#38 layli long soldier

[haveyoureadthispoem-poll]

"One trader named Andrew Myrick is famous for his refusal to provide credit to Dakota people by saying, 'If they are hungry, let them eat grass.' // There are variations of Myrick’s words, but they are all something to that effect. // When settlers and traders were killed during the Sioux Uprising, one of the first to be executed by the Dakota was Andrew Myrick. // When Myrick’s body was found, / his mouth was stuffed with grass. // I am inclined to call this act by the Dakota warriors a poem."

Read it here | Reblog for a larger sample size!

[amindamazed]

[image description: screen captures of a poem. Image text copied and pasted from https://onbeing.org/poetry/38/ where you can also listen to the poet read the work.

FYI there are a few lines at the end with variant line formatting by the poet that I attempted to recreate using extra spaces. That might sound odd via screen reader.]

38

Here, the sentence will be respected.

I will compose each sentence with care, by minding what the rules of writing dictate.

For example, all sentences will begin with capital letters.

Likewise, the history of the sentence will be honored by ending each one with appropriate punctuation such as a period or question mark, thus bringing the idea to (momentary) completion.

You may like to know, I do not consider this a “creative piece.”

I do not regard this as a poem of great imagination or a work of fiction.

Also, historical events will not be dramatized for an “interesting” read.

Therefore, I feel most responsible to the orderly sentence; conveyor of thought.

That said, I will begin.

You may or may not have heard about the Dakota 38.

If this is the first time you’ve heard of it, you might wonder, “What is the Dakota 38?”

The Dakota 38 refers to thirty-eight Dakota men who were executed by hanging, under orders from President Abraham Lincoln.

To date, this is the largest “legal” mass execution in US history.

The hanging took place on December 26, 1862—the day after Christmas.

This was the same week that President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation.

In the preceding sentence, I italicize “same week” for emphasis.

There was a movie titled Lincoln about the presidency of Abraham Lincoln.

The signing of the Emancipation Proclamation was included in the film Lincoln; the hanging of the Dakota 38 was not.

In any case, you might be asking, “Why were thirty-eight Dakota men hung?”

As a side note, the past tense of hang is hung, but when referring to the capital punishment of hanging, the correct past tense is hanged.

So it’s possible that you’re asking, “Why were thirty-eight Dakota men hanged?”

They were hanged for the Sioux Uprising.

I want to tell you about the Sioux Uprising, but I don’t know where to begin.

I may jump around and details will not unfold in chronological order.

Keep in mind, I am not a historian.

So I will recount facts as best as I can, given limited resources and understanding.

Before Minnesota was a state, the Minnesota region, generally speaking, was the traditional homeland for Dakota, Anishinaabeg, and Ho-Chunk people.

During the 1800s, when the US expanded territory, they “purchased” land from the Dakota people as well as the other tribes.

But another way to understand that sort of “purchase” is: Dakota leaders ceded land to the US government in exchange for money or goods, but most importantly, the safety of their people.

Some say that Dakota leaders did not understand the terms they were entering, or they never would have agreed.

Even others call the entire negotiation “trickery.”

But to make whatever-it-was official and binding, the US government drew up an initial treaty.

This treaty was later replaced by another (more convenient) treaty, and then another.

I’ve had difficulty unraveling the terms of these treaties, given the legal speak and congressional language.

As treaties were abrogated (broken) and new treaties were drafted, one after another, the new treaties often referenced old defunct treaties, and it is a muddy, switchback trail to follow.

Although I often feel lost on this trail, I know I am not alone.

However, as best as I can put the facts together, in 1851, Dakota territory was contained to a twelve-mile by one-hundred-fifty-mile long strip along the Minnesota River.

But just seven years later, in 1858, the northern portion was ceded (taken) and the southern portion was (conveniently) allotted, which reduced Dakota land to a stark ten-mile tract.

These amended and broken treaties are often referred to as the Minnesota Treaties.

The word Minnesota comes from mni, which means water; and sota, which means turbid.

Synonyms for turbid include muddy, unclear, cloudy, confused, and smoky.

Everything is in the language we use.

For example, a treaty is, essentially, a contract between two sovereign nations.

The US treaties with the Dakota Nation were legal contracts that promised money.

It could be said, this money was payment for the land the Dakota ceded; for living within assigned boundaries (a reservation); and for relinquishing rights to their vast hunting territory which, in turn, made Dakota people dependent on other means to survive: money.

The previous sentence is circular, akin to so many aspects of history.

As you may have guessed by now, the money promised in the turbid treaties did not make it into the hands of Dakota people.

In addition, local government traders would not offer credit to “Indians” to purchase food or goods.

Without money, store credit, or rights to hunt beyond their ten-mile tract of land, Dakota people began to starve.

The Dakota people were starving.

The Dakota people starved.

In the preceding sentence, the word “starved” does not need italics for emphasis.

One should read “The Dakota people starved” as a straightforward and plainly stated fact.

As a result—and without other options but to continue to starve—Dakota people retaliated.

Dakota warriors organized, struck out, and killed settlers and traders.

This revolt is called the Sioux Uprising.

Eventually, the US Cavalry came to Mnisota to confront the Uprising.

More than one thousand Dakota people were sent to prison.

As already mentioned, thirty-eight Dakota men were subsequently hanged.

After the hanging, those one thousand Dakota prisoners were released.

However, as further consequence, what remained of Dakota territory in Mnisota was dissolved (stolen).

The Dakota people had no land to return to. This means they were exiled.

Homeless, the Dakota people of Mnisota were relocated (forced) onto reservations in South Dakota and Nebraska.

