TW — Child abuse and Racism

Fact about my tribe -
The Cherokee are represented by seven clans, Deer, Wolf, Long Hair, Paint and Wild Potato. Of course, these are rough translations of the original language which today is still used, but is almost dead.

Facts about the overall Indigenous -
The very popular and colonized tradition of Dreamcatchers originated in the Ojibwe culture, with the belief that Asibikaashi, the spider woman protected humans, especially children through her webs, containing their bad dreams. This tradition has been adopted and retold by many tribes.

Facts about colonization -
In the 17th century, the United States Government began kidnapping children from reserves and sending them to "Christian Boarding Schools." Here, they would brutally beat and torture the children until they were more aligned with the beliefs of a Christian white American. They would beat the children even for speaking their own language, referring to it as the devils tongue.

Facts about spirituality -
The Indigenous believed of life in nature. They believed every instance of nature resided it's own soul, and in turn, divine being. They cherished the Earth and it's offerings.

Thank you for greeting me in my native language. I appreciate your dedication to my culture.

The reserves we indigenous have been placed in by the United States government are already in poor condition. From the beginning, we have lacked clean water and supplies needed by any average society to live. The government has treated us like cavemen, lesser than human, with only slight relief granted in educational and funds for our necessities. The impact of the decline of our climate has made these resources even more scarce, and the president recently signed an executive order preventing proper water filtration, which even further inhibits our livelihood.

If you are seeking ways to help, donating to the Native American Rights Fund is a good way to start. Spreading this knowledge is another.

May you have a blessed day.

NARF: https://narf.org/support-us/