"Since 2010 - and before that - the people have lost that control. We get told what to do, when, where, and how. That’s not right.
Because, Arapaho General Councils? It was the people’s choice…and there were always old people there. And these old people would get up and tell our people: “This is your place…this is your control, this is your power…”
And since that time…if you were to spend over $50,000 you are to come to us and ask if you can spend it. What are you going to do with it? How will it help our people?
But today, we’re hopeless. We are getting to be more homeless. Our people are, all of us, we’re all homeless. What’s happening now, in Ethete? I can’t believe it. They’re moving families out of their homes that they had for years. They’re moving them out! They’re putting their stuff outside. What’s going on with that?
Now, I don’t know, but if they have reason–if they have police reports or anything going on in those homes, they go in and they test them–and they’ve been finding a lot of houses contaminated with meth. So they move them out, depending on the situation or how it occurred (the meth), they go in, and they clean those houses up. They put them back in those houses, and they have to sign a contract that there’ll be no drugs or alcohol. They have to sign that contract in order to keep their home.
But it’s the younger kids. Some elders don’t know about that, and the drug use and how they act unless you’ve been around it and exposed to it. What do you do? We can’t just leave them there and let them go back in, let them out, let them back in, back out…it costs thousands of dollars to clean those homes up…and if it’s an elder? It’s got to be someone young in the family that’s doing that. So that’s what’s going on in the housing.
The thing is, you know, like us down here, we don’t hear too much, and up there things are happening. Like my own grandchildren, nieces and nephews are a part of that up there. So when I hear about that, I wonder.
When HUD first came in, they told all the rented houses that if they start drinking or using drugs, then you are going to be evicted. But they never did that; they never did follow their rule. They never came down and checked who’s who. They never did.
So our prayers have to go back to the people. I’m going to pray for the people so the people can get strong. Voice. Give back, take back the power of the people. They’re in control, each and every one of them. They’re the power.
As I remember that–the old people always told me that. I used to go to all the General Councils. They always said: “You…each one of you…have the rights.”
If you remember, if there was overspend(ing)…the information would come back to the tribe of what was being bought and the cost being so high. People used to stop it; they’d stop that money right now. Nobody had control of spending money. Nobody. That means they go back to the Tribe, because there’s so many things we don’t even know about.
Prayer
The people…they are the power of the Arapaho Tribe. I’m asking for Your blessing, Your guidance, Your wisdom, Your knowledge. I ask for your protection for these people that are doing this thing. I believe in righteousness myself, in the will of the people, the power of the people. That’s what I want to see. Old people are not going to be here too long. It’s the next generation that is going to have to pick up. We have to stabilize our tribe again. Who we are. What we were. We have to put it back.
I ask for prayers. I pray for this every day, Grandfathers. I pray to the Mighty God, I pray to all the angels, I pray for all the saints. I pray, and I’m not going to let that prayer go until I see my people get control again. So this is why I’m asking for your blessing. I pray for those without food, the homeless, hunger, the old, children. I pray for food, water, comfort, homes, warm, well. I pray for those who are sick will be healed.
With this, my Heavenly Father, I offer You…I offer You this day for my people. I always do that, every day. Pray for my people, every day. If there’s a will, there’s a way. I pray for my people, that we will come back. The way it used to be was we had our old people, guiding. They’ve lived a long time for us, but today we’re all scattered. We need to come together again and stand. Make a stand. So I ask for Your protection, Your guidance and Your wisdom, Your knowledge.
I thank You for this time, my Heavenly Father.
God bless everybody who is here. God bless everybody that’s out there. God bless the sick, the dying, the poor, the homeless, the hungry, the thirsty. I ask You to take care of our children and our old people for us. Take care of our handicapped, that cannot help themselves. The sick, I ask You to help heal them. Those who cannot survive, my Heavenly Father, I pray for them, too.
With this, I put everything back in Your hands, my Heavenly Father, for protection, guidance, wisdom, knowledge.
I ask You to protect these people that are walking this Path. I ask You to be with them and walk with them. Show them the way."
Ruth BigLake
Arapaho Voice Meeting, Wednesday, November 16, 2022
Transcribed by Carol Harper
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