Liwafumbathele Ntoni Ikamva?
KUDLIWANO-NDLEBE noVukani!, uLawrence Hart oyinkosi yamaCheyenne wathi enye yeengxaki ezichaphazela thina maIndiya “yeyokuba sijamelene nokunyanzeleka ukuba siziqhelanise nezinye izithethe nokuzenza inxalenye yolunye uhlanga. Ngokomzekelo, siphulukana nolwimi lwethu. Oku kwakha kwangumthetho omisiweyo karhulumente. Kwenziwa imigudu emikhulu ‘yokusiphucula’ ngemfundo. Sasithunyelwa kwizikolo ekuhlalwa kuzo yaye sasisalelwa ukuba sithethe iilwimi zethu zomthonyama.” USandra Kinlacheeny ukhumbula oku: “Xa ndandithethe isiNavajo esikolweni endandifunda kuso, umfundisi-ntsapho wayendihlamba umlomo ngesepha!”
UNkosi Hart uhlabela mgama esithi: “Enye inkalo ebangel’ umdla mvanje yeyokuba izizwe ezahlukeneyo ziye zakuphaphela oko. Ziyaqonda ukuba iilwimi zazo ziza kubhanga ukuba akukho mgudu ziwenzayo wokuzilondoloza.”
Ngabantu abalishumi kuphela abaseleyo abathetha isiKaruk, ulwimi lwesinye sezizwe zaseKhalifoniya. NgoJanuwari 1996, uRed Thunder Cloud (uCarlos Westez), i-Indiya lokugqibela ebelithetha ulwimi lwesiCatawba, liye lafa lineminyaka engama-76 ubudala. Bekungekho mntu ebenokuthetha naye olo lwimi kangangeminyaka emininzi.
KwiiHolo zoBukumkani zamaNgqina kaYehova ezikwimihlaba yamaNavajo namaHopi eArizona, phantse wonk’ ubani uthetha isiNavajo okanye isiHopi nesiNgesi. KwanamaNgqina angengomaIndiya afunda ulwimi lwesiNavajo. AmaNgqina kufuneka esazile isiNavajo ukuze enze umsebenzi wawo wokufundisa iBhayibhile, njengoko amaNavajo amaninzi ekwazi ukuthetha kakuhle ulwimi lwawo kuphela. IsiHopi nesiNavajo ziilwimi ezisekho ngamandla, yaye abantu abaselula bayakhuthazwa ukuba bazisebenzise esikolweni.
Imfundo YamaMerika Omthonyama
Zingama-29 iikholeji zamaIndiya eUnited States, yaye zinabafundi abangama-16 000. Eyokuqala yavulwa eArizona ngowe-1968. UGqr. David Gipp, weAmerican Indian Higher Education Committee wathi: “Le yenye yezona nguqulelo zimangalisayo kwiLizwe lamaIndiya, ilungelo lokufunda phantsi kweemeko ezithandwa sithi.” KwiYunivesithi yaseSinte Gleska, ulwimi lwesiLakota luphakathi kwezifundo ezifundwayo.
Ngokutsho kukaRon McNeil (umLakota waseHunkpapa), umongameli weAmerican Indian College Fund, amanani abo bangaqeshwanga kumaMerika Omthonyama asusela kuma-50 ekhulwini ukusa kuma-85 ekhulwini, yaye amaIndiya angabona bantu baphila ubomi obufutshane ibe anowona mlinganiselo uphakamileyo wesifo seswekile, isifo sephepha nalo lonke uhlobo lokukhotyokiswa butywala eUnited States. Imfundo elunge ngakumbi ilelinye nje lamanyathelo anokunceda.
