Anishinaabekwe

Video: Sistah by Ami Mattison

2012-01-28T12:12:00.005-05:00

Watch and listen to this amazing poem Sistah by my friend Ami Mattison!

Ami Mattison is a queer, mixed raced, mixed-gender Chamorro poet and writer. She was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, adopted by white parents into a multi-racial family; and raised in Montgomery, Alabama. She lived in Atlanta, Georgia, for nearly two decades, and currently resides in Detroit, Michigan. Her work appears in Navigating Islands and Continents: Conversations and Contestations in and around the Pacific, The Very Inside: An Asian and Pacific Island Lesbian and Bisexual Women's Anthology, and Yellow Medicine Review: A Journal of Indigenous Literature, Art and Thought (Spring 2010). Author of a spoken word CD, Strange and Potent Mixture, she tours the U.S. giving performances, lectures, and workshops.

Ancestral Healing Pronounced

2012-01-22T13:44:00.002-05:00

Reflection of me looking at the photo of my Dad, me and my brother.

Buried deep in the earth. Roots reach in for healing. I can stand tall in my identity. We can stand tall in our identity. What we've seen. What we've felt. What we have done to each other. We didn't mean to. It was darkness that encircled us.

I've written words on my arms in a permanent marker. But I scrubbed it away with an old wash rag. With rage, anger, defeat. Tears pour down our faces in the shower. Water, tears, possibly healing. I lay down in the bath tub with the water and tears running freely and away. I stand up and bang on the shower walls. This racism hurts my soul. Hurts our soul.

Back to the land, I remember the shower. Racism hurts our souls. But I rise above and become proud. I become stronger in my identity. Mixed blood conglomeration. Mixed blood wooziness. Mixed blood identity conundrum, daily.

Detroit brought a lot of pain. Slammed doors on me. I am invisibly Native there. I am white to many people in that city. They think that I benefit from white privilege. But I live the traditional Anishinaabe way. I am a proud Anishinaabekwe! Detroit made me race by freeway walls with bad thoughts. I try to heal my Grandfathers pain. He cries through me. I try to heal being invisible. But I keep hearing, "you are white, you are white, you are white young lady!" I am in pain, in my mixed blood identity.

My ancestors labor on the land and I remember. I try to forget about Detroit. But my Grandfather on my Mother's side helped to create the UAW. He was on the bridge fight. I fumble with the station when a Motown song comes on. I want traditional powwow tunes but I've got both pulsing through my being, so I can't resist. The labor, the pulse, working class roots, blue collar identity, my Dad working, tired, numb. I see him cry. This crying makes me fight to be stronger, to be prouder of being Anishinaabe. What I've seen. What I've known. So I move forward sometimes not whole but discombobulated, as my Mother would like to say.

I drove away from dreary city lights. Naaminitigong brings healing. I connect with the land. I am more visible here. I am Anishinaabe here, not white. My culture pulses all around me, the land, water, ancestors, home.

Photos & Poem: Snowshoe Adventure

2012-01-21T17:40:00.004-05:00

Wisdom Silent

Driving out of town,
South of town,

Anger in the wind,

Yellow energy,

Yellow curtains,

Energy emanates,

Smoke rising in the town,

Pollution,

Chase,

Chase away,

Chase away the anger,

But feel it,

Tall CCC trees,

My soul yearns,

To see what the land was like,

Before colonization,

I am ever seeking,

With my feet,

Eyes,

Hands,

Legs,

Body,

Mind,

Soul,

Heart,

I saw two eagles fly away together,

A rare sight,

Two track,

Snow covered,

Warming up,

The CCC trees listen,

Gravitate,

Wisdom sacred,

Wisdom silent,

For now.

CCC trees! Not the original trees before colonization.

Beautiful two track and I am the only one around!

My snowshoes and cool leggings!

Reflecting, contemplating, healing!

Poem: Shame in Birth

2012-01-21T12:28:00.000-05:00

Women of color,

Native women,

Bi-racial women,

Multi-racial women,

Invisibly mixed race women,

Unidentifiable minority women,

Passing as "white,"

But living the experiences of women of color,

Shame in birth,

The culture wants you to feel shame in birth,

Shame in conception,

Shame in making love,

Shame in love,

Shame in partnerships,

Companions,

Lovers,

The culture wants you to feel shame in birth,

Not joy,

Happiness,

You are "poor,"

Not living up to,

Standards not meant for you,

As you strive,

The push you down,

Beat you down,

Further,

The chains around your uterus,

The chains around your reproductive rights.

Video: Shit people say to native americans

2012-01-18T21:10:00.000-05:00

People do say the most ridiculous shit to us. I hear it over and over again. They think we don't exist anymore. They also have so many stereotypes on how we look, how we speak and how we live our lives overall. Disconnection and privilege on behalf of mainstream America have people saying shit like this.

"You're Native American? Yeah I can see that!"

"Can I touch your hair?"

"If the reservations are so bad why don't you guys just move?"

"I think I was Native American in a past life..."

Poem: Matriarchal Voice

2012-01-18T17:03:00.000-05:00

I am incredibly disjointed,

In my Native identity,

Move through oppressive patriarchal energy,

No one likes a matriarchal voice,

Marginalized,

Oppressed,

Silenced,

The land is not yours,

You have very little,

The matriarch is not valued,

Not heard,

Not wanted to be heard,

Matriarchal voice is not about abuse,

Not about power over,

Not about domination,

Not about violence,

A matriarchal voice is healing,

Is beautiful,

If of the Earth,

Her spirit is bright,

Wisdom,

Inner wealth,

Strength,

Listen,

To her voice.

Video: Documentary "We Women Warriors"

2012-01-14T10:40:00.001-05:00

WE WOMEN WARRIORS is an independent documentary profiling three valiant female leaders as they guide us through Colombia's war-torn native nations, illuminating heroic struggles for indigenous rights, justice and dignity. Join our online community at wewomenwarriors.com

WE WOMEN WARRIORS from Nicole Karsin on Vimeo.

Poem: Mixed Race Urban

2012-01-09T11:20:00.008-05:00

Urban speak,

Don't tell me how to speak,

Nice,

Proper,

Damn,

See,

The culture wants to put me in a narrow box,

Speak proper and right grrl,

My multi-faceted self,

Includes urban speak,

Yes,

Not proper,

Or what is deemed to be proper,

Yooper talk,

Don’t cha know,

Eh?

NDN,

Rez talkin’,

Cultured from the urban foundations,

University talk,

Sociologically inclined to speak of injustices,

Micro small Odawa rez town,

Naaminitigong,

Urban speak,

Highland Park roots of my Father,

Motown tunes ringin’ all around,

Speaking in a way,

How I see,

How I define,

How I be me,

Truly me,

All the pieces,

Beautifully blended together,

Urban speak.

1st Regional 100 Women In Wellbriety Gathering

2012-01-08T10:05:00.009-05:00

1^st Regional 100 Women In Wellbriety Gathering
“Women Who Carry The Sacred Hoop"

Date: February 3-5, 2012 (Friday 4:00pm - Sunday Noon)

For: "Women in Wellbriety" Circles & Individual Members from the Upper Midwest.

(Women from other areas are welcome as well.)

Site: All Nations Indian Church, South Minneapolis, MN

Nearby hotels include: Sheraton Midtown (closest) 612-821-7600 and Holiday Inn Express Minneapolis Metrodome 877-786-9480. Both are in South Minneapolis. There will be a small registration fee for the Gathering of $25 to cover cost of meals/routine expense. Our space will seat 100 and we will take registration on a first come basis to accomodate space. We are making history here ladies, the beginnings of the Women in Wellbriety Movement! We'll be excited to have you join us.

To register please go to the White Bison website. There are also a few scholarships available so please make sure to ask about that if you need help financially. I will be attending this Gathering so I hope to see you there! Please spread the word!

Article: Decolonizing Together - Briarpatch Magazine

2012-01-07T14:53:00.002-05:00

I absolutely love Briarpatch Magazine! Thought I would share this article -- Decolonizing together - Moving beyond a politics of solidarity toward a practice of decolonization. Here are some bits and pieces from the article that I thoroughly enjoy!

"Non-natives must be able to position ourselves as active and integral participants in a decolonization movement for political liberation, social transformation, renewed cultural kinships and the development of an economic system that serves rather than threatens our collective life on this planet."

"Indigenous self-determination is increasingly understood as intertwined with struggles against racism, poverty, police violence, war and occupation, violence against women and environmental justice."

"Building intentional alliances should also avoid devolution into tokenization. Non-natives often choose which Indigenous voices to privilege by defaulting to Indigenous activists they determine to be better known, easier-to-contact or “less hostile.” This selectivity distorts the diversity present in Indigenous communities and can exacerbate tensions and colonially imposed divisions between Indigenous peoples."

"Decolonization is the process whereby we create the conditions in which we want to live and the social relations we wish to have. We have to commit ourselves to supplanting the colonial logic of the state itself."

"From Turtle Island to Palestine, striving toward decolonization and walking together toward transformation requires us to challenge a dehumanizing social organization that perpetuates our isolation from each other and normalizes a lack of responsibility to one another and the Earth."

Help Us Raise Funds for "Ajijaak" Ojibwe Storybook!

2012-01-06T19:24:00.009-05:00

Help us raise funds to assist in paying for the cost of printing and binding 100 full color paperback books for the first edition of "Ajijaak." Yes and I wrote the story!

Go to kickstarter and donate if you can. Be a part of helping to save the language. Please spread the word!

Two Years Strong on the Red Road to Wellbriety

2012-01-01T19:25:00.004-05:00

Today I celebrate the accomplishment that I have been walking the Red Road to Wellbriety for two years! I have worked very hard to heal historical and generational trauma. From the linked website historical trauma can be defined as, "cumulative emotional and psychological wounding over the lifespan and across generations, emanating from massive group trauma. Native Americans have, for over 500 years, endured physical, emotional, social, and spiritual genocide from European and American colonialist policy."

Walking the Red Road to Wellbriety is not just about living a sober lifestyle. It is also about reclaiming culture, language, identity and traditions. Wellbriety is about being healed and being whole. Healing can occur when we connect and talk with an elder. It can also occur when we engage in traditional activities such as: dancing in powwows, sweat lodges, making traditional crafts, signing and participating in a talking circle. I am very grateful to be living in Naaminitigong (land beneath the trees) because I feel very much at home here. This part of Anishinaabe Territory has brought much healing to my life. I will continue to walk the Red Road to Wellbriety for healing, justice, peace, balance and wholeness.

You can read more about my journey on this good road here - Walking the Red Road to Wellbriety.

Racing the Rez Documentary

2011-12-31T16:30:00.000-05:00

About this project

Are you a fan of running, Native American culture, high school cross-country, or just know what it takes to have a goal and never say die? If so, then Racing the Rez is your kind of documentary. We've finished shooting the film and are two-thirds of the way through editing.

All we need now is your help to give us the final kick that will take this film across the finish line - but we've only got 30 days to raise $15,000 - otherwise we DON'T get the funding. That's why we need your help now!

Read more about the film and how to help here!

Poem: We Grew Up in Coffee Shops

2011-12-29T19:02:00.003-05:00

I've been reflecting on my youth and my hometown. I am actually thinking of writing a book on my community. This book would be put together with a few other friends who also grew up in my neighborhood. Back in the day we sat on each others front steps, had block parties and watched out for each other. At age 12 I was attending city commission meetings to voice my opinion against the economic gentrification and yuppification that was happening in our town. I was already an activist at such a young age. You might know what town I am talking about if you live in Michigan because I mention a store in this poem that is in my hometown.

We Grew Up in Coffee Shops

We grew up in coffee shops,
Cigarettes,
Cheap coffee,
Refills,

Breathing smoky air,
Grunge era,
The broken tile on the floor,
Follow it,
Trace it,
Leather jacket,
Pain,

We can trace the coffee cup with our fingers,
Teenagers,
Rebellious,

Noir Leather,
Sure we went in the store,
At age 12,
The leather was cool,
So were the whips,
Chains,
Masks,
The workers at the store,
Laughed at us youth,
Rebellious in our jean jackets,
Pennies in the pockets,

Wanted to paint our nails a sparkly pink,
Red,
Blue,
Dye our hair purple,
Green,
Rebellious youth!

