Yesterday I was grumpy. It took me a while to figure out what might be going on: 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. We participate in parades, hold pow wows, and acknowledge the patriotism of our people. We are also reminded of our collective experience of ethnic cleansing and genocide. Continue reading →