INTER-TRIBAL COUNCIL OF AMERICAN INDIANS

# 2 -- REMEMBERANCE, THE BEGINNING

2008-01-03T13:19:00.000-08:00

By Gary J. Gabehart

In 1993, I led an Indian group composed of Dr. Judy New Bell Eagle (Comanche), Xavier Delapass Sanchez (Comanche), Tomas Tobares (Lipan), Capt. Dan Gabehart (Chickasaw) and Erwin De Luna (Navajo). Our mission was simple, recognize the role that Indians played before, during and after the Battle of the Alamo. Our group? The Inter-Tribal Council of American Indians, Inc. (ITCAI).

Little did we know, that opposing groups, many of them simple fruitcakes, bed bugs, carpetbaggers and con artists would morph out of the ground in an attempt to usurp our groups mission. Of course, some groups, such as the Daughters of the Republic of Texas, were legitimate and there were a few others. But still other goofy groups, such as the group of pseudo Indians led by Raymond Hernandez, who could never make up his mind about what kind of Indian he was, and Richard Garay his partner played to the weak minded. Hernandez and Garay, the latter who was to become a convicted child molester, represented a group called the "American Indians of Texas at San Antonio Missions" or some such name, performed made up rituals in front of the Alamo bordering on lunacy. The only thing not present during their performances were popcorn vendors and Raspa stands.

Since those days, there have been many other people who have surfaced to claim the winning of the "second battle of the Alamo" in order to make a living from what they read in the newspapers -- making false presentations to civic groups as the person(s) who made it happen. One such individual, an attorney, who had no such involvement with ITCAI, drummed his presentations to whom ever would accept them as the brains behind the movement -- brains behind the movement?

So what did ITCAI attempt to do? First, to close one or two streets that crossed the Alamo fort where the battle took place and which carried mega tons of vehicle traffic each day; and second, recognize the Indian burials at the Alamo. Did we attain our goals? Yes, after months of political nonsense, posturing for the camera's, newspapers, radio and television, National Magazines, and -- the agenda's of all these other folks, we closed one street and recognized Indian involvement at the Alamo.

How long did it take? Looking back, it seems like years and years now. The media had a heyday, the politicians got their licks in, the legitimate opposing groups made their points and the fruitcakes found their warm puppies. Was it worth the energy? You bet it was, after the smoke of the second battle cleared, San Antonio, with the help of the media, had recovered what once was a dimly remembered past.

If you've never spent time in San Antonio, you would probably have never been exposed to the rich Spanish and French culture of the area or the historic events that occurred there. The Alamo is but one site of interest and unless you are a history buff, you probably would not see the humor in a tourist questioning "how did the hundreds of defenders all fit in the Alamo" or lamenting as to "why did they build the fort in the downtown area?"

One thing you have to understand is that Indians were just not talked about in San Antonio, if anything, they were all in Oklahoma. To deep rooted Texian's, there were no Indians in Texas, only Whites, Mexicans and a hand full of Negro's. Indians were those folks such as Iron Eyes Cody who were just passing through, and the local North American Indians, along with the Mexican Indians, kept their heads down. All that began to change after ITCAI came along in 1993.

As I have said, the media had a heyday, Indians were now new to San Antonian's, and it was a slow news day, week, month and year; there was a feeding frenzy to come if just one Indian popped his or her head up, and most of it was a result of the lack of Indian icons. Where had all the feathers, bows and arrows and bones in the noses of aborigines gone, certainly not in the Daughters of the Republic of Texas [DRT] gift shop with the rubber tomahawk's, plastic arrow's and gaudy Tom-Tom's. Indians were the forgotten people.

Although ITCAI used few icons beyond Texan dress and business suits, they did use some, such as, a large council drum, a flint tipped arrow as a scepter or pointer and when the DRT banned arrows from Alamo property as a lethal weapon (must have been the lack of a rubber stick'um tip), finally, a cedar tree staff taken from the Texas hill country.

NEXT: THE BATTLE BEGINS!

Gary J. Gabehart, Mishiho (Mish-eh-ho)
Mishiho@aol.com

# 1 -- OUR WORLD

2007-11-18T17:54:00.000-08:00

By Gary J. Gabehart

Our world, the Indian world, is not the world of John Wayne, Naked Gun, Iron Eyes Cody or "tu tybo" Larry Keels (only mention this creep is going to get). Nor is it the world of 20th Century Westerns or the dime store novels which came before the talkies. Without a doubt Hollywood, and the ignorant media, will continue to portray us as the ugly bogey man, as that is what counts when $$$ dollars are at stake.

Indians are likely your grandparents and their great grandparents if you are reading this. But perhaps you really never thought about it even or you are not North American Indian related.

Now you will note that I will use "North American Indian" in this blog and not the wimpy politically correct folks "Native American." If Chris Columbus found it necessary to coin the word Indians during his search for Hindustan, too bad, it has stuck -- I'm an Indian -- North American Indian!

And you better know right now that the business you heard for years and which is still taught in our schools today, that Chris named us "Indians" because he was looking for India and thought he had found it -- IS WRONG. India was not called India in those days, it was called Hindustan. His reference was to a people with manners of the clergy "El In Dios."

Now I don't spend my time at "Pow Wow's." This would be like the white guy spending his time at "Bar-B-Q's." Originally, this was a religious gathering known as Pau Wau. But today, it is simply known as a Pow Wow or a gathering of the people -- that's right, just like the white guys Bar-B-Q.

When my father grew up in Oklahoma, it was against the law for Indians to gather together in a group (1930) -- they had to sneak off just to have a party and eat some Bar-B-Q, fry bread or the things that Mexicans later made famous as "Mexican Food." Excuse me, you thought tacos and tortillas were Mexican food? Not hardly.

At times I am asked what my "Indian Name" is and I reply "Gabehart." Oh, you mean the Indian family name? It was "Pushshukke." What does that mean? I don't know, what does the surnames Smith and Jones mean?

What did my family do for a living? You mean when they were not skinning White guys? They were ranchers, stock raisers, law-enforcement personnel, gun-fighters, Texas Rangers, Ministers, you name it. They did every pioneering job known to man.

Indians were real people who did not wear feathers in their hair. They had blood in their veins and lived in small Indian towns with Grandparents, Parents, Aunts and Uncles, cousins and second cousins. When an Indian village was burnt, a whole town or city for that matter was destroyed.

What did my Great-Great Grandparents wear? What did your Great-Great Grandparents wear? They wore cloths, most of it home spun, some of it store bought. It was that way back into the 1700's for my family. But let me tell you this, my family out of the Northeast did not likely jack around in loin cloths unless they were sun-bathing.

Next issue, more about ITCAI.

Best,

Gary J. Gabehart, Mishiho (Mish-eh-ho)
Mishiho@aol.com

BORNE TO THE WORLDWIDE WEB

2007-04-23T21:41:00.001-07:00

Today, April 23, 2007, the first of the ITCAI Blog was borne to the Worldwide Web.

Gary J. Gabehart, Mishiho