^^^^^^^Nerd

This made me smile. Maybe you need a smile today too.

Tom does the foolery

genuinely I do love katara and sokka as a representation of how Indigenous people can be written in a fantasy setting and it was nice to have something like that in a childhood that was spent consuming a lot of media set in fantastical worlds. however I think if those are the only fictional Indigenous characters you can name, especially like as an adult, you should really make an effort to also engage with stories that portray real Indigenous people and cultures in the real world

actually I’m going to add to this and say something that I know will be very controversial on tumblr but. if the only fictional Indigenous characters you as an adult can name in general are from solely children’s media, you should really make an effort to engage with a broader range of stories that portray real Indigenous people and cultures in the real world. sorry. I know this is a touchy subject. This isn’t meant as an indictment of adults who engage with children’s media overall. I just think those shouldn’t be, like, the only Indigenous characters you’re exposed to. respectfully. you’re going to be missing out on a lot of aspects of our stories, frankly. no matter how deep you think that story tailored to a child audience is. it very well may be. it was still written with children in mind first and foremost. please attempt to broaden your horizons.

and if I’m being really honest? once you’ve finished listing fictional Indigenous characters you’ve heard of? my challenge to you, white tumblr user, is to name at least one work of non-fiction (book, essay, documentary, etc) created by an actual Indigenous person. you’re allowed to use search engines you just have to name one. and then you have to engage with that work, if you haven’t already.