THE RIGHTS WE CARRY IN OUR HEARTS by Robert Soto

March 23, 2010

THE RIGHTS WE CARRY IN OUR HEARTS by Robert Soto

Acts 4:19-20 "But Peter and John replied, "Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God's sight to obey you rather than God. For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard."

Today is the big day, so I think. Four years ago a federal agent of the Department of Interior came into our pow wow and invaded our circle which we consider sacred. The agent used three laws against us: two that gave him the right to enter into our circle and take away our feathers and one to take away our feathers. The two laws he used against us was that we advertised our pow wow and that there was the exchange of money like raffles, cake walks, vendors and honoring people by placing a dollar on their feet. The law he used to take away our eagle feathers was that we did not belong to a tribe recognized by the federal government. So the battle has been going on for four years now. Today, our lawyers will come together with the lawyers of the Department of Interior and they will try to come up with a workable decision.

But the question that needs to be answered is, why are we the only people group in the United States who the government tells who can and who cannot use such objects, and who tell us who is or who is not Indian? So the trouble starts when people like a lot of us, who are not from a tribe recognized by the federal government, violate the laws because we feel our rights as Indian people are being violated. So if we are Indian people, our freedom to use sacred objects that we have set apart for worship or for dancing or for ceremonies is not determined by our cultural background but by laws established by man. You may say, "But it is the law." But just because it is the law does not make it right. My mother can tell you of a time when she was not allowed in the movie theater or public bathrooms or restaurants or public water fountains because her skin was dark and because there were laws that prohibited her from doing so. Were the laws of the land right? No, and it took a few brave people like our Black Brothers who took a stand and violated those laws. Did I violate the laws establish by our federal government? Yes. But as an American Indian, I do not look to the government to determine if I can or cannot, or if I am or am not. I am American Indian of the Lipan Apache Tribe and as an American Indian, I have every right to worship My God and Creator as He created me, a Lipan Apache. You see, in the end, it is God my Creator I have to answer to, not our government. In the end, it is God the Creator to whom I will have to give an account. As Peter and John told the religious and governmental offices of the land at their time, "Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God's sight to obey you rather than God. For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard." Today's decision in the courtroom will not determine who I am or am not, or if I have the right to use what I feel God the Creator wants me to use. Whatever is decided or not decided today will only fortify in my heart who I am and what I have been called to do.

Robert Soto, Lipan Apache and pastor of:

McAllen Grace Brethren Church
The Native American New Life Center
Chief of Chiefs Christian Church