Sunday, March 13, 2011

Native Wisdom

A memory from 2001, traveling through the Pacific Northwest:
We followed a coastal highway, letting the lay of the land dictate the direction of the car, until we spotted a grey arch rise from the water: a whale! We drove slowly, watching her swim and rise, blow and pause, between the great pines. At each turnout we would stop and watch her journey. We lost sight of her when the bay opened up, and she left us.

We came to a small logging village, quite rough-looking, within the bounds of an indian reservation. There was a small museum a few blocks off Main Street, and we stopped. Following our visit I bought a choker made of shells, and asked the cashier how much tax was. The native woman snorted. "Tax! We don't pay tax," she said. "The government has taken plenty enough from us!"

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