The 60's - my family - part 1
The sixties brought many changes. Not all bad, not all good, but drastic changes in some cases.
Civil Rights was a major theme in so many ways and places. Not just the black/white thing although mostly that.
My stepdad was black/indian, my mom is white/indian, my father was white, but had the "black irish" in the family lines. So my family and I are in my laughing terms mutts. I could list every one of the "nationalities" that make me, but why, what real purpose would it serve?
The First Nations were also making their way to the foreground and in reality, our people should have been seen far before AIM and the others started speaking and trying to get our traditions back. This will always be a problem for me as a "mix blood" and the fact that as a mix blood, I'm not always seen by either side. Not "Indian" enough for some, too "Indian" for others. I refuse to choose one over the other as some have said I should. To do that would dishonor all who are my ancestors. I refuse to dishonor my family, good, bad, indifferent, in reputation and in "living" our paths. I tell folks who ask me I'm either famous or infamous depending on who you ask, especially in Minnesota.
Back to the sixties anyway .
I remember hanging out with my dad on the back of his '39 Harley Flathead. We worked in his darkroom, listening to the baseball games as we developed and printed photo's from his semi- professional photography business. We would go to the navy base in Long Beach and I would get my test for TB as my dad had been in an area where there had been people with active TB . He would see his doctors and then we would go watch the sailors demenstrating different weapons and the planes flying over head. That was just so cool.
In '65 I had an uncle in the army and I idolized that uncle. He is a cool guy, with a wife and 2 kids last I knew. I haven't made the time to talk with him in 2 or 3 years. This is not uncommon for me though. He went to Germany and I went there later when I was in the army myself, but that is for the 70's. One of my other uncle's was navy and he had been on the USS Kittyhawk off of the cost of Nam. He told my youngest uncle (3 or 4 yrs older then me) that the cause of the riots on the ship weren't racially started. It was because the captain of the ship wouldn't let the crew off for some R. and R. they had been out for several months and were going to be out for several more with no time away from the ship. How many of you have been on an air craft carrier? So many little compartments and then the hold of the ship being used to carry the planes, so they can fly their missions. The quarters are very cramped and that many sailors and marines that long on the ship leads to trouble.
Another one of my uncles was in the marines durring this war. He wasn't cool like my other uncles. He was a bully and I tolerated him because he is my uncle. If he could, he would pull my yougest uncle and I out of the trees that we climbed in the house in South Passadena. It was a huge house and I liked it there and I loved my Gram Helen and my Grandpa Howard.
Grandpa Howard died before 2 of my uncles went into the millitary. On my Gram's side of the family we have had atleast one from each generation in one branch of the millitary. I was the one for my bunch.
Part 2 tomorrow. Maybe...
Civil Rights was a major theme in so many ways and places. Not just the black/white thing although mostly that.
My stepdad was black/indian, my mom is white/indian, my father was white, but had the "black irish" in the family lines. So my family and I are in my laughing terms mutts. I could list every one of the "nationalities" that make me, but why, what real purpose would it serve?
The First Nations were also making their way to the foreground and in reality, our people should have been seen far before AIM and the others started speaking and trying to get our traditions back. This will always be a problem for me as a "mix blood" and the fact that as a mix blood, I'm not always seen by either side. Not "Indian" enough for some, too "Indian" for others. I refuse to choose one over the other as some have said I should. To do that would dishonor all who are my ancestors. I refuse to dishonor my family, good, bad, indifferent, in reputation and in "living" our paths. I tell folks who ask me I'm either famous or infamous depending on who you ask, especially in Minnesota.
Back to the sixties anyway .
I remember hanging out with my dad on the back of his '39 Harley Flathead. We worked in his darkroom, listening to the baseball games as we developed and printed photo's from his semi- professional photography business. We would go to the navy base in Long Beach and I would get my test for TB as my dad had been in an area where there had been people with active TB . He would see his doctors and then we would go watch the sailors demenstrating different weapons and the planes flying over head. That was just so cool.
In '65 I had an uncle in the army and I idolized that uncle. He is a cool guy, with a wife and 2 kids last I knew. I haven't made the time to talk with him in 2 or 3 years. This is not uncommon for me though. He went to Germany and I went there later when I was in the army myself, but that is for the 70's. One of my other uncle's was navy and he had been on the USS Kittyhawk off of the cost of Nam. He told my youngest uncle (3 or 4 yrs older then me) that the cause of the riots on the ship weren't racially started. It was because the captain of the ship wouldn't let the crew off for some R. and R. they had been out for several months and were going to be out for several more with no time away from the ship. How many of you have been on an air craft carrier? So many little compartments and then the hold of the ship being used to carry the planes, so they can fly their missions. The quarters are very cramped and that many sailors and marines that long on the ship leads to trouble.
Another one of my uncles was in the marines durring this war. He wasn't cool like my other uncles. He was a bully and I tolerated him because he is my uncle. If he could, he would pull my yougest uncle and I out of the trees that we climbed in the house in South Passadena. It was a huge house and I liked it there and I loved my Gram Helen and my Grandpa Howard.
Grandpa Howard died before 2 of my uncles went into the millitary. On my Gram's side of the family we have had atleast one from each generation in one branch of the millitary. I was the one for my bunch.
Part 2 tomorrow. Maybe...
posted by Wild Mountain Gryph at 10:10 PM
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