#amerinds

Not many Americans may feel much like celebrating the hallmarks of our country--liberty, justice, and freedom--this July 4th as we watch the shocking horrors experienced by asylum-seekers on our Mexican border, among other national tragedies. For many of us, the shame of what is happening is deep. Despite our protests, petition-signing, contacting our elected officials, political canvassing for the 2018 elections, monetary donations, and speaking-out in print and social media, we can still feel powerless to halt what is occurring. Whenever I feel a deeper level of outrage and frustration about government-policy attacks on people and Earth, however, I think of the tenacity of Indigenous Elders, particularly Native American women.

Trump Weird News - Indians Unifying Against Trump

Prime Minister of India & President of Russia Walk & Hold Hands

Trump Weird News - Deny Native Americans Birthright Citizenship?

In traditional Lakota lore, it is well-known that powerful spirit beings—what some contemporary Pagans would call wights—reside in certain large stones.

The annual U.S. celebration and federal holiday called Columbus Day is this Monday. The day is welcomed by many Americans who are glad for the day off and appreciate the many retail sales events over the long weekend. Columbus Day is also celebrated throughout Central and South America and in Spain. Heroic tales of Columbus having a "great vision and courage" to travel in so-called "uncharted" seas are told to school children and promulgated in mainstream media. Some Italian-American communities today continue the traditions of the generations preceding them who originally lobbied to have this day recognized by the U.S. government in order to develop ethnic pride. This history all sounds reasonable--if you don't know your history, that is!

Despite the international outcry and daily presence in media outlets across the United States this past fall and winter concerning the Dakota Access Pipeline construction, you may not be hearing much in the news these days. However, the absence of news headlines might suggest that nothing is happening and the Water Protectors and their allies and advocates have given up. This month's blog is to assure everyone that this is far from the truth, despite our current U.S President's statement that after he approved the continued construction of the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines his first week in office "nothing happened--no one protested." This is a completely false claim!

The Gathering of Nations is an annual mega-pow-wow in Albuquerque, New Mexico that brings in thousands of Indigenous dancers, drummers, and singers for a high-profile, high-flyin' time in Indian Country that boosts pride and re-affirms the vibrancy and resiliency of Indigenous cultures. But to some Native Americans, the annual Gathering of Nations event has been missing something, something the Two-Spirits especially noticed....them! The photograph above is of the Bay Area American Indian Two Spirit Society from 2016.