Work Pile & Water Is Life

On NativeTalk.net this week: Our goal is to advance the interests of Natives in all forms, and this week we begin with a work pile. Have you ever called in sick to work... when you're really not even sick. CareerBuilder.com just published a survey of 2500 HR managers who report some of the absolute worst excuses ever given by employees. things like "Can't get to work boss, the Ozone in the atmosphere flattened my tires", "I've been bitten by a duck!" among many others. Then we talk about tattoo statistics, which shows 20% of all americans are now sporting a tattoo, with folks in the 30-39 age range as the number one age group sporting inked skin at 38%. 

In segment 2 we discuss the slogan "water is life". This has become a very popular protest slogan among all natives, especially as of late. This slogan goes deeper than just a protest however, as we discuss the some of the history behind the fight for water going back as far as the American expansion west. In the midwest specifically, there are not that many water sources and it was rightly concluded that whoever controlled the water, controlled virtually everything. One geologist even suggested abandoning the tradional rectangular land division methods and divide land based on water features, ensuring equal water access for all. Bottom line, water has been sacred to the plains indians for millenia, and goes far beyond any particular protest.

In next week's part 2 of this show we go into the origins of Native beliefs on water, and discuss why creating a will is so important, regardless of how much wealth you have. Thanks for listening this week, and we hope to see you again next week!