POST 400!!! YouTube Fun!!! 'Nuff Said!

This Is Who I Am

Dr. Charles Eastman ~ Ohiyesa

This morning I watched the movie, "Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee". This is an HBO movie based on the book by the same name. It is set during the American Indian conflict with the Sioux; beginning with the Battle at Little Big Horn and ending with the death of Sitting Bull. During this time it also follows a young Sioux warrior, Charles Eastman's assimilation into Christian and white American culture. It allows you inside the struggle he experiences while trying to balance his heart's allegiance to his people and their ancient way of life while trying to advance his people and secure their existence by using the white man's political system that is evident to remain.

As I watched this movie, I, as is often the case, was moved to thoughts of sadness as I observed the betrayal and manipulation of this great and noble people. I also gained a different understanding of the struggle that I never before considered. Just about everyone who knows me, knows I am of Scottish decent on my Mother's side. This is not difficult to identify as it is safely assumed once you see me in my kilt. I have always embraced my heritage and wish that everyone else did the same. I am also equally proud of my heritage on my Father's side; the not so obvious side of my genetic make-up. My Father is American Indian. While I am quite proud of this, it is not as apparent as I am not as inclined to wear a feather or a choker as I am to wear a kilt. I do have a tattoo on my ankle of American Indian deity most commonly seen in pictographs and petroglyphs.

Dear Old Dad

I am American Indian. My Dad has always embraced this and does more so now as he grows older and tries to figure things out. He has always preferred to sit on the floor or not wear shoes or sport a pierced ear and dismisses it as, "This is what my people do". Although those comments have yielded many chuckles from me and my brothers, I have always been proud to know this about me, my Father and my ancestors. Unfortunately, we have been unable to obtain a role number from the Nation, each of us know who we are and what blood runs through our veins. It seems, while each of the Trospers are proud of their heritage, a few generations back didn't feel quite the same. They denounced their lineage and purposely did not register with the Nation, probably to avoid ridicule or persecution. None the less, I know who I am and that is enough for me.

I had the privilege to serve much of my mission on or around reservations in British Columbia. It was fun to bring the gospel to them as I felt a certain kinship with them. I know many whites like to consider their miniscule Native American Heritage as some kind of novelty topic of discussion. I hope my mention of my heritage to my brothers and sisters in BC was not received with annoyance. I truly loved serving them and am pleased to be associated with them. I did witness things while serving there that depressed me and continue to witness disappointing things concerning different Indian Nations today such as dependence, irresponsibility, lack of accountability, laziness, etc. I am so grateful for some of the wonderful people I met who tried so hard to combat these stereotypes with hard work and education.

We don't know much about our family history. Again, my ancestors apparently desired to bury their origins and the Native Americans are not well know for record keeping or documentation. They typically shared their ancestry via stories, dances and song. In my life I have met several other Trospers outside my small family circle. The interesting thing is that the surname "Trosper" is of German/Austrian origin, but every Trosper I have met is American Indian. Even more interesting is the fact that they all hail from different tribes or nations such as Choctaw, Cherokee, Shoshone, Ute or Navajo. My family is Cherokee. Apparently there was a German dude who traveled through the different nations and became acquainted with several squaws!

As I watched the movie, it once again sickened me to watch how the government broke the spirit of this once greatly spirited group. After several attempts to defeat them by means of assimilation, reservation confinement, dependence and even genocide, they eventually succeeded to only stifle the culture and somehow sweep it all under the rug. I have heard it said that history is determined by those who write it. It is obvious who wrote this history, but as time drags on we learn more and more of what really occurred. I am a proud American and happy to know that the majority of my nation's history is something I can be proud of. I understand that the mishandling or mismanagement of my native ancestors is simply a small stain on an otherwise righteous tapestry.

