Lawrence Carson's Post

The True Story … Of An Ancient People ... In The Grand Canyon <<< w/ New Update

Lawrence Carson | 10.21.08 | 04:19 PM |

(1 rating)

As some of you may recall, I lived and worked at the bottom of the Grand Canyon for the Havasupai Tribe for over two years. During that time I had both the pain and pleasure of experiencing the life and a few of the ways of these ancient people.

Here is a very brief letter that outlines just a pinch of the pain they are now facing.

The Desperate Letter
Exclusive to PHOENIX magazine online, here is the memo ASU President Michael Crow received from the scientist who initiated the Havasupai blood project.

If ever a memorandum stopped hearts, it had to be the one marked “urgent” on May 11, 2003, from Arizona State University anthropology professor John Martin.

It went right to the top, addressed to President Michael Crow, Provost Milton Glick and David Young, dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

The “RE:” line would have taken anyone’s breath away: “Havasupai Tribe Press Conference on ASU Researchers’ Misuse of Havasupai Blood/DNA.”

Martin wrote:

“Their airing in public will seriously embarrass ASU, worsen the already tense, almost hostile relationship between genetic researchers and Indian tribes, and make all and especially biomedical work with Indians more difficult,” he wrote.

Already, Martin noted, the Havasupai had closed the reservation to ASU and ended a research project that had been ongoing for 13 years.

Martin added it was because he was so “trusted” by the tribe that he was approached to help them with their “diabetes epidemic” in 1989 and therefore brought this project to ASU. “The Havasupai enthusiastically endorsed genetic research on diabetes,” he wrote. “Almost the entire adult population volunteered blood because they believed it would be used for that purpose. Yet no genetic research on diabetes genes was undertaken.”

Instead, he wrote, the blood was used to do studies on schizophrenia and migration patterns and, furthermore, was distributed to other research laboratories, such as the University of Arizona, Stanford and Berkeley. “None of these researchers was known to the Havasupai,” Martin wrote. “Their blood was thus used and transferred to other researchers without their consent.”

Martin warned that tribal attorneys felt “ASU was stonewalling.” He suggested it would “take the immediate personal intervention of President Crow” to stop the news conference that so frightened him. He was so bold as to provide phone numbers and suggest “President Crow should pick up the telephone and call both the tribal attorney… and chair of the Havasupai Tribal Council to ask for a postponement and the opportunity to personally hear the tribe’s complaints and address them himself.”

Martin still held hope that this problem could be resolved. He wrote, “In my view an apology for any errors, mistakes or oversights by ASU and help in getting the blood/DNA repatriated could end this and even provide the basis for President Crow to use these events to advance his Indian and genetic initiatives.”

Instead, the issue ended up in court. The lawsuits between ASU, the Arizona Board of Regents and the Havasupai tribe are now five years old.

For the full text of this extremely interesting yet horrific story of how our litigious … self-righteous society … at a university level … teaches us all … by example … how to disregard that which is … personal … private … sacred and special.

What we have not been taught is that when we are deceived and lied to its not just the trust with that person that is lost … we loose something a lot more valuable … our ability to trust anyone.

For a full version of his story “ARIZONA’S BROKEN ARROW” … go to

The corrected and new web site is now ....
http://www.phoenixmag.com/lifestyle/200811/arizona-s-broken-arrow/

PS
The first picture is of Rex Tilousi and his wife Rosella or “Rosie” … an incredible soft spoke couple and Chairman of the council that hired me … in what seems many, many moons ago.

Larry

Updated Segment >>> 10/22/08 <<<

Peace is never sustained in silence. For those peace keepers here at SIA .. may I ask you to send an email to the ASU President Mr. Michael Crow ... or his Board of Regents ... asking them to consider "Teaching By Example?"

I was living with the Tribe before they had even hired their Tribal Council's representative attorney. I feel I understood where most people were at emotionally and spiritually. It is in my opinion that if that university "Leader" had listened to the voice of his grand parents ... and not his "Army of Attorneys" ... he would have:

1st - Called and asked the Tribe if he could come down to meet and listen to how they felt ... how they were thinking ... and what this really meant to them. (Seek first to understand)

2nd - He would have been invited and would have gone down there with humility and honesty as his companions with out a shield of some 20 lawyers.

3rd - He would have gotten an Experiential PHD in Humanity in two days.

4th - They would have gotten what they really wanted before all the university's attorneys (like 20 or so - no kidding) Pissed them all off, namely:

a) A heartfelt public apology communicated with humble word and leaking eyes in front of them all, including Mother Spirit (Nature) ... and God Himself.

b) A promise "kept" to return their blood samples back to their physical and spiritual homelands.

c) A pledge to open up tuition free 3 or so slots per year for some Havasupai struggling students to attend what was otherwise ... once a wonderful school ... of "Higher Learning!"

