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My mother is from Houston and somehow found her way up north, but I can tell she is homesick. When I was a kid, we didn’t have much money, so our vacations were designated to visiting her hometown and seeing family. My four siblings, my parents, and I would pile into the car and drive for three days. Those road trips taught me a lot about the Southern United States. Though I never actually lived in Houston, those journeys gave me a connection to the South that I still carry with me.

Atakapa

Karankawa

Ishak (Atakapa)

Sana

Esto'k Gna

Coahuiltecan

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Great Smoky Mountains National Park-- photo by me

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I currently live in Asheville, North Carolina, where I moved alone on a whim. After a single visit, I fell so deeply in love with the city that I was willing to leave behind everything familiar for a place where I knew no one and nothing. Here, I have discovered who I am and what truly matters to me. Although I am independent and face financial challenges, the community I’ve found is so strong that I am willing to do anything to stay and remain a part of it.

Tsalaguwetiyi (Cherokee, East)

S'atsoyaha (Yuchi)

Miccosukee

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I was born and raised in western Pennsylvania, most of my childhood and adolescent years spent in New Wilmington. The town is extremely small, I graduated in a class of 80 people. The area is rural, right in the heart of Amish country. The land is beautiful and untouched by so many modern, urban amenities. I had to leave here as there was no more room for me to grow, but I am homesick often, and returning to visit always leaves me feeling connected with my childhood self.

Shawandasse Tula