Elevating Native American Voices

Elevating Native American Voices

"I know I can survive anything in life because my family overcame so much during assimilation, and my people are still alive and well and my tribe, although facing challenges, continues to flourish, just as it has for thousands of years. My tribe has survived and so will I"

(Jen VanStrander/Western Band of Cherokee)

Growing up I wasn't taught too much about Native American history in school.We talked about the pilgrims, tribes, teepees and it appeared to me that Native Americans were a thing of the past. Raped, killed and made extinct by white colonizers. It wasn't until college that I first met a Native American person and learned about how Native Americans live in reservations. At the time not understanding the challenges they faced there. I remember reading "The Iroquois Book of Life: White Roots of Peace" which focuses on how warring tribes of the northeast formed the Iroquois Confederacy and I remember being impressed with the organization and collaboration that came with that union and how they were able to achieve peace. I believed that we needed those kinds of systems in our political sphere to unite our country more strongly. It was through Sherman Alexei's Indian Killer that I was shocked to learn about the racism that Native American's face in our society. I naively couldn't understand how people could be racist against Native American's when the land we are standing on belongs to them.

I ended up being introduced to The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian by Sherman Alexei and loved the novel. I taught it for a couple of years and it gave me the opportunity to teach a little of Native American history. My students were also clueless about what Native America's lives are like now and the challenges they face living in reservations and dealing with their painful history.

I recently read two books that are collections of different Native American poems, short stories, pictures and so... called "Dreaming In Indian: Contemporary Native American Voices" and "#NotYourPrincess: Voices of Native American Women" edited by Lisa Charleyboy and Mary Beth Leatherdale. I was really moved by all these beautiful voices that are saying" we are here today, we will be here tomorrow ,we have not been defeated, our ancestors didn't suffer in vain". These books have really moved me to continue on my journey of learning about Native American history and culture and looking for ways to honor and support them.

 I want to share some excerpt's that really stood out to me but before I do I want to ask you to  join me in honoring Native American's by learning their history, by listening to their voices and by supporting them in their struggles. We are all one people in the end.

"The first thing I am is a person. I am a woman. And I am part of a nation, the Indian nation. But people either relate to you as an Indian or as a woman. They relate to you as a category. A lot of people don't realize that I am not that different from everyone else" (Winona LaDuke/Anishinaabe Ojibwe)

"I will not succumb to the believe that I am tainted- for I am like steel forged by fire- adversity has only made me stronger. I will not believe I am weak- I know I am indomitable. I have the privilege of another day." (Patty Stonefish/Lakota)

"We never learned about Indigenous communities in school. My mom never told us about our indigenous roots. I spent the first twenty five years of my life feeling incomplete. Now almost twenty five years later, I still can't help but feel ripped off and angry that my culture was kept from me. It feels like someone stole a piece of my soul and I've been working ever since to get it back. (Natalie Bertin/Metis)

"Native Americans are still part of this country. People act like we're gone but we're still here"

"Across the reservation, young people are acting as defenders of Mother Earth and saying no to Big Oil. We know that we can live without electricity, we can live without oil, but we can't live without water. No one can" (AnnaLee Rain Yellowhammer/Hunkapapa, Standing Rock Sioux)

Watersong 

"This painting is an ode. I'm not a musician so it's my song to water." by Christi Belcourt/Metis

"We are rich mostly because we find the strength in each other" (Faith Turner/Moose Cree First Nation)

Here's some Native American artist and activists to follow:

Artist Tom GreyEyes (Navajo Nation)
Singer-Songwriter Derek Miller (Mohawk Six Nations Reserve)
Makeup Artist- Heather Hill aka Sokolum (Yellowknives Dene First Nation)
Painter & Hip Hop artist Bunky Echo Hawk (Pawnee and Yakama)
Artist and Activist Louie Gong (Nooksack)
Painters Ruthie, Sierra, Chamisa and Santana Edd (Dine Nation)