Here in Minneapolis, a growing number of Native American women wear red shawls to powwows to honor survivors of sexual violence. The shawls, a traditional symbol of nurturing, flow toward the earth. The women seem cloaked in blood. People hush. Everyone rises, not only in respect, for we are jolted into personal memories and griefs. Men and children hold hands, acknowledging the outward spiral of the violations women suffer.
The Justice Department reports that one in three Native women is raped over her lifetime, while other sources report that many Native women are too demoralized to report rape. Perhaps this is because federal prosecutors decline to prosecute 67 percent of sexual abuse cases, according to the Government Accountability Office. Further tearing at the social fabric of communities, a Native woman battered by her non-Native husband has no recourse for justice in tribal courts, even if both live on reservation ground. More than 80 percent of sex crimes on reservations are committed by non-Indian men, who are immune from prosecution by tribal courts.
The Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center says this gap in the law has attracted non-Indian habitual sexual predators to tribal areas. Alexandra Pierce, author of a 2009 report on sexual violence against Indian women in Minnesota, has found that there rapes on upstate reservations increase during hunting season. A non-Indian can drive up from the cities and be home in five hours. The tribal police can’t arrest him.
To protect Native women, tribal authorities must be able to apprehend, charge and try rapists — regardless of race. Tribal courts had such jurisdiction until 1978, when the Supreme Court ruled that they did not have inherent jurisdiction to try non-Indians without specific authorization from Congress. The Senate bill (Violence Against Women Act) would restore limited jurisdiction over non-Indians suspected of perpetrating sex crimes, but even this unnerves some officials. “You’ve got to have a jury that is a reflection of society as a whole, and on an Indian reservation, it’s going to be made up of Indians, right?” said Senator Charles E. Grassley of Iowa, the top Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee. “So the non-Indian doesn’t get a fair trial.”
We originally woke up at dawn to photograph Monument Valley, but heavy snowfall made the road unmanageable. So we came back later to find the tribal land covered in fog. It was a eerily beautiful sight.
A somber awakening…as we approach the Navel of the Earth, rocky forms slowly emerge from the dust shrouded desert floor beneath us and we feel the looming presence of the peaks massing in the distance. As the features of this holy place are slowly revealed by the rising sun, we gain a sense of moving toward the center of things…we break from our narrow view of travel along our southern border,…
When I was little we lived right next to train tracks with a railyard just down the road. I spent a lot of time over the years idly watching those trains, wondering about where they went and if I could go too.
I vividly remember a particular freight that had a wall-to-wall cover that just said “smile” and it was so intricate and yet so silly that it always stuck out to me how someone could put so much effort into something with probably no intention other than to express happiness. Or maybe there is a gang called “smile” and my whole life is a lie. IDK. But either way, it really resonated with me.
Different people make graffiti for all sorts of different reasons. Personally, I don’t expect stuff to last very long nor do I have a desire for permanence. Mostly I like to think of it as sharing messages with friends or leaving a note for someone else to stumble across. Oftentimes, I did it with a underlying hope that someone will be happy to see it or perhaps it might help some one feel less alone.
I like that idea of making things that probably most might never notice or care, but maybe one person will and maybe it just might cheer them up. It’s like a larger version of hiding letters in library books. Sometimes it’s painting things, like worn-out trash cans or coloring on utility boxes and yeah, I realize most people will never notice a banana sticker painted on a yellow traffic post or care about the gradient on a trashcan, but who knows?
Other times, perhaps primarily, I think I did it (early on especially) because it was a way of feeling part of something bigger. Living in semi-rural areas and remote reservations can sometimes feel stark in their loneliness, so when you stumble across someone else’s art in an otherwise abandoned building or similar area - it is like receiving a faint signal on the radio. By adding on a small piece, or touching up their fill, it was a way to feel part of it, like “Hey! I’m here too!”
Please don’t ask someone ‘how much Native’ they are. I am not a dog. You are not entitled to check out my pedigree. If you must, ask the person what tribe they are. I say American Indian/Native American as a default, to avoid overwhelming people who are not familiar with Indigenous americans. If you seem interested I usually break it down further. If you are Native, I break it down to tribe/region. If you are from my tribe, I break it down to clan/fam.
Please stop using the word ‘pale face’ to describe yourself in jest. Just don’t. I don’t use it. I don’t know any Native that uses it. But I see a lot of people using it in jest online and have run into people who jokingly refer to themselves as it. I find it offensive because it is a stereotyped patois that is based on a stunted form of ‘tonto-speak’. This also includes words like “squaw” “fire water”.
