My beloved daughter, Deloria, in her athletic days! Today she is an incredible mother. As well, I call Deloria and her beloved husband, Soul Mates, and Love Birds.
The following Deloria would never tell you. Her whole life is consumed by being a great mother along with being a Soul Mate and Love Bird with her beloved husband, Franco. As well, from the many elders and relatives around her, she was given the Sacred Gift of Humility, at an early age.
In Deloria's younger days, she was an athletic power. At 14, Deloria played first-string offensive fullback and outside defensive linebacker on a boys football team in the Northside of Lethbridge, Alberta, the most racist part of Lethbridge. A City in Sothern Alberta that a national study by researchers at the University of Lethbridge, on Canadian Racism, concluded was the most racist city in Canada!
In the beginning, every day Deloria would come home bruised and the object of considerable derision by her teammates. They were all of the European backgrounds, who did not want a girl on their team, especially a girl who was a "Wagon Burner" or a "Prarie Nigger" and the many other similar terms used by the spiritually sick of Lethbridge to describe the Indigenous Peoples on whose land they built Lethbridge.
In the end, Deloria's Team won the Division Championship, and most importantly Deloria won the hearts of her teammates. The peak of our physical strength passes quickly, but the spiritual dimensions of our heart and soul continue forever.
Through the assistance of the American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) Deloria received a full scholarship to the Thatcher School in Ojai, California. After four years Deloria had become a dominant athletic power in the Condor Leauge in Cross Country and Track and Field.
Deloria did pretty well in Basketball, as well. She may not have had the training and experience in Basketball, like her peers, but opponents did like to have to face her carefully used elbows, knees, and hands under the backboard. Once Deloria stepped on a football field, basketball court or track field she was taught to "spare no enemies," and she didn't, including a couple of street fights, she got into standing up as a Kainai, Dakota and Chickasaw Woman!
At the final Condor League Championship Track Meet, Deloria's Lala, and Unchi Lane came down from Walla Walla to support their Tokoja, (Granddaughter). Deloria did not disappoint her grandparents. Deloria won easily four Gold Metals in the 100, 200, and 400 Meters and as Anchor of Thacher's 400-meter relay team.
In the end, Deloria won the Condor Leagues Award for the most outstanding female athlete. She then went on to compete at the North American Indigenous Games, in Winnipeg, where she dominated the 400, 800, and 1600 meters, with golds in each event. Deloria received 2nd in her last race, the 100 meters, after being up all night without sleep, before the 100-meter race, because of a family emergency.
There is a lot more to share about Deloria's athletic career, but I will put a bookmark on the rest, for now!
Deloria and Franco moved to Calgary after working with me in SE Asia, doing their very best training Indigenous young people, in Cambodia, Indonesia, Myanmar, the Philippines, and Thailand about digital technology and supporting the development of an Indigenous digital network, across the region. They were guided and mentored by an Indigenous Sister, Bernice See from the Cordillera Mountains, in the Philippines. Sister Bernice has devoted her life protecting and restoring Indigenous Rights across SE Asia.
Tonska Tom Litchfield and Sian Pharotsupin, from Thailand and Budhie Himawan from Indonesia, were their Digital Technology and Social Network Development Support Team. Tonska Tom Litchfield met Tiger when he was 9 and has been mentoring Tiger in digital technology for the past 8 years.
When Deloria and Franco returned to Calgary, Deloria won the Indspire Award in Education, formerly the National Aboriginal Achievement Awards. Deloria, also, got a job working for Alberta Child and Family Services, that paid a salary more than I have ever made in my life. Then after giving birth to my Tokoja (granddaughter), Emi, from my perspective, Deloria made the best decision and action of her life.
About six months after Tokoja Emi arrived, Deloria gave me a telephone call. I will always remember her words! Deloria said, after our usual greetings, "Dad, with great love and respect, I do not want to try and save the world like you, I want to quit my job and be a good Mother and Wife!"
Knowing the profound sense of loss, I feel at times, for spending too much of my life trying to "save the world," rather spending more time being a father to my daughters and son, my answer was immediate and without hesitation. " My beloved daughter that is the best decision you could ever make in your life!" And thankfully that is the decision, and action Deloria took, and she has never looked back.
Despite spending too much of my life trying to "save the world," the Creator has been very merciful and graceful! Each of my five daughters is beautiful mothers to my thirteen grandchildren, and our son Tiger is the best son a father's t could ever wish. Each of them with a sacred journey and story, like their sister, Deloria and all our children of our Human Family!
It is, also, of full and equal mportance to give my heartfelt thanksgiving to all those friends and relatives who have given and are still giving Deloria their unconditional love and support when I have been absent, including our beloved ones from the Other Side Camp! You know who you are! Thank You!
For any parent who has lost a child or their children are suffering from an addiction of any kind, I give my heartfelt love and prayers. Like many of us, each of my children has had their challenges, but at this time they are all on the Red Road. If anyone of them or my grandchildren left to the Other Side Camp before me or were severely and permanently injured in this Plane of Existence, I can not imagine a more challenging and painful spiritual test and difficulty!
There are yet, many challenges before us all, but I will do the very best I can to keep the Sacred Spirit of Wopida Tanka in the inmost chambers of my heart and soul. The Spirit of Wopida Tanka is being thankful and in gratitude for everything that comes into our lives, however painful, is a Sacred Gift from our Creator for our spiritual growth and development.
Wopida Tanka
