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Declaring Sovereignty of our Children
September 1, 2008
Ms. Helen Hill
Mecklenburg County School Board Office
Boydton, VA 23424
Dear Ms. Hill:
This letter is to notify you that our children will not be attending Mecklenburg county public schools nor any public school nor any private school nor any private curriculum approved by the state of Virginia or Mecklenburg county based upon the code of Va § 22.1-254, Compulsory attendance required; excuses and waivers; alternative education program attendance; specifically section B.1. regarding religious exemption which states the following:
B. A school board shall excuse from attendance at school:
1. Any pupil who, together with his parents, by reason of bona fide religious training or belief is conscientiously opposed to attendance at school.
We are Occoneechee-Saponi Native Americans and our religious training and belief is opposed to attendance of our children at school. We have answered the nine questions in your form below:
Background: Starting in 1492 our Native American children were forced out of our spiritual and religious beliefs via schools forced upon us by European invaders at the threat of torture and death. These schools taught our children based upon religious beliefs from Europe. This was done through out North and South America, including what is now Virginia. The invaders’ schools, for our children, were systems of torture, brainwashing, murder and genocide with the intention of exterminating our culture, especially our religious beliefs. This is not an exaggeration and we can provide references to prove that this was occurring until the 1950’s. In 1714 an Indian school was established in Brunswick County VA at Fort Christanna, on the Saponi Indian reservation. The Reverend Charles Griffin was the school master with the assignment of brainwashing our Indian children away from our indigenous religious beliefs and towards European religious beliefs. Griffin was hired by and directed by Governor Alexander Spotswood, of Virginia, with the mission "to Christianize and civilize the native heathen" Edward L. Bond. Foreign religions from Europe were forced upon our Occoneechee-Saponi children, at the school, at the expense of our own native religious beliefs of many thousands of years. The Saponi reservation is where our family is from and still lives and we are the products and victims of this system.
It has only been 30 years that we Native Americans have had religious freedom. Up until 1978 it was still illegal, per United States law, for Native Americans to practice our indigenous religions. Much of our religion was lost during this Dark Age. On August 11, 1978 the American Indian Religion Freedom Act (Public Law 95-341, 42 U.S.C. 1996 and 1996a) passed into law days after the Longest Walk brought this and other racist indigenous issues to the attention of the world. The Longest Walk was a civil rights march of hundreds of Native Americans from California to Washington DC.
We, Angeles Herrera and Barry Carter and children just participated in the Longest Walk II, in 2008, in commemoration of the first Longest Walk and in support and celebration of the freedom of our religion achieved merely 30 years ago. We, Angeles Herrera and Barry Carter are the parents of the four children mentioned above.
Below are our answers to the questions on your exemption form. Some of the questions below seem to come from a European religious perspective. Our indigenous religions are not quantifiable as religions from Europe and this was one of the reasons for such harsh treatment of our people starting in 1492, and why our religions were seen by Europeans as savage, devil worship, evil and worthy of destruction. It is our hope that we are beyond the ignorance that caused the greatest holocaust in human history, with 70 to 100 million of our people being murdered, and that the non-quantifiable aspects of our religion will no longer be a basis for discrimination against our religion--in this situation in you deciding whether or not our religious belief is conscientiously opposed to attendance at school. In other words the non-quantifiable nature of our religion should not be a factor in deciding if our religious belief is conscientiously opposed to attendance at school:
1) With our Native American religion no church or organization can embody our religious beliefs. Our beliefs are very different than those from Europe where religions are typically quantified, contained, embodied, analyzed or controlled within some defined building, organization, definition, analytical label or category. To us this is like trying to make God finite. By definition God is infinite and cannot be controlled, contained or embodied within anything. Though the words “if any” were included in the question, the question itself seems biased against indigenous religions which are non-quantifiable. The best we can offer you in regards to this question is Mitaku Oysin, which means, “to all my relations”.
