RIFLESSIONI SUI NATIVI AMERICANI

A few days ago (Editor's Note February 2011) a friend of mine came to visit me in the office. He had his arm in a 4 year old daughter, greeted me and introduced me to his daughter, telling her: "You know that she knows the Indians?".The girl looked very shyly after her father said: "Who?" And my friend, to better understand and be convinced of what he said to have replied: "Yes the Indians, the ones with the feathers on his head!".... Indians with feathers on his head ....I can not blame my friend, he knows the only thing that the American Indians are the western movies that have shown us for years.The thing that worries me most is to think that when this baby will grow will continue to look for these strange "men with feathers in his head".I always, however, hope that this little girl will want to know more and then try to know them and therefore understand.Understand that in the history and culture of the Native headdress of feathers are of fundamental importance. The value of the warrior and the honor was just represented by the number of eagle feathers in its cap, which was reserved only to those who carried out actions of particular social importance, and so it was a valiant warrior.The eagle feathers representing the prayers, the rays of the sun and the energy radiated by the Great Spirit, the protection of the Eagle, and more if he had any, was more than a hat adorned with feathers, as was the value and the great ' honor of the warrior who wore it.The honor was a leader of the warrior and thus a head.He was a leader who gave proof of ability to achieve common objectives. In fact, the Chiefs became so only after having demonstrated the skills necessary for survival and protection of their group.Head of the word did not exist as we understand it, the whites were to bring it to describe a person who had a certain importance among his people.The Chiefs drove the Lakota people who "wanted" to follow, but if there was this wish everyone was free to do what he thought without judging anyone. The head remained just that until his charisma made him a head and then heard, but if he lost the esteem of his people, was no longer followed.It makes me think a lot this thing, especially in these days (Editor's note referring to Egypt and Libya, in February 2011) in which we are bombarded with news about the ongoing problems that are occurring in many countries with peoples who rebel against their leaders, or rather, to those who should guide them and protect them.I admit that compliance with a certain hierarchy in the context in which we live requires otherwise chaos would reign, but it makes me think of an episode last summer when a Lakota chief who was sitting on a chair, stood up for me to sit , and since there are other chairs, sat on the floor. I was very embarrassed and did not want to agree to sit in the chair while he would sit on the floor, but he very quietly and with a big smile said, turning to all the friends who were present, "because I have a head to sit on the floor and you who are my guests must sit on chairs. "It 'was inevitable for me at that moment, not being able to stop my mind kept trying unsuccessfully similar incidents where some of our "boss" was sitting on the floor or simply standing while the guests were seated on chairs or armchairs.Thank you very much my Lakota brothers, because from my little experience I have learned great things, and I think the biggest was that he had had confirmation that Humility is the thing that makes man great, and above all makes a Head A true leader, that person, that is, who gets to "service" people who followed him and gave him confidence.My thoughts return to the girl, the daughter of my friend, I'd sing a song if I knew the melody. The song was performed for the great warrior Crazy Horse at the age of 17 after a battle that proved his courage and his valor, whose words are these:
 "My son has fought against a peopleLanguage unknownIt 'was braveFor this I give him a new nameThe name of his fatherAnd many fathers beforeA great nameCrazy Horse is named. "