Category: First Nations
-
Shamans, Racism, and Greed
Racism and greed have been here a long time. We are asked only to do our part in creating a just dream that sustains all people and the planet. As one of my teachers used to tell me, repeatedly, “The world is as it is. Just do what you can.”
-
Thoughts Concerning the Fourth of July
The Fourth of July! This is one of those holidays, along with Columbus Day and Thanksgiving, I struggle with. My father struggled with it as well, although, the truth be known, he seemed to love Thanksgiving. Indeed, many Native people have very complex, often humorous and contradictory, experiences of the holiday.
-
Microaggression, Erasure, and Genocide
Perhaps the speaker himself did not notice his erasure of our collective history. After all, our national zeitgeist, like that of a trauma burdened family, is to move forward, forgetting the past as soon as possible. Microaggression is subtle, riding beneath normative cultural messages, and stealthily attacking the hearts and souls of it’s targets. Microaggressions…
-
Companionship, Tears, and Vision
As shamans, healers, and caring neighbors, we are often unable to stop dams, genocide, and even the suffering of every day life, as much as we might wish to. Still, we can acknowledge the humanity of others who suffer, always pointing to their sanity and wholeness. We can offer moments of companionship and joy, and…