2) With our beliefs there is no single person or group of people or leader that “presides over” our religion, our beliefs or our community. There are elders within our community who give their perspective, but there is no over and under and definitely no presiding over. There is no authority nor division. There is no person standing higher than everyone else preaching as though they are the single conduit to God. There is merely a circle of people having dialogue—sharing their holon of God—the way of the circle. This may seem subtle but this is a key tenant to our religion. Again, though the words “if any” were included in the question, the question itself seems bias against our indigenous religion. The best answer we can give to this question is that the ancestors preside over our religion. If the two answers above seem like we are being difficult or splitting hairs, we’re not. We are dealing with a fundamental difference in cultures and religious beliefs. Fredrick Remington, a white artist in the 1800’s said, “I believe that no white man {{Western thinking person}} can ever penetrate the mystery of the Indian mind or explain the reason of his acts.” This is due to the difference in worldview, culture and religion. We are re-claiming our religion, worldview and culture from before 1492.
3) Because of the near extermination of our religion and culture we have been on a journey of rediscovery and reclamation. There are no set dates and years that we can give regarding this. As children we were taught Christianity and as adults, we the parents, have been on a journey of rediscovery and reclamation, since about the age of 18. We have been teaching our children our religion since their birth.
4) Again this question seems biased against our religion since we don’t have quantifiable enrollments and memberships and organizations as religions from Europe have.
5) Mitaku Oysin, which means, to all my relations. This means I am one with everything, everybody, the entire universe and God, everything is connected. The universe or God is one indivisible, non-analyzable, non-categorizeable whole.
6) This is answered below in items A, B, C & D. (also see children’s answers on the form in their hand writing.)
7) This is answered below in items A, B, C & D. (also see children’s answers on the form in their hand writing.)
8) It is my understanding of the law that the issue before the Board of Education is whether or not our religious beliefs are conscientiously opposed to attendance at school. The question regarding whether or not our children are enrolled in any program, is moot relative to the religious exemption law and thus the issue before you. Though it is our belief that this question has no place on this specific form, we will answer the question. However, we do not expect that the answer to the question will have any bearing on your decision regarding whether our beliefs are conscientiously opposed to attendance at school. We are using HomeSchoolCurriculum.com ST01, SU07, SU08, SU05.
9) Prior to 1492 ours was an oral culture. Many people falsely believe that oral indigenous cultures are less advanced or more primitive than cultures with written languages. The fact is oral cultures are based upon a different worldview and different thinking. Analysis forms the foundational thought form for today’s written culture and synthesis forms the foundational thought form for our indigenous oral culture. Bottom line there are no documents which serve as the written basis for our religious beliefs. The basis for our religion is written in our hearts, given to all humans as the original instructions at birth. Again this question seems to have an inherent cultural bias against our indigenous religion.
Reasons for Religious Exemption:
A) We, Angeles Herrera and Barry Carter and children, from a religious perspective do not believe that life, or the preparation for life, can be taught in the absence of spirituality—we believe that God cannot be separated from other aspects of life. We believe that any attempts at the fragmentation of the whole of God, the whole universe, is the very definition of hell.
Side Note: This side note is not part of our reason for taking the religious exemption but is merely here as background information. The fragmentation, the separation of social order and spirituality (church and state in the U.S.) or fragmentation of any holons of life, is in opposition to our religious beliefs, but is the cornerstone of United States government and thus the Virginia school system. However, we understand, from a structural standpoint, that in systems of authoritarian rule, such as the government of the United States and the state of Virginia, there must be a separation of church and state—less the religious will of the authoritarians and majorities be forced on everyone. Nonetheless it is against our religious beliefs to have our children participate in a school system where god is separated from other aspects of life.
B) We, Angeles Herrera and Barry Carter, from a religious perspective do not believe in the analytical fragmentation of God into the many cubbyholes that the Virginia state public school system practices and teaches: math, science, language, social studies, etc. We believe that any attempts at fragmentation of the whole of God, the whole universe, is the very definition of hell With our home schooling this knowledge is taught to our children in ways consistent with our religious beliefs.
