AHWA’NEECHEE

U.C. Davis 1990
September 08, 2008, San Jose

AHWA’NEECHEE

It came to be
When clouds and sunshine moved by a great power
over the land of the Ahwa’neechee
That my spirit led me to the silence of the forest
and there we wept

Beauty
that most delicate of understandings
And spirit
that most necessary of all things
Trembles here in the mighty valley called Yosemite

In awe the multitudes say,

“Feel! the spraying waters, the silken veil of
an angel”
“Look! there, the sun dancing
upon the morning waters of rushing river”
“Listen! the flowers and trees
singing with the wind”
“Experience! The parting clouds
and sun splashing everywhere”
“Wow! the majestic dome
broken by a mysterious and awesome power”

My spirit looked upon all these things
and it was like studying a painting of a great artist
for it is the greatest artist
holding the universe in her hands

But as my spirit wandered through the valley floor
it began to grow hesitant
For people, that imbalanced life form
attempts at every moment to subdue and weaken
the power that creates beauty

Humanity, that element of an unhappy soul
stumbles across earth
making dirty all that it touches,
making me ashamed of my humanness

Standing in awe of the grandness of nature
humans “ooh” and “ahh” at all they see,
but they cast their filth all about them as they depart

They say, “It is a cathedral,”
as they bring garbage with them to deposit within sweet earth

They say, “It is grand. It is beyond comprehension,”
as they pollute the air with their machinery and their breath

Daybreak, my spirit and I climbed a peak,
and peered north to the sacred mountains of the Yurok,
the Karok and Tolowa, seeing Doctor Rock and Chimney Rock

I thought of the courage of my brothers and sisters
facing armies that long to destroy Tolowa Cathedrals,
Yurok and Karok sacred mountains
and my spirit trembles

Casting my eyes to the great Yosemite Valley floor
I see automobiles of every possible fabrication,
Screaming along the stone path

Casting my eyes to the falling waters
I see every possible form of humanity, the multitude,
in an immeasurable and insulting manner,
rushing in and pushing aside the sacred power

Once again I thought of the threat
to Doctor and Chimney Rocks
and again I wonder what type of creature
Americans are

They do not know Chimney Rock and many will not know its power
They do not know Doctor Rock yet many will condemn it

Yet Americans view the rugged Yosemite calling it “wonderful,”
as they participate in its diminishing
They claim it is “breath taking,”
as their automobiles emit death and destruction
They claim it is “The seat of God,”
as they pollute the sterling water and create mountains of human waste

They do not know Doctor Rock.
They do not know Chimney

Americans know they make the decisions
They think that it is more important
for them to have, have, have
than it is for native people to worship

They think it is more important
for America to “progress”
than it is for the Tolowas to sing with the winds
that beautiful song whispering
along their familiar mountains at dawn

They think it is more important
for one American to make decisions
than a nation of Yuroks and Karoks as they seek their balance
within the universe, in soft conversation with that
great spiritual power that they were born into

Where are the Ahwa’neechee?
Where has their spirit gone this day?

Where will the Yurok, Karok and Tolowa be
when the sacred spirit if Dr Rock and Chimney
are disturbed
and seek a peaceful place to dwell?

And that is why
when the clouds and sunshine moved over the
Ahwa’neechee homeland and the beautiful Yosemite Valley,
my spirit led me to the silence of the forest
and there we wept

For the beautiful spirit of resistance that is our heritage since America

Sul’ma’ejote (aka) Darryl Babe Wilson