Now, every year, a group called the Dakota 38 + 2 Riders conduct a memorial horse ride from Lower Brule, South Dakota, to Mankato, Mnisota.

The Memorial Riders travel 325 miles on horseback for eighteen days, sometimes through sub-zero blizzards.

They conclude their journey on December 26, the day of the hanging.

Memorials help focus our memory on particular people or events.

Often, memorials come in the forms of plaques, statues, or gravestones.

The memorial for the Dakota 38 is not an object inscribed with words, but an act.

Yet, I started this piece because I was interested in writing about grasses.

So, there is one other event to include, although it’s not in chronological order and we must backtrack a little.

When the Dakota people were starving, as you may remember, government traders would not extend store credit to “Indians.”

One trader named Andrew Myrick is famous for his refusal to provide credit to Dakota people by saying, “If they are hungry, let them eat grass.”

There are variations of Myrick’s words, but they are all something to that effect.

When settlers and traders were killed during the Sioux Uprising, one of the first to be executed by the Dakota was Andrew Myrick.

When Myrick’s body was found,

his mouth was stuffed with grass.

I am inclined to call this act by the Dakota warriors a poem.

There’s irony in their poem.

There was no text.

“Real” poems do not “really” require words.

I have italicized the previous sentence to indicate inner dialogue, a revealing moment.

But, on second thought, the words “Let them eat grass” click the gears of the poem into place.

So, we could also say, language and word choice are crucial to the poem’s work.

Things are circling back again.

Sometimes, when in a circle, if I wish to exit, I must leap.

And let the body swing.

From the platform.

Out

to the grasses.

[end image description]

Layli Long Soldier, 38, in WHEREAS, Graywolf Press, Minneapolis, MN, 2017, p. 49-53

[niibaataa]

Some Indigenous Poets to Read

Disclaimer: Some of these poems deal with pregnancy, colonialism, substance abuse, murder, death, and historical wrongs. Exercise caution.

Tacey M. Atsitty [Diné] : Anasazi, Lady Birds' Evening Meetings, Things to Do With a Monster.

Billy-Ray Belcourt [Cree] : NDN Homopoetics, If Our Bodies Could Rust, We Would Be Falling Apart, Love is a Moontime Teaching.

CooXooEii Black [Arapaho] : On Mindfulness, Some Notes on Vision, With Scraps We Made Sacred Food.

Trevino L. Brings Plenty [Lakota] : Unpack Poetic, Will, Massacre Song Foundation.

Julian Talamantez Brolaski [Apache] : Nobaude, murder on the gowanus, What To Say Upon Being Asked To Be Friends.

Gladys Cardiff [Cherokee] : Combing, Prayer to Fix The Affections, To Frighten a Storm.

Freddy Chicangana [Yanacuna] : Of Rivers, Footprints, We Still Have Life on This Earth.

Laura Da' [Shawnee] : Bead Workers, The Meadow Views: Sword and Symbolic History, A Mighty Pulverizing Machine.

Natalie Diaz [Mojave] : It Was The Animals, My Brother My Wound, The Facts of Art.

Heid E. Erdrich [Anishinaabe] : De'an, Elemental Conception, Ghost Prisoner.

Jennifer Elise Foerster [Mvskoke] : From "Coosa", Leaving Tulsa, The Other Side.

Eric Gansworth [Onondaga] : Bee, Eel, A Half-Life of Cardio-Pulmonary Function.

Joy Harjo [Muscogee] : An American Sunrise, Conflict Resolution for Holy Beings, A Map to The Next World.

Gordon Henry Jr. [Anishinaabe] : How Soon, On the Verve of Verbs, It Was Snowing on The Monuments.

Sy Hoahwah [Comanche/Arapaho] : Colors of The Comanche Nation Flag, Definitive Bright Morning, Typhoni.

LeAnne Howe [Choctaw] : A Duck's Tune, 1918, Iva Describes Her Deathbed.

Hugo Jamioy [Kamentsá] : PUNCTUAL, If You Don't Eat Anything, The Story of My People.

Layli Long Soldier [Lakota] : 38, WHEREAS, Obligations 2.

Janet McAdams [Muscogee] : Flood, The Hands of The Taino, Hunters, Gatherers.

Brandy Nālani McDougall [Kānaka Maoli] : He Mele Aloha no ka Niu, On Finding my Father's First Essay, The Island on Which I Love You.

dg nanouk okpik [Inupiaq-Inuit] : Cell Block on Chena River, Found, If Oil Is Drilled In Bristol Bay.

Simon J. Ortiz [Acoma Pueblo] : Becoming Human, Blind Curse, Busted Boy.

Sara Marie Ortiz [Acoma Pueblo] : Iyáani (Spirit, Breath, Life), Language (part of a compilation), Rush.

Alan Pelaez Lopez [Zapotec] : the afterlife of illegality, A Daily Prayer, Zapotec Crossers.

Tommy Pico [Kumeyaay] : From "Feed", from Junk, You Can't be an NDN Person in Today's World.

Craig Santos Perez [Chamorro] : (First Trimester), from Lisiensan Ga'lago, from "understory".

Cedar Sigo [Suquamish] : Cold Valley, Expensive Magic, Secrets of The Inner Mind.

M. L. Smoker [Assiniboine/Sioux] : Crosscurrent, Heart Butte, Montana, Another Attempt at Rescue.

Laura Tohe [Diné] : For Kathryn, Female Rain, Returning.

Gwen Nell Westerman [Cherokee/Dakota] : Dakota Homecoming, Covalent Bonds, Undivided Interest.

