> Thanks to a tip from a Native-L subscriber I have run down the
> following information taken from a home page promoting this artist's work.
> As you'll read, they, "the promoters," say that the Wounded Knee Survivors
> Association, in 1991, unanimously accepted the sculpture for placement in
> Wasichu's proposed Wounded Knee Tribal Park. This statement runs counter to
> the 3.20.95 statement by the Wounded Knee Landowners Association that
> they'll have nothing to do with the sculpture in any way shape or form.
Where does the second quote come from? I can tell you (as I said in "Who
Should We Believe...?") that the Wounded Knee Survivors Association, first,
does not represent the majority of survivor-descendents (most of whom belong
to the Bigfoot Claims Council), second, does not represent anyone but
themselves, and third, have taken many actions that stand in direct
opposition to the welfare and well-being of the local residents of Wounded
Knee and/or the Lakota Nation.
I think that what you are becoming confused with here is the Wounded Knee
SURVIVORS Association and the Wounded Knee LANDOWNERS Association. What is
happening is that the Survivors Association tends to be joined by the voices
of the progressives while the Landowners Association tends to be joined by
the voices of the traditionals. All Lakota, but two different portions of
the one Lakota Nation. The Survivors Association thinks that the statue is
wonderful, and I should point out that the vast majority of members of the
Wounded Knee community are traditionals, not progressives....., while the
traditionals don't want the statue at all. These are the folks who live
there, who would lose their land to the park's formation, etc.
I spoke with Kinyan Cu, a traditional elder and a true survivor -descendent
of the 1890 Masscre at Wounded Knee - but not with the Wounded Knee
Landowners Association nor the Wounded Knee Survivors Association. He made
the following comments, which I have ordered a bit with his approval. He
has said that his comments are for public purposes.
Bigfoot Claims Council was chartered by an act of Congress in 1920 or
thereabouts, and the Wounded Knee Survivors Association (WKSA) was formed in
just the last 10-12 years. The WKSA has lost all credibility and nobody
pays attention to them anymore. They are no longer a viable and chartered
organization. They lost credibility when their president demonstrated
herself to be a bragger and loud-spoken and adopted the traits of greed and
so forth. Therefore, when the WKSA says they are for something, then there
is always a motive behind it (acceptance, publicity, money) and they speak
for nobody but themselves and their own financial concerns. So, the WKSA
wants the statue to meet their own interests, but the landowners and
traditional Lakota people do not want this thing at our sacred site. We
don't want this statue or the park.
The money that they are raising for the sculpture is supposed to go for
locating the sculpture at Wounded Knee. Whatever is left over probably will
go into the scultor's pockets. Basically, the creation and donation of the
sculpture is self-motivated and is to serve Francis Jensen and was never
solicited or instigated by the Lakota Nation. That is all I have to say.
> Shall I contact them (the promoters of the sculpture) and ask for
> "who, what, and where" specifics?
If you feel so inclined and can do so on your own (i.e., don't sound like
you are inquiring for me, the WKLA, or anyone else), I would invite you to
do so. It is always best to go directly to the source. I would ask that if
you do, could you please share it with me so that I can learn from the
source, too? It seems that because my family is who they are and because I
have publicly opposed the national park idea, I am persona non gratis to the
opposition and they will not speak to me, even to answer questions such as
you have just posed so that I can learn what they think and feel.
> Another interesting item below is that "the promoters" are
> collecting money for a "The First American National Monument Foundation."
> Now, I wonder what these funds might be used for? Perhaps to pay the
> sculptress for the possession fee/transportation of that 7,500 lb. piece of
> probably very expensive Carrera marble? Frankly, I'd like to know where the
> money goes/went.
See above...... Funds get used for surprising things. For example, the
president of the Wounded Knee Survivors Association drives a new van and
wears pretty expensive dresses, yet does not receive any income from any
job.....
