My response to B. I call this "Becoming Indian" or "Faking It":

"It's the different modes of invisibilities once these identities are enforced or adopted. It is not as if the day-to-day does not exist any more. They are submerged identities. When I think of Scotland demanding and getting their Parliament after 300 years, I know that national feelings run deep and have little to do with economic development or democracy. Yes, there are forces that wish to obliterate these nationhoods. And yes, nationalism has produced a lot of wars.

"When my people, the M, were converted to Hinduism by Indian missionaries 300 years ago, our texts were burned. Our tribal roots run deep and need to be rediscovered after all these years. Neighboring people such as the N and M are closer to their indigenous identities but the Baptist Church has been successfully launching a conversion program o them for the last 50 years. So much is being lost today and at an alarming rate.

"The definition of indigenous needs to be defined by ourselves. My friend B was at the indigenous peoples conference at the UN and there were conflicts instead of linkages. Which is what I am interested in having with you.

I have been talking my Saami project and lately about our conversation with the Natural History Museum and the Ford Foundation. Maybe a media conference - triangulating between Native America, the Saami and the Uplands of NEI. Maybe look at state policy, non-state responses, strategies of survival, conflict. With culture being the field and convergent media being the tool. I think that by looking at very diverse histories, and geographical regions, we may see some common elements. Would these then be core or fundamental?

We are planning to meet after I get back - which may put us into the New Year. Do you have any plans to be in NYC any time in the next few months?

I leave for M on the 15th to prep for my Field Trip. I have one DVD from you earlier which I will take with me.

I burden you with much reading material to wade through. May I send you another? This is a brief I wrote year ago on the M:Saami project which may dovetail into the larger meet.


PS Derek B D and I tried our utmost to meet up. I did see his mother's show but not him."