softening my harden heart

This country was built by slaves , on stolen land. This country was stolen from the Indigenous people of this land; it was stolen through mass killings, forced displacement, biological warfare, rape, and so much more. The treatment of indigenous people has been and still is tragic and disgusting, whether it be in 1830 with the Indian Removal act, or American Indian Residential Schools that were in use until the late 20th century.

Indigenous people are still facing oppression today, and despite making up one of the smallest percentages of the population in the USA at around 2%, Native American people (especially Native American women) are some of the most susceptible to crime.

There is a current crisis in America of murdered and missing indigenous women, yet there is little to no coverage about it in the news. OVER HALF OF THE PERCENTAGE OF INDIGENOUS WOMEN HAVE EXPERIENCED SEXUAL VIOLENCE. HOMICIDE IS THE THIRD LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH FOR INDIGENOUS WOMEN BETWEEN THE AGES OF 10-24.

the statistics go on and on, yet no one seems to talk about it.

on this day, I urge you to research the land you reside on, and educate yourselves on both the brutal history of the colonization of America , as well as the current issues in the Native American community.

the statistics I have used in this post are taken from National Indigenous Women's Resource Center, and I strongly encourage you to take a look at the cite and possibly donate to some of the resources given on the website.