Karenne Wood [Monacan] : Apologies, Abracadabra, an Abecedarian, Chief Totopotamoi, 1654.

Lightning Round! Writers with poetry available on their sites:

Shonda Buchanan [Coharie, Cherokee, Choctaw].

Leonel Lienlaf [Mapuche].

Asani Charles [Choctaw/Chickasaw].

[iphigeniacomplex]

from 38 by layli long soldier.

[davidaolson]

The Evil Society Condones

The Dakota 38 refers to thirty-eight Dakota men who were executed by hanging, under orders from President Abraham Lincoln. To date, this is the largest legal mass execution in US history. The hanging took place on December 26, 1862—the day after Christmas. This was the same week that President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation.~Layli Long Soldier Honest Abe was both revered and…

[heavilysaltedbagel]

here're a few of my favorites, sorted into light and heavy subject matter. length and link quality varies.

Light Poems:

'Girls Overheard While Assembling a Puzzle' by Mary Szybist, 'Dog Talk' by Robin Coste Lewis, 'Artichoke' by Joseph Hutchison, 'The Eagle' by Lord Alfred Tennyson, 'Fog' by Carl Sandburg, and 'Pearl' by Dorianne Laux

Heavy Poems:

'38' by Layli Long Soldier, 'My Brother at 3am' by Natalie Diaz, and 'Fourth Grade Autobiography' by Donika Kelly

hey do yall have any poems you love in particular ? i've got some wall space and i'd like to fill it with some cool poems.

[mutar-in-lucertola]

38, BY LAYLI LONG SOLDIER

Here, the sentence will be respected.

I will compose each sentence with care, by minding what the rules of writing dictate.

For example, all sentences will begin with capital letters.

Likewise, the history of the sentence will be honored by ending each one with appropriate punctuation such as a period or question mark, thus bringing the idea to (momentary) completion.

You may like to know, I do not consider this a “creative piece.”

I do not regard this as a poem of great imagination or a work of fiction.

Also, historical events will not be dramatized for an “interesting” read.

Therefore, I feel most responsible to the orderly sentence; conveyor of thought.

That said, I will begin.

You may or may not have heard about the Dakota 38.

If this is the first time you’ve heard of it, you might wonder, “What is the Dakota 38?”

The Dakota 38 refers to thirty-eight Dakota men who were executed by hanging, under orders from President Abraham Lincoln.

To date, this is the largest “legal” mass execution in US history.

The hanging took place on December 26, 1862—the day after Christmas.

This was the same week that President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation.

In the preceding sentence, I italicize “same week” for emphasis.

There was a movie titled Lincoln about the presidency of Abraham Lincoln.

The signing of the Emancipation Proclamation was included in the film Lincoln; the hanging of the Dakota 38 was not.

In any case, you might be asking, “Why were thirty-eight Dakota men hung?”

As a side note, the past tense of hang is hung, but when referring to the capital punishment of hanging, the correct past tense is hanged.

So it’s possible that you’re asking, “Why were thirty-eight Dakota men hanged?”

They were hanged for the Sioux Uprising.

I want to tell you about the Sioux Uprising, but I don’t know where to begin.

I may jump around and details will not unfold in chronological order.

Keep in mind, I am not a historian.

So I will recount facts as best as I can, given limited resources and understanding.

Before Minnesota was a state, the Minnesota region, generally speaking, was the traditional homeland for Dakota, Anishinaabeg, and Ho-Chunk people.

During the 1800s, when the US expanded territory, they “purchased” land from the Dakota people as well as the other tribes.

But another way to understand that sort of “purchase” is: Dakota leaders ceded land to the US government in exchange for money or goods, but most importantly, the safety of their people.

Some say that Dakota leaders did not understand the terms they were entering, or they never would have agreed.

Even others call the entire negotiation “trickery.”

But to make whatever-it-was official and binding, the US government drew up an initial treaty.

This treaty was later replaced by another (more convenient) treaty, and then another.

I’ve had difficulty unraveling the terms of these treaties, given the legal speak and congressional language.

As treaties were abrogated (broken) and new treaties were drafted, one after another, the new treaties often referenced old defunct treaties, and it is a muddy, switchback trail to follow.

Although I often feel lost on this trail, I know I am not alone.

However, as best as I can put the facts together, in 1851, Dakota territory was contained to a twelve-mile by one-hundred-fifty-mile long strip along the Minnesota River.

But just seven years later, in 1858, the northern portion was ceded (taken) and the southern portion was (conveniently) allotted, which reduced Dakota land to a stark ten-mile tract.

These amended and broken treaties are often referred to as the Minnesota Treaties.

The word Minnesota comes from mni, which means water; and sota, which means turbid.

Synonyms for turbid include muddy, unclear, cloudy, confused, and smoky.

Everything is in the language we use.

For example, a treaty is, essentially, a contract between two sovereign nations.

The US treaties with the Dakota Nation were legal contracts that promised money.

It could be said, this money was payment for the land the Dakota ceded; for living within assigned boundaries (a reservation); and for relinquishing rights to their vast hunting territory which, in turn, made Dakota people dependent on other means to survive: money.

The previous sentence is circular, akin to so many aspects of history.

As you may have guessed by now, the money promised in the turbid treaties did not make it into the hands of Dakota people.

In addition, local government traders would not offer credit to “Indians” to purchase food or goods.

Without money, store credit, or rights to hunt beyond their ten-mile tract of land, Dakota people began to starve.

The Dakota people were starving.

The Dakota people starved.

