January 27, 2019
Dear Family, Friends and Everyone else reading this blog, Hello! I hope this finds all well. As I have mentioned in my other blogs, time waits for no one. I look out the window and see we are in the middle of a sub zero temps and it’s about -7 degrees outside.
I wanted to share with you a photo of my grandson, Luke. He was checking out a wigwam displayed indoors at the Sheboygan Historical Museum.
The next photo is of the Carlisle Indian School Farmhouse. It is one of the original buildings still standing on what used to be the Carlisle Indian Industrial Boarding School Grounds. There is a website set up to share information on current efforts and information to keep this Farmhouse and ‘fix it up.’ Carlisle Indian School Descendants and all Visitors have no place to meet up, to greet each other, to share each others’ stories, except in the school’s cemetery. As a descendant myself, I feel it is fitting to honor all the children who attended Carlisle, their parents, relatives, tribes and everyone. It is also where all can learn the true, hidden history of the government’s assimilation experiment to change indigenous children into the white culture, work as servants or menial jobs in this country. Here is the e-mail: cisfarmhousecoalition@gmail.com for further information. Here is the website to make a donation to fix up the Farmhouse: https://www.gofundme.com/carlisle-indian-school-farmhouse&renovation.
During this winter I have met with a few book clubs in the Wisconsin area to discuss my book, Sky Woman Lives in Me. I am honored to talk to these book clubs, share my story and answer any questions. I have learned that many, ‘many’ people do not know about our true history. They do not know about the government’s reason for setting up Indian Boarding Schools; why the government set up the reservations for indigenous people to live on; why my own Great grandmother, Elizabeth Hill Huff and her marriage to my Great grandfather, Nicolas Huff, wasn’t recognized as legal because their marriage was an Oneida Indigenous Marriage Ceremony. The government did not accept this type of marriage. I could go on and on and on. Here is a photo of the cover of my book, Sky Woman Lives in Me and a brief summary of my story.
Kudos to Nathan Phillips for keeping his cool, keeping his dignity, beating his drum and singing his prayer song despite a young man blocking his path and being extremely disrespectful to an elder human being. Mr. Phillips could have been any nationality, but he is indigenous we know. I was brought up to respect all elders no matter what color or nationality they are.
Kudos to the University of Notre Dame for deciding to cover up murals of Christopher Columbus on the walls of a school building. The University announced this deliberately on Martin Luther King Day. In the murals Columbus is portrayed as a pioneer and devout in Catholic Faith. But, he was also a brutal leader and encouraged genocide of indigenous peoples. He didn’t discover America! He never set foot in North America! He named indigenous people Indians because he though he landed in the Indies. His ships were not the Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria as we were taught in school. In 1892 students at the Carlisle Indian Industrial Boarding School participated in a 400th celebration of Columbus by marching in parades in New York City and Chicago. The students marched behind a banner that read, “Into Civilization and Citizenship.”
Here is a photo of my grandson, Clyde. Clyde turned 6 months old this past January 3rd. I was thrilled to see him in December. His smile makes me smile!
Here is another photo I just wanted to share. It is beautiful artwork! The 50 foot sculpture is called “Dignity” to honor Sioux Women. I share it to also honor my grandmothers’, Mildred Elm, Sophia Huff, Lily Huff, Elizabeth Hill…for their strength and dignity in keeping their Oneida Heritage and Language.
My prayers have been answered! I thank the Creator, God. The government shutdown has ended temporarily. I am grateful the 800,000 Federal Workers can go back to work and receive their paychecks so they can provide for their families and themselves. I hope this country is never held hostage again for a wall! A new wall is never going to stop a tunnel!
Thank you for reading this blog. Please share if you can, I would appreciate it. Sincerely, Roberta Capasso, a proud member of the Oneida of Wisconsin. 
Sky Woman Lives in Me 