bill which would require anyone whose mortgage is foreclosed, or whose house is transferred by short sale, to reimburse the lender for any amount over the sum recouped by said bank. It is said by the bill’s author that this is necessary, in order to not cheat the small investors whom the bank represents. I am among those who are currently short-selling a house. My mortgage payments went adrift when my late wife and I were dealing with her failing health, and the peripheral expenses that come with day to day living. We went through bankruptcy, put the house up for short sale, and began waiting. She passed away ten months ago. I am still waiting, still in the process, with help from a competent real estate agent. As I stated in an earlier post, I am anticipating being asked to make amends for the difference between the short sale price and the actual mortgage, in the event this bill passes and is signed into law. I am not a gold-digger, or a leech, and so will work with the “small investors”, as the law requires. I do have a couple of questions, though. 1. In 2009, the Obama Administration released billions of dollars to several large banks, my mortgage holder among them. This was to- HELP THE BANKS RECOUP THEIR MORTGAGE LOSSES! It must have been a drop in the bucket, because now, people are running to their conservative, “Tea Party” politicians, saying they are losing millions of dollars to the feckless, irresponsible foreclosees. Where did all the money go? 2. Much of the overage, which State Senator Jack Harper and others want to see come out of our pockets, is due to interest charged at a rate well above 12% APR. Time was, such an interest rate was usury, forbidden by law as exorbitant. The question begs answering: How much money does any individual, any corporation, really NEED? I know what many people WANT- as much as they can get! What do they NEED? Maybe I will hear from thoughtful people about this, instead of the current-“The crazy pinko liberals want to destroy capitalism”. It was the liberals who gave the banks their 2009 bailouts. The liberals (I’m NOT one of them, by the way) are not the problem here.

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