Parallels between my story, "Between the Whistle and the Gun" and Ukraine's story...

 I haven't been shy about heralding my recently published novel "Between the Whistle and the Gun." I've announced it on Facebook, several forums and on this blog as well. It is a story I carried with me and worked on for a long time. When I say long time, I mean really long time. Like fifteen years long. It's a serious narrative about Native Americans who were displaced from their homeland. A homeland they occupied for centuries, before the colonials ever set foot on American soil. For whatever reasons, mostly selfish no doubt, the White men decided they needed the land more than the Indians needed their homeland. So they were forced to walk, yes walk, to a new, designated area which they would, not by choice, call home. The journey was fatal for many. For those that did survive the 'new' homeland was hardly hospitable. Disease, famine, bandits, marauders, all contributed to making life in Indian Territory hellish. 

As if those few decades of misery and tribulation weren't enough, the fledgling government and barely 'united' United States post-civil war government singularly decided that a large amount of the land that had been appropriated to the Indians could actually serve a better purpose than being home to the Indians. So they "allotted' a certain amount of land to each Indian to own, as opposed to the Indians collectively owning the land. Subsequently, over nine million acres was taken from the Indians amid such allotment. That goes beyond displacement. That's abuse. 

The backgrounds and histories of the Ukraine war and the displacement of the Choctaw Indians are vastly different. The net effect on the people of each nation has some striking similarities. The Choctaws were in fact, physically displaced. The Ukrainians are threatened with political displacement. They have been an internationally recognized sovereign country since 1991. In December '91, Ukrainians voted in a nationwide referendum on whether to remain independent. More than 90% voted "yes" including majorities in every region of the country. 

In February 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine, with the unstated but obvious goal of reclaiming it as Russian territory, subject to the Russian government. To date, approximately 500,000 Russian soldiers have died in the conflict. Ukrainian military casualties; 100-140 thousand. There have been 15,000 civilian deaths in Ukraine. It is the deadliest war in Europe since World War II. A war against a country that voted over 90% to remain independent. 

Setting aside the background of each situation, here are the parallels that will forever remain in the annals of history. 

• displacement of sovereign peoples against their will
• the human tragedy inflicted
• significant deaths caused by political ambitions

The Choctaws through the sheer power of determination and leadership were able to survive as a sovereign nation. Their culture remains intact over a century later. The story of Ukraine is still unfolding. In spite of the fact that their culture overlaps that of their invaders, they are a sovereign nation under attack. Whether they remain so and their culture continues to develop with singularity is yet to be written. From what we have seen so far, they will remain sovereign and independent. As they have stated they wish to be. The free world stands with Ukraine. May they forever remain intact as an independent, sovereign nation and govern themselves.