Imihlaba Engcwele
KumaMerika Omthonyama amaninzi, imihlaba yookhokho bawo ingcwele. Kunjengokuba uWhite Thunder wathi kwilungu lendlu yeengwevu: “Umhlaba wethu yeyona nto siyithandayo kwizinto ezikhoyo emhlabeni.” Xa esenza izivumelwano, ngokufuthi amaIndiya ayesoloko eqikelela ukuba yayizezokuba abelungu basebenzise umhlaba wabo kodwa ingekuba baza kuwunikwa ngokusisigxina. Izizwe zamaIndiya ezingamaSioux zaphulukana nomhlaba oxabisekileyo oseBlack Hills yaseDakota kwiminyaka yee-1870, xa abasebenzi basemgodini bathontelana apho, befuna igolide. Ngowe-1980 iNkundla Ephakamileyo yaseUnited States yayalela urhulumente waseUnited States ukuba ahlawule malunga nezigidi ezili-157,5 zeerandi njengembuyiselo kwizizwe ezisibhozo ezingamaSioux. Ukuza kuthi ga ngoku ezi zizwe ziye zala ukwamkela le ntlawulo—zifuna umhlaba wazo ongcwele, iBlack Hills ekuMzantsi weDakota, ukuba ubuyiselwe kuzo.
AmaIndiya amaninzi angamaSioux akaneliseki kukubona ubuso babongameli abamhlophe kwiNtaba iRushmore, eBlack Hills. Kwintaba ekufuphi, abakroli benza omnye umfanekiso omkhulu okroliweyo. Lo mfanekiso ngokaCrazy Horse, owayeyinkokeli yemfazwe yohlanga lwamaSioux angamaOglala. Lo mfanekiso uya kube ugqityiwe ngoJuni 1998.
Ucelomngeni Lwanamhlanje
Ukuze aqhubeke ephila kweli hlabathi lanamhlanje, amaMerika Omthonyama kwanyanzeleka ukuba aziqhelanise nalo ngendlela ezahlukeneyo. Ngoku amaninzi kuwo anemfundo esemgangathweni yaye afumene uqeqesho ezikholejini, enobuchule anokubusebenzisa kakuhle esizweni. Omnye umzekelo nguBurton McKerchie onelizwi elithambileyo, umChippewa waseMichigan. Wenzela iPublic Broadcasting Service imiboniso yaye ngoku usebenza kwisikolo semfundo ephakamileyo kuMhlaba wamaHopi eArizona, esalathisa iiklasi zasekholejini ezifundisa ngevidiyo kulo lonke elo lizwe. Omnye umzekelo nguRay Halbritter, inkosi yesizwe samaOneida efunde eHarvard.
Ebhala kwiNavajo Times, uArlene Young Hatfield wathi abantwana abangamaNavajo abanawo amava ibe abakwazi ukuncama okuthile njengokuba abazali, oomakhulu nootatomkhulu babo babesenza ngoxa babesakhula. Wabhala wathi: “Ngenxa yezinto ezisetyenziswayo [zezi mini] abakhange baqalise ukucholachola okanye ukugawula iinkuni, ukuthutha amanzi, okanye baluse iigusha njengokuba babesenza ookhokho babo. Abasafaki sandla kwimpilontle yentsapho njengokuba abantwana babedla ngokwenza mandulo phayaa.” Uqukumbela ngelithi: “Asikwazi kuziphepha iingxaki ezininzi ezingokwasentlalweni ezithi ngokungathandabuzekiyo zichaphazele abantwana bethu. Asinakuzahlula iintsapho zethu, okanye umhlaba wethu kwihlabathi liphela, ibe singenakubuyela kwindlela ookhokho bethu ababephila ngayo.”
Lulapha ke ucelomngeni kumaMerika Omthonyama—indlela yokubambelela kumasiko nemilinganiselo yezizwe zawo ngoxa eziqhelanisa nokutshintsha ngokukhawuleza kwehlabathi.
