Native Americans Pow-Wow About the Oxford Mound
March 13th, 2010
Moses Brings Plenty came from South Dakota to protest the destruction of the Oxford Native American ceremonial mound…
by Glynn Wilson
JACKSONVILLE, Ala. – Native Americans traveled from as far away as South Dakota and South Carolina to attend the first Native American education and preservation day in the Public Square here in this quaint college town in the Appalachian foothills, after a call went out about the pending destruction of yet another traditional burial ground and ceremonial mound just down the road in Oxford.
Moses Brings Plenty, 40, a Lakota born on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota, travels the country working for Native American civil rights.
When asked what he thought of the mayor of Oxford selling the land for a strip mall and Wal-mart on a burial ground and a Sam’s Club from a ceremonial mound, Mr. Plenty showed no anger. He discussed his understanding that the burial ground is now a total loss to history, and that stopping the complete destruction of the ceremonial mound will be an uphill battle.
“Once a traditional site is taken away, it is gone forever,” he said, along with it’s connection to the past for future generations. “If that keeps happening you can say goodbye to the human race.”
Yet ultimately, he said, the controversy creates an opportunity to start a new dialogue about the future of human relations — if people will take the time to listen and not just fight.
“We can start to change and the people can take back the government of this country from the corporations,” Mr. Plenty said.