Running,
From our homes,
Painter,
Worker,
Phone,
Telephone,
Rotary phone,
Workers,
Tired workers,
Crack open that 40,
Toss the cap in the trash,

Rebellious youth,
Maybe our feet can hit the bricks,
Downtown,
Uneven bricks,
Meet and congeal with,
And coalesce with,
Railroad tracks,
Onward,
Fast,
One direction,
Rails,
Wheels turning,
Furious motion,
We put down pennies,
Fast,
Race to catch the trains,
Our hands grip the fence,
To watch the train,
Train engineers,
Waving,

And we start walking back,
To get a cuppa,
Sugar,
Stirrer,
Warm our hands,

We grew up in coffee shops,
Drag queens,
Pride flags,
Smoky air,
We loved Divine,
And cross dressing,

There was a great love,
In growing up in coffee shops.

Red Ink Magazine Call for Submissions

2011-12-28T08:58:00.000-05:00

Poem: 500 Years, Ever Broken

2011-12-18T19:10:00.011-05:00

I decided to try something new and record a poem on SoundCloud. I only have a headset so I don't have the best recording equipment. The sound is decent, not perfect but you do gotta turn it up! Okay, go ahead and listen!

500 years ever broken by anishinaabekwe

500 Years, Ever Broken

Because of that fire,
Tingly beneath our feet,
To race onward,
And surmount,
The millions of defeats,
Tingly to perpetuate change,
Propel us to leap,
Propel us to bound,
Jump,
Hurdle,
Run,
Run so fast,

Crying because we have to,
Fire beneath our feet,
Tribal language,
Many children do not speak,
Many children do not know,
Devastating scars revealed,

But to the majority of the world,
Hidden in shame,
Darkness,
Voice silenced,

Trembling under the layers of oppression,
Dirt,
Dirt,
Dirt,
So heavy,
Hard to wash clean,

Can not see clearly,
Under the layers of oppression,
Metal fork touches,
Our teeth,
Rice on our tongues,
Empty cans,
Commods,
Drying rice on the plate,
In the sink,
Can't wash clean,
Oppression,

Haze in our eyes,
Under the layers of oppression,
Body sore,
Eyes achy,
Eyes tired,
Can't smile,
Can't break our frowns,
Physical tiredness,
Soul burdens,
Soul sadness,
Finding disappointment,
Finding rejection,
Finding we are forgotten,

Particulate matter on us,
Under the layers of oppression,
Brushing,
Brushing off,
Sacred bundle,
Around our necks,
Delivering us,
From burdens,
Of being unheard,
Unseen,
Invisible,

Driving from the reservation,
Tormented screams,
My hands hurt,

Driving from the reservation,
The radio don't work,
Whistlin' window on the passengers side,

Driving from the reservation,
Afraid of dealing with racism,

Hide,
Hidden,
Cover your face,
Put your hoodie up,
Scoot down in your seat,
Just act like a "warrior,"
When you drive away from the reservations,

The fire beneath our feet,
Is a connection to our source,
Gitchi Manitou,
That we are allowed to feel,

Ever broken,
Hurt,
Silenced,
Not seen,
After 500 years of genocide,
Document controlled genocide,
Paper,
Sign it,
Signature,
Broken,
Ever broken,

Connection to the Earth,
Standing,
On the land,
Identity,
Strength,
Power,
Support from the land,
Support from Gitchi Manitou.

Video: Dancing in the Sun

2011-12-16T22:02:00.000-05:00

Elder Oldhands a 20 year Veteran Sun Dancer, gives a haunting song for what is happening to our Earth Mother, This Year, Sun Dancer's can change the World...Pray Hard Brothers and Sisters ..Pray Hard.

Poem: Support in Our Sisters

2011-12-14T17:53:00.001-05:00

Remember that you have support in our sisters,
We talk about bell hooks,
James Baldwin,
Sitting Bull,
Chief Joseph,
Winona LaDuke,

Support in our sisters,
To tend to the heart of our souls,
The soul of our hearts,
We can diagnose,
We can listen,
We can hear,
We can speak,

Support in our sisters,
To finely undo the old weavings of patriarchy on our souls,
Gender justice,
For the females in our lives,
Aunties,
Mothers,
Sisters,
Cousins,
Grandmothers,
Great Grandmothers,
All the strong women,
Who light a candle,
And guide us on our paths,
Through dark and treacherous times,
When we were unable to breathe,
Because the culture wants us to be silent,
Because the culture was us to comply,
To suffocating standards,
That keep us from shining our light,

Support in our sisters,
To take these chains of oppression,
Toss them aside,
To dissolve,
In the soil,

Our sisters are by our sides,
Growing stronger,
Growing brighter,
Growing together,

Our sisters see us,
Our sisters know us,
We are healing,
Together.

Video: Book Launch - Voice on the Water: Great Lakes Native America Now

2011-12-13T19:40:00.010-05:00

Watch me read my poem - "Wounding of Our Womb," at the Voice on the Water: Great Lakes Native America Now book launch at Northern Michigan University in Marquette. The video can't be embedded into blogger so here is the link to the video. I start reading the poem at 39:20 and I am done 42:14.

A picture of moi at the book launch at NMU in Marquette, MI.

Video: Singing Lessons by the 1491s

2011-12-10T11:21:00.000-05:00

Another hilarious video by the 1491's!

Photos: Book Launch - Voice on the Water: Great Lakes Native America Now

2011-12-03T12:30:00.010-05:00


Reading my poem at the Marquette book launch.


My cousin and me!

My first book signing!

A group photo of the participants in the Marquette book launch.

Participants in the Mt. Pleasant book launch at the Ziibiwing Center.

Book Launch - Voice on the Water: Great Lakes Native America Now

2011-11-30T13:35:00.001-05:00

Tonight I will be presenting my poem, Wounding of Our Womb, that is included in this anthology - Voice on the Water: Great Lakes Native America Now. The event is taking place at Northern Michigan University in Jamrich Hall 105 from 7:00-10:00 pm. I will also be presenting my poem at the event this Friday, December 2nd at the Ziibiwing Center in Mt. Pleasant. You can purchase the book here.

Here is the link to the event with some details.

“Voice on the Water: Great Lakes Native America Now” will be available as a LIVE stream on-line! If you cannot make the trip to Marquette, simply visit the Northern Michigan University homepage www.nmu.edu/ for the direct link to this program.

Thanks to a grant from the Michigan Humanities Council, the NMU Center for Native American Studies in cooperation with the NMU Press will soon release an anthology of creative works entitled, "Voice on the Water: Great Lakes Native America Now."

The anthology represents the contemporary voice of the Michigan Indian Experience. Two public readings have been scheduled to showcase the contributors of this work. This being the upper Michigan book launch. The lower Michigan book launch will be held Friday, December 2 at 4 p.m. at the Ziibiwing Center for Anishinaabe Culture and Lifeways in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan.

This program is hosted by the Center for Native American Studies and the NMU Communications and Marketing Office."

Love Buried in the Earth

2011-11-28T20:42:00.001-05:00

She was grateful for silence. Wind through the pines. Wind makes the curtains expand and collapse. Expand and collapse.

What was love but a hurried feeling? What was love but a connection to a soul? What was love but silence, awakening, stillness, coldness, pain? Is love amplified or crippling? Is love freeing?

The wind blew through the windows. The curtains parting ways, like love, then returning to each other. What were bills, jobs, work, oppression, denial of truth, pain, injustice, redlining and stigma when love was real. When love could abandon her again. Her hand on the table. Silence.

When she was a child she played alone. The carpet on her knees. She knew she was at home. But the violent screams in her home left her to feel at home in violence. The torment of the soul to wish for love that you would feel from angels. Except this love was tainted, tormented and conditional. As a child she knew love from things created in her mind, for safety. She could run to the window and place her hands on the window sill. She would listen to the birds, as healing. Directing the chirps and whistles to her heart. But turning back inside to the home, a place of no freedom.

As a young woman, socially awkward and often walked a life of delirium and sorrow, she hid. She hid in a jail created by oppression. Oppression of love as a an old time act. Traditional concept of love for a unconventional gal. Traditional concept of love as the only way she knew love because of the screams and pain. She could pine and dream. She could focus her attention of the world outside. The window was freedom. She could dream of flying away.

The world only would trigger the past. The world was not love. Torment was the pavement, the subway and the smells of various restaurants. She had to keep moving forward. A heavy weight, a heavy burden. Life presented not but gifts but would take from her.

Winter is a time of healing. Healing can be buried deep in the Earth, as she sleeps. The older woman buries love of the past into the Earth. Dark love, twisted love, tormented love. The soul reaches for healing.

Poem: Anishinaabekwe

2011-11-25T14:17:00.000-05:00

Anishinaabekwe,

Beautiful,

Strong,

Indigenous,

Anishinaabekwe,

Connected to nibish,

Connected to akii,

Connected to nibi,

Connected to akii,

Anishinaabekwe,

Beautiful,

Strong,

Indigenous,

Connected to nibi,

Connected to akki,

Beautiful,

Strong,

Indigenous,

Anishinaabkwe is beautiful,

Anishinaabekwe is strong,

Anishinaabekwe is powerful!

Video: REPRESENT Jingle Dance - 1491s - Kayla Gebeck

2011-11-18T18:02:00.001-05:00

I am a jingle dress dancer so I absolutely love this video by the 1491's!

Kayla Gebeck, Red Lake Ojibwe, studies linguistics and Native American Studies at Dartmouth College. She's a 1491 and she represents. Cinematography by Hillary Abe. Directed and Edited by Dallas Goldtooth and Ryan Red Corn. Music by Little Otter.

Poem: It Looks Pretty Privileged

2011-11-16T10:50:00.002-05:00

I've got my Pearl Jam tape from the record store,

I make note of the bricks on the ground,

As I walk,

Walk,

I've got pennies in my jean jacket,

Pennies for ice cream in March,

Sometimes the ice cream shop opens early,

The Pearl Jam tape,

Black,

Jeremy,

Rebellious,

I've jammed my hands into the ground,

Its raining,

Its cold,

I stare at the bricks,

The bricks,

Some are uneven,

Not perfect,

It looks pretty privileged,

But I walked alone,

Downtown,

To the record store,

Out of the fire,

The fire,

The fire of my home,

Where I cut my arms,

Where genocidal amnesia tormented my soul,

Made my heart palpitate,

Drove me away from my body,

My soul flying,

Wanting to fly,

Because the existence was so painful,

So painful,

Tears,

It looks pretty privileged,

But white washed America wants to do that to us Native folk,

Even my Dad with alcohol on his breathe would listen to the birds,

Soul seeking,

It looks pretty privileged,

The house with broken cement,

A hole in the steps,

Which we threw things down,

In anger,

Angst,

As children,

What else did we want to throw down there?

So my Pearl Jam tape looks pretty privileged,

The residue of poverty is abuse,

Abuse,

Violence,

Rage,

Silenced,

I'm silenced,

My parents leave the light in the living room on,

Its old,

Our cheap furniture,

But I can run to the kitchen and eat an off brand cookie,

It looks pretty privileged,

But my Mom cried tears,

My brother listened to Megadeath,

Metallica,

We had a way to direct our rage,

No resolutions,

No solutions,

It looks pretty privileged,

But I hurt myself,

Wanted out of this existence,

To sit in the pain,

Only know the pain,

Walls around,

Breaking down walls,

Walls around,

Fire inside,

Fire inside.

Music: Northern Wind Singers - Grass Dance Song

2011-11-13T14:48:00.001-05:00

Poem: The Healing of the Women of Our Nations

2011-11-11T12:50:00.007-05:00

The healing of the women of our nations,
Removing the chains of oppression,
Removing the chains of marginalization,
Removing the chains of racism,
Removing the chains of sexism,

Grounded firmly into the Earth,
Grounded into the wisdom of the ancestors,

The healing of the women of our nations,
Traditions,
Language,
Culture,
Visibility,
Voice,
Rising up,

The healing of the women of our nations,
Is the healing of us all.

Video: To the Indigenous Woman, a poem by the 1491s

2011-11-09T18:55:00.004-05:00

A powerful and intensely Indigenous video poem by the 1491's. This video poem is very moving. Raise awareness! Educate! Know about these issues that Native women experience that are very real. Work to bring healing, justice, empowerment and love to Native women.