Please stop asking me about sweatlodge. Chill out. Go to the sauna at 24 fitness if you want to feel dry heat. You don’t ‘need’ to experience an ‘authentic native ceremony’. I will invite you to something if I want to or am allowed to. I don’t have an obligation to expose every part of my life to you. I don’t constantly ask hipsters I have just met to take me to Urban Outfitters or brunch at a microbrewery.
Please don’t act like I am your personal historian/expert on ‘all things Native’. It isn’t my responsibility to educate you. Asking is different than expecting.
Please stop asking me what my thoughts are on the ‘reds**ns” or “#nodapl” when you first meet me. I understand you might be trying to demonstrate an awareness of Indian Country (thanks!), but you don’t have to feel like proving it to me. This makes me feel like you are being super conscious of my ethnicity and not of me as an individual.
Please don’t ask me if I know “John, he is like Cherokee or Chickasaw or something”. We don’t all know each other.
Never, under any circumstances, call me: Squaw, Thunderbird, Indian Princess, Warrior, Chief, or any other racial slur that you find cute. Don’t.
Understand that if I don’t want to talk about something, it is my right. I really enjoy talking about my culture and sharing it with others. But sometimes I don’t want to discuss certain topics. Asking me about alcoholism on reservations while I am trying to chill out at the pool or prompting me to discuss land rights during intermission at the Symphony is weird.
Which reminds me, please don’t assume correlations based on stereotypes. If I tell you I don’t want a drink, do not automatically assume it is because ‘I am Native”. This seems so outlandish - yet if I had a quarter for every time someone has said this, I could probably afford to separate my laundry at the washateria.
Please don’t compliment me with a “for a Native”-qualifier. I love compliments! But when someone tells me “I speak really well for a Native” “Smart for a Native” that hurts on a lot of levels. You are basically saying you have lowered expectations of me and my community while having the gall to patronize me with your unwelcome approval.
Be aware of your own culture. When I am being nice enough to share stories of my culture with you and you automatically respond with “that’s so weird!” think about what you are saying. You are calling my culture weird because it is not your culture. It’s a default of a lot of people to assume that their culture is the ORIGINAL! AUTHENTIC! OG BEDROCK! culture and that everything else is backwards or a subgroup.
Also put some thought into your questions. When you say something like, “Why are reservations so poor?” “Why don’t Natives get jobs?”. You are basically assuming that these are issues we don’t discuss ad nauseum on the rez. You are also showing off your ignorance of basic American History and Policies, like the Indian Termination Policy and historical oppression.
Please don’t immediately ask me about casinos. Not all tribes have them. It is just a stereotype. Don’t ask me about ‘free money’. Not all tribes get per capita payments. It is just a stereotype.
Please don’t feel the need to ‘top my nativeness’. When i tell someone who asks what tribe I am, and they reply ‘Never heard of it’ and then proceed to continue with “…But I am a Cherokee Princess”. I don’t know what you want me to do, Congratulate you on something impossible? Genuflect?
And this is more personal and perhaps it is just indicative of the phase of life I am in right now, the annoying ‘opinionated-Tribal college-educated-politically active’-phase, but people using the word ‘savage’ bothers me so much. I get that it has become super mainstream slang and it is not uncommon to see sorority girls with “savage!!!! <3 <3” captioned all over their instagram. But I find this usage so offensive. If your people were never considered ‘savages’, if you have never been called ‘a savage’, if it is a slur that has never been applied to you, don’t suddenly reclaim it as a positive word.
Such an important topic and their food is delish! I’ve been blessed to eat with them a couple times and am anxiously awaiting the new restaurant that is coming.
Really? I want to try it so bad too!
ok but they mentioned colorado does that mean I can travel in my car to a place where someone cooks indigenous food because i am so down
2019-2020 Fellowships at The Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Metropolitan Museum of Art welcomes applications from scholars of art history, archaeology, conservation and related sciences, education, as well as from scholars in other disciplines whose projects are interdisciplinary in nature and relate to objects in The Met’s collection. The tremendous diversity of fellows’ projects reflects the historic and geographic diversity of the Museum’s collection. The community of fellows becomes immersed in the intellectual life of the Museum and takes part in a robust program of colloquia, roundtable seminars, research-sharing workshops, behind-the-scenes tours of exhibitions, conversations with Museum staff, and visits to the curatorial and conservation departments. Fellows form long-lasting professional relationships as they discuss research questions, look closely at objects, and share the experience of living in New York City.
Fresh Tracks Southwest/Intermountain Leadership Training in New Mexico!