In the preceding sentence, the word “starved” does not need italics for emphasis.

One should read “The Dakota people starved” as a straightforward and plainly stated fact.

As a result—and without other options but to continue to starve—Dakota people retaliated.

Dakota warriors organized, struck out, and killed settlers and traders.

This revolt is called the Sioux Uprising.

Eventually, the US Cavalry came to Mnisota to confront the Uprising.

More than one thousand Dakota people were sent to prison.

As already mentioned, thirty-eight Dakota men were subsequently hanged.

After the hanging, those one thousand Dakota prisoners were released.

However, as further consequence, what remained of Dakota territory in Mnisota was dissolved (stolen).

The Dakota people had no land to return to.

This means they were exiled.

Homeless, the Dakota people of Mnisota were relocated (forced) onto reservations in South Dakota and Nebraska.

Now, every year, a group called the Dakota 38 + 2 Riders conduct a memorial horse ride from Lower Brule, South Dakota, to Mankato, Mnisota.

The Memorial Riders travel 325 miles on horseback for eighteen days, sometimes through sub-zero blizzards.

They conclude their journey on December 26, the day of the hanging.

Memorials help focus our memory on particular people or events.

Often, memorials come in the forms of plaques, statues, or gravestones.

The memorial for the Dakota 38 is not an object inscribed with words, but an act.

Yet, I started this piece because I was interested in writing about grasses.

So, there is one other event to include, although it’s not in chronological order and we must backtrack a little.

When the Dakota people were starving, as you may remember, government traders would not extend store credit to “Indians.”

One trader named Andrew Myrick is famous for his refusal to provide credit to Dakota people by saying, “If they are hungry, let them eat grass.”

There are variations of Myrick’s words, but they are all something to that effect.

When settlers and traders were killed during the Sioux Uprising, one of the first to be executed by the Dakota was Andrew Myrick.

When Myrick’s body was found,

                                             his mouth was stuffed with grass.

I am inclined to call this act by the Dakota warriors a poem.

There’s irony in their poem.

There was no text.

“Real” poems do not “really” require words.

I have italicized the previous sentence to indicate inner dialogue, a revealing moment.

But, on second thought, the words “Let them eat grass” click the gears of the poem into place.

So, we could also say, language and word choice are crucial to the poem’s work.

Things are circling back again.

Sometimes, when in a circle, if I wish to exit, I must leap.

And let the body                               swing.

From the platform.

                                              Out

                                                                                                             to the grasses.

[manwalksintobar]

38 // Layli Long Soldier

Here, the sentence will be respected.

  I will compose each sentence with care, by minding what the rules of writing dictate.

  For example, all sentences will begin with capital letters.

  Likewise, the history of the sentence will be honored by ending each one with appropriate punctuation such as a period or question mark, thus bringing the idea to (momentary) completion.

  You may like to know, I do not consider this a “creative piece.”

  I do not regard this as a poem of great imagination or a work of fiction.

  Also, historical events will not be dramatized for an “interesting” read.

  Therefore, I feel most responsible to the orderly sentence; conveyor of thought.

  That said, I will begin.

  You may or may not have heard about the Dakota 38.

  If this is the first time you’ve heard of it, you might wonder, “What is the Dakota 38?”

  The Dakota 38 refers to thirty-eight Dakota men who were executed by hanging, under orders from President Abraham Lincoln.

  To date, this is the largest “legal” mass execution in US history.

  The hanging took place on December 26, 1862—the day after Christmas.

  This was the same week that President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation.

  In the preceding sentence, I italicize “same week” for emphasis.

  There was a movie titled Lincoln about the presidency of Abraham Lincoln.

  The signing of the Emancipation Proclamation was included in the film Lincoln; the hanging of the Dakota 38 was not.

  In any case, you might be asking, “Why were thirty-eight Dakota men hung?”

  As a side note, the past tense of hang is hung, but when referring to the capital punishment of hanging, the correct past tense is hanged.

  So it’s possible that you’re asking, “Why were thirty-eight Dakota men hanged?”

  They were hanged for the Sioux Uprising.

  I want to tell you about the Sioux Uprising, but I don’t know where to begin.

  I may jump around and details will not unfold in chronological order.

  Keep in mind, I am not a historian.

  So I will recount facts as best as I can, given limited resources and understanding.

  Before Minnesota was a state, the Minnesota region, generally speaking, was the traditional homeland for Dakota, Anishinaabeg, and Ho-Chunk people.

  During the 1800s, when the US expanded territory, they “purchased” land from the Dakota people as well as the other tribes.

  But another way to understand that sort of “purchase” is: Dakota leaders ceded land to the US government in exchange for money or goods, but most importantly, the safety of their people.

  Some say that Dakota leaders did not understand the terms they were entering, or they never would have agreed.

  Even others call the entire negotiation “trickery.”

  But to make whatever-it-was official and binding, the US government drew up an initial treaty.

  This treaty was later replaced by another (more convenient) treaty, and then another.

  I’ve had difficulty unraveling the terms of these treaties, given the legal speak and congressional language.

  As treaties were abrogated (broken) and new treaties were drafted, one after another, the new treaties often referenced old defunct treaties, and it is a muddy, switchback trail to follow.

  Although I often feel lost on this trail, I know I am not alone.

  However, as best as I can put the facts together, in 1851, Dakota territory was contained to a twelve-mile by one-hundred-fifty-mile long strip along the Minnesota River.

  But just seven years later, in 1858, the northern portion was ceded (taken) and the southern portion was (conveniently) allotted, which reduced Dakota land to a stark ten-mile tract.

