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John Trudell was a complex and charismatic poet, musician, actor and activist. We take time to highlight the accomplishments of the man whose life touched so many others. His early years were devoted to activist causes, including the 19-month occupation of Alcatraz Island and a leadership post with AIM. He released 14 albums of music including the acclaimed A.K.A. Grafitti Man. He also published a collection of his poetry and appeared in several films. His rich life inspired many others. Does John Trudell’s life and work bring any memories to mind?
Guests:
Heather Rae -Filmmaker
Dr. Suzan Shown Harjo (Cheyenne and Hodulgee Muscogee) – President of the Morning Star Institute
Scotti Clifford (Oglala Lakota)- musician, Scatter Their Own
Break Music: Rich Man’s War (song) John Trudell (artist) AKA Grafitti Man (album)
Love at first sight. Forty-six years of it. Not a “crush”… not about celebrity. Love that shot in through my eyes and ears and pores and kept traveling deeper in than I knew in went. I was sixteen… and sixteen million.
Such a special human being! Was honored to do security for him early on.
Such a loss for us!
Safe journey John!
I have always respected John as a warrior >>>>
An extraordinary light on this Earth ,our sacred home that he gently reminded us of who we all are and the keepers of the earth must idle no more.he is the heart and soul of this movement to return heaven on earth ,as a final destination..you will be missed but continue to live on thru your words…Dacejewiah and John are collaborating as we speak ,of them ,rest easy brothers
Oki …John kindly, and always in support of our efforts, did a live video conferencing stream from UCLA as a presentation, discussion and Q&A with my University of Ottawa special TRC course set up to aid the TRC Commission being formed (our Canadian Truth and Reconciliation TRC event) in Summer 2007, at my request.
His wisdom and words contributed significantly to the final books I wrote for the commission and to students internationally who attended from all parts of the world where TRCs had taken place. The TRC in Canada was the first time in world history that there was a commission set up to examine crimes against children spanning over 100 years. John Trudell’s presentation, discussion, and Q&A with us, opened all minds and eyes to the realities of our pasts, present and the futures that would support the TRC processes in Canada from 2007 up to now in 2015… where today under the new government, recommendations are currently being implemented across Canada in the final findings of Canada’s TRC.
John is a visionary, a futurist, and absolutely was correct in every point he made to us in 2007, and in his own work always. I will miss him greatly, and wish him and his family, and friends all my love and blessings infinity… He had my back, was my personal social media friend, and a true Warrior of All humanity and Life on this planet ~ He worked hard to make it a better world.
John Trudell is Compassion and Intelligence, Strength, Mentorship, Leader and Spirituality ~ He had Wings you know…, Coyote Love…
…from Otter Love, Maple Syrup Gatherer, I am Winter Mountain Otter Sweetgrass Woman,
Dr. Paula du Hamel Yellow Horn (Canada)
blessings to his fam and natakoyeosin.
Thank You, Warrior, For the Conversations I Wish We Had
as I start my day in gratitude
and affliction
constipated grief
a tiny eruption of hot
furious
sorrow
stuck in my throat
stuck
it’s neither up nor down
a sob almost sneaks out
I swallow it
it crawls upward
like a cockroach
I contain it in my brain
hoping the words can come
and help to heal,
too
like yours did
I yell out loud, startling the cats
“Thank you, John, for your kind words
for being the bridge you are
and will be forever!”
(So, John, how does it feel to
be a quark or a star?)
thank you
for you kindness
for the music
for your anger
and your softness
your hipness
the grief that gave us poetry
you and I experienced shattering losses the same year
thank you
for looking like an burned-out
stoner to those of us that “been there,
done that” hard-scrabble big city street
hipster in ever-present wire-rimmed
shades
in other worlds
not caring about stuff
but about your people and Big Mama earth
Wake up World!
Wake the h*ll up!
The Poet summons us all
defender of earth
and all our relatives
taught me animals are people, too
that rocks and grass are alive
Thank you, John, for teaching us how to be human,
for the hugs, for the love and compassion
how to connect with heart
to the goodness in ourselves
and others
how to conquer
the worst
humans
have to offer
and how to grieve with grace
for the good of all
when you opened that mystic car door,
rez car crazy ride to the stars
you gifted me courage
to follow you in my time
you staged the biggest darn
big bang give-away
gift to humanity!
DANG! John!
Spec-f*#kin’-tacular!
John,
I wished you
a good, clever, clean death
in spite of that crab shoving organs
decimating that wiry body
and bursting your lungs and liver
I’m sorry John, I wish it had been quick and easy,
but you needed the time to say “farewell
see ya later”
I wished you
one of the painless passages.
Dreamer, dear dreamer
I rejoice and celebrate and smudge
and hold hands with friends in solidarity
on FaceBook with those who share your vision
Wake up, America, no
wake up or die!
wake up
walk on
because you’ll join the star people
someday
a world consciousness
it’s ‘way past time, America,
you take a good look at who we lost
(all of us,
everywhere,
from the southern-most tip of
Argentina
to the Arctic Circle and back to the
to vast continents east and west of us
and those places where idiots are still fighting
a two thousand year old war
we became a we because of you
and we are stuck together with this
beloved dying planet
lost today
wake up, America
wake up, World!
wake up
wake the f*!# up
acknowledge his
treasure of running thoughts
a scathing
sand storm
of consciousness
his altered states
integrated lover
with well-honed intelligence
his gift
our collective, universal lover
John was a hero to me because his words inspired the warrior spirit in my life, and for all Aboriginal Indigenous people.
I am not native American but John was an inspiration every time I saw him. He spoke the truth to all of us. He will be missed.
Thank you John for all the in-sights you gifted to true listener with these flowers of wisdom. Loving the woman like the woman should be loved and remembering our daily coherence keeps the light moving on it way home!
When I first heard John speak somewhere in the early 80’s, my world view paradigm shifted, for the better. Whatever activism I have participated in in subsequent years was because of John’s initial influence. Every time I heard him speak, read poetry, or perform, I was riveted and inspired. His presence was as powerful as his words. I learned so much from him about what it means to be a genuine human being. We were so fortunate to have had him with us for the time we did. Thank you, John!
I WENT TO SLEEP INDIAN
I DREAMT INDIAN
I WOKE UP INDIAN
I MUST BE INDIAN