I mentioned at the beginning of this rant that I gained from this movie a new perspective regarding the Indian Wars. It occurred when Sitting Bull sat with Col. Nelson Miles to discuss the pending battle between the Sioux band and the American Army. The dialogue went as follows:

Sitting Bull: You must take the army out of our lands.
Col. Nelson Miles: What precisely are your lands?
SB: These are the lands where my people lived before you whites first came.
NM: I don't understand. We whites were not your first enemies. Why don't you demand back the land in Minnesota where the Chippewa and others forced you from years before?
SB: The Black Hills are a sacred land given to my people by Wakan Tanka (Great Spirit).
NM: How very convenient to cloak your claims in spiritualism. And what would you say to the Mormons and others who believe that their God has given to them Indian lands in the West?
SB: I would say they should listen to Wakan Tanka.
NM: No matter what your legends say, you didn't sprout from the plains like the spring grasses. And you didn't coalesce out of them either. You came out of the Minnesota woodlands armed to the teeth and set upon your fellow man. You massacred the Kiowa, the Omaha, the Ponca, the Oto and the Pawnee without mercy. And yet you claim the Black Hills as a private preserve bequeathed to you by the Great Spirit.
SB: And who gave us the guns and powder to kill our enemies? And who traded weapons to the Chippewa and others who drove us from our home?
NM: Chief Sitting Bull, the proposition that you were a peaceable people before the appearance of the white man is the most fanciful legend of all. You were killing each other for hundreds of moons before the first white stepped foot on this continent. You conquered those tribes, lusting for their game and their lands, just as we have now conquered you for no less noble a cause.

I never considered the US to be simply a tribe conquering other tribes. I guess with this point of view, the US is no more in the wrong than the Sioux or the Apache, the Utes or any other tribe that attempted to conquer other tribes. Two wrongs don't make a right. None the less, it makes you think. Now I am really confused! I guess the facts remain the same in my heart. I am proud to be an American. I am proud to be a Native American. I am proud to be a Scot. I am not proud of my country's dealing with the indigenous people of North America. Where was I going with all this anyway?! Oh yeah! Watch the movie! It is a good one!

7th anniversary

My good friend, Kentus Remundus Maximus, made this wedding video for us. For my 7th anniversary, Sarah provided me with the digitally enhanced re-release version. I really like the video, so I had Sarah break it down into three sections so I can share it here. Get some popcorn and Enjoy! There's nothing quite so exciting as watching someone else's home videos! HAHA!

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

"To Love and Be Loved Is To Feel the Sun From Both Sides" ~ David Viscott

Slumdog Millionaire

I finally had the opportunity to see the Academy Award winning movie, Slumdog Millionaire.  My friend, Kent, highly suggested it when it was still in the theater, but it took me a couple months to get around to it.  What a fantastic movie!  Seriously a great flick!  I don't understand why it is rated R though.  With that said, the disc we watched was scratched and it skipped a few short segments.  I guess there could have been something bad there, but otherwise, it was more along the lines of a PG-13 rating.  If you haven't seen this movie, put it at the top of your Netflix or Red Box "must see" list.  

Movie Review ~ Razzleberry 1151

This is a movie I made for this year's summer camp.  Sarah helped.  Thank you Sarah.  We watched it at the Scout Court of Honor last night.  I know I have been released, but I wanted to see the video too.  It got a few laughs and I think everyone enjoyed it.  I am glad I went.  The guys all wrote thank you cards and said some very nice things.

You may need to pause the Christmas music in order to hear the video.  You can do so by hitting the pause symbol " further down on the right.

Enjoy!

A Must See ~ The New York Doll

I love music; just about all music. I am also of the original punk rock generation and have always loved the initial punk bands (the new stuff is too loud and fast) such as The New York Dolls, The Sex Pistols, The Clash, The Ramones, Siouxie Sioux and the Banshees, Generation X, The Damned, Blondie, The Pretenders and etc. Probably one of the least commercially successful, yet most influential bands on the punk movement was the New York Dolls. I don't know of any punk band and many others who do not attribute at least a portion of their influence to them. I was no different. Until the past few years, I was not a major fan of the band, but have always been cognisant of their influence on those bands I loved. I recently got "The New York Doll" from Netflix. I had heard it was good. It wasn't good...it was great! This movie ROCKED, both figuratively and literally.