Fresh Tracks brings young leaders from urban, rural, and tribal communities together during a three-day expedition, using the outdoors as a background for transformative leadership development. Youth will learn valuable organizing skills, create community action plans, and work with the Center for Native American Youth, along with partners from Children & Nature Network’s Natural Leaders and Opportunity Youth United, to make a lasting impact in their home communities. The training will be held in Abiquiú, New Mexico from September 14 -16 (including travel dates). Travel, lodging, and meals will be covered for selected participants. https://freshtracksaction.org/apply/
7th Annual Native American Studies Graduate Student Symposium - Honoring Seven Generations: History, Praxis and Futurities
WeRNative is a comprehensive health resource for Native youth, by Native youth, that promotes holistic health and positive growth in local communities, and the nation at large. September is Suicide Prevention Month and WeRNative is inviting American Indian and Alaska Native youth ages 15- 24 to help spread awareness and messages of hope. Those who participate have a chance to win $75. Submissions are due September 20, 2018.
Eligibility: Participants must be American Indian or Alaska Native and between the ages of 15 and 24 years old.
To Enter the Contest: Download and print the #WeNeedYouHere sign. Add your own hopeful message to the sign and take a photo. Submit the form to share your message with WeRNative and enter the contest. Questions? Email [email protected]
2018 QuestBridge Scholarships
The QuestBridge National College Match is a college and scholarship application process that helps outstanding low-income high school seniors gain admission and full four-year scholarships to the nation’s most selective colleges. Students who have achieved academic success in the face of economic adversity are encouraged to apply. Scholarships cover the full cost of tuition and room and board, are loan-free, and require no parental contribution. https://apply.questbridge.org/apply
AmeriCorps VISTA Native Food Sovereignty Fellows
work in Native American communities to contribute to and assist in efforts focused on food sovereignty, food systems, nutritional education, and the development of tribal economies that build opportunities in food and agriculture. The fellowship is the result of a unique partnership between VISTA, the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community and IFAI. VISTA positions are paid positions that provide a living allowance, educational benefits upon successful completion of the assignment, a child care benefit (if applicable) and other supporting benefits. Native Food Sovereignty Fellows work closely with the IFAI and receive ongoing training and assistance to augment their local work. The application period is now open. Space is limited, and they are looking to fill positions as quickly as possible. https://www.nationalservice.gov/programs/americorps/americorps-programs/americorps-vista/life-vista-member
Semester in Washington’s Scholarship for Native Students
The Native American Political Leadership Program (NAPLP) is a full scholarship for Native American, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian students who want to take part in Semester in Washington Politics. It is open to undergraduate and graduate students, including those who have completed their undergraduate degree but have not yet enrolled in a graduate program. https://semesterinwashington.gwu.edu/application-form
Native Arts Grant First Nations Development Institute (FNDI) established the Native Arts Initiative to stimulate long-term perpetuation, proliferation, and revitalization of artistic and cultural assets in Native communities. Through the Initiative, FNDI awards grants ranging from $15,000 to $32,000 to Native-led nonprofits and tribal government programs that serve Native American artists in the Upper Midwest, Southwest, and Pacific Northwest. Applications are due by 5:00 pm Mountain Time on August 30.
Fresh Tracks brings youth from from urban, rural, and tribal communities together for a three-day expedition, using the outdoors as a background for transformative, cross-cultural leadership development. Youth learn valuable organizing skills, create community action plans, and work with the Center for Native American Youth and partners to make a lasting impact in their home communities. The third of four regional trainings will be held in Indiana from August 10 -12 (including travel dates). Travel, lodging, and meals are covered for participants. Registration is due 12:00 pm Eastern Time on August 3rd.
Nebraska NPR and PBS station is hiring! NET Office Associate Provide administrative/operational support to NET including: Radio Manager, News Department, and general administration by scheduling meetings, processing expense invoices, preparing forms, answering phones and correspondence, preparing confidential memos and reports, and maintaining department files. Maintain supplies for the department and manage basic office functions as needed. 30 hours per week. http://www.netnebraska.org/careers
Black Public Media 360 Incubator Deadline: Friday, August 31, 2018 Black Public Media (BPM), the nation’s only nonprofit dedicated solely to media content about the black experience, has issued an open call to producers for nonfiction broadcast projects (individual programs or series pilots) and scripted or nonfiction digital web series. The third round of BPM’s 360 Incubator+ will see as many as 10 teams contend for up to $150,000 in funding to help produce the pilots or funding reels of their broadcast or digital projects. The program is designed to get quality programming and content into the pipeline and help move it to market. https://act.myngp.com/el/E9QQEUyy8mUdmSIuwDC9baMm48GfQODo6gxiB22zfkA=/_dJRqAEkhDnMlPduq2xfRKdnasPdcTUNo_xKSAJF8Ew= Center for Native American Youth http://www.cnay.org
And if any of you guys are still interested in going to college this Fall, but not sure how or where to start or just want someone to look over your resume or to help you with your application - just message me! Don’t be shy. We all got our start by asking someone a question :)