Umlo Nxamnye Neziyobisi Notywala
Nanamhlanje, ukukhotyokiswa butywala kuyagquba phakathi kwabantu abangamaMerika Omthonyama. UGqr. Lorraine Lorch, oye wasebenza njengogqirha phakathi kwamaHopi namaNavajo kangangeminyaka eli-12, wathi kudliwano-ndlebe noVukani!: “Ukukhotyokiswa butywala yingxaki enzima ngokungathethekiyo ngokufanayo kumadoda nakumabhinqa. Abantu abanemizimba eyomeleleyo baba ngamaxhoba okuqina kwesibindi, ukufa ngengozi, ukuzibulala, nokubulala. Kulusizi ukubona ukukhotyokiswa butywala kuyeyona nto iza kuqala kunabantwana, kuneqabane kwanakunoThixo. Baye batshintsha uvuyo lwaziinyembezi, nothantamiso lwalugonyamelo.” Walek’ umsundulo esithi: “Wambi amatheko, awayekhe agqalwa engcwele ngamaNavajo namaHopi, ngoku angcoliswa bubunxila nakukuziphatha okubi. Utywala bohlutha aba bantu bahle impilo yabo, ubukrelekrele babo, ubuchule babo nobona buntu babo.”
UPhilmer Bluehouse, ongumxolelanisi kwiSebe Lezobulungisa lohlanga lwamaNavajo, eWindow Rock, eArizona, uthi xa ehlonipha ukusetyenziswa kakubi kweziyobisi notywala “lunyango umntu azikhethela ngokwakhe.” Oku kusetyenziswa kakubi kwezi zinto kwenzelwa ukucima iintsizi yaye kunceda ubani abaleke izibakala zokwenene eziqatha zokuphila engasebenzi okanye ngokufuthi engenanjongo.
Noko ke, amaMerika Omthonyama amaninzi aye aphumelela ekulweni “nomkhwa ombi” wokusela utywala oweza nabelungu yaye aye awa evuka ezama ukoyisa ukukhotyokiswa ziziyobisi. Ababini abayimizekelo yoku nguClyde noHenrietta Abrahamson, abasuka kwiSpokane Indian Reservation kwiLizwe laseWashington. UClyde yingwanzilili yomfo, oneenwele namehlo amnyama. Wamchazela oku uVukani!:
“Ixesha elininzi sikhulele kumhlaba wethu, sandula ke safudukela kwisixeko samaSpokane ukuze sifunde ezikholejini. Sasingakholiswa yindlela esasiphila ngayo eyayiquka ukusebenzisa utywala neziyobisi. Le kuphela kwendlela esasiyazi yokuphila. Sakhula sizithiye egazini ezi zinto zimbini ngenxa yokubona iingxaki ezizibangelayo entsatsheni.
“Emva koko sadibana namaNgqina kaYehova. Sasingawazi ngaphambi kokuba siye kweso sixeko. Sasiqhubela phambili kancinane. Mhlawumbi kungenxa yokuba sasingabathembi ngokwenene abantu esasingabazi ingakumbi abelungu. Kangangeminyaka emithathu sasiqhutywa manqaphanqapha isifundo seBhayibhile. Eyona nto ekwakunzima ukuba ndahlukane nayo kukutshaya umya. Ndanditshaya ukususela xa ndandineminyaka eli-14 ubudala, yaye ndandineminyaka engama-25 ubudala ngaphambi kokuba ndizame ukuyeka. Ndandisoloko ndiyotyiwe ngalo lonke ixesha lobutsha bam. Ngowe-1986, ndafunda inqaku elikwinkupho kaJanuary 22 [Februwari 8] kaVukani! elinomxholo othi “Wonk’ Ubani Uyawutshaya Umya—Kutheni Ndingenakuwutshaya Nje Mna?” Kwandenza ndacinga ngendlela ekububutyhakala ngayo ukutshaya umya—ingakumbi emva kokuba ndifunde IMizekeliso 1:22, ethi: “Kunini na, ziyathandini, nithanda ubuyatha, abagxeki befuna ukugxeka, izinyabi zithiya ukwazi?”
