Pros And Cons Of Being Native American

When you think about a Native American what comes to your mind? Being Native American is harder than you think. We don’t get everything handed to us like you expect. Everyone assumes that Swinomish gets everything just because we have Brian Cladoosby as our Chairman. Also, Brian is not the man you think he is. Yeah it looks like he’s the kind and loving Chairman of our community but it's the total opposite. When Brian said he was going to make our community better we never see him at our community dinners. He probably one been to 1 the past 2 years and we have one every month. It’s sad because he is going to be our chairman once again, no one notices because when someone stands up to him all he does is give people money to keep their mouth

shut. What kind of leader is that? Our community lost many people over drugs or alcohol my question is, where was Brian when he told us when he wanted to run that he promised me none of us will have to ever put of loved ones to rest over drugs or alcohol but we lost 6 people in our community all over drugs just in the past year. I had two of my bestfriends commit suicide, my favorite uncle died, a guy that raised me like he was my real dad he was that father figure to me and I lost him over a diving accident. My cousin Tony, he meant the world to me and god decided to take him from us. Dontae Jones he was like my older brother, he committed suicide right after we lost my Uncle Ken. I’m 16 I shouldnt be going through this much pain. No one deserves to go through this much in just one year. I struggle every day with holding my tears back because every little thing I do brings all the memories back. Where was brian when he promised my family and I that he was always there for us but where is he when we struggle with depression he told us he always had our back but where is he when our family had to do that memorial for my grandmother back in December. He seen us struggling and he did nothing to help us. He has changed and everyone has noticed it as I grew up on the rez Brian was always helpful around the community now you can’t even see him any time our community does something big. Everyone tells me that if my Grandmother Susan Wilbur was still here Brian would no longer be the chairman.
Susan Wilbur is my grandmother, she was the chairwoman for seven years she died January 29th, 2004.

She served on the school board for 7 years. I come from a loving and caring family but no one notices that pain changes people. It's not easy you have to go thru the pain every day and cry every night, you try to be strong but every little thing you just brings all the memories and pain back.. From the teaching I have been taught we are never allowed to cry past 3 o’clock and every time you cry you go up to the mountains and wash all the pain away. After you lose someone close you take all the pictures down and put them all away for one whole year because if you don’t you will lose another close one. I never believed in it but I have seen it happen. My elders always told us if you don’t follow our teaching the stick indians will come after you and bother you until you fix your problems. Once stuff start falling in your house those elders won’t leave until you either get brushed off or get your house cleaned out. Death is the worst thing a community can go thru, Swin just recently lost a loved one she helped in any way she could it was not easy seeing everyone shed their tears but we always know they will always be watching over us and protecting us in any way they can. My uncle Tedo always says after losing a loved one your family will be blessed with a newborn and I’ve seen it happen because it has happened with both sides of my family many times it recently happened with my Auntie Holly after she lost her brother she ended up finding out she was pregnant 2 months later and my cousin Sammie after she lost her mom 3 months later she found out she was going to have a baby also. It also happened with my sister Siomi, after we lost our papa Todd 9 months after his death I was blessed with my handsome nephew named Greyson Anthony

Edwards.