Yellow Medicine Review - A Journal of Indigenous Literature, Art and Thought

2011-11-06T15:20:00.001-05:00

Yesterday I was so excited to receive two copies of Yellow Medicine Review - A Journal of Indigenous Literature, Art and Thought, Fall 2011. My poem Blood Memory is included this journal.

Here is the link to Yellow Medicine Review, where you can order a copy for yourself!

I'm Back

2011-11-05T21:43:00.000-04:00

I am back from my brief hiatus! I've got some new poetry to release on my blog soon and some other great news to share. Get ready for all of the wonderful stuff that is on its way!

Manistee River during a recent canoeing/kayaking trip!

Brief Hiatus

2011-10-25T21:54:00.003-04:00

Boozhoo Blog Readers!

Very soon I will be taking a brief hiatus from blogging. During this hiatus my blog will be made private. Once I return from the hiatus my blog will be public again. I am not deleting my blog at all because I love writing, poetry, Native issues, etc! I'm just taking a small break. I wanted to give folks a heads up so they had time to make a note of this.

Baa maa pii!

Decolonize Wall Street Poster Fundraiser!

2011-10-10T14:20:00.008-04:00

The current economic crisis is propelling a global uprising to fight against corruption, greed and injustice! Occupy Wall Street has spread across the United States and world. More and more people are standing up and speaking out! 
Because of the lack of visibility of Native American people in the colonized and occupied United States and Michigan we are looking to raise funds to print and distribute DECOLONIZE WALLSTREET posters at Occupy Michigan events. The goal is to raise awareness and bring visibility to the Native American people at these events. We have survived and are survivor’s genocide, cultural assimilation, boarding schools and destruction of our culture and life ways. We may be 1% of the population but this means our voice matters more!
Metropolitan Detroit has the 10th largest Native American population in the country. We often are invisible in urban environments because of racism, discrimination, prejudice, and stereotyping. Additionally, there are 12 federally recognized tribes in Michigan. Colonized Michigan is home to the Anishinaabe, or the Three Fires, known as the Ojibway, Ottawa and Potawatomi. Although we are less than one percent of the population in Michigan, we are still here!
Help us raise funds so we can print and distribute DECOLONIZE WALLSTREET posters at Occupy Michigan events. Any amount that you can give is greatly appreciated!
Chi Miigwech!

Video: John Trudell - Crazy Horse

2011-10-08T15:36:00.003-04:00

Crazy Horse, from Bone Days by John Trudell

John Trudell spoken word
Quiltman Traditional Vocals
Mark Shark slide guitar and percussion
Ricky Eckstein Keyboards and percussion
Billy Watts Electric guitar

- - - - - - - - - -

Lyrics -- credited Trudell/Sahme (aka Quiltman)

Crazy Horse
We Hear what you say
One earth one mother
One does not sell the earth
The people walk upon
We are the land
How do we sell our mother
How do we sell the stars
How do we sell the air
Crazy Horse
We hear what you say

Too many people
Standing their ground
Standing the wrong ground
Predators face he possessed a race
Possession a war that doesn't end
Children of god feed on children of earth
Days people don't care for people
These days are the hardest
Material fields material harvest
decoration on chains that binds
Mirrors gold the people lose their minds
Crazy Horse
We Hear what you say
One earth one mother
One does not sell the earth
The people walk upon
We are the land
Today is now and then
Dream smokes touch the clouds
On a day when death didn't die
Real world time tricks shadows lie
Red white perception deception
Predator tries civilising us
But the tribes will not go without return
Genetic light from the other side
A song from the heart our hearts to give
The wild days the glory days live

Crazy Horse
We Hear what you say
One earth one mother
One does not sell the earth
The people walk upon
We are the land
How do we sell our mother
How do we sell the stars
How do we sell the air

Crazy Horse
We hear what you say
Crazy Horse
We hear what you say
We are the seventh generation
We are the seventh generation

Poem: Indigenous, Walking Alone

2011-10-06T23:05:00.004-04:00

I am Indigenous,
Walking alone,
Path,
Broken,
Dark,
Uncertain,

I am Indigenous,
Walking alone,
In the white world,
In the consumer world,
Pack on my back,
Inside a medicine bundle,
Sage,
Sweet grass,
Secret,
Hidden away,

I am Indigenous,
Walking alone,
Brick buildings,
Disconnection from the Earth,

Walking alone,
Silence,
Wisdom,

I am Indigenous,
Walking alone,
Created physical reality,
A disconnection from spirit,

I am Indigenous,
Walking alone,
Walking in two worlds,
Red world,
White world,

I am Indigenous,
Walking alone,
Connected to spirit,
Connected to ancestors,
Connected to Mother Earth.

Video: Pink Glove Dance Competition - Winslow Indian Health Care Center

2011-10-03T15:12:00.000-04:00

Our Pink Glove Dance video shows the journey of a reluctant patient coming to the clinic to get a mammogram. Many women are frightened and fearful the first time they're scheduled. They are even more frightened if they've detected a lump, or some abnormality. Native women don't have a higher risk of breast cancer, but they do have a higher mortality rate due to late screening. Our video will be representing not only native women overcoming resistance to screening, but ALL women facing this barrier! The video also highlights the satellite clinics and the staff from different departments providing encouragement to the patient until a successful outcome is achieved.

Discussion: Healing From Historical and Generational Trauma

2011-10-02T11:30:00.003-04:00

Historical and generational trauma weighs heavy on Native communities on Turtle Island. As we heal ourselves, families, communities and nations we lift the burdens and weights of traumas that were carried for a long time. We decolonize ourselves, families, communities and nations. We essentially become more empowered in our identity as Native people.

What is historical and generational trauma? According to this website, historical trauma is defined as:

"Historical trauma is cumulative emotional and psychological wounding over the lifespan and across generations, emanating from massive group trauma. Native Americans have, for over 50 years, endured physical, emotional, social, and spiritual genocide from European and American colonialist policy. Contemporary Native American life has adapted, such that, many are healthy and economically self-sufficient. Yet a significant proportion of Native people are not faring well."

My healing process is ongoing and definitely very empowering as of the current time. I have shifted from one spectrum to the other in almost ten years of healing work. Sometimes I had to sit in the extreme powerlessness, depression and self hatred to heal. I had to relive moments, memories, feelings and situations that were passed down in my family. Traumatic memories remain in the body unless there is active participation in the healing process. I firmly believe healing is a choice. On the contrary, healing is a choice but one must be given the tools for healing. If someone in the Native community is constantly experiencing abuse and discrimination then it can be very challenging to heal. I was often urged by many friends and family members that I can heal and love myself. I had to know that I had a choice and I could be strong and empowered in my identity. Without resources from the community one will just continue to suffer. It is all about choice and choices!

Below are some questions about healing from historical and generational trauma. Please feel free to answer if you are not Native. Everyone's perspective is greatly appreciated!

QUESTIONS:

1) What is your definition of historical trauma and generational trauma?

2) What are some steps that you have personally taken to heal historical and generational trauma in yourself? Please share how you have worked with your family and your community in healing work.

3) Are there resources in your community and reservation that offer support, healing and understanding of historical and generation trauma?

4) What recommendations can you make to others in their healing process?

Poem: Heart

2011-10-01T17:56:00.001-04:00

Maybe its because I live in Michigan,
Or the Midwest,
But I am not an open hearted person,
And I don't have a lot of love to give,

Maybe its because of all of the rejection,
The alternative spaces that are the same as mainstream spaces,

Maybe its because I am low income,
Underemployed,

Maybe its because I am also Native,
Mixed,
Unseen,
Invisible,

Maybe its because I am not charming,
Not attractive,
Not mainstream,

My heart is my heart,
I can't force it to open,
I don't want to force it to be open,

An open heart seems kind of a stupid thing,
That an idiot would do,
And then be taken advantage of,

Used,
Abused,
Stalked,
No thanks,
I will leave my heart closed,

Enlightenment does not mean we walk around,
With our hearts wide open,
It could me keeping to yourself,
Your heart is your own.

Video: Clarence Two Toes - Hipster Halloween

2011-09-29T14:15:00.000-04:00

Indian Country's Favourite Shit Disturber - Clarence Two Toes - is back at it again this time with his own views on the hipster movement embracing Native culture at Halloween. Never one to shy away from any topic - Clarence lets you know - he doesn't get mad anymore and he's found a way to deal with his anger. (LANGUAGE WARNING).

Subscribe to Clarence Two Toes YouTube page!

Read more about Clarence Two Toes here.

World Contraception Day and the implications of "family planning" for women of color

2011-09-28T12:05:00.003-04:00

This week, several organizations around the world are celebrating World Contraception Day as a way to educate young people about contraceptive use and family planning. In honor of World Contraception Day, I want to offer young women of color some general perspectives on the family planning model, and offer us a space to discuss the deficiencies of this model. The paradigms of choice, access, and health care most often adopted and advocated by traditionally white feminist organizations leave much to be desired for non-white peoples.

The concept of family planning is typically framed in terms of population control by use of birth control for pregnancy prevention and abortion for pregnancy termination. Many feminist and health care organizations are concerned about the impacts of the world's growing human population, and rightfully so. Our immense needs for resource extraction and waste will continue to take a heavy toll on Mother Earth. This we know. However, viewing family planning strictly through the lens of population control is a homogenous, and I would argue, a disrespectful view that fails to account for the complexities of familial and cultural structures in non-white populations. Moreover, historical and contemporary family planning initiatives involving flow from the U.S. to non-white and Global South populations have explicit racist and nationalist roots in preventing growth of these populations, which were/are viewed as a threat to U.S. social, political, and economic interests. The population control view also can be seen as a reductionist band-aid fix for an enormous problem. Simply never being pregnant and never having children can obviously not be the solution to global issues regarding resource extraction and environmental concerns.

Non-white populations have historically been denied access to affordable and culturally competent reproductive health care. The "rights" many feminist organizations advocate for simply do not exist for American Indian, African American, and Hispanic women, especially those women suffering from a number of potentially limiting factors such as poverty, living in a rural area, and not speaking English proficiently. Barriers to access to safe contraception, abortion, and pregnancy and newborn care are numerous. Non-white populations suffer from higher incidences of unplanned pregnancy, and infant and maternal mortality and morbidity rates than white populations, both globally and within the U.S. (where we spend far more on health care than any other nation). Abuse and neglect at the hands of family planning organizations is also common. Many non-white women have experienced coercion and purposeful misinformation. The potential terrors associated with being a colored woman include: forced sterilization, abuse of long-acting, unsafe hormonal contraception, verbal abuse during pregnancy and labor, being shackled/strapped to a table during labor and delivery, forced medical experimentation, and unsafe abortion care leading to death, infertility, and generations of sickness. These abuses are overwhelmingly inflicted on poor women of color who have been removed from their traditional cultures by colonization.

It would be unfair of me to indict these organizations without mentioning that many of them do in fact have good intentions for mainstream populations whose basic life needs have already been met. However, it would be irresponsible to wholly integrate their positions without critically examining the implications for colored people in all their diversity. Clearly, there are many deficiencies that warrant a closer look. The effects of colonization and state-sponsored reproductive violence and neglect can be healed with careful re-integration and revitalization of traditional community practices. I would also argue that people of color should be forming organizations which move away from the family planning population control model, and more towards a culturally appropriate, holistic, and contextual model of care for their communities. Only then will the diverse needs of communities of color be met, allowing us to thrive in the way The Creator and Mother Earth intended.

For more information about the reproductive needs and experiences of people of color, the following books are immense sources of knowledge, information, and perspectives: "Conquest: Sexual Violence and American Indian Genocide" by Andrea Smith; "Color of Violence: the Incite! Anthology" edited by Incite! Women of Color Against Violence; and "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot.

- - - - - - - - - -

View the original post here.

Little Wise One is a blog by a young Anishinaabekwe living, working, mothering, and studying in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. In addition to her studies in Scientific and Technical Communication she is a radical doula and childbirth educator. She uses her blog to comment on all the issues she cares about: race, rhetoric, education, reproductive and sexual health, communication, sewing, Powwow regalia, and mostly, her journey as a full spectrum doula. She encourages lively, respectful, and engaging conversation with a desire to heal.