  These amended and broken treaties are often referred to as the Minnesota Treaties.

  The word Minnesota comes from mni, which means water; and sota, which means turbid.

  Synonyms for turbid include muddy, unclear, cloudy, confused, and smoky.

  Everything is in the language we use.

  For example, a treaty is, essentially, a contract between two sovereign nations.

  The US treaties with the Dakota Nation were legal contracts that promised money.

  It could be said, this money was payment for the land the Dakota ceded; for living within assigned boundaries (a reservation); and for relinquishing rights to their vast hunting territory which, in turn, made Dakota people dependent on other means to survive: money.

  The previous sentence is circular, akin to so many aspects of history.

  As you may have guessed by now, the money promised in the turbid treaties did not make it into the hands of Dakota people.

  In addition, local government traders would not offer credit to “Indians” to purchase food or goods.

  Without money, store credit, or rights to hunt beyond their ten-mile tract of land, Dakota people began to starve.

  The Dakota people were starving.

  The Dakota people starved.

  In the preceding sentence, the word “starved” does not need italics for emphasis.

  One should read “The Dakota people starved” as a straightforward and plainly stated fact.

  As a result—and without other options but to continue to starve—Dakota people retaliated.

  Dakota warriors organized, struck out, and killed settlers and traders.

  This revolt is called the Sioux Uprising.

  Eventually, the US Cavalry came to Mnisota to confront the Uprising.

  More than one thousand Dakota people were sent to prison.

  As already mentioned, thirty-eight Dakota men were subsequently hanged.

  After the hanging, those one thousand Dakota prisoners were released.

  However, as further consequence, what remained of Dakota territory in Mnisota was dissolved (stolen).

  The Dakota people had no land to return to.

  This means they were exiled.

  Homeless, the Dakota people of Mnisota were relocated (forced) onto reservations in South Dakota and Nebraska.

  Now, every year, a group called the Dakota 38 + 2 Riders conduct a memorial horse ride from Lower Brule, South Dakota, to Mankato, Mnisota.

  The Memorial Riders travel 325 miles on horseback for eighteen days, sometimes through sub-zero blizzards.

  They conclude their journey on December 26, the day of the hanging.

  Memorials help focus our memory on particular people or events.

  Often, memorials come in the forms of plaques, statues, or gravestones.

  The memorial for the Dakota 38 is not an object inscribed with words, but an act.

  Yet, I started this piece because I was interested in writing about grasses.

  So, there is one other event to include, although it’s not in chronological order and we must backtrack a little.

  When the Dakota people were starving, as you may remember, government traders would not extend store credit to “Indians.”

  One trader named Andrew Myrick is famous for his refusal to provide credit to Dakota people by saying, “If they are hungry, let them eat grass.”

  There are variations of Myrick’s words, but they are all something to that effect.

  When settlers and traders were killed during the Sioux Uprising, one of the first to be executed by the Dakota was Andrew Myrick.

  When Myrick’s body was found,

                                                his mouth was stuffed with grass.

  I am inclined to call this act by the Dakota warriors a poem.

  There’s irony in their poem.

  There was no text.

  “Real” poems do not “really” require words.

  I have italicized the previous sentence to indicate inner dialogue, a revealing moment.

  But, on second thought, the words “Let them eat grass” click the gears of the poem into place.

  So, we could also say, language and word choice are crucial to the poem’s work.

  Things are circling back again.

  Sometimes, when in a circle, if I wish to exit, I must leap.

  And let the body                               swing.

  From the platform.

                                                 Out

                                                                                                                to the grasses.

[alittleworld-insidemyworld]

[seekingstars]

type "Dakota 38 ride" into your favorite algorithmic video app.

38, by Layli Long Soldier

Here, the sentence will be respected.

I will compose each sentence with care by minding what the rules of writing dictate.

For example, all sentences will begin with capital letters.

Likewise, the history of the sentence will be honored by ending each one with appropriate punctuation such as a period or question mark, thus bringing the idea to (momentary) completion.

You may like to know, I do not consider this a “creative piece.”

In other words, I do not regard this as a poem of great imagination or a work of fiction.

Also, historical events will not be dramatized for an interesting read.

Therefore, I feel most responsible to the orderly sentence; conveyor of thought.

That said, I will begin:

You may or may not have heard about the Dakota 38.

If this is the first time you’ve heard of it, you might wonder, “What is the Dakota 38?”

The Dakota 38 refers to thirty-eight Dakota men who were executed by hanging, under orders from President Abraham Lincoln.

To date, this is the largest “legal” mass execution in U.S. history.

The hanging took place on December 26th, 1862—the day after Christmas.

This was the same week that President Lincoln signed The Emancipation Proclamation.

In the preceding sentence, I italicize “same week” for emphasis.

There was a movie titled Lincoln about the presidency of Abraham Lincoln.

The signing of The Emancipation Proclamation was included in the film Lincoln; the hanging of the Dakota 38 was not.

In any case, you might be asking, “Why were thirty-eight Dakota men hung?”

As a side note, the past tense of hang is hung, but when referring to the capital punishment of hanging, the correct tense is hanged.

So it’s possible that you’re asking, “Why were thirty-eight Dakota men hanged?”

They were hanged for The Sioux Uprising.

I want to tell you about The Sioux Uprising, but I don’t know where to begin.

I may jump around and details will not unfold in chronological order.

Keep in mind, I am not a historian.

So I will recount facts as best as I can, given limited resources and understanding.

Before Minnesota was a state, the Minnesota region, generally speaking, was the traditional homeland for Dakota, Anishnaabeg and Ho-Chunk people.