No attorneys ... no legal fees ... no Disrespect or Discounting of their Cultural Identity ... no Dignity Bashing ... just people expressing the requisite sensitivity and respect to nurture the

> Dignity ....
> Peace ...

and ...

> Joy ...

We are all seeking in this stage of our evolving nature. God Bless you all that send an email to this school.

Larry Carson
PS

FYI, I am not a representative, employee or agent of this Tribe. I have written this solely from my heart as a citizen of a country that has lost its way.

blog | share | 193 reads

Member Comments:

Thank you for the up date.

Submitted by Mary Jane Mohring on November 2, 2008 - 9:59am.

I agree with the words in your update. Thank you for addressing the remedy that was there all the time. A remedy should lead to a cure. It is difficult to say if the cure that is now set in motion can come about without evidence of many open wounds and scars. Your suggested remedy is most certainly the "healing" method of trying to give the "sickness" of betrayal a possible recovery. The kind of recovery with scars that can fade. Well done. Love and Light
As always,
Jane

Trust

Submitted by Butterfly-Bee on October 22, 2008 - 2:02pm.

Barbara S.
The government of the United States of America perpetrated genocide upon the Native Americans throughout our history. We like to think it has ended, yet it has not. Diabetes is prevalent among Native American populations. If a study of their particular difficulty with
diabetes was promised and not done, that equals more dead. This is not a wild accusation. Diabetes in Native Americans presents itself harshly and differently.

and I am let to an idea about trust and our children.

Today, we were told our public high school would begin to consider all children (with the exception of a few), College Prep. All will have to take Algebra II, and everything else a person needs to enter college. The bell curve has magically disappeared. We hold our children in trust. Yet, we cannot be trusted to give each the education he/she needs and deserves. We are going to stress many right out of their minds. They are already over-stressed due to content loaded curriculum that moves at a rapid pace. Many, many tests are given along the way. The teach to the test courses end with a high stakes test. We are ruining our children. They do not learn higher order thinking, the love of learning, who they are, etc. The reason: Corporations want it this way. They want us to train students to fit their needs. If someone can't do Algebra...who cares? For our corporate state, that is just one child weeded out.
I am teaching in NC. When I taught in NYC, the same thing was going on...just worse. Corporations were actually trying to take over the schools. No Child Left Behind has nothing to do with helping children find their gifts and succeed. It has everything to do with making corporate slaves of our youth. Home school your children, or send them to a gentle private school (Quaker, Walden, Montessori, etc.). In most cases, if your child goes to public school, he/she is being deprived of life's gift of discovery.
Barbara

Trust Betrayed

Submitted by Glenn Logan on October 22, 2008 - 4:59am.

Whoopilo Tonka! (Thank You, Creator)
I can see how the boundaryless upbringing of many 'modern' folks can lead to folks using the DNA/blood for purposes other than those for which they were intended, but that does not make the pain of betrayal any less!
I've spent a lot of hours talking with Native Americans on just such subjects. As a White Man, I despaired when I was lumped together with all thosse who have betrayed their trust, but began to get an inkling of what they meant when, time after time, I'd see an opportunity to profit, in gained security, knowledge, money or whatever, when some new (to me) concept pertaining to the values and the personal and tribal boundaries of the speaker. For several days, we had a Quechua (Peruvian) Shaman with us, and he spoke to the same things ...
The closest analogy, for me, was my experience in VietNam: I went there as a patriot, did the best I could for the principles in which I believed, then became aware of the lies that were perpetuating our involvement there. This shifted my motivation to that of keeping my swonr word, and keeping as many of my men alive as possible, but it produced a hole in my gut that took two decades to heal!
We (Western Thinkers) have broken the trust of the Aboriginal peoples time after time, over the centuries, mostly by our 'what does it matter?' attitude toward keeping the promises of those who came before us. It is not the 'fault' of the one making the promise, it is due to those who come later neglecting to find out what the promise meant to those who received it.
A Native American does not make a promise to a child, and then apologize for failing to keep it! S/He will think well, before promising, about the ability to make it come true, and if it is made but not kept it becomes a blot upon the character of the one making the promise (and thus will require heroic efforts to keep a promise made).
I do not pretend to fully understand, but this is one I think I get, at least for this moment in time.

Peace and Love
Glenn

A Sacred Trust Betrayed

Submitted by Jeffery DeCelles on October 22, 2008 - 3:08am.

Thank you, Larry.

May the profound karmic consequences of this debacle be mitigated by redemptive action in the near term.

Jeffery

Trust

Submitted by Mary Jane Mohring on October 21, 2008 - 5:49pm.

This was a most informative and heart rendering blog. I will follow any future blogs you may have on the subject. Future blogs about these most intriguing people would also be a wonderful addition to Declare. Thank you Lawrence. Trust is the calm of peace. It is the same with nations or individual relationships. There seems to be an "unstill calm" running deep at the bottom of the Canyon. Peace is waiting but the undercurrent is churning the waters. No trust...No calm...No peace.

Love and Light
As always,
Jane