Running on the Rez: a few Taosien thoughts

I was actually running on the Taos Reservation December 2, 2010. I met Butch and Henry (“D”) that day and they shared their thoughts and work with me. D called me two days ago on the eve of my next trip to Taos, so I am here at the Sagebrush Inn and thought it was time to record the moment.

I’ll save my Taos history for another post as well as the Sagebrush Inn stories and pictures, but on the 2nd my day began with a few pictures while running before I ran into Butch chopping wood.

Keep the money in the family

If you've got'tem smoke'em.

Living the good life outside of town. 

I knew there was a reason why I felt comfortable on the Reservation.

They enjoy life down on the farm.

Keep if in the family.

Know how exciting a good casino can be in rural America. Dodge City has a new casino and it’s the highlight of my year to now have a place to watch the people, but that’s for later, too.

Butch at work and rest.

Butch makes $50/day chopping wood, so I knew this might cost me as well as asking to take the picture but he could not have been more willing to share his morning. Butch met his wife, a Cheyene Arapahoe, in El Reno. She lives in Oklahoma City. Interesting how so many rural women live in town elsewhere and it all works out, everyone is happy.

Here are a few thoughts from Butch:
He specializes in curved doorway openings in homes on reservation and within Pueblo and has promised me a tour.
He is also an artist. He made a sandstone buffalo that he was trying to sell in Sedona when he worked on a house there, but at Sedona, you must have a license to sell of the street. After he was shut down on the street in Sedona, he entered a gallery where an artist was selling an image of the Taos Pueblo. He then pointed out to the gallery owner that actually the rights to the Pueblo image were owned by the Taos Indians, ironic as he’d just been shot down.

One guys opinion about politics.

Butch likes Bill Clinton, not a George Bush lover, and said the Taos Indians love Richard Nixon. This is because the Taos Pueblo is actually not a part of the U.S. System which placed Indians upon reservations. It was part of a Spanish Land Grant for the Pueblo Indians who have been there for over a 1,000 years. The Taosiens fought to regain their independence from the U.S. Government in the early 20th century in a long battle that was finally won with Richard Nixon granting sovereignty to the lands in the 70s.

Butch, Taos Reservation Nov. 2, 2010.

Butch told me of the Indians connection with Tibet and asked about my eyes if I had Tibetan or asian roots (?). I told him I will have to introduce him to my friend Marthe if he wants to see real Tibetan eyes and an old soul. And speaking of, Marthe and I have been to Taos together about 28 years ago and we will be back soon. I think we also stayed at Sagebrush Inn.

Meeting Butch’s brother Henry, “Dee”, and getting a deserved ass chewing for snapping without asking.

After a bit, Henry and Todd drove up in a pickup. There was a great picture of Henry and Todd that I took right off. I was promptly called out on it by Henry who said that sometimes people can end up dead for doing this. This is actually true. I remembered that my mother had once taken a picture of a waitress with reflecting gasses and a beehive behind the counter at Cascone’s Italian Ristoranti in the River Market. My father, slapped her camera down, for the man sitting on the stool that she was serving was Nick Civella. Nick Civella was a KC mobster, to use an un p.c. old word. I am afraid to use any other (like cosa nostra) as I might end up dead as he was closely associated with Jimmy Hoffa and Teamsters, Roy Williams. His skill at skimming from the Stardust in Vegas earned him a place on the Nevada exclusion list.

Anyway, I always like a good threat and am used to people who carry guns since I live in Kansas. For me personally, my concerns all rest upon how I look in the picture. But, the reason why I do this is at times is because people stop and pose. I can miss the exact moment for the best picture to be captured. So, I have found that sometimes I can get away with just taking the picture and asking later, though not this time. I deleted the picture, it was rude of me.

I was the Indian Papparazzi….it cost me $25.00 and a bottle of whiskey. I fear if they see this post, it will cost me much more, hopefully not my life. I told them about it and them seemed okay. But, I got 1.5 hours of the best history, art, design, and philosophy that I’ve ever had in one setting. I also made three friends who may someday do some cool things on the ranch at the XIT Headquarters if John will let them deer hunt on the river.

Henry had left the reservation as a young man and lived in New York where he was some kind of political figure. And yes, they do allow you to go away and come back. Henry was “old guard” Pueblo.

I felt a lot of guilt speaking with Henry, he was testing me.  When I mentioned history, he said that 90% of American History was false.  He seemed to have a bit of a chip and I was uncomfortable, so I went on the attack,”it’s been 150 years, get over it, haven’t you ever screwed anyone in a deal?”  “No, but I like to screw white women.”

hmmmm….I have decided that maybe men of other cultures have trouble identifying ages since ethnic men, older men, and homeless men seem to be the audiences with whom I seem to garner attention when I’m alone.  Though this white woman remark was not intended for me, it is taken for what I suppose men intend for these comments to be… a compliment to women, right?

Henry and Todd took me to one of the building projects.  I ws totally impressed with their recycling of materials and organization. I live on a ranch and you can tell who’s re-using their stuff by how they organize the junkpile and their takedown system of former projects. Here’s a picture.

Recycled adobe brick under tarp.

Here’s a bit about communal living and the Taos Reservation:
Even in communal living there is hierarchy. Some guys (and gals) have more and better land than others.
There is about 100,000 acres within the Taos Reservation.
80% of this is mountainous and timbered, not productive, and communally owned.
The remaining is privately owned.
There are about 1500 residents.
There are about 4,000 that have tribal rights.

Todd.

This is Todd. Todd’s wife is a Taos Indian. He mentioned that the women have a lot of power on the reservation.

And last, when I asked about the recent gay pride parade in Taos, I asked if there would ever be a gay pride parade on the reservation. Maybe in 50 years, was the response. Yes, the Reservation has all kinds, everyone keeps to themself, sounds like Kansas. But mainly the answer was, “why do you care about gay men and not about us?” Maybe everyone is feeling a bit neglected and underappreciated these days, not just white males.

And Henry finally allowed me to take a picture of his ponytail only. Then, feeling artful, he gave me a side view.

Henry a la R C Gorman

So Henry, when you called, I was so happy to hear your voice! And do hope that you’ll remember, Butch, that you invited me to Christmas Eve at the Reservation with all the family and Donald Rumsfeld for the fireworks when we met at the Adobe Bar. Yes, I do feel the love… and so appreciate that you called me on some Paula issues I need to work on.

I will look you up on my next trip. And I’m glad you got present from El Prado, though when you did not trust me to give it to Butch that night at the Taos Inn, my note said “So you don’t trust your brother, eh?”

I was teasing. It was in response to our earlier discussion about Indians and all of your brothers. And in the context of the U.S. getting $h@ft’d in a deal, you know, my comment, “didn’t you ever screw someone in a deal?” But, it didn’t read on paper, you are right. I apologize and appreciate. I do not like being misunderstood. I should not be glib and what I think is casually affable invades others boundaries. We had just met, it was trespassing.

Samouyah. We will meet again.
I know I am not your brother, I do not speak your language, but in other ways we are family.
And yes, we are all the same.

ANOTHER PAULA MONEYMAKING SCHEME FOR OTHERS:

And if you ever have to pay $5 at the road when you first enter the Indian Reservation, I did have a vote in that. I was able to run and appreciated taking the pictures free of charge, but perhaps a gate toll at highway could bring in the bucks, not just at the Pueblo. Of course, I need to focus more on my goals in this department. It all looks pretty shiny out there and life  good. “Good idea,” Henry said to the nosy trespassing advice-giver.

Follow