Poem: Voice, Breathing

2011-09-25T22:43:00.003-04:00

A mix of cultures,
Diffusion,
Hard to relate,
Hard to speak,

I've stopped taking the poison,
But I have to breathe the air,
Breathe the air,
Breathing,

When my voice changes,
Factory smoke,
In the night,
The factory smoke,
Blankets the town,

The heaviness,
Darkness,
I am no longer human,
Work,

My voice hurts,
The factory smoke,
Town,

The plastic land,
Shiny objects,
Easily distract,
My spirit,
I know the truth,

So much contamination,
At every turn,

Hunker down,
The machines keep running,
The yellow-brown haze,
Emotional,
Spiritual,
Industrialized pollution,
Contaminating our lives,
Breathing,
Voice,
I must speak through the silence.

Poem: Justice/Injustice

2011-09-24T12:32:00.008-04:00

Justice,
Injustice,
They will lock you up,
For not fitting in,

And we can feel the hands on our faces,
The ghosts,
The arms holding us down,

We are all "sinners,"
Dormant dreams,
Die,
Alongside railroad tracks,

And the train moves,
Slowly,
The sound of the coupling rod,
Side rod,
Piston rod,
All making a sound,
Rust,
Rusting,

A thousand screams in our souls,
Can't be released,
Can't be released,
Can't be released,

A thousand screams in our souls,
The bars are around us,

We want freedom,
To speak,
To live,
To be ourselves,

The burden feels insurmountable.

Video: Eagle Rock Short Doc Preview

2011-09-22T21:22:00.004-04:00

A short preview on the Eagle Rock documentary. Watch and share!

Eagle Rock Short Doc Preview from Timeless Media Productions on Vimeo.

Poem: A Life of Ease

2011-09-19T21:44:00.003-04:00

A path of dirt
Grime,
Grit,
A humble path,
Darkness is not easy for most,

Most want comforts,
Ease,
Easy,

Comfort makes me uncomfortable,
Dire straits never looked so uncomfortable,

While saying you have a heart,
Saying you have a heart for "the struggle,"
I've never seen so many comforts in struggle,

Your smile makes me uncomfortable,
Uneasy,
You don't want to listen,
You don't care to listen,

You scoot us aside,
Push us off the stage,
Say you have wisdom,

Wisdom is found in the laboring class,
The hands who are not held,
Those who are not loved,
Those whose eyes are tired,

Wisdom is found in silenced voices,
A life of ease does not want to hear these voices.

Video: Rape on the Reservation

2011-09-17T13:29:00.003-04:00

According to national statistics, one in three Native American women will be raped in their lifetimes. Vanguard correspondent Mariana Van Zeller travels to Rosebud reservation in South Dakota to investigate the alarmingly high incidence of rape and sexual assaults.

She learns that rape and violence against women have become frighteningly commonplace and recently escalated to the brutal murder of a high school student named Marquita, whose naked, battered body was discovered in an abandoned house on the reservation. Candid interviews with her family members, classmates and police reveal many of the disturbing social attitudes and behaviors that lead up to her death.

On the reservation, victims of rape are often blamed and even intimidated from pressing charges by members of the community, including their own families. Mariana meets Donna, a rape victim who, fearing for her life, flees her home on the reservation. Through their stories as well as emotionally charged scenes with both Indian rape survivors and past sex offenders, "Rape on the Reservation" exposes a culture of impunity as well as raises questions about what can be done to stem the epidemic of rape on America's Indian reservations.

"Vanguard" is a no-limits documentary series whose award-winning correspondents put themselves in extraordinary situations to immerse viewers in global issues that have a large social significance. Unlike sound-bite driven reporting, the show's correspondents, Adam Yamaguchi, Kaj Larsen, Christof Putzel and Mariana van Zeller, serve as trusted guides who take viewers on in-depth real life adventures in pursuit of some of the world's most important stories.

For more, go to http://current.com/vanguard.

Reflections: On Running

2011-09-11T18:20:00.006-04:00

Photo: The trophy I got for winning the 2011 Coho Run!

Recently I ran my second 5K race in 9 years! I won this race with a time of 21:07 - which is a 6:47 pace. It was a small town race with about 80 people. The course wasn't easy either having a gradual incline in the beginning and rolling hills until about a mile and a half. I tried to catch the guy in front of me who won the men's race. If I had another mile I am sure I could of caught him. I felt really awesome from start to finish. I also ran a negative split on my last mile which means I ran a faster last mile than the first or second mile. When I crossed the finish line I was so thrilled. I cried tears of joy for numerous reasons but mainly because I thought I would never run again when I quit running in college in 2002. After this race I experienced the camaraderie with other runners that I have missed over the years. I enjoyed the fact that after talking to a man about my running story and sharing with him that I never thought I would run again he replied, "it looks like you are back." I am and with so much joy and gratefulness!

I also had an eleven year old girl run with me until about the 3/4 mark. When we raced I asked her what her best mile and 5K times were. She has run a 6:15 mile and 21:59 5K which is really excellent for an eleven year old girl. She tried to stay with me but couldn't keep up as I hit the first mile in 6:49. I know she didn't fade too bad as she finished in 22:30. After the race she asked me what my time was. When I told her my time she instantly replied, "that's my goal." It is great to set a positive example for young girls who are just beginning to for their identity and become empowered as a runner. I was thrilled to have her look up to me!

Living in Northern Michigan means I have access to so many awesome running trails. Running in the forest, along rivers, streams and Lake Michigan has proven to be healing for me and my running! I grew up running in the city and on miles and miles of pavement. The nearest decent sized park was a 45 minute drive away. As you can imagine I am taking advantage of the trails here as much as possible.

Photo: In a collegiate cross country race in 2001.

My post race euphoria has lead me to look into running some other races this year. I am looking to run a few other 5K's and possibly do a 10K. Next year I am going to race a 1/2 marathon and I plan on running a marathon in a few years from now. My goals for running are to approach it with happiness, calmness, mindfulness and intuition. I am happy that I am running but I don't have to go out and run a 19:00 minute 5K, although running a time like this is very possible for me. Running intuitively and mindfully is a new concept for me because when I was a competitive cross country and track athlete in high school and college running was not about intuition and mindfulness. I don't have a team mates, a coach or even myself loading pressure onto me to train or run a specific time in a race. I believe that that approaching running in a healthy, happy, intuitive, mindful and relaxed way is extremely healthy. In fact, I believe that with this type of recipe I could probably run my fastest times and break my own personal records.

Every time I have a breakthrough I am so incredibly grateful! Recently I ran a 2 mile tempo run in 12:35 (6:17.5 per mile) which as soon as I finished I put my hands on the Earth in a prayer. Running is a very spiritual thing for me as well. A breakthrough is also about healing a past that is dark, challenging and sad. My running career in my high school and collegiate days was loaded with injury, illness, bad coaching and disappointment after disappointment. Even the sports writer from my hometown newspaper knew my story and explained it well in a clipping from this article below:

As you can see it has been a long road! Each day that I run I am going to celebrate! Running is a huge part of my soul. This is about reclaiming a part of my soul. I love running and I am going to enjoy it!

Video: Winona LaDuke speaks on Mining and other Environmental issues 2011

2011-09-05T18:15:00.001-04:00

Watch live streaming video from indiancountrytv at livestream.com

Tar Sands Videos & Links

2011-09-04T15:45:00.003-04:00

Videos

The Indigenous Call: Take Back Our Future

TAR SANDS VIDEO: Naomi Klein with Indigenous delegation

Hundreds Arrested in Sustained Tar Sands Protests at White House

Links

First Nations and American Indian Leaders Arrested In Front Of White House To Protest Keystone XL Pipeline -- “This is an issue of our right to say no, as sovereign independent indigenous nations. The US government doesn’t have our best interest in mind, nor the rights of Mother Earth” says Deb White Plume, Lakota grassroots leader, with Owe Aku, an Oglala Lakota organization in South Dakota. “Our Lakota people oppose this pipeline because of the potential contamination of the surface water and of the Oglala aquifer. We have thousands of ancient and historical cultural resources that would be destroyed across our treaty lands.”

“It’s my responsibility as a woman to stand with Mother Earth against corporate male dominated greed. White Plume stood proud as her hands were handcuffed behind her back and led away."

Censored News is posting news, updates and videos daily!

Stay informed by checking out the Indigenous Environmental Network's website for updates, news, photos and videos. Get involved and learn more here!

Indigenous Oil Sands Protest Leads to White House Arrests

Redwire Media - Tarsands Healing Walk 2011

1,252 Peaceful Protesters Arrested Opposing Tar Sands Pipeline at the White House

Truthout.org - The White House & Tar Sands

Take action!

Tar Sands Action, sign the petition to Obama here.

Natural Resources Defense Council - Stop the Tar Sands Pipeline.

Change.org - Stop the Tar Sands Oil Keystone XL Pipeline

Dirty Oil Sands - Several other ways to take action!

If you have other news, links, information, videos and ways to take action that you would like to share please comment below! Miigwech!

Poem: Forget That You Are Native

2011-09-03T17:38:00.004-04:00

They want you to forget,
That is their plan,

So look in the mirror,
Your skin,
Your eyes,
Your nose,
Your lips,
Your check bones,
Your hair,
Look closely,
In the mirror,

They want you to forget,
And when tears fill up in your hands,
You can wipe them on your jeans,
Get in the car,
Drive 60 in a 45,
Wipe the tears on your car seat,
Your steering wheel,

When the culture says you are homogeneous,
But the land pulses through your being,
Deep rooted in the land,
Waters,
Home,

Homogeneity is destructive to the soul,
Rise up amongst it all,
Gotta climb daily,
Because homogeneity is a sickness,
That can suck you in,

Destructive majority culture sickness,
Native children are hungry,
But you call us "white,"
When inside our homes is a fire,
Ablaze,
And we want to break down the walls,

They want you to forget,
So they don't have to own up to,
The damage they do to you,
Your family,
Your community,

They want you to forget,
So we can "get along,"
So we have "community,"

They want you to forget,
So they don't have to deal,
With the injustices that bury you,
In silence,
Most often when you are alone,

They want you to forget,
Forget that you are Native,
Because they think we are gone,

They want you to forget,
Because it is about a "divine plan,"
It is about "progress,"
For them,

They want you to forget,
Because they walk an easy road,
Their being is not crippled by,
The multiple layers of oppression,

If forgetting means dislocation,
Discombobulation,
Disorientation,
Addiction,
Abuse,

Remembering,
Knowing,
Feeling,
Living,
Breathing,
Walking,
Allowing,
We do not forget,

We can stand proud,
Stand tall,
Be whole,
Healthy,
When we remember who we are.

Photos: Nordhouse Dunes

2011-08-31T15:50:00.002-04:00

Summer is winding down and thank goodness because the tourists are going home! Labor day will be the last hurrah and then Northern Michigan will be quiet and peaceful.

Here are some recent pictures of my adventures when I went on a 3 hour hike at Nordhouse Dunes! It is a beautiful place!

The Letter, Part 2

2011-08-27T14:50:00.009-04:00

Note: Listen to this song when reading and you will get a feel for the story.

Why did you do this to me? Why did you take me through your darkness? Power lines... distance... pain... the past... the fire... the decay... the burden...

This time this letter was about the darkness that encircled her. The sounds of torment that trailed behind her through tears and from her heart. The second part of the letter is about releasing the past but also for renewal. She continued to write the letter.

The soul was dark. There was a darkness in the soul. There was darkness from the world that was in the soul. The sounds of torment. The longing for love. The comfort of a mate. The comfort of a companion. The comfort of a lover. The comfort that drifted away, slowly and painfully. I still remember the jeering sound from the city outside as you drove away. People kept shouting in my ear, "get over him, get over him..." until I could take no more. Angels surrounded me but my heart was in pain. I'll listen to the sound of the train go by. The sound on the old heavy rails. I'll throw rocks at the power lines. The lines that connect. The lines that divide. The industry that keeps us distracted. The industry in which the sky turns a color from the haze. The industry in which the sky turns a color from pollution. The industry that destroyed my spirit. The industry that broke down both of our spirits. We could wish for better things. We could hope for a triumph. Except we received a cordial invitation from the darkness of the world. The corruption of buildings with the layers of bricks and mortar. The residue inside that buildings that toppled onto us. We couldn't breathe. We became destroyed. Our innocence and tenderness was slowly undone. Slowly destroyed.