“Ndawuyeka lo mkhwa, yaye ngentwasahlobo yowe-1986, mna noHenrietta satshata. Sabhaptizwa ngoNovemba 1986. Ngowe-1993, ndaba ngumdala ebandleni. Iintombi zethu zombini zabhaptizwa njengamaNgqina ngowe-1994.”
Ngaba Izindlu Zokungcakaza Nokungcakaza Zisisicombululo?
Ngowe-1984 kwakungekho ndawo yokungcakaza yamaIndiya eUnited States. Ngokutsho kweThe Washington Post, kulo nyaka, izizwe ezingama-200 zineendawo zokungcakaza ezingama-220 kumazwe angama-24. Izizwe ezahluke ngokukhethekileyo ngamaNavajo namaHopi, eziye zasixhathisa esi silingo ukuza kuthi ga ngoku. Kodwa ngaba izindlu zokungcakaza neeholo zomdlalo webingo zikhokelela abo bahlala kuloo mimandla kwimpumelelo nakumathuba angakumbi okuqeshwa? UPhilmer Bluehouse wamxelela oku uVukani!: “Ukungcakaza likrele elintlangothi-mbini. Umbuzo ngulo, Ngaba kuya kuzisela abantu abangakumbi iingenelo kunokuba kube yingozi?” Enye ingxelo ithi izindlu zokungcakaza zamaIndiya zibangele izithuba zemisebenzi ezili-140 000 kweli lizwe lonke kodwa ibonisa ukuba kuphela zili-15 ekhulwini kwezi ezifunyanwa ngamaIndiya.
Inkosi yamaCheyenne uHart yaxelela uVukani! uluvo lwayo ngendlela izindlu zokungcakaza nokungcakaza ezibachaphazela ngayo abemi balapho. Yathi: “Ndimbono-mbini. Ekuphela kwento ekulunge ngayo kukuba kuza nemisebenzi nengeniso kwezi zizwe. Kwelinye icala, ndiye ndaphawula ukuba abona bantu baya kuzo ngabantu bethu. Abaninzi endibaziyo baye bangamakhoboka e-bingo, yaye bemka kuselithuba emakhaya xa besiya apho, kwanangaphambi kokuba abantwana babuye esikolweni. Ngoko aba bantwana baba ngoonozitshixwana de abazali babo babuye ekudlaleni i-bingo.
“Eyona ngxaki inkulu yeyokuba ezi ntsapho zicinga ukuba ziza kuwelwa ngumqa esandleni zize zandise ingeniso yazo. Ngokuqhelekileyo akubi njalo; zitsho phantsi. Ndiye ndazibona zisebenzisa imali ebibekelwe ukuthenga ukutya okanye iimpahla zabantwana.”
Lifumbethe Ntoni Ikamva?
UTom Bahti uthi kukho izinto ezimbini ezithandwayo xa kuxutyushwa ikamva lezizwe ezikuMzantsi-ntshona. “Eyokuqala luqikelelo olupheleleyo lokuba izithethe zomthonyama ziya kunyamalala zithatyathelw’ indawo yindlela yokuphila yaseMerika. Eyesibini ayicacanga kwaphela . . . Ithetha kakuhle ngenkqubo yokuguqula isithethe ikhuthaza ukusetyenziswa kwengqiqo ekuhlanganiseni ‘ezona ndlela zilunge ngakumbi kwezakudala nezona zilunge ngakumbi kwezintsha,’ ndlela leyo eluhlobo oluthile lwempucuko esemagqabini apho amaIndiya aya kuqhubeka ebambelele kubugcisa bawo, azimisele kunqulo lwawo aze abonakalise ubulumko kwiintanda-bulumko zawo—kodwa esabonakalisa ingqiqo xa eqhubana nathi (isithethe esongamileyo [somlungu]) izinto azibone ngendlela yethu.”