Supporting information for Reasons A and B above: There are many Native American prophecies that we follow which all basically say the same thing. The following is from The Prophecy of the Seventh Fire: “The Fifth Prophet said that in the time of the Fifth Fire there will be a struggle between the way of the mind of the light-skinned people and the natural path of spirit of the many nations of natural people.” Analysis, or the fragmentation that we speak of above and below, is the way of the mind brought to what we call “Turtle Island” (North and South America), in 1492 by invading Europeans.
Analysis, or fragmentation, is the cornerstone of the education system of Virginia and the United States. Analysis, the way of the mind, is based upon a linear and analytical world view whereas our Native American religion is based upon synthesis and the sacred way of the circle, which encompasses all of life and all aspects of existence, including God. With our traditional religious beliefs God is fully integrated into all aspects of life, at all times, and in all activities—the natural way of life or sacred way of the circle. We believe that God is one undivided whole and any attempts at fragmentation and separation of and from God, are from ego, and is the very definition of hell and this is exactly why our world is on the verge of destruction from the likes of global warming, peak oil, nuclear and biological terrorism and a host of other threats. Analytical thinking allows us to solve one problem while creating twenty new problems.
In regards to the light skinned race bringing the way of the mind, the prophecy goes on to say, “As this fire loses its heat there will come among the people those who promise great joy and salvation.” We see this today as people almost universally embrace analysis and the short term benefits that is has produced, as absolute, great and wonderful, while ignoring the rape and pollution of Mother Earth and abuse of people globally. Analysis has given us nearly all of our modern civilization: cars, television, inventions, electronics, cities, bureaucracy, etc as well as all of our social problems. The prophecy goes on to say “ If the people accept this promise and abandon the old ways, the struggle will continue for many generations. This promise is false and it will nearly destroy those who accept it." Today as our world is in crisis and there is significant evidence of a pending global collapse from likes of global warming, peak oil, nuclear and biological terrorism, the false promise of analysis is becoming clearer.
We also believe that there is a coming purification, due to the condition of the world, which is a direct result of humanity having taken the path of the “way of the mind” or analysis. Our religious beliefs are that we must return to living an integrated and natural life based upon synthesis and the way of the circle--not linear analysis. In addition, analysis or fragmentation, which our school system is based upon, is the root the world’s problems today and thus is the root of evil in the world today. The following is from one of our prophecies, "Those who return to the ways given to us in the original teachings, and live a natural way of life will not be touched by the coming of the Purifier. They will survive and build the new world." Hopi Prophecy
C) Analysis is so pervasive in our school system that it is seen by many as synonymous with intelligence. Most of the testing done is merely a measure of analytical intelligence, while ignoring the many other forms of intelligence as documented in books such as Multiple Intelligence and Frames of Mind by Howard Gardner. The point here is that the VA school system’s primary focus is teaching and developing analytical intelligence and as explained above and below this focus on analysis or “the way of the mind” is in opposition to our religious beliefs.
D) We, Angeles Herrera and Barry Carter and children, from a religious perspective believe that our children must learn about God and the whole of life and existence, in whole tribal communities with parents and other love ones who believe as we believe and not via fragmented authoritarian systems from people of other religious beliefs. We live in a Native American tribal community, named Occoneechee Village, where we are striving to reclaim our ways and live a natural, spiritual and integrated life as our ancestors did. Within the community we are actively teaching our children our traditional Native American religion and beliefs which are in direct contradiction to attendance at school and linear analytical based education and fragmentation of life. Our religious beliefs are also in direct opposition to analysis, or fragmentation and authority, which is the foundation of the Virginia public and private school systems.
Side Note: This side note is not part of our reason for taking the religious exemption but is merely here as background information. Even scientists, with the snail pace logic of the scientific method, are just now discovering what our religious training has told us for thousands of years—that we live in one undivided whole universe where there is no separation between anything and thus analysis is religiously flawed. Quantum physicists are just now discovering that there is no objective reality (Copenhagen principle #1) and that we create our reality out of our expectations (Copenhagen principle #2). This is the world’s most advanced science and what most Quantum scientists believe today. Thus even science is showing that we create hell with the scientific method and the analytical systems of teaching and thought that now dominates in the VA school system.