I've laid myself down in an empty city field. I've felt the tall grass of the city field on my skin. I heard the homeless shout into the sky. I was shouting with them. Shouting for love that was far away. So much pain in my heart. I was there in the field for a moment. I was there in the field for a moment until the movement of the train in the distance disrupted the peace I was seeking. The field propelled me to a house. An abandoned house in which the remnants of the past forced me to retreat. Why did I try to retreat in an abandoned house? Love was my torn jeans. Love was a skinned knee. Love was the bass player who I watched when we were at shows. Love was the darkness in the bar. Love was the night sky, void of stars, that I could not see in the city. Love fell down like broken glass and the pieces could not be collected.

The longing for love is in our souls. But my feet hit the pavement and I had to move forward. Recollection of the old. Recollection of great sorrow. I could cry in a crowd and no one could hear me. I could cry and the ceiling would crack. Paint chips feel down to the floor delivering a message on the ceiling. Love was displayed yet my teeth ached because of malnutrition. Your hands were nervous and you smiled, although forced. I wished for your soul to heal. I wished for this but knew correlation difference and denial to equate running, falling and failing.

I wanted the city, so I thought. The city had no love. I went from one damaging experience to the next. I went from the sorrow of our eyes to the sorrow of generations. Sorrow of a failing city, a fallen city, a crying city, crying souls and yearning souls.

The damage has been present in our hearts. Silence. I could stand in the ghetto or slum of my heart and seek within the abandonment for eternity. I could wander around inside buildings where remnants of the past have not yet been removed. I could wander through the threads of old voids and turmoil to stumble, drift and fall. I could wander where the birds could sing until no more. When the sounds of the freeway were a torment to my heart and soul. The darkness of the past can halt the healing of the heart and soul. I must reconfigure. I must realign my heart. I must leave this all behind. I have a planned exit from this city I have known.

The letter is complete. Part two is complete. The letters are complete. The past can encircle us. The door is open now so you can depart. The city will change. The city can heal. The sorrow can compost and transform to love. The sadness of the people in the city can be lifted. This love letter is about demolishing the abandoned house. Cleaning up the rubble. Tending to the soil, the soul. Tending to the healing of the land with our hands and bodies. The broken pieces of glass make various sounds of guitars, violins and drums for healing. Healing can be painful. Running to recollect, sitting still and feeling. The birds can return to the land and sing. This letter speaks for me when I was silenced. When the pain and trauma catapulted me into hiding. Darkness made visible, now.

Poem: It's Raining

2011-08-26T20:47:00.006-04:00

Trauma,
Class,
Culture wars,
Unequal distribution of wealth,
Brown paper bags folded,
It's cooling down outside,
I'll turn off the lights,

Its raining,
Its raining,

Your hands are tingly,
From being cold,
Or hitting the cement,

The city lights were tall,
And reflected on us,
Orange haze reflected on us,

We've stood on the sewer caps,
With our bare feet,
We wanted healing,

But the blue plastic cup,
Had to be filled,

It's raining,
It's raining,

The blue plastic cup had to be filled,
Put ice in it,
Cut up some land,
Call it reservation land,
Call it a cut in our hearts,
In our souls,

The green carpet,
I guess,
Skinned our knees on it,
The plants that she wanted me to water,
The wind chimes I hear,
The dining room table,
I gaze at my reflection in the mirror,
Here I am,
Tired,

Bodies are not present,
Souls tarnished across time,
Dislocation,

It's raining,
It's raining,

We could cry many tears,
But the distraction of the culture would be there,
We are torn between worlds,
Distractions,
Limitations,
Constraints,

The soul wants to fly,
We do not want to live like this,

It's raining,
It's raining,

For our tears.

Video: Shallow Waters by 10 year old Ta'Kaiya Blaney & Aileen De La Cruz

2011-08-24T15:44:00.001-04:00

10 year old Ta'Kaiya Blaney is Sliammon First Nation from B.C., Canada. Along with singing, songwriting, and acting, she is concerned about the environment, especially the preservation of marine and coastal wildlife. Shallow Waters was a semi-finalist in the 2010 David Suzuki Songwriting Contest, Playlist for the Planet. The song was recorded in studio by Audio Producer Joe Cruz. Footage from Vancouver, BC was filmed by Colter Ripley. Footage of the traditional ocean-going canoe from the Squamish Nation (Burrard Inlet, North Vancouver, BC) ; Ta'Kaiya in traditional cedar bark regalia (Tofino, BC); the Oil Refinery in Burrard Inlet; and the Vancouver Aquarium was filmed by Tina House. Additional footage contributed from Canada Greenpeace and Living Oceans Society.

Perspectives Needed: Health blogs and Native American activism

2011-08-22T11:00:00.002-04:00

Hey everyone, I am looking for Native American and First Nations people to contribute their perspectives on health blogging and Native American activism. I'm looking to explore the possible reasons why the health blogosphere does not have many Native activists. Within the mainstream blogging community, voices from Natives are nearly invisible. Why? Could there be cultural factors at play?

I'd like to think about the cultural reasons why Natives perhaps would not want to share their health information to online audiences. I suspect that lack of access and literacy to online/digital technology are not the primary barriers to Native voices in health blogging. I don't even suspect that our invisibility is in fact a negative thing. I wonder if there are larger traditions at play which actually encourage, rather than discourage our silence and that our invisibility might be perceived as a positive thing within certain communities. Specifically, I wonder if traditional modesty norms and community connectedness lead to this silence, which would not truly be silent. Instead, activism would be contained within communities rather than online.

However, I'd still like to think about the role of blogging and online activism within Native communities. Is there a way to blog about deeply personal health issues and still honor and respect our culture? What is the role of our shared history related to technology but also to sexual conquest, modesty, and reproduction before and under Colonialism? What sort of health issues are "appropriate" to discuss publicly? Are there topics necessarily off-limits for public discourse? Can you see any value in taking Native American and Fist Nation health issues to a more public, wide-spread audience?

I'm very curious to know what other Natives think about these issues. Please share your thoughts with me, and please be honest! If you are not comfortable posting commentary on this blog, you can send me a private message on Facebook or to my email adress which is rlmadiso@mtu.edu.

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View the original post here.

Little Wise One is a blog by a young Anishinaabekwe living, working, mothering, and studying in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. In addition to her studies in Scientific and Technical Communication, she is pursuing DONA certification as a childbirth doula. She uses her blog to comment on all the issues that she cares about: race, rhetoric, education, communication, sewing Powwow regalia, and mostly, her journey to becoming a doula.

Book Review: Feminism For Real by Jessica Yee

2011-08-21T21:05:00.007-04:00

My review is going to be a bunch of awesome quotes from the book. Check em' out!

"Many women were important medicine people and they also held our traditional stories and kept our languages alive." - So What If We Didn't Call It Feminism?! - Theresa (TJ) Lightfoot

"let me ask you exactly which graduate student's education are you concerned about here? not single mothers who need extra time to look after their families, not pregnant women who need a little more money for maternity leave, not low-income folks who need to take 2nd or 3rd jobs, to pay bills that their funding does not cover..." - A Slam on Feminism in Academia- Shaunga Tagore

"Similarly, Two-Spirit people are not allowed to participate in societies as our full selves and then we are shamed and blamed for the ways we are hurt by this. When people say that a space is "women only" they are assuming that women are always sensitive to each others' needs, are always able to understand each others' experiences, these experiences are always the same and women are not violent. Explicitly, this says that all women are safe; all men are unsafe. The inclusion of Two-Spirit people in women-only space is arbitrary, shifting with who has the power to define the space. " - Medicine Bundle of Contradictions - Louis Esme Cruz

"To me, it means understanding that because respect that is endemic to our Indigenous culture, abuse and superiority over women is incompatible with claims of "Native Pride." - Male Feminist and Invisible Activists - Robert Animikii Horton

"How do you 'empower' someone for whom 'marginalization' means that they quite literally are struggling to have the basic resources needed to survive? And if those supposedly 'empowering' them are structurally part of the problem, where does this leave us? Understanding the forces behind the systematic impoverishment of women is crucial in trying to answer these questions." - Fuck the Glass Ceiling - Robyn Maynard

Other Reviews

Elevate Difference - Feminism for Real: Deconstructing the Academic Industrial Complex of Feminism

Womanist Musings - A Review of Feminism For Real

Rabble.ca - VIDEO: Jessica Yee launches new book 'Feminism FOR REAL'

Where you can buy the book -- Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives

Poem: Podunk Town

2011-08-18T21:47:00.002-04:00

Ain't got no Starbucks,
Ain't got no Kinko's
Ain't got no mall,
For real,

Podunk town,
Redneck town,
Truck driving,
Rusted big ole truck driving town,
Redneck-hick-NDN town,

No solutions,
No fancy resolutions,
Brick side walk sidelined,

Urban folk gotta say in how we should be,
Should we be like you,
Hungry for items,
Materials,
Starbucks,
Mainstream things,

Urban folk always think they have the solutions,
For our redneck,
Podunk town,
They got "development,"
They got "ideas,"
But where will the low-income folk go,
Where will the working class folk go,

Call me provincial,
Would ya say.

Birth Matters: Getting Back to Our Indigenous Roots

2011-08-15T20:15:00.001-04:00

It's a good day to be Indigenous.

Concerted efforts to reclaim and revive Indigenous traditional knowledge and culture are mending beautifully with modernity. Indigenous people all over the world are utilizing new technologies to create a new generation: a generation moving beyond the constricted and damaging frameworks of colonialism to a better future where the past meets the present in a practical and spiritual way. I am aware of many of these movements within the United States and I am hopeful that we are moving in a positive direction. We are shaking off the bonds of racism, fighting on the same grounds as our ancestors and leaders of the past. Their guidance and their perseverance paved the way for a renewed sense of Indigenous identity, from language revitalization to traditional crafts, to traditional medicine and plant use.

I am an Ojibwe woman: Anishinaabekwe. I am an aspiring birth worker and activist. It is my goal to see a great revitalization of traditional Anishinaabe birth traditions, and birth traditions in other Tribes as well. Previously, I advocated for more Indigenous women to become birth workers, especially to step in and fill the traditional role of supporter. Today we have a universal word for that woman, whether she is a mother, aunt, sister, or certified professional: we call her a doula. Now, it is time for doulas to recognize the incredible opportunity to help Indigenous women return to their roots.

As an Ojibwe birth worker I am committed to helping my community achieve safe, satisfying, and culturally significant births. We can blend modern technology with ancient wisdom to create a holistic and spiritual birth experience that honors our ancestors and respects our community's new needs. There are several ways doulas can do this (I am considering Ojibwe birth traditions. Other Tribes may have different traditions; doulas should be aware of their Tribe's traditions):

When she is labor, help the woman squat with support from you and/or her partner. Hold her firmly while she rushes. Encourage her to sway and vocalize. If the birthing space allows, she may also use a rope to support her, if it is hanging from a sturdy beam in the ceiling. We know that this allows gravity to work its magic, and may decrease discomfort in the woman, probably allowing her to have a shorter labor and more effective pushing. She may also deliver in this squatting position.

Smudge with cedar through out the entire labor. Make the woman a nettle tea to drink. Nettles are a traditional medicine in our culture. They are very powerful with healing and energizing nutrients.

After the delivery: let the umbilical cord remain intact instead of clamping and cutting it right away. Encourage the woman to let her body recognize when it is time to deliver the placenta. In the old days, a woman would leave the placenta attached to the cord until the cord fell off naturally. We may not see a revival of this tradition especially in hospitals but we can allow the new couple to remain connected as long as we can so the baby can receive those last nutrients and blood from its mother. Use real sinew to tie off the cord. Save a piece of the umbilical cord to give to the child.

In the old days, women would save the placenta to eat when meat was scarce, and because placenta is one of the greatest sources of iron and protein, not to mention healing hormones that come in handy in the days after birth. Today, we have placenta encapsulation specialists who save, dry, and encapsulate the placenta to be taken in pills. All Indigenous doulas should be able to refer their families to placenta encapsulation specialists. Better yet, doulas should be trained to do this themselves! The Creator didn't design the "after-birth" by accident.

