BVOV Magazine 2013 - present

"Never again will this agency stand silent when hate and violence are committed against Indians. Never again will we allow policy to proceed from the assumption that Indians possess less human genius than the other races. Never again will we be complicit in the theft of Indian property. Never again will we appoint false leaders who serve purposes other than those of the tribes. Never again will we allow unflattering and stereotypical images of Indian people to deface the halls of government or lead the American people to shallow and ignorant beliefs about Indians. Never again will we attack your religions, your languages, your rituals or any of your tribal ways. Never again will we seize your children, nor teach them to be ashamed of who they are. Never again. "We cannot yet ask your forgiveness, not while the burdens of this agency’s history weigh so heavily on tribal communities. What we do ask is that, together, we allow the healing to begin: As you return to your homes, and as you talk with your people, please tell them that the time of dying is at its end…Together, we must wipe the tears of seven generations. Together, we must allow our broken hearts to mend. Together, we will face a challenging world with confidence and trust. Together, let us resolve that when our future leaders gather to discuss the history of this institution, it will be time to celebrate the rebirth of joy, freedom, and progress for the Indian Nations." A year ago this month, on Nov. 4, a second such acknowledgment and apology come forth as representatives of the state of Tennessee issued a similar statement condemning its actions against Native American Nations. A joint resolution, adopted by the Tennessee House of Representatives and presented by a House member during the annual Awakening of the Nations meeting in Branson, Mo., to Kenneth Copeland, himself a Native American, read in part: "Whereas for the 175th anniversary of the Trail of Tears that began in May 1838, and concluded in Indian territory in March 1839, the state of Tennessee wishes to both acknowledge this tragedy and renounce any role it may have played in what is a stain on our collective histories; now, therefore, Be it resolved by the House of Representatives and the 108th General Assembly of the State of Tennessee, the Senate concurring, that we, the citizens of the state of Tennessee, stand with our statesman, David Crockett, on a national level in acknowledging the tragedy of this act that took place in defiance of the Supreme Court ruling by Chief Justice John Marshall in Worcester v. Georgia. The global battlefields are stained with the blood of many Tennesseans. Be it further resolved, that we, the citizens of Tennessee, wish to close this chapter in our collective history, so that our past does not cast a shadow over our future. Tennesseans stand against acts of injustice perpetrated against any people or group regardless of race, gender, or religion. Therefore, we offer our sincere regret to the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Yuchi, Muscogee Creek, Choctaw, and Shawnee Nations and all Native American Nations who were tragically and unjustly confined and removed from their lands by our participation in the Removal Act of 1830 and the subsequent death march known as the Trail of Tears. Greed and prejudice have no part to play in the future of Tennessee. We stand today as David Crockett stood, prepared to lay down our lives in defense of freedom for all people in this great nation." In response to the two apologies, Brother Copeland called the actions very significant. “This is something we’ve been believing for, for a long time. It has to be the result of prayer. None of us with a Native American ancestry ever thought we’d truly witness the day that we would read statements like this. God Almighty is moving a nation, and changing the very thoughts and attitudes of the United States government.” Regarding the most recent apology, Brother Copeland said, “This opens the door for God to move in the state of Tennessee and get rid of this thing that’s been hanging over that state all these years, unrepented. “Truly this is a sign of the times,” he said. V 10 : BVOV

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