I went to a rally the other day. Packed with people of all ethnic varieties, but lead by indigenous people. The drum beat in the background along with the rhythmic chimes of jingle dress dancers. Smoke from sage filled the air, putting me in a relaxed disposition. Feeling the rhythm and hearing the voices raised in song, filled me with gladness. It was one of those rare moments in time where I thought, "I am so glad to be sober". As the day proceeded with a feeling of being right in a world of chaos, standing up for a cause worth listening. I smiled at a man close to me. The rally was winding down and soon I would be heading home. He wore a head band over a shock of Midnight black hair, he had on a worn out shirt and jeans. The look of determined resolve on his face, of changing the world that he was familiar. He smiled back at me. I knew he was about to say something to me, so I patiently stared at him waiting expectantly. He said, "Hey, how are you? My name is...who are you?" I told him my name, he quickly stated, "I can't stand white people. They are everything that is wrong in the world. You being a native American can understand that right?" I put on a fake smile and gathered my thoughts, because no, I don't feel that way. I leaned in to reply, "No, I don't think that way". We talked for about a half hour, him pointing out all the past mistakes in history, about why I should dislike white people. Still I could not agree. I finally got around to tell him that it was more about those in power, miss-using their power, that I don't care for. If we could change as a people toward a greater good, we could possibly make a better world for our children. Learning to become non dependant on resources and more dependant on living within our means is what I think is the change that needs to happen. Where someday living in a world dependant on becoming one with the environment we share with other living beings is a must. Needless to say, we agreed to disagree. I think we are a human problem and to forgive our past is important so that we can try to obtain a better world. All working together with less resources, with less waste, and with trying to all work toward healing a polluted, dangerous environment. The environment that we live in today is not going to be sustainable to future generations and to me that is unexceptable. I want my children's, children, and their children to have a world they can live a good and healthy life. If we are going to look to the past, we need to seek forgiveness and then ask a important question. How did native people's of this continent 400 years ago sustain a viable environment that was pristine for 10,000 years? That is what I want to know.