Promote and help sustain long term breastfeeding. There is nothing more anti-colonial than breastfeeding. Sustained breastfeeding starts with the birth: help the mother secure a first feeding, uninterrupted, as soon as possible after birth. Encourage skin to skin contact during feedings. Use your doula training to advocate and inform through out the pregnancy if you are a doula who has met with the family previously. Gently and respectfully encourage the mother when she returns home from the birth. Our work as doulas shouldn't end at the delivery. You should be able to refer her to a lactation consultant or an elder with breastfeeding wisdom if she experiences struggles.

Far from the white mans' romanticized and possibly racist depictions of stoic and stone-faced Ojibwe women retreating into the woods to give birth alone, Ojibwe women gave birth in special birth lodges, sometimes in tubs of water, sometimes squatting on a blanket or hide, always surrounded by cedar smoke, and love and support from other women. We can recreate this tradition. Indigenous birth workers can and will take advantage of the forward momentum Indigenous peoples are creating in all walks of Indigenous life.

I'd like to say miigwetch to my fellow Anishinaabekwe, who have helped me gain the traditional birth knowledge needed to help our women return to our Indigenous roots.

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View the original post here.

Little Wise One is a blog by a young Anishinaabekwe living, working, mothering, and studying in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. In addition to her studies in Scientific and Technical Communication, she is pursuing DONA certification as a childbirth doula. She uses her blog to comment on all the issues that she cares about: race, rhetoric, education, communication, sewing Powwow regalia, and mostly, her journey to becoming a doula.

Photos: Portraits of Moi!

2011-08-14T13:31:00.008-04:00

Portraits of moi done by my friend. Here is the link to her facebook page -- Brita Brookes of VISION Photography. The portraits were taken in Anishinaabe Territory at Good Harbor in Leelanau County and Otter Creek in Benzie County.

Photo: On the shore at Good Harbor. Feeling at
home, feeling like a pretty traditional Nish gal!

Photo: Otter Creek, connection to
nibi (water) and feeling the ancestors.

Photo: Standing on the shore of Lake Michigan.
Watching the sunset, feeling healthy and balanced.

Photo: Holding nibi (water) in a copper cup.
Prayer for nibi (water) and the Great Lakes.

Photo: In silence there is a song in the heart and soul.
Serenity, peace and the sun setting brings healing.

Music: Drew Nelson - Highway 2

2011-08-13T19:14:00.004-04:00

A very Upper Peninsula song about US 2! Drew Nelson is a Native (Anishinaabe) Michigan musician. Check out his website here.

"I made up my mind, gonna keep on drivin', gonna put this peddle down until I see the sun, with a big lake on my left side, and scrub pines on my right, nothin' in between except all we've left behind..." ~ Drew Nelson ~ Highway 2

Poem: Healing Flows

2011-08-08T19:45:00.005-04:00

Photo: Underwater photo taken of awesome rocks in Gitchee Gumee (Lake Superior)

Healing flows from the waves,
Feet on the rocks,
Ancient,
Shaking off the residue of pain,
Shame,
Trauma,

Hiding,
Hidden,
Release,
Feel,
Be,

Healing flows,
And shakes off chains,
Trauma,
Release of hands from the throat,
Chains off the wrists,
Turmoil transmutation,
Metamorphosis continuum,

Hiding,
Hidden,
Release,
Feel,
Be,

Healing flows from the waves,
We could stand on the shore,
Listen,
Feel,
Feel love,
Tides change,
Change our hearts,
Souls,
The wounded can be released,
Burdens lifted,

Peace within,
The soul can shine,
The heart can be bright,

Once hiding,
Once hidden,
Release,
Feel,
Be.

Photos: Keweenaw Bay Traditional Jiingtamok (Powwow)

2011-08-02T21:50:00.000-04:00

Photo: Looking off in the distance at Gitchee Gumee

I danced in my first powwow in my community! It was amazing and wonderful. I felt so at home in many ways. Its been a busy summer and I have been enjoying my time being on the land, swimming in the big lake, running and hanging out with friends. So finally I have been able to update my blog. Here are some photos from my recent travels and the Keweenaw Bay Traditional Jiingtamok (powwow).

Photo: Relation Rachel, Friend Raeanne, me and relation Jessica.

Photo: Dancing!

Photo: Me!

Photo: Me, relation and friend!

Native Daughters

2011-07-18T20:34:00.004-04:00

Native Daughters is an excellent website that features stories about Native American women such as Winona Laduke, Darla Black and Cecilia Fire Thunder. There is also interactive multimedia such as the Girls of Santee and video documentaries on music, language, culture and raising awareness about domestic violence in Native communities.

A video from the website -- Omaha Secret

A small group on the Omaha reservation are trying to expose a well kept secret. Native women like Lisa Drum and Jacinda Begay are at risk of being domestic violence victims. In addition to sharing their abuse stories, they work with the Omaha Nation Community Response Team to raise awareness of the dangers of domestic violence.

NDV OmahaSecret from CoJMC Depth Report on Vimeo.

Book Review - Other Tongues: Mixed Race Women Speak Out

2011-07-17T19:05:00.007-04:00

I recently finished reading Other Tongues: Mixed Race Women Speak Out, edited by Adebe DeRango-Adem and Andrea Thompson. I was excited to have received a copy of this book for free from the editors. The reason I received a copy for free is because they failed to inform me right away that a piece I submitted was cut the very last minute. I waited to hear from them and had to send a few emails to find out what was happening. Because of their error they offered to send me a free copy and I couldn't turn that down. Here is their response to my piece being cut: "Unfortunately, we were not able to include your piece in the anthology. It was a last minute cut, as we really wanted your work included, but space restrictions caused us to make some heartbreaking final cuts." Rejection in one's writing career will happen, so I shall expect it. This year I have had the joy of having my poetry accepted into various publications and anthologies and I am sure more of my work will be accepted and published in the future!

This anthology is filled with awesome pieces of poetry, non-fiction, fiction, spoken-word and black and white photography. This book explores mixed race identity for women living in North America in the 21st century. In exploring culture and identity many of these pieces interweave the past, pain, shame, guilt, pride, honor, empowerment, the present and the future. Many of the women question and redefine how they are choosing to identify. In the poem called Siouxjewgermanscotblack, author Robin M. Chandler writes:

"You got a box for that, Mr. Census!
You got a box for me?
You ain't got a box or mind big enough for a
Siouxjewgermanscotblack (Cherokee).

The old ones.
They came so far to make us.

The least we can do is be honest."

I was also impressed with the amount of Native/First Nations/Aboriginal (mostly Cree and Ojibway) and Métis writers that were included. I was afraid Native/First Nations/Aboriginal and Métis voices were going to be left out. But it was quite a relief to read the contributor notes and find the voices of Native/First Nations/Aboriginal and Métis people included. Identity politics, tribal politics, being invisible, land, connection to the land, connection to culture, language and traditions were all touched on in the pieces included in this anthology. My Life in Pieces is written by Jennifer Adese, Métis, and she touches on invisibility, Native identity and non-Indigenous people dictating who she is:

"I refused in those moments, and continue to refuse, to give in to centuries old attempts at assimilation by white peoples that say by virtue of a portion of their blood running through my veins I must renounce any claims to my Indigeneity, that I must "pick a side" or that I must reduce the significance of my Indigeneity only to the superficial––I can wear beaded earrings, hairpieces, and moccasins, but I cannot and should not align myself with "their" politics."

As mixed race women we are forced to choose one side or the other. Our ancestors and relatives have often been forced to hide who they are, particularly as Native people. As mixed race women we are beautiful, bold and courageous. In speaking and sharing our stories as mixed raced women we can stand stronger in our identity and be proud of who we are!

This anthology is powerful and I highly recommend you find yourself a copy to read! You can purchase a copy through Inanna Publications.

Poem: Crow Was Speaking

2011-07-12T20:48:00.003-04:00

Crow was speaking,
No one was listening,

Crow was speaking,
No one had time,

Crow paced in anger,
No one paid attention,

Crow speaks,
But the language to the Zhaaganaash,
They do not know,

Crow speaks,
Some know,
Three Fires,
Anishinaabe,

Crow is always speaking,
Above all the nonsense,
In the world,
Deep wisdom is found,
If you listen.

Poem: No One at the Shore

2011-07-07T22:24:00.002-04:00

Photo: Shoreline of Lake Michigan, spring 2010. So clear that you can see the bottom.
Reflections of the sky in the lake. The pines, dunes, sand and ancestral lands.

No One at the Shore

Could erase,
Time,
Barriers,
The lake knows,

Before the land was divided up,
The worth of it,
Less,

The ancestors,
Knew no different,

Why commerce,
Concentrated trade,
Instilled an incision,
In the heart,
The soul,
Of the land,

Value added,
Value taken,
What's more real,
Is unheard,

We draw a line,
In the sand,

Before murder,
Before genocide,

And all we can hear is silence,

Regal pines,
Listening,

There was no wounding,
Souls not tarnished,

We remember this time,
Before our souls were disjointed,
When no one was on the shore.

Updates!

2011-07-06T14:18:00.003-04:00

I have missed two weeks of blogging because I have been busy with summer and also the Allied Media Conference in Detroit. This year I presented on Indigenous Thought and Media. It was my first year presenting but I really enjoyed doing so. I received a lot of positive feedback from those who attended my session, which surprisingly was about 50 folks. I also made some new connections with many awesome folks. There may be a video available of my presentation and as soon as I can get a hold of it I will post it on here.

I also ran my first race in over 9 years on July 4th! It was a really tough course being that the first mile and a half was completely uphill. In addition, part of the course was run on a rugged two track. I ran 22:21 for a 5K which is about 7:11 per mile. Considering I hung up my running career in 2002 and I stepped away, not necessarily down a pretty path but a challenging path. It has taken me years to recover, heal and bring myself back to wholeness. I intuitively felt when it would be a good time to race again. I knew it was time. My best 5K is 18:32 which was run on a track after years of training. I feel that I am in a really healthy place with running because I am running to enjoy it and not be to fast, although I am naturally a fast runner. As an able bodied person I am grateful every day that I am able to run. After what I went through with injuries, illnesses and bad coaches I am literally brought to tears every day that I run because I never thought I would be back here again. I already have my next race picked out and look forward to seeing how I do on a flatter course. In other running news a few weeks ago I ran a mile just to see where I was at on my home town track. I ran 6:39, by myself, and felt a deep sense of redemption. It just feels good to be back so to speak!

I finished reading Lakota Woman by Mary Crow Dog and I highly recommend the book. Mary Crow Dog's book is bold and very powerful. Some great truth telling in this book. Here is a quote from the book.

"I should make clear that being a full-blood or breed is not a matter of bloodline, or how Indian you look, or how black your hair is. The general rule is that whoever thinks, sings, acts and speaks Indian is a skin, a full-blood, and whoever acts and thinks like a white man is a half-blood or breed, no matter how Indian he looks."

Video: First Speakers: Ojibwe Rapper 'Prayers in a Song'

2011-06-22T09:05:00.005-04:00

Via Colorlines.com. This is so incredibly amazing! I am not a fan of hip-hop so much but its so awesome to hear Anishinaabemowin in hip hop. Okay, so I guess I like some hip hop. I can groove better if it touches my heart and soul. Nice work in the solo by Tall Paul from the Minneapolis based group "Point of Contact." Gosh I like the name, I hope you get it too. I know there is quite a large Ojibwe community in Minneapolis. I went on a job interview there last summer. I was impressed with the visibility of Native people, stores, community centers and a Native women's resource center in Minneapolis. If I would pick any city in this country to live in it would be Minneapolis -- progressive, liberal, vegetarian friendly, visible Native community and in Anishinaaabe Territory/Midwest. Check out the video...

