Teeth! Those beautiful little grinders that help us gnaw our steaks, tear into apples and chomp the ends of pencils into sawdust! I got my teeth cleaned by the dentist for the first time in 3 years, and I had no new decay or cavities! I was proud, I am proud, however I had some serious tartar build up that caused me to endure the grinding and scraping of the dental technician. My gums are sore as I type this. I will be getting a 1000 dollar gold crown in about a month or so from now, yep, a real honest to goodness golden crown that should last me a good part of my lifetime! I'm paying all out of pocket because we Indians get the best free dental straight from Uncle Sam himself! I must not forget our free education too! Man we got it made!

: )

Anyway, while the dental tech was taking my X-Rays, I noticed that the X-Ray zapper was shaking as she would take the picture, so I asked if that made it blurry. She then got a little defensive and asked me why, what do you do for a living? I let her know that I was a photographer, and a filmmaker and then the tone changed. "Oh, really! Where can I see your work?" she said. To which I replied, "Well you can watch my film May 4th when it broadcasts nationally on Pee Bee Esssss. It's part of a series on Native History."

She then came back with a very genuine, "Well that must be so much fun for you!"

I being a consistent downer to never forget the struggle replied, "Not really, actually it was a brutal experience that lasted the entire year I worked on it. Now that it's all said and done, it only haunts me from time to time."

"oh....." she said as she began scraping the tartar from my teeth.

She then went on to say that her husband was reading about Fort Huachuca, and how he was telling her how brutal and cruel the Apaches were. (Fort Huachuca was built in 1877 here in Arizona and was utilized during the famed Apache Campaign) She added that we Apaches were even meaner and more cruel than the other "TAME" Indians in the southwest. Remember she has a sharp little digger that is scraping away inside my mouth as she speaks to me. I listen and try to remain calm while I endure the 2 things I hate most in the world. The Dentist and misinformed liberals who never waste an opportunity to spew off their racist mythology about society, history and the subjugation and obliteration of Native Peoples to make way for the free democratic Amerikkka.

TO BE CONTINUED....