#indigenous systems

Shout out to those who's spirituality and culture influences your systemhood/plurality.

Shout out to Two-Spirit and Indigiqueer systems/plurals.

Y'all are valued.

Y'all are loved.

Today, September 30th, is the Canadian National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. This is a day of remembrance for victims and survivors of Indian residential schools in Canada, though it could likely apply to those who live on Turtle Island in general.

If your system or someone you know is or knows a survivor of an Indian residential school, or has a loved one who did not survive their time in a residential school, our hearts go out to you. We are wishing for you and family a future full of strength, peace, and resilience. Inter-generational trauma can have significant impacts, and the pain imposed on your loved ones and ancestors should not be forgotten as time passes. We hope that their lives can be honored and remembered throughout history, and we want to do our part to help preserve their legacy.

For allies of Indigenous peoples, if you are able to, please wear an orange shirt today to honor those whose lives were forever changed due to the negative impact residential schools has left on indigenous communities. Remember that, even today, Indigenous peoples face hardships, disparities, and inequalities in our society. The closure of residential schools does not mean rest, healing, and proper compensation for the victims of such institutions. Let’s vow as a community to make our spaces safe and accepting of Indigenous systems, and do our part to educate ourselves on their histories so that we may be better allies in the future.

Friends, please show some support to the Indigenous people in your lives today, and do not take their presence for granted. Take a moment to learn more about the history of Indian residential schools in Canada and the United States, and the grim legacy they have left which many Indigenous communities are still dealing with today. If you are able to, please reach out to the Indigenous systems and non-systems in your lives to provide support in whatever ways they have requested.

We will include links to sites and organizations where you can learn more about the Canadian National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and the history of Indian residential schools in both Canada and the USA, along with links where you can directly support survivors of Indian residential schools. Remember, if you cannot support these organizations or individuals financially, you can show your support by educating yourselves and providing a space in your own communities where Indigenous voices can be acknowledged and uplifted.

Indigenous systems, we love you, we are in your corner, and we want to support and uplift you however we can. Please do not hesitate to get in touch if there is anything we can do to help make our spaces more welcoming for you. You have an important and treasured place in the plural community, and we are honored to be able to share this space with you. We hope that you can do your best to treat yourselves and your system with compassion and gentleness today, and take care!

Permaculture instructor Andrew Millison visits an epic restoration of the Hawaiian Ahupua'a, the traditional watershed-scale food system of the Hawaiian people.

▶▶▶DONATE TO THIS PROJECT: https://www.nationofha...

▶NATION OF HAWAII WEBSITE: https://www.nationofha...

▶NATION OF HAWAII ON INSTAGRAM:   / hawaiiannational  

▶ANDREW MILLISON'S PATREON:   / andrewmillison  

▶EARTH REPAIR FUND (help us fund more videos like these): https://www.earthrepai...

VIDEO CREDITS:

⬤ Special thanks to KAWIKA KAHIAPO for use of his incredible music: https://kawikakahiapo....

⬤ Special thanks to FRESH WATERS ILLUSTRATED for use of their footage of the O'opu fish:    / @freshwatersillustrated  

  / freshwatersillustrated  

⬤ Special thanks to JOHN KIRKLEYfor use of achival still photos of the protests

We're extremely fortunate that we've found a small community of Indigenous systems/plurals on discord.

For any Indigenous, Two-Spirit plurals/systems out there:

Your experiences are important.

Your culture is important.

Your voices deserve to be heard.

Y'all are loved.

Y'all are valued.

Y'all are sacred.

Y'all are not required to adhere to a colonial understanding of plurality.

Y'all are not obligated to 'make sense' to non Indigenous peoples.

Y'all are your ancestors' descendants.