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KONRAD
SIOUI
Huron Wyandot
Turtle Island
RealAudio Konrad
 Audio
Translation: I was just to say that the first time that I arrived
into our school, in our reserve, the big nun, the first thing that
she said to us was: "Now you have to put yourself on your knees
and ask forgiveness, forgiveness, praise the Lord, ask forgiveness
for what you've done to those priests. Your Nation, you were savages,
you were barbarous, you didn't know how to live and you killed those
beautiful, holy priests that were coming to teach you the good news,
and look what you've done with that. You've killed the martyrs".
I
looked at the nun, and I was on my knees and I started to cry because
it was the first time in my life that I felt ashamed, that I felt
something inside of me that I never felt before and it was very serious.
So I brought it back home and as a chance, I had older brothers and
sisters and they told me not to worry about that. That was a false
history, it was not true history.
My
father said to me then, at night I said that to my father, he said:
"My son, don't believe that. Just pretend that they are true,
just pretend for sake of making sure that you are a good student,
that you learn what they teach you, but don't believe that. You know
our ancestors were good people, and one day," he says, "time
is the father of truth, one day you are going to write it, the true
history. You are going to allow it that the people of your generation…
you are going to re-write all that. You're going to repossess what
has been stolen away, what has been taken away from you."
ANTONIO
ESPINOZA HUAYLLAS
Aymara
Abya Yala
RealAudio Antonio
 Audio
Translation: Well, this is the way it is. We are in the right
and we speak the truth. It seems to me that the truth that is sought
was sought long before the usurpers, the intruders came. They have
covered our truth, but the truth comes out again, that does not end.
I wanted more
than anything to say that within the truth there are four values,
four philosophical principles, everything we have, our way of life;
without removing spirituality. I very much agree that we should no
longer speak of religion, because it is false, it is much better to
speak of spirituality because we carry that inside - yes?
These four values
are, first reciprocity, because we are all a community, in harmony.
Reciprocity has been practised for thousands of years.
Then comes solidarity,
because we are like a family in it, wherever we may be, be it in a
town, in an Aymara Nation, in a Quechua one, in the end we are like
one family and this is why we should practice solidarity.
Next, honesty
must be practised. To have no stains, not to walk like this, but straight;
from this comes honesty.
And finally comes
responsibility. We, who were born in a native culture, originating
from the world, more so when we are born, they teach us teach us these
principles. We then learn upon this, we learn the responsibility that
is called to "serve your community".
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