Wandula ke uBahti abuze umbuzo. “Utshintsho aluphepheki, kodwa ngubani oza kutshintsha ibe ngayiphi injongo? . . . Thina [bantu bamhlophe] sinomkhwa ocaphukisayo wokubagqala bonke abany’ abantu njengamaMerika nje angaphucukanga. Sicinga ukuba bamele ukuba abanelisekanga yindlela abaphila ngayo ibe bazimisele ukuphila baze bacinge njengathi.”
Uhlabela mgama esithi: “Ngokuqinisekileyo—ibali lamaMerika Omthonyama alikagqitywa, kodwa indlela eliya kuphela ngayo ukuba liya kude liphele iya kube ibonwe. Mhlawumbi, lisekho ixesha, lokuqalisa ukucinga ngabemi abasaseleyo abangamaIndiya njengabagcini besithethe abaxabisekileyo kunokuba sibajonge njengababangela iingxaki ezinzima zasentlalweni.”
Ubomi Kwihlabathi Elitsha Elinemvisiswano Nokusesikweni
Ngokwembono yeBhayibhile, amaNgqina kaYehova ayakwazi oko ikamva linokuwazisela kona amaMerika Omthonyama kunye nabantu bazo zonke iintlanga, izizwe neelwimi. UYehova UThixo uthembise ukudala “amazulu amatsha nomhlaba omtsha.”—Isaya 65:17; 2 Petros 3:13; ISityhilelo 21:1, 3, 4.
Esi sithembiso asibhekiseli kwisijikelezi-langa esitsha. Njengokuba amaMerika Omthonyama esazi kakuhle ukuba, lo mhlaba uxabiseke gqitha xa uhlonelwa uze uphathwe kakuhle. Kunoko, isiprofeto seBhayibhile sibonisa indlela ulawulo olutsha lwasemazulwini oluya kubathabathel’ indawo ngayo oorhulumente babantu abalawula ngegqudu. Umhlaba uya kuguqulelwa ekubeni yiparadisi ephinde yanamahlathi, amathafa, imilambo nezidalwa zasendle. Bonke abantu baya kwabelana ngokungazingci ngomhlaba. Ukuxhaphaza nokubawa kuya kube kungasekho. Kuya kubakho intabalala yokudla okulungileyo nezinto ezakhayo.
Yaye ngokuvuswa kwabafileyo, konke okungekho sikweni okwenzeke kwixesha elidluleyo kuya kube kutshayelwe. Ewe, kwanama-Anasazi (amaNavajo “exesha lamandulo”), ookhokho boninzi lwamaIndiya angamaPueblo, ahlala eArizona naseNew Mexico, nawo aya kubuya ukuze afumane ithuba lokuphila ubomi obungunaphakade kumhlaba obuyiselweyo. Kwakhona, ezo nkokeli zazidumile kwimbali yamaIndiya—uGeronimo, uSitting Bull, uCrazy Horse, uTecumseh, uManuelito, iiNkosi uJoseph noSeattle—nezinye ezininzi zinokubuya kolo vuko luthenjisiweyo. (Yohane 5:28, 29; IZenzo 24:15) Elinjani ukumangalisa ithemba amadinga kaThixo alinikelayo kuwo nakubo bonke abamkhonzayo ngoku!
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 27]
Inqugwala eliqhelekileyo lamaNavajo, elenziwe ngezinti laza latyatyekwa ngomhlaba
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 27]
Umfanekiso kaCrazy Horse isiseko somfanekiso okwintaba engasemva
[Inkcazelo]
Photo by Robb DeWall, courtesy Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation (nonprofit)
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 27]
AmaNgqina angamaHopi namaNavajo eKeams Canyon, eArizona, ahlanganisana kwiHolo yawo yoBukumkani, eyayiyindawo yorhwebo
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 28]
Indawo ezazihlala ama-Anasazi ukusu-sela kwiminyaka engaphezu kwe-1000 eyadlulayo (eMesa Verde, eColorado)
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 28]
UGeronimo (1829–1909) inkosi eyayidumile yama-Apache
[Inkcazelo]
Courtesy Mercaldo Archives/Dictionary of American Portraits/Dover