#red pride

You know what sucks? Being confused about your identity in terms of race. Like- I know you can't measure genetics but my dad was full Lumbee native and my mom is "half" white and "half" Sioux so that'd make me 3/4 native but I'm white passing so whenever there's a native exclusive or inclusive event, I'm always so hesitant to participate because of how I look which sucks because when I was younger I was more tan and went to gatherings in my town and powwows and I miss it and I hate that I'm part white?? Like I don't claim my white side? And whenever I'm around people from the res they always mention how "white I sound" and look but whenever I'm around white people they either assume I'm mixed or call me "exotic looking????????" like I'm some kind of fucking animal??? And usually after I tell them my name (Tala) they'll poke fun and purposely butcher it. Everything is annoying and frustrating and idk.

A current member of the University of Michigan marching band wishes his campus had a steel pan band. An alum of Michigan State marching band is shocked at how little we sleep. I appreciate the bigger institutions too but anybody who is going to marginalize me for my uni needs to go the fuck home. Fly your fucking red high. We are the no sleep team, the hard nosed motherfuckers that work too hard but aim high enough. I got so much pride in my school rn it's unbelievable