The Good Livin

When you see a lizard you stop and you look to see
is it green is it white?  look at the ring on its neck
what color?  And you ask its blessing.  This is our
Navajo Belief.
The Navajo were starved out of Canyon de Chelly,
rounded up and Forced on the 300 mile march to
somewhere in New Mexico.  Many died along the
way.  They are still bitter, even though they were
allowed back.
Now they have to let us on their Land to see
the National Parks but they are curt and don’t welcome
me with a smile.  I have to get out of my car
and walk up to the check-in station to pay
my two dollars and 50 cents so I can drive on
the dirt road that goes through their land to look
at the big rock formations that formed a backdrop
for some John Wayne movie and many others,
including “How the West Was Won,” done in
1947 or something.  I must stay on the
road or if I want to see more I can pay
25 dollars to a guide to see the
petroglyphs at the house of many hands, but do they
show the really sacred stuff?  No one answers my
direct questions About Indians and the White Man.
I go to JD’s drive-in to
get a Green Chili Hamburger with cheese and the
workers, all of them behind the counter, getting me my
order with Fries, are all Indians.  The Laundromat
across the way, all Indians inside.
I am on Indian Nation.