Winona LaDuke, a social and environmental advocate and vice presidential candidate for the Green Party, welcomed a crowd of nearly 100 on Tuesday night in native tongue. LaDuke, a member of the Mississippi Band of the Chippewa of the White Earth Reservation, spoke on control of destinies and gave a native’s perspective of culture, society and civilization.

She spoke passionately to the audience using emotion and humor to relate.

LaDuke began her speech by speaking of her own people’s history and perspectives and then gradually tying their story to other indigenous cultures and people. She said that unresolved historical grief causes the cycle of poverty, crime, sickness and low quality of life that is common among American Indians, the third world and “people who are invisible to the powerful countries.”

“Wealth is also a source of poverty because other people see that wealth and covet it. Indigenous people can become refugees in their own land,” LaDuke said.

“This is a continuous state of low-intensity war and is a symptom of people not allowed to control their own destiny,” she said.

LaDuke asked the audience how many American Indian tribes they could name.

“I ask that question because it is instructive about Indian culture. Americans can usually name Indians in westerns,” she said.

LaDuke explained this is why it is so difficult for many white people to comprehend why tribes fight for their rights and land.

“I think of geography in terms of indigenous geography. Maps do not tell who lives there and the land is who we are,” she said.

She illustrated her point by talking about a United Nations projection that took satellite views of the earth and remapped the actual size of continents. Traditional maps showed the United States centrally located, in a noticeable color and deceivingly larger than other continents.

“This is part of the challenge of rethinking society and gaining a multi-cultural view.”

She spoke about how our democracy is escaping us, saying U.S. citizens no longer collectively make important, long-term decisions. Control of America’s common resources is now being overtaken by corporations. She urged people to regain their right to choose their own destiny.

LaDuke said electoral politics is not her main interest. She said she ran with Ralph Nader for the Green Party in last year’s election because she believes people who make this country’s decisions need to be held accountable.

LaDuke, a board member of Green Peace USA, spoke about sustainability of our natural resources and communities. “This America is a child of much pain. We need to move to a society based not on patriotism to a flag but patriotism to a land.”