Poem: White Women Laughed

2011-06-18T19:17:00.001-04:00

White Women Laughed

What a day at the beach,
White women laughed at my bumper stickers,

"Proud to be Anishinaabe,"

"Women are Sacred,
Violence Against Women is Not Traditional,"

And I am angry,
When they laugh,
White women laugh,
Their fine clothes,
Same year vehicle,
But they have made more money over their lifetime,
Than I will,

White women laugh,
Hurts my uterus,
My being,
They always laugh,
The Zhaaganaash,

They don't care if they throw a dagger in your soul,
Although this is the territory of my ancestors,
Sometimes wayfaring stranger,
Hungry for a mate,

I leave,
And blast my strong Native women's music,
I blast it,
Roll down the windows in my truck,
Don't give a fuck,
The lake is home,
She gives me strength,
The tall pines remind me of my connection to spirit,
Gitchi Manitou,
Migizi flies along the shore,
Ancestral memories,
Before colonization,
Before genocide,
Before the land was broken up,
Disjointed,

They don't care,
So they laugh,
White women laugh,
Everything is happy,
Everything is great,
For them,

I kick up the dust,
In my truck,
Proud to be Anishinaabe,
Because although my Euro roots are prevalent to most,
I don't feel this,
I feel Anishinaabekwe,
Proud Anishinaabekwe,

My ancestors on the shore,
Strong Native women's music,
The drum,
The heartbeat,

Off the dirt road,
To pavement,
Blasting my strong Native women's music,

Strength found in the land,
Water,
Lake Michigan,
I love her,

But laughing,
The white women laughing,
Makes the past apparent,
Pushes forward,
I push it back,
Keep pushing,
Hard,

And I am back near the town,
And tears run down my face,
I wipe my tears,
Because,
"Women are sacred,
Violence Against Women is Not Traditional,"
Love,
Bounded,
I cry because these white women laugh,
They do not know the love,
They do not know the violence,
Native women have endured,
And right now,
What is happening,
What happened to me,
I can heal,
But the culture forces pain,
Constantly,
Sometimes there is no place of healing,
Comfort.

I Have New Domain Name!

2011-06-15T15:00:00.002-04:00

Boozhoo!

I finally purchased my own domain on blogger. The new domain is -- Anishinaabekwe.com. You will still be directed to my blog if you should happen to have the old link. Please make the changes if you link my blog, etc!

I am in the process of getting my own website together. This will be a process but I am going to make it happen! For now it is very wonderful to have my own domain, this is one step towards the direction I want to go next!

Cheers!

Native News Stories

2011-06-14T19:15:00.002-04:00

Two Spirits: Overlapping Identities for First Nations People by

Coya White Hat-Artichoker - "That is part of the gift of Fred's life. He provides an entry point to another aspect of this community. The memory we bring forth as First Nations people is of a time and way of life where LGBTQI folks were accepted. Fred's legacy goes beyond tacit racism and cultural appropriation because it provides us with an opportunity to see each other reflected in a range of common experiences including violence, targeting due to our sexual orientation and gender identity, living in small spaces of safety and being loved by family for who we are."

Water Walk 2011: Water from Four Directions Converged into One

My speech on Indigenous issues at the anti-Harper Welcoming Protest

Wild Rice In Danger

Aboriginal grandmothers recognized as true leaders

Homeless Shelters Help Indians by Using Native Wisdom and Spirituality

A Critical Time to Protect Native Women and Advance Tribal Jurisdiction - "We all know the statistics: Indian women are 2 ½ times more likely to experience violence than other women in the United States; more than 1 in 3 Indian women will be raped in their lifetimes and nearly 40% will be subjected to domestic violence. Perhaps what is more shocking is that, according to Departmental data, non-Indians commit 88% of all violent crimes against Indian women. "

2011 National Native Language Revitalization Summit

Respecting our Aboriginal Peoples: They were here first

Website Help!

2011-06-12T15:55:00.001-04:00

Boozhoo!

I need some help building my website! I would like to showcase my poetry, writing and photography better. So far wix.com seems to be an affordable option and like what they have to offer. In fact, I have started to build and tweak a website of my own through them. I would prefer to have my own domain, while Wix offers that with an extra monthly fee I want to explore other options before I continue with them. I would still like to keep my blog and have a link to it on my website. I need to know what affordable options are out there. Please share with me any information or suggestions that you may have. Also if you or someone you know will help build a website at a low cost I would appreciate being connected to them.

Its time to get my website moving!

Miigwech!

Video: Geronimo E-KIA, a poem by the 1491s

2011-06-09T12:46:00.001-04:00

In case you have not seen this you need to watch it. Very powerful and very awesome! This video is so incredibly moving and please share this with others. Here is a link to the 1491's, the sketch comedy group that made this video.

"Geronimo was not killed in Pakistan. He's alive in a woman from Oakland who tutors and mentors Indian kids growing up in the city. He's alive in the single Mother from Tahlequah who talks to her kids in Indian because she won't give up one more inch..."

"He is a track star from Gallup, who runs like his heart is on fire..."

"The Father from Bemidji, teaching his son how to harvest wild rice..."

Poem: Decolonization, Not a Word

2011-06-03T22:11:00.004-04:00

This poem is in response to activism and activist language, which can and is often very exclusive. People become favorites and are passed the microphone while others are sidestepped and trampled, just like in the "real" world. If you don't know the activist language then you are out of the circle that you could be in. The activist language is exclusive to people who are not in that circle, not educated (activist, university and/or both), not wanting to be educated, those who have experienced extreme and constant economic poverty, low-income, working poor and working class folk. Additionally, activism and activist language can be exclusive to people who fit into the lone wolf, outcast, hermit or wayfaring stranger category. These folks often are very different, have awkward social skills and difficulty relating to folks in the "community." Finally, decolonization simply means the undoing of colonization. But, what does this mean when you constantly experience abuse, deal with addiction, discrimination, underemployment, unemployment and many other intricate layers of oppression. What does one word in the activist community have to do with you when you suffer day in and day out. What does it mean when you are alone and no one cares about you because you don't fit into the activist community. In trying to find a meaning or make sense of what I and many others have experienced a new poem was created.

Decolonization, Not a Word

What can you do,
When colonization catapults onto your being,
Burrows into your soul,
Your heart,
Your mind,
Your family,
Your hands,
What do you do?
When all you know is abuse,
Addiction,
What do you do?
When all you know is to cry,
There's no resources,
There's no outlet,
Even within the community,
As much as people emphasize community,
Community organizing,
Community activist,
I'm a community person,
When people are still crying,
Crying,
In their homes,
Alone,
What do you do when this burrows in,
What do you do to the intricate layers of oppression,
When decolonization is not a word,
Its not an idea,
Not known,
And your touting your activist language,
When people are at home,
They have no resources,
No community,
No activist organizing for them in their homes,
What do you do when colonization burrows into your soul?

Would Appreciate Your Feedback

2011-06-01T12:13:00.005-04:00

Dear Readers!

I would like to hear your feedback about my blog, writing, poetry and everything else I post. Please share with me what you enjoy about this blog, what you would like to see more of and anything else you have to say. Your feedback will help me rearrange and tweek my blog.

Some current changes include transitioning from this blog to a personal website. I want to showcase my writing and poetry better so I can display my work to publishers, writers and to network with other writers for possible collaboration.

Your feedback will be greatly appreciated!

Miigwech!

Quote: Winona LaDuke

2011-05-30T13:52:00.000-04:00

"As a woman who has organized across movements in this country, some truths remain constant. These truths are related to conquest, to the process of deconstructing peoples, and deconstructing Native women to be less stature and value than others.

So it is that as a Native woman, you always know that you will be viewed as a women of color, hence your politics will be race based, your analysis marginalized, and your experience seen as limited." -- Winona LaDuke - From the foreward in Conquest: Sexual Violence and American Indian Genocide by Andrea Smith

These truths do indeed still remain, sadly and unfortunately. Everyday realities for Native women are harsh, intolerable and suffocating. Yet, the majority culture fails on so many levels in taking ownership for the damage it has done. It does nothing but continues to perpetuate systems that only damage Native people. Native women still experience the highest rates of sexual assault and sexual violence out any group in both the US and Canada. Native women not only experience marginalization because of their race and gender but also because they do not fit in with the majority culture. Walking out into this world everyday is very horrific and strange. There is no "peace, love and unity" as it is a fight for survival for many Native women. Colonization is still occurring, invisibly and often unheard and unseen.

Poem: No Revolution

2011-05-29T15:18:00.005-04:00

The Earth makes a sound,
Vibration,
Holding you up,
A fire beneath your feet,
Sure it may work,

The coffee stain on the mug,
Dripping from the ceiling,
Old carpet,
Stained,
The hum of the road,
The cat breathing,
A sound that the Earth makes,

We've dried our eyes,
The billowing effect,
Red horizon,
Sunset beautiful,
But painfully beautiful,
The colors blend,
We've tried,
We continue drying our eyes,

Protection of yells,
Rigid in formation,
Iron like,
Steel,
Around the heart,
Why its simple,

Midwestern do gooding folk,
Red Earth,
Territorial lines,
Tired people,
County lines exist,
Current barriers,
Socially constructed,
Change,
The old tractor lays in the field as a metaphor,

The women are strong,
They sure are,
But there is no unity,
No unity,
Any movement,

While touting pride,
That you've done the good work,
Given the stage,
So many are scooted aside,

There is no place for us.

Video: Tahltan Women Blockading Shell in Defense of the Sacred Headwaters - British Columbia

2011-05-28T16:28:00.000-04:00

Rachelle Van Zanten - My Country (Official Video) from Taylor F. on Vimeo.

Inspired by images of Tahltan women blockading Shell in defense of the Sacred Headwaters in northern British Columbia, Rachelle wrote 'My Country'.

She was invited to perform it for the Tahltan people at the Iskut Music Festival a year later, where we filmed this video.

One of the Klabona Keepers brought us up to the Headwaters, the birthplace of the Skeena, Nass and Stikine rivers and a traditional Tahltan territory. This area is critically endangered by a number of industrial mega-projects which threaten all 3 watersheds, affecting an area larger than Ireland.

Poem: Outskirted

2011-05-27T08:40:00.001-04:00

Ostracized,
Sickening intelligent design,
Prison camps,
Destitution,
Unable to attain restitution,
Systematic propaganda,
Tiresome,
Delusion,
Billboard smearing,
Propaganda leering,
Holistic shop dreaming,
Dollar price too high,
Abuse,
Silence,
Neglect,

Isolated effect,
Bottle cap toss,
Into the trash can,
We can't do it,
We can't move through it,
Electricity turned off,
Trailer window broken,
Breaking,
Down,
Broken down trailer,
Stuck,
Unheard,
Unseen,
Bottle cap toss,
Into the trash cash,

Outskirted,
Outside,
Conservative demise,
Policy manual,
Someone left a bag of commods at my door,

Hair is dirty,
Hands are unclean,
Fingernails untrimmed,
Linoleum flooring,
Far away,
We are left behind,

Milk carton on the lawn,
Windshield smashed,
Industrial machine,
Brought me benefits,
A system designed to destroy us,
Leave me,
Get rid of me,
Outskirted,
Outskirts,
No one sees us,

The violent crash,
The precision,
We couldn't speak,
We couldn't scream,
No one hears us,
No one cares to listen.

Seeking Guest Writers for Anishinaabekwe!

2011-05-25T12:40:00.002-04:00

Boozhoo!

I am seeking guest writers for this blog! Areas and interests that can be covered include some of following: Native issues, Native justice, Native identity, sacred lands, women of color issues, mixed race women issues, identity as a woman of color, identity as a mixed race woman, reproductive justice, reproductive rights, environmental justice, sexism, racism, class, race, gender, privilege, GLBTQ issues, Two-Spirit issues, environmentalism for people of color, the current economy for people of color, education for people of color, activism, community organizing, writing, poetry, art, zines and more!

If you are interested just comment with your email and I won't publish it but I will email you. I just don't want my email on this blog so I keep it hidden. Anyway, hope to hear from some of you writer, poets, activists and change makers soon!

Cheers!

Poem: And If We Cry

2011-05-23T11:03:00.002-04:00

If we cry,
We are not weak,
We are healing,

If we cry,
We are not powerless,
We are learning our power,

If we cry,
We are not silent,
We are speaking through our tears,

If we cry,
We are not beaten down,
But rising up,

For it was not long ago,
When our tears,
Fell to the Earth in silence,
The Earth listened,

Our tears turned inward,
A violent rage,
An unnecessary oppression,
Internalized oppression,
Onto ourselves,
Families,
Communities,

Overflowing onto the our reservations,
Trickling down the street,
Into the forest,
This isn't right,

In city streets,
Urban areas,
We fight with other races,
We become even more invisible,
Because we were supposed to be dead,
Annihilated,

To be "normal," in suburban towns,
Looks like we are picture perfect,
White middle class,
Reaping the benefits of white culture,
Turning inward,
Outward,
We are outcasts,
The fire inside,
The fire inside our homes,

If we cry,
We are releasing generational pain,
The burden of the ancestors,
We cannot describe the sorrow,

If we cry,
We have no shame,
We have no guilt,
We are not to blame,

The culture gives us no space,
To cry,
Sometimes we cry alone,
Filling up our pillow with tears,
Crying over the kitchen table,
Pacing back and forth,

If we cry,
We are gaining back our identity,
We are integrating the pieces,
There is no order to integrating the soul,
The order is chaotic at times,
Its our job,
As we fight with the majority culture,

If we cry,
We are not crying alone,
We cry with the ancestors by our side,
We cry with the future generations alongside us,
When we cry we are reclaiming who we are.

