By Damion Boycott
In 1492 Christopher Columbus set out on a conquest that is glorified by Europeans in America. The dominant narrative says that Christopher Columbus "discovered" America. The truth is that you can not discover a land that is already inhabited by humans. Therefore Christopher Columbus did not discover anything, instead the Indigenous people discovered Christopher Columbus and a raggedy bunch of sailors on their beach. All of the "so-called" Americas had been populated by indigenous people for thousands of years before the arrival of Europeans.
Upon their arrival, Europeans adopted an aggressive stance and began to murder the Indigenous people in the name of taking over the land. It was an illegal land grab and theft of property. They practiced genocide on most and imposed Christianity on the rest, with no moral authority to do so. As a result, the Europeans created a nation that is not as good as it's promise. They allegedly came to America in an effort to seek freedom while stripping Africans and Indigenous people of theirs.
In the state of California an Indigenous nation known as Winnemem Wintu have celebrated their culture and have conducted ceremonies along The McCloud River for at least one thousand years. One such ceremony is a rights of passage ceremony for young girls in the nation entering adulthood. This ritual is the cornerstone of the Winnemem Wintu culture. The four day observance is planned in accord with lunar and seasonal cycles. It involves the young ladies camping on one side of the river for three nights. They learn philosophy and life lessons from older women who visit them on those first three nights. They grind herbs and medicines at a revered rock referred to as The Puberty Rock. On the fourth and final day, during during a full moon, the young participants swim across the river to meet with dancers on the other side- at which point they are considered full grown women.
In 2006 The Winnemem Wintu held their first Bala Chonas, or Coming Of Age ceremony in eighty five years. However, the solemn ceremony of an overwhelmingly peaceful people was disrupted by white boaters who intentionally made noise and shouted obscenities. One white female boater went so far as to flash her breasts at the tranquil participants of the ceremony. Some of these white boaters even threatened The Winnemem Wintu with physical violence because they refused to acknowledge a voluntary closer of the river. These disrespectful and racist taunts are coming from a people who have a sense of entitlement as well as a sense of unearned privilege.
In 2010 The Winnemem Wintu returned to the McCloud river to conduct a Balas Chonas ceremony for two more young ladies. This summer they wish to return to the river to practice their ritual again. Their hope is that the regional Forester Randy Moore will call for a four day mandatory closure of the river- so that they can conduct their ceremony in peace. Randy Moore has missed his May 1st deadline to respond the Winnemem Wintu request to close the river.
Tell Randy Moore to close the river by emailing rmoore@fs.fed.us or calling 707.562.8737.
"...This is a matter of survival- The Winnemem people need our ceremonies and our sacred places to live. The government is endangering our entire way of life by refusing to cooperate. All we are asking is for four days of temporary river closure. That does not seem like much to ask for the survival of an entire people..." -Caleen Sisk-Franco Spiritual Leader