The New York Dolls (Arthur Kane on the far left)

It is a rockumentary about Arthur "Killer" Kane, the bassist for The New York Dolls. If you know anything about The Dolls of New York, they were barrier breaking. Not only their music, but their dress and on stage antics . On stage they dressed like cross-dressing male prostitutes! Much like Ziggy Stardust (David Bowie). Quite disturbing to gaze upon. They were known for fast music, fast women and a fast lifestyle when it came to drugs and alcohol. Of course all of things would be emulated for years to come in the glam rock era. After a short stint of success, the band broke up and Arthur Kane followed a long trail of failures and non-successes. After losing his life to alcohol and drugs, he attempted (again non-successfully) suicide.

His substance abuse and attempted suicide out of a third story window left him somewhat crippled, both physically and mentally. It was at this point in his life that he found The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in the TV guide. He quickly joined AA and sobered up and then joined the church becoming a "Mormon". This was a life saver for him, yet his dream to once again rock often left him depressed and wanting more. This movie documents his rise to fame in the international music scene as well as his decline to Hasbeensville. It documents his changes and the wonderful blessings that followed due to a loving Heavenly Father.

Elder Killer Kane on his way to his calling at the genealogical library at the Los Angeles Temple

This was a Rocking movie, for the eyes, ears and the soul. I cried. It has been a long time since I have cried while watching a movie. This is a must see. It is PG-13 due to drug references (I assume). I don't remember excessive strong language and there was no nudity or sex. I strongly suggest you watch this, whether you are a lover of punk rock or not.

Don't Mess With the Zohan...Seriously...Don't even bother messing with Don't Mess With the Zohan

Adam Sandler owes me $14!!!!  This was the second movie of Adam Sandler's in a row that I have been thoroughly disappointed in.  Don't get me wrong, I have enjoyed many a crude comedy.  I am far from a Peter Priesthood when it comes to my tastes in movies, but this movie was crude and not funny.  It did have funny parts, but I was mostly bored with the same two or three jokes over and over and over again.  After this disappointment followed by a less than funny, I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry, I will think twice before going to see a movie by the Sandman.  I honestly never thought I would say that.  He has so many classics that I can watch over and over again; Billy Madison, Happy Gilmore, Big Daddy, Water Boy, Anger Management, Mr. Deeds and Wedding Singer.  What a comedic talent....not this time.

On a side note, Iron Man turned out to be a great movie.  I am not much of a comic book movie nerd, but I really liked this flick.  Indiana Jones was not a bad movie, but disappointing none the less.  

Marque at the Movies!

I thought I would begin doing movie reviews. It seems that most movie critics are often criticized; that they are not really offering an analysis of the movies that the public can agree with. I typically do not listen to movie critics nor so I value their opinion. There is one critic I can trust, Steve Oldfield. Anyway...I thought I would enlighten the three readers of my blog to how I feel regarding movies that I have recently viewed. I typically rate videos into five categories; 1) 5 stars - I could see this movie again and again and again. I need to own it. 2) 4 stars - I thoroughly enjoyed it and could see it again. 3) 3 stars - It was okay; not bad, but not great, just okay. 4) 1 star - I would not care if I never saw that movie again, and 5) 0 stars - I want my money back, even if I have to travel to Hollywood and beat it out of the producer! This is my first review. I understand that people have different tastes and interests in movies, so I do not expect everyone to agree with me. Please let me know what you think.Hot Rod (Rated PG-13) opened in the theaters on August 3rd and I am pretty sure they yanked it on August 4th. I got it from Netflix recently and Sarah reluctantly watched it with me. It is a story about a small town loser that never grows up. Rod Kimble (Andy Samberg) is obsessed with becoming a stunt man in an effort to make his dead father and his step father (Ian McShane) proud of him. The problem is that he performs less than wowing stunts on his moped. Sarah didn't even know what a moped is, so for those who are in the dark, it is a product of the late 70's and early 80's that combines the design of a bicycle (pedals and all) with the luxury of a motor like a scooter. It immediately oozes a Napolean Dynamitesque feeling in it's off the wall and quirky style. We laughed our butt off in the parking lot and forest dance scenes. The dialogue will keep you giggling and the relationship between Rod and his step father is disturbingly funny. All in all....I would say I give Hot Rod a rating of....**** 4 stars!!! Rent it and enjoy. Approach the movie like Napolean Dynamite with no expectations.