The Hopi Prophecy Rock says, “the way of invention and materialism brought by the white race, {{which is analysis and the way of the mind}}, if followed will take the people off of the path of the sacred circle”. The Hopi Prophecy Rock also speaks of a purification to come for those who have disconnected from the way of the circle, and thus are following the way of the mind and analysis.
The Prophecy of the Seventh Fire also says, “The second being of the Fourth Prophet warned the light-skinned race might wear the face of death that would almost look the same as the face of brotherhood. If they come carrying a weapon and if they seem to be suffering, beware. Behind this face is greed. You shall recognize the face of death if the rivers are poisoned and the fish are unfit to eat." The VA Department of Environmental Quality now list the fish in Buggs Island Lake as unfit to eat and we are fighting uranium mining in Pittsylvania County VA that will contaminate the lake definitely making the fish unfit to eat. The poisoning of our water is a sign that the analytical ways brought by the Europeans are in fact the way of the mind which we must not follow.
The prophecy also says, “The Seventh Prophet was younger than the others who had come and there was a glowing light from his eyes. He said that there would come a time when the waters had been so poisoned that the animals and plants that lived there would fall sick and begin to die. Much of the forests and prairies would be gone so the air would begin to lose the power of life The way of the mind brought to the red, black, and yellow nation by the white nation would bring danger to the whole earth.” Today as we see the indigenous forests being clear cut and replaced with artificial analytical based pine plantations, species extinction at crisis proportions and the air so polluted that we have ozone warnings in Virginia telling us when it is safe to breath and when it is not, these are all very clear signs regarding what our religion is telling us about not following the way of analysis upon which the VA school system operates and teaches.
More from The Prophecy of the Seventh Fire. The Sixth Prophet told them that in the time of Sixth Fire it would be clear that the promise accepted during the Fifth Fire was false. "Those who were deceived by this promise will take their children away from the teachings of the elders. The elders will lose their purpose in life and many will become sick and die. Many people will be out of balance and the cup of life will become the cup of grief." Clearly we are being told per our religious beliefs that we must stick to our religious beliefs from before 1492 and not be tempted by the way of the mind--analysis. "In this time there will arise Osh-ki-bi-ma-di-zeeg, a new people who will emerge from the clouds of illusion. They will retrace their steps to find the treasures that had been left by the trail. The stories that had been lost will be returned to them. They will remember the Original Instructions and find strength in the way of the circle. If the New People will find trust in the way of all things, in the circle, they will no longer need the selfish voice of the ego and they can begin to trust their inner voice. Wisdom will be once again be found in dreams of the night and of the day. The sacred fire will once again be lit. The Light-skinned People will be given a choice between two paths. If they choose the right path the Seventh Fire will light the Eighth Fire and final fire of brotherhood and sisterhood. If they choose the wrong path, remaining on the path of the mind, then the destruction they brought with them will come back to destroy them. The people of the earth will experience much suffering and death.” Clearly here we are being called to return to the ways of our ancestors, and to move away from the way of the mind--analysis. And to help show humanity that there are different ways to live, other than the analytical worldview, of raping and polluting Mother Earth and killing others to get their wealth.
Summary: Our religious beliefs are that the way of the mind, analysis, is what the Virginia school system and modern teaching system and the modern world is based upon and is in contradiction to our religious beliefs.
Our reading of the code of Virginia, is that the code is directing the school board to excuse our children from attendance at school as long as we are conscientiously opposed to attendance at school. Thus this is not a request and we are not asking nor seeking the county or state’s approval. This is a notification, in accordance with VA Code Va § 22.1-254 to the County of Mecklenburg and the state of VA, that we the parents of the abovementioned children, and the children themselves, are invoking the religious exemption clause of VA Code Va § 22.1-254, exempting the children from attending public school or following any state or county approved curriculum and will not be enrolled in school the school nor under the supervision of the Mecklenburg County school system or the state of VA.
Sincerely
Angeles Herrera
Founding Member Occoneechee Village Tribal Community
Barry Carter
Chairperson, Fort Christanna Saponi-Occoneechee Indian Tribe
Founding Member Occoneechee Village Tribal Community
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