During the 1800s, when the U.S. expanded territory, they “purchased” land from the Dakota people as well as the other tribes.

But another way to understand that sort of “purchase” is: Dakota leaders ceded land to the U.S. Government in exchange for money and goods, but most importantly, the safety of their people.

Some say that Dakota leaders did not understand the terms they were entering, or they never would have agreed.

Even others call the entire negotiation, “trickery.”

But to make whatever-it-was official and binding, the U. S. Government drew up an initial treaty.

This treaty was later replaced by another (more convenient) treaty, and then another.

I’ve had difficulty unraveling the terms of these treaties, given the legal speak and congressional language.

As treaties were abrogated (broken) and new treaties were drafted, one after another, the new treaties often referenced old defunct treaties and it is a muddy, switchback trail to follow.

Although I often feel lost on this trail, I know I am not alone.

However, as best as I can put the facts together, in 1851, Dakota territory was contained to a 12-mile by 150-mile long strip along the Minnesota river.

But just seven years later, in 1858, the northern portion was ceded (taken) and the southern portion was (conveniently) allotted, which reduced Dakota land to a stark 10-mile tract.

These amended and broken treaties are often referred to as The Minnesota Treaties.

The word Minnesota comes from mni which means water; sota which means turbid.

Synonyms for turbid include muddy, unclear, cloudy, confused and smoky.

Everything is in the language we use.

For example, a treaty is, essentially, a contract between two sovereign nations.

The U.S. treaties with the Dakota Nation were legal contracts that promised money.

It could be said, this money was payment for the land the Dakota ceded; for living within assigned boundaries (a reservation); and for relinquishing rights to their vast hunting territory which, in turn, made Dakota people dependent on other means to survive: money.

The previous sentence is circular, which is akin to so many aspects of history.

As you may have guessed by now, the money promised in the turbid treaties did not make it into the hands of Dakota people.

In addition, local government traders would not offer credit to “Indians” to purchase food or goods.

Without money, store credit or rights to hunt beyond their 10-mile tract of land, Dakota people began to starve.

The Dakota people were starving.

The Dakota people starved.

In the preceding sentence, the word “starved” does not need italics for emphasis.

One should read, “The Dakota people starved,” as a straightforward and plainly stated fact.

As a result—and without other options but to continue to starve—Dakota people retaliated.

Dakota warriors organized, struck out and killed settlers and traders.

This revolt is called The Sioux Uprising.

Eventually, the U.S. Cavalry came to Mnisota to confront the Uprising.

Over one thousand Dakota people were sent to prison.

As already mentioned, thirty-eight Dakota men were subsequently hanged.

After the hanging, those one thousand Dakota prisoners were released.

However, as further consequence, what remained of Dakota territory in Mnisota was dissolved (stolen).

The Dakota people had no land to return to.

This means they were exiled.

Homeless, the Dakota people of Mnisota were relocated (forced) onto reservations in South Dakota and Nebraska.

Now, every year, a group called the The Dakota 38 + 2 Riders conduct a memorial horse ride from Lower Brule, South Dakota to Mankato, Mnisota.

The Memorial Riders travel 325 miles on horseback for eighteen days, sometimes through sub-zero blizzards.

They conclude their journey on December 26th, the day of the hanging.

Memorials help focus our memory on particular people or events.

Often, memorials come in the forms of plaques, statues or gravestones.

The memorial for the Dakota 38 is not an object inscribed with words, but an act.

Yet, I started this piece (which I do not consider a poem or work of fiction) because I was interested in writing about grasses.

So, there is one other event to include, although it’s not in chronological order and we must backtrack a little.

When the Dakota people were starving, as you may remember, government traders would not extend store credit to “Indians.”

One trader named Andrew Myrick is famous for his refusal to provide credit to Dakotas by saying, “If they are hungry, let them eat grass.”

There are variations of Myrick’s words, but they are all something to that effect.

When settlers and traders were killed during the Sioux Uprising, one of the first to be executed by the Dakota was Andrew Myrick.

When Myrick’s body was found,                              

                       his mouth was stuffed with grass.

I am inclined to call this act by the Dakota warriors a poem.

There’s irony in their poem.

There was no text.

“Real” poems do not “really” require words.

I have italicized the previous sentence to indicate inner dialogue; a revealing moment.

But, on second thought, the particular words “Let them eat grass,” click the gears of the poem into place.

So, we could also say, language and word choice are crucial to the poem’s work.

Things are circling back again.

Sometimes, when in a circle, if I wish to exit, I must leap.

And let the body                                          swing.                                

From the platform.

         Out      

                    to the grasses.

[smokefalls]

Everything is in the language we use.

Layli Long Soldier, “38” from Whereas

[pennyserenade]

happy indigenous people’s day! this term at college, i’m taking a course on native american literature. it is a very cool course and i just wanted to share with you some very cool authors i’ve read and people i’ve heard about so far. i have been very fortunate to be able to access a lot of information not readily available to everyone, but i’m going to try to include pieces everyone can read

matika wilbur and her project 562. there is a very lovely tedtalk called “surviving disappearance, re-Imagining & humanizing native peoples” where matika talks about the project and shows her photographs. i was deeply moved by it. 

joy harjo and her poetry. joy harjo is the first native american poet laureate of the usa, which is beyond amazing. two poems of hers that i enjoyed are “an american sunrise” and “rabbit is up to tricks.” here is also a pbs video about joy harjo, if you’re interested in learning more about her.

john milton oskison, who was the first native american to graduate stanford university. oskison wrote “the problem with old harjo” which i greatly enjoyed reading last week. 

simon ortiz. ortiz is one of the authors included in the native american renaissance. many in my class where moved by “my father’s song.”

layli long soldier. i just read her poem “38″ today and i loved it a lot.  

