When I was a little girl in school, October 12 was Columbus Day.  We sang about how in 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue in the Nina, the Pinta and the Santa Maria.  It never even occurred to me that this might not be a thing that all people thought was just great until I came to teach at the Indian school

In 1901, on October 12, my grandfather, “Papa,” was born in Indian Territory.

Some years ago, I wrote this:

INDIAN TERRITORY
 
My papa was born
in the Indian Territory
and went to The Jones Academy 
Indian School
where he learned
not to look like an Indian
not to talk like an Indian
not to think like an Indian
not to be an Indian.
 
Dressed like a white man in his 
Oklahoma Highway Patrolman uniform
he bounced me pony-boy on his knee
and always called me his Grandbaby
and sang me songs like Old Blue
and told me silly rhymes like
Jeannie-kah-feenie-tee-ollie-go-leanie
tee-legged-tye-legged-bow-legged Jeannie
and whispered in my ear that
Choctaws are better than Cherokees.
 
That was just about all
they let him remember
and he had to whisper it.
I know more
than what they let him keep
but they are other people’s memories.
I had to steal them
off plain flat grave markers
or out of a roll book.

One day not long ago
I sat eating cold baloney sandwiches
with yellow mustard on Wonder Bread
served up by the women of
the Choctaw Presbyterian Church
way down near Broken Bow.
There I stole some more memories.
They all wear nikes now
in case they ever get sent off
on another long walk.

Just about all my grandparents and great grandparents lived very long lives and I remember them all.  But Papa died a young man. Still,  I remember many things about him.  He was a tall, handsome, proud man.

I remember hearing when he was about sixteen and Indian Territory was the “brand new state” of Oklahoma, he was sent off to Vladivostok in WW I.  I remember a picture of him in a doughboy uniform.

I have this picture of him taken some years later when, for a parade, he and some other officials rode their horses.  I got to sit in front of him on that horse, just for a few minutes.  I was very little, but I remember it.  When he surprised me and came  by the house, I was still wearing some fuzzy little animal slippers and I was afraid they would fall off.  He reached over and made sure they were safely on my feet.  Funny the things we remember.

Papa is the second on our right in this picture.

I see on my Maui calendar that in Hawaii this date is called  Discoverers’ Day and commemorates the Polynesians who came to Hawaii in their outriggers.  Still, many indigenous people protest on this date.  I don’t remember Papa ever complaining or protesting about anything.  He was very interested and involved in local politics, though, and he did have some strong ideas.

As for me, I remember how important celebrating birthdays and other holidays was to Papa.    Happy Birthday, Papa.