Video: Don Burnstick at the Winnipeg Comedy Festival in Winnipeg - Native Comedian

2011-05-21T09:46:00.003-04:00

We need a little Native humor from Don Burnstick. He is hilarious and spot on with the jokes about Native folks especially about the Ojibway!

"for the Ojibways I'm snag-able..." ~ Don Burnstick

Rant: I Don't Have Time for Your Privilege

2011-05-16T18:18:00.005-04:00

White middle class privilege. College, a good job, a house, a dog, food in the cupboard, don't have to worry about the bills, can buy nice kitty liter and there's more, of course. You can buy a latte everyday from a coffee shop. Gee, if you saved the money you spend everyday on a latte by the end of the week you could buy a bag a groceries for a low-income individual. For middle class folks things go your way because of "luck." Its not luck, its privilege. There are some people I run across who complain of being poor and don't have a clue what that means when they have a husband and flaunt their diamond wedding ring in front of me. Before you speak about how poor you are, how you have struggled or what you know about the struggle take a good hard look at your privilege. Wait, I'm dreaming. Right?

Middle class people taking a good hard look at their marriage privilege, Christian privilege and the fact that they often benefit from white male privilege. They won't do that. Middle class folk love their comforts, cars, cushioned sofas, matching flower pots, matching kitchen knife sets and matching dish sets. They believe it is "Gods will," that they have the good job and an excessive amount of material goods. They believe that they pulled themselves up by their bootstraps and were able to achieve success by doing so. They have no clue that some folks aren't even given boots to pull themselves up by their bootstraps.

Activists I am calling you out too. I know you are out there. Your fingers moving over the keyboard and you write about justice, equality, race, class, gender, sexual orientation and Native issues. But turn away from your laptop screen and you've got it made. You have a husband, you have marriage privilege, you have food in the cupboard and you can wine and dine on Friday night. You are a part of the "movement" and the "revolution," because it starts at home. You want to know what really goes on at home for Native people who live on reservations? You want to know what really goes on at home for Native people who live in urban areas when they experience racism from multiple cultures and not just the white culture? You write about it. You post about it. But you still can buy a new pair of shoes and your partner supports you.

Activists, its easier to do the "work" and be a part of the "movement," when you don't have to hustle for yourself and by yourself. You can get a foot rub in the evening and then some from your husband. I have not mentioned gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, transgendered and two-spirit relationships in this rant but I want to make it clear that I am pointing out the activists who benefit from heteronormative standards if they are in a heterosexual relationship. You know who you are!

I don't have time for your privilege. There I've said it but I look around and no one is with me. I don't have time for your "revolution," when you go home and do mainstream things. This is not a part-time job. This is a full-time lifelong job. I keep it real for me and what I believe in. I revitalize my culture, language and traditions sometimes on my own because even the Native community can be exclusive. I am committed to the issues which means I won't sell out. I have watched friends become yuppified over the years and have left them behind because I don't agree with the blandification, yuppification and dumbing down that comes with a mainstream life. I have been fighting against this my whole life. If you do one thing that is alternative that does not mean you are alternative, radical or deep.

I've tried to be friends with the privileged. They have often dropped me on my ass, treated me like shit and said racist things to me. I can't be friends with the privileged anymore. I can't be your token Native friend. I can't be friends with people who take more than their share and say they are poor. I can't be friends with people who's activism is something they do in their 20's and then ease their way into a life of comfort that slowly kills them. I can't be friends with people who don't understand flannel shirt wearing folk who want a simple meal. I can't be friends with the privileged. I am done with you because you never had time for me. You had time to make me a token. You had time to exploit my labor. You had time to treat me like a charity case. You had time to take from me and not give back. I am done and I can't give any more time to the privileged.

"We did not ask you white men to come here. The Great Spirit gave us this country as a home. You had yours. We did not interfere with you. The Great Spirit gave us plenty of land to live on, and buffalo, deer, antelope and other game. But you have come here; you are taking my land from me; you are killing off our game, so it is hard for us to live. Now, you tell us to work for a living, but the Great Spirit did not make us to work, but to live by hunting. You white men can work if you want to. We do no interfere with you, and again you say, why do you not become civilized? We do not want your civilization! We would live as our fathers did, and their fathers before them." - Crazy Horse (Tȟašúŋke Witkó) - Oglala Lakota

Poem: It's Good That You Found Love

2011-05-14T11:48:00.001-04:00

Wedding rings,
Bondage,
Corset,
Hands around the neck,
True love,
Its good that you found love,

Some women are slammed up against walls,
Slapped across the face,
Violently controlled,
Through single subjugation of the mind,
Body,
Spirit,

Its good that you found love,
The man says,
That he would meet me at the door with a gun,
That is what the man said,

Some women are controlled emotionally,
Love wraps its fine intricate strings of torture around your soul,
Unable to move,
Unable to breathe,
But to cry,
Never ending,

Even though I was never met at the door with a gun,
I was met at the door with many other things,
White man,
Privilege,
Drug addiction,
Helping,
Healer,
Counselor of woundedness,
Of abuse,
I carefully caress the soul of this man,
I was never met at the door with a fucking gun,
I was never,
But my life,
Was on the sidelines,
Side lined,

So women,
This message is for you,
Hide your rings,
Own your fucking privilege,
Your marriage privilege,
Your heterosexual marriage privilege,
And if you are middle class,
Upper class,
Own the fuck up to this privilege,
Don't flaunt your privileges,
Your shiny car,
Your home,
Your rings,

Anger has no words to describe,
Almost being met at the door with a gun,
Its good that you found love,
Some of us,
Cultural conditioning,
The soul,
The heart,
Feel love,
But never,
Have it.

Guest Post: Vision Musings: Contemplation of a Two Spirit

2011-05-11T14:03:00.001-04:00

I forewarn all, this is my first attempt at retelling exact visions. They end up sounding like some sort of spoken word poetry, or like something straight from old Indian Country quotes that white people like to spout at conferences, meetings, and declarations.

I had a vision recently. All this work for my dating experience piece for Womanist Musings, I think it got their [spirits'] attention. I had finished my trade cloth dress, and my hair was longer. I was arguing with myself over contacts or glasses or just go without and just squint the whole time. My eyes are the most Native thing about me. I was going to a large potluck with other Natives and other students and some elders would be there. I was having a conversation with myself.

I did this tradecloth dress for a reason, right? To do it, and someday teach my daughters (because they might not have a Native mother). Why was I even going all dressed up like this? My stomach was in knots. I wonder if there was a handsome Indian there. That’s why I dressed up this way. It’d be easier, to ease into this two-spirit thing, dressed as a woman, right? I knew I wasn’t exactly invoking the image of a beautiful redwoman. I should have tanned, I was scolding myself. Then I thought of the sad excuse of the tradecloth dress it was. I had to do it from instructions on line, not with a soft and wrinkled hand showing me what to draw and how to hold the porcupine needle just so. I didn’t want my future daughters making pitiful tradecloth dresses.

Two-spirit. It’s an appropriate name. One body had to do twice the work, and I am not surprised I am already getting greys. Some days I feel inept at the quilling, and would rather go to the local zoo where there’s three buffalo and hunt one down.

I feel inept as a Native American woman, who is the backbone of our people and the most sacred, and yet I share a body like them.

I feel inept as a Native American man, because I get shy around beautiful Indian women, and try to get bravery by sipping on a fruity alcoholic drink.

I feel inept at being a real Indian, because there’s no more buffalo to hunt and trying to reconcile playing white men’s games.

I sometimes wonder, who is the person that is going to tell me that I’m not so inept anymore.

- - - - - - - - - -

Dan Waters is a two spirit male-identified mixed blood of Kiowa-Wampanoag descent. He currently lives in Massachusetts, and is attending UMass Amherst. He hopes to become a lawyer, specifically in advocacy and tribal law. Dan also currently writes at Identity Exposure and Womanist Musings.

Video: What Two-Spirit Means in Ojibwe Culture!

2011-05-09T13:44:00.002-04:00

This short video talks about what Two-Spirit means in Ojibwe culture! I consider myself gender non-conforming and two-spirit. Many close friends and family members know this about me. The more I take ownership the more empowered I feel in my identity! I just love this video and can't say it enough!

Anishinaabekwe

Video: Sistah by Ami Mattison

Ancestral Healing Pronounced

Photos & Poem: Snowshoe Adventure

Poem: Shame in Birth

Video: Shit people say to native americans

Poem: Matriarchal Voice

Video: Documentary "We Women Warriors"

Poem: Mixed Race Urban

1st Regional 100 Women In Wellbriety Gathering

Article: Decolonizing Together - Briarpatch Magazine

Help Us Raise Funds for "Ajijaak" Ojibwe Storybook!

Help us raise funds to assist in paying for the cost of printing and binding 100 full color paperback books for the first edition of "Ajijaak." Yes and I wrote the story!

Go to kickstarter and donate if you can. Be a part of helping to save the language. Please spread the word!

Read more about Four Colors Productions here!

Two Years Strong on the Red Road to Wellbriety

Racing the Rez Documentary

Poem: We Grew Up in Coffee Shops

Red Ink Magazine Call for Submissions

Poem: 500 Years, Ever Broken

Video: Dancing in the Sun

Poem: Support in Our Sisters

Video: Book Launch - Voice on the Water: Great Lakes Native America Now

Video: Singing Lessons by the 1491s

Photos: Book Launch - Voice on the Water: Great Lakes Native America Now

Book Launch - Voice on the Water: Great Lakes Native America Now

Love Buried in the Earth

Poem: Anishinaabekwe

Video: REPRESENT Jingle Dance - 1491s - Kayla Gebeck

Poem: It Looks Pretty Privileged

Music: Northern Wind Singers - Grass Dance Song

Poem: The Healing of the Women of Our Nations

Video: To the Indigenous Woman, a poem by the 1491s

Yellow Medicine Review - A Journal of Indigenous Literature, Art and Thought

I'm Back

Brief Hiatus

Decolonize Wall Street Poster Fundraiser!

Video: John Trudell - Crazy Horse

Poem: Indigenous, Walking Alone

Video: Pink Glove Dance Competition - Winslow Indian Health Care Center

Discussion: Healing From Historical and Generational Trauma

Poem: Heart

Video: Clarence Two Toes - Hipster Halloween

World Contraception Day and the implications of "family planning" for women of color

Poem: Voice, Breathing

Poem: Justice/Injustice

Video: Eagle Rock Short Doc Preview

Poem: A Life of Ease

Video: Rape on the Reservation

Reflections: On Running

Video: Winona LaDuke speaks on Mining and other Environmental issues 2011

Tar Sands Videos & Links

Poem: Forget That You Are Native

Photos: Nordhouse Dunes

The Letter, Part 2

Poem: It's Raining

Video: Shallow Waters by 10 year old Ta'Kaiya Blaney & Aileen De La Cruz

Perspectives Needed: Health blogs and Native American activism

Book Review: Feminism For Real by Jessica Yee

Poem: Podunk Town

Birth Matters: Getting Back to Our Indigenous Roots

Photos: Portraits of Moi!

Music: Drew Nelson - Highway 2

Poem: Healing Flows

Photos: Keweenaw Bay Traditional Jiingtamok (Powwow)

Native Daughters

Book Review - Other Tongues: Mixed Race Women Speak Out

Poem: Crow Was Speaking

Poem: No One at the Shore

Updates!

Video: First Speakers: Ojibwe Rapper 'Prayers in a Song'

Poem: White Women Laughed

I Have New Domain Name!

Native News Stories

Website Help!

Video: Geronimo E-KIA, a poem by the 1491s

Poem: Decolonization, Not a Word

Would Appreciate Your Feedback

Quote: Winona LaDuke

Poem: No Revolution