[polskiebagno]

In an effort to procrastinate working on my thesis, here is a compilation of (some of) the best things I have ever read. Books that I read over and over again, short stories that I haven't been able to forget for over a decade, articles and essays and experimental writings that kept me up until 3am trying to figure out their meaning. Hopefully you can find something new here that you haven't read yet!

SHORTS:

A Collapse of Horses by Brian Evenson - a man discovers that his house changes every night, but he's the only one who can see it, and he soon finds himself unable to cope with it. I keep coming back to this one over and over. It's a beautiful tale of grief, doubt, loneliness, and I find that it means something else to me each time I read it. Would you have turned to look at the horses?

The Cafeteria in the Evening and a Pool in the Rain by Yoko Ogawa - a woman meets a mysterious man and his son, fascinated by the local cafeteria. Similar to A Collapse of Horses in a way I can't quite put in words. A sister story, perhaps, but less fantastical. If you've ever seen Posession this story made me think of the line about god being under a porch with a dying dog.

Star, Bright by Mark Clifton - journal of a father whose little daughter turns out to be a genius capable of mind reading and time travel. When I was a child I wasted hours trying to figure out her method in hopes it was real and I could travel like that too. Definitely an interesting concept.

Borrasca by C. K. Walker - a young boy moves with his family to a small town in the mountains, and soon after that his sister goes missing. Beautiful, sad, horryfing all at once. I remember at times forgetting that it was a horror story and getting lost in that little town only to be faced with that ending. Big, big TW for sexual abuse.

The Road Virus Heads North by Stephen King - a horror writer buys a bizzare painting at a yard sale, and weird things start happening. The only one of King's stories I ever enjoyed reading so I thought I'd add it.

The Eradication of “Talmudic Abstractions”: Anti-Semitism, Transmisogyny and the National Socialist Project by Joni Alizah Cohen - to quote directly from it, "2018 has seen a vast rise in anti-Semitic violence globally. Similarly, violence against trans people, and trans women of colour in particular, has continued to rise exponentially. Is there link between the simultaneous rise in anti-semitism, the resurgence of the far-right, and the rise in transfemicide? In this article Joni Alizah Cohen analyses the structure of Nazi ideology for the key to understanding the present crisis".

38 by Layli Long Soldier - a poem about the Dakota 38. I love that you can also listen to the author reading it, to fully understand what she was going for. Definitely a "food for thought" kind of read.

The Dutch Village Where Everyone Has Dementia by Josh Planos - a look at a village that is, in its entirety, a nursing home, and at how we treat dementia in general. I find the topic of memory loss to be incredibely fascinating so this was right up my alley.

The Freudian Coverup by Florence Rush - while we all know that Freud's ideas, especially the concept of Odipeus complex, are simply bullshit I don't think many of us know how close he was to actually understanding trauma. I certainly didn't before I read this, and I've been studying psychology for 5 years now. I don't know if I would say there was malice to his theory, but there certainly wasn't any honesty in it. TW for child sexual abuse. If you don't have a subscription you can use Sci-Hub to get access to this.

BOOKS:

Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card - a young boy is chosen as one of the children being trained to soon lead Earth in the fight against aliens. While at times hard to read because of the hardships and abuse all the children face, to me it's a beautiful tale of friendship and love and goodness of humanity that prevails even when faced with horrific circumstances. DO NOT watch the movie tho. Also I'm not a fan of the other books but if you're interested, yes, this is a start of a series.

Hotel Paradise by Martha Grimes - a 12 year old girl living in her family's run-down hotel in the middle of nowhere begins investigating the drowning of another girl that took place decades ago. I first read this series when I was 12 myself and since then this series has always felt like home. It's always summer there, and reading Emma's descriptions of her mother's cooking makes me feel like I'm sitting with her at the table. It's vivid and welcoming and the characters feel like they're your friends and it has been a pleasure to grow up with these books and see how my perspective on them changed. There are three more titles so far, but the story doesn't seem finished.

The Man Who Mistook His Wife For A Hat by Oliver Sacks - a collection of tales of Sacks' patients with various neurological issues. Great read if you're interested in how the brain works, but even if neurology and psychology aren't your thing this is still a wonderful look at what makes us human. Sacks writes with such ease and beauty and you can sense the care he has for all his patients.

The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury - a whole collection of short stories, detailing the exploration and settlement of Mars in the years 1999-2026. If you're not feeling like reading the whole collection my personal favorite is The Third Expedition; it really scared me as a child and I never forgot it. And I would recommend looking into Bradbury's writing in general.

Revenge: Eleven Dark Tales by Yoko Ogawa - another collection of short stories that connect and intertwine and create a narrative comparable to a maze or a spider's web or one of those russian dolls that have another doll in them. You could theorethically just read them on their own but it takes away most of the fun of this book.

THE UNABOMBER PACKAGE:

Look, I wanted to put his manifesto on here because I do truly believe it's a super interesting read, but you need to have context. You can start with just the Wikipedia page, but here are additional things I highly recommend reading:

A Stranger in the Family Picture by Serge F. Kovaleski and Lorraine Adams - an article about his childhood, including some stories from his mother. Definitely biased but good start if you wanna go in a chronological order.

Harvard and the Making of the Unabomber by Alston Chase - written by another Harvard atendee it's a description of Kaczynski's college years and, most importantly, the very unethical psychological experiment he was a subject of.