> One major issue that strikes me right away is that if there is ever
> gonna be a sculpture (and I do believe there ought to be), it damn well
> should come from the hands of the First Nations/First Peoples, and not
> follow in the tradition of the in progress Crazy Horse Monument. To even
> propose/consider that such a work of art come from any hand other than one
> of the First Nations/First Peoples shows the continuing gall of Wasichu as
> regards the Massacre at Wounded Knee.
>
> I've captured two photos which show separate views of the
> sculpture. These can be accessed via the Wounded Knee Home Page at
> the following address <http://www.sover.net/~jsd/WKmasscre.html>.
> As always, any comments would be welcomed.
> It appears the unwanted sculpture of Tesunke Witko (Crazy Horse)
> is titled "Transformation Through Forgiveness":
The sculpture is not of Tashunke Witko, and fortunately, nothing you sent
below indicates that Frances Jensen claims it is.
> Transformation Through Forgiveness
>
> The sculpture, Transformation Through Forgiveness was unveiled at
> the Mission in Santa Barbara, California ['91?].
>
> The monument "Transformation Through Forgiveness" poignantly
> captures the moment of truth in the transformation of man evolving into
> higher self "the Eagle", a symbol of freedom and power recognized by all
> people of all nations . This is the journey every man, woman and child
> aspires to take if they are to rise about the experience of "self". By
> "putting on the wings of the Eagle", they find their higher power, purpose,
> unity with God, humankind, Spirit and truly are free.
>
> ****In August of 1991, the monument, donated by the sculptor
> Francis Jansen, was unanimously accepted by the Wounded Knee Survivors
> Associations to stand at the Massacre site at Wounded Knee, South
> Dakota.****
NOTE: that is the Wounded Knee SURVIVORS Association, not Landowners
Association.
> To aid in the appropriates of such a significant site, ****a bill
> is currently passing through Congress legislating the National Tribal
> Memorial Park at Wounded Knee in South Dakota. This historic and sacred
> site where the last major Indian massacre occurred in December of 1890 has
> stirred profound interest and now will become an important commemoration
> for Native Americans and all peoples.****
So, the park is strictly for the benefit of the statue? That makes the park
even MORE objectionable......
> The National Tribal Memorial Park at Wounded Knee will include
> national ceremonial grounds where Native Americans of all tribes will be
> able to hold tribal meeting and ceremonies. ****There are also plans to
> build an amphitheater that will focus visitor's attentions upon Francis
> Jansen's centrally located monument, "Transformation Through
> Forgiveness."****
>
> "Transformation Through Forgiveness" stands 13 ft tall. The
> monument carved from Carrara marble weighs approximately 7,500 pounds.
> Francis Jansen stands 5'2" and weights only 120 pounds, and at the time of
> carving the monument in 1991 she had only two years of experience in
> sculpting. Francis sees great significance in the fact that a beginning
> sculptor such as herself with no art background or teachers could carve
> with such resulting mastery. She says of the process of bringing forth this
> figure: "It was an awesome experience and the miracle to myself is that I
> don't draw and used no material drafts. Yet, through the whole experience,
> I knew exactly what I was doing: profoundly so, I know I was Spiritually
> guided."
According to Kinyan Cu, who attended the 1991 meeting for information,
Frances Jensen claimed she had only been sculpting for 6 years, now it is
down to 2.....
*sigh*
Toksha!
Wanbli Sapa
One Earth, One Life Endeavors
icabu@ix.netcom.com
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Appalled by the denigrating poverty of my people, who live on a richly
endowed land, distressed by their political marginalization and economic
strangulation, angered by the devastation of their land, their ultimate
heritage, anxious to preserve their right to life, and to a decent living,
and determined to usher to this country as a whole a fair and just
democratic system which protects everyone and every ethnic group and gives
us all a valid claim to human civilization, I have devoted my intellectual
and material resources, my very life, to a cause in which I have total
belief and from which I cannot be blackmailed or intimidated.
-Ken Saro-Wiwa, executed Nov. 10, 1995, by Nigerian Government.
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