Gender confusion, sex change idea fueled Kaczynski's rage, report says - definitely not as much info as I'd like but it's another snippet into just how many things were happening in his head and how he dealt with them.

Excerpts From Unabomber's Journal - it's very important that you read these and "hear" him talk, in his own words, about why he did what he did. Especially if you feel some sympathy for him after reading the previous articles it's important to read these and see who he really was. If you do not have a subscription to NYTimes just click Esc before it fully loads and before! the paywall popup appears and you can read it for free.

Prisoner of Rage - A special report. From a Child of Promise to the Unabom Suspect by Robert D. McFadden - longer than previous articles it's a pretty good summary of everything. Use the Esc trick again to read it.

To Unabomb Victims, a Deeper Mystery by George Lardner and Lorraine Adams - also a very important read. Given how much conversation is focused on Kaczynski himself and his life it is crucial to remember his victims and hear their voices.

Every Last Tie: The Story of the Unabomber and His Family by David Kaczynski - a book written by his brother. I found it to be surprisingly well-written and quite heartbreaking.

Industrial Society and Its Future by Theodore Kaczynski - finally, the manifesto. I am begging you to read this carefully and critically. Do your research and keep in mind his journal excerpts and the victim's stories when engaging with this. I understand how fascinating it is, I just wrote you a paragraph full of resources, but please. This man is not your friend.

BLOGS/WEBSITES/ONLINE PROJECTS:

Time Cube by Otis Eugene Ray - an archived website presenting Ray's ideas about time being... cubic. According to him each day is really four days at once, and he describes four important points in time and space - one where Jesus lives, one for Socrates, one for Einstein and one for the Clintons. Yes like Bill Clinton. The website is a mess and it is clear that Ray was not in his right mind while writing it. I recommend treating it like a scavenger hunt - there are different versions of the website, from different years, archived on the Wayback Machine, and there's plenty of tabs you can click. The text is chaotic, he changes fonts and colors, one minute he's talking about time the next he's yelling at you and calling god a queer. But every once in a while there will be a quote that just... moves you. So if you have some time to kill sit down, maybe have a drink, and search for some accidental poetry there, it's great fun. My personal favorite quote is "Without deed, word starves. Word god lends not a hand". You can also check out a lecture he gave at Georgia Tech in 2005.

What football will look like in the future by Jon Bois - totally normal sports article nothing to see here :) about football yes. Why would you ask. What else would it be about? (Seriosuly tho, I don't wanna spoil this, it's great fun to read this and try to figure out what is going on. I never came across any vision of the future similar to this one, it's very refreshing).

my father's long, long legs by Michael Lutz - a fairly classic short scary story, but with the added element of being interactive. It gets quite creepy once you go underground, but don't worry, there aren't any jumpscares.

[if-you-fan-a-fire]

Last month, I was happy to be a part of this special broadcast in recognition of Prisoners’ Justice Day, August 10, 2021, an annual, international, day of remembrance for those who have died behind bars. For that day, CFRC Prison Radio took over the airwaves at CFRC 101.9 FM​ in Kingston, Ontario, and CJAI 92.1 FM on Amherst Island from 4 to 10pm.  Thank you to everyone who made contributions to the show, to everyone who listened, called in and sent messages of love and support during our 13th broadcast & thanks to CFRC, CJAI and to all the volunteers behind the mic & behind the scenes that made it happen! Listen here: https://archive.org/details/pjd-special-broadcast-august-10-2021

Contents:

00:00:00 – Introduction 00:18:28 – The connection between Residential Schools and Incarceration 00:27:00 – Interview with Sherri Maier of Beyond Prison Walls about the Edmonton Institution hunger strike to bring attention to abuses carried out against Indigenous children at Canadian Residential Schools 00:50:00 – Poem: ’38’ by Layli Long Soldier 00:59:10 – Special contribution from Matt Clark, ex-prisoner, from his Youtube channel Canadian Prison Stories 01:21:45 – Interview with several formerly incarcerated women gathered at the Healing Circle on the grounds of the former Prison for Women, August 10, 2021 01:42:00 – Message from Kevin Belanger, recently released from Joyceville Institution & former chair of the Inmate Committee (Assessment Unit & Minimum) 01:52:00 – Poem: ‘What Resembles a Grave But Isn’t’ by Anne Boyer 01:54:35 – Memorial Segment in honour of Cory Cardinal 02:08:27 – Poem: ‘Revolutionary Letter #61’ by Diane di Prima 02:11:30 – Interview with Renee, incarcerated in a Canadian federal institution, conducted by Vicki Chartrand 02:24:34 – Context and clips from prisoner press conference during 1971 riot at Kingston Penitentiary 02:40:31 – James Ruston, formerly incarcerated, introduces ‘Fly In The Ointment’ by Peter Collins, deceased prisoner activist 03:00:09 – Prisoner’s Justice Day Memorial – reading out the names of those who have died behind bars. 04:03:26 – Requests and messages from listeners, supporters and families of the incarcerated in the Kingston area.

[thebeatifulones]

[unheavenlycreatures]

LAYLI LONG SOLDIER MY BELOVED

if y'all like this, please go check out her book Whereas, which was written as a direct response to S.J. Res 14, a congressional apology to the indigenous peoples of the United States. Here's a snippet of it via a reading she did for UC Berkeley, the poem ("38", regarding the Dakota 38) starts at 7:47

did you guys see the poem from a couple of days ago in poetry dot org’s daily poem it was so good and a treat to read