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Understanding Native American Heritage - NBCU Academy

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We give thanks for this land on which we stand. We acknowledge this place as the traditional and ancestral homelands of the Shoshone, Paiute, Goshute, and Ute Tribes.

We recognize the enduring relationships between many Indigenous peoples and their homelands, and the 60,000 American Indian and Alaskan Native peoples who live in Utah.

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2016 Superbowl Commercial about changing the Washington Team's name (good example for any Indigenous mascot convos)

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Changing the way we see Native Americans

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Changing the way we see Native Americans

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Matika Wilbur's TEDx Talk

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Changing the way we see Native Americans | Matika Wilbur | TEDxTeachersCollege

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Book List curated by Dr. Debbie Reese

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Native Ways of Knowing Book List 8-2023.pdf

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Looking for recommendations for books by Latinx authors? We've got you covered! Keep reading to discover new books and revisit your favorites! Plus, download our Latinx Voices catalog and watch our book buzz!

Read More "

Hear us buzz about our new picture books, middle grade, and young adult titles!

You'll hear from talented creators, including author Zohreh Ghahremani and illustrator Susie Ghahremani (Memory Garden), E. L. Shen (Maybe It's a Sign), and Amra Sabic-El-Rayess (Three Summers).

Listen to a special picture book debut interview from author Adam Pottle and illustrator Ziyue Chen in conversation with Editorial Director of Roaring Brook Press Connie Hsu to talk about Butterfly on the Wind. Plus, don't miss our live special guest Elisha Cooper, Caldecott honor author and illustrator, in conversation with Executive Editor of Roaring Brook Press Emily Feinberg. Listen as they discuss Elisha's new picture book Emma Full of Wonders!

Timestamps:
4:24 - Adam Pottle, Ziyue Chen, and Connie Hsu in conversation
20:18 - Picture Books
26:55 - Zohreh and Susie Ghahremani ( Memory Garden) feature video
31:19 - Middle Grade Books
32:47 - E.L. Shen ( Maybe It's A Sign) feature video
40:40 - Amra Sabic-El-Rayess ( Three Summers) feature video
44:15 - Young Adult Books
52:40 - Elisha Cooper and Emily Feinberg in conversation

Choosing Brave
By Angela Joy; illustrated by Janelle WashingtonAges 8-12
On Sale Now!

A Caldecott-honor winning picture book biography of the mother of Emmett Till, and how she channeled grief over her son's death into a call to action for the civil rights movement.

Mamie Till-Mobley is the mother of Emmett Till, the 14-year-old boy who was brutally murdered while visiting the South in 1955. His death became a rallying point for the civil rights movement, but few know that it was his mother who was the catalyst for bringing his name to the forefront of history.

In Choosing Brave, Angela Joy and Janelle Washington offer a testament to the power of love, the bond of motherhood, and one woman's unwavering advocacy for justice. It is a poised, moving work about a woman who refocused her unimaginable grief into action for the greater good. Mamie fearlessly refused to allow America to turn away from what happened to her only child. She turned pain into change that ensured her son's life mattered.

Timely, powerful, and beautifully told, this thorough and moving story has been masterfully crafted to be both comprehensive and suitable for younger readers.

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Ida B. Wells, Voice of Truth
By Michelle Duster; illustrated by Laura FreemanAges 4-8
On Sale Now!
Ida B. Wells, Voice of Truth is an inspiring picture book biography of the groundbreaking journalist and civil rights activist as told by her great-granddaughter Michelle Duster and illustrated by Coretta Scott King Award Honoree artist Laura Freeman.
Ida B. Wells was an educator, journalist, feminist, businesswoman, newspaper owner, public speaker, suffragist, civil rights activist, and women's club leader.

She was a founder of the NAACP, the National Association of Colored Women's Clubs, the Alpha Suffrage Club, and the Negro Fellowship League.

She wrote, spoke, and traveled, challenging the racist and sexist norms of her time.

Faced with criticism and threats to her life, she never gave up.

This is her extraordinary true story, as told by her great-granddaughter Michelle Duster and beautifully brought to life by Coretta Scott King Award Honoree artist Laura Freeman.

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Browse all of our November new releases, including new picture books, middle grade, young adult, graphic novels, and paperback books!

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Celebrate National Native American Heritage Month in your school or library! Keep reading to find more book recommendations, download resources for your classroom-including guides for Warrior Girl Unearthed and Eagle Drums-and invite your students to be the next generation of change makers with the Climate Activism Kit, inspired by Autumn Peltier, Water Warrior and We Are Water Protectors!

From New York Times bestselling picture book author Carole Lindstrom and illustrator Bridget George comes Autumn Peltier, Water Warrior, an inspiring picture book biography about two Indigenous Rights Activists, Josephine Mandamin and Autumn Peltier that will energize young readers to join the tidal wave of change.

In the spirit of Autumn Peltier, Water Warrior and We Are Water Protectors, we invite you to use the Climate Activism Kit in your school or library. Sign up your classroom or school library to receive a climate activism kit containing a special art print from Autumn Peltier, Water Warrior, an activity kit to engage young readers, a classroom pledge poster, and We Are Water Protectors badges to share with your students-while supplies last!

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#1 New York Times bestselling author of Firekeeper's Daughter Angeline Boulley takes us back to Sugar Island in this high-stakes thriller about the power of discovering your stolen history.
Perry Firekeeper-Birch has always known who she is-the laidback twin, the troublemaker, the best fisher on Sugar Island. Her aspirations won't ever take her far from home, and she wouldn't have it any other way. But as the rising number of missing Indigenous women starts circling closer to home, as her family becomes embroiled in a high-profile murder investigation, and as greedy grave robbers seek to profit off of what belongs to her Anishinaabe tribe, Perry begins to question everything.

In order to reclaim this inheritance for her people, Perry has no choice but to take matters into her own hands. She can only count on her friends and allies, including her overachieving twin and a charming new boy in town with unwavering morals. Old rivalries, sister secrets, and botched heists cannot-will not-stop her from uncovering the mystery before the ancestors and missing women are lost forever.
Sometimes, the truth shouldn't stay buried.
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Browse a selection of our 2023 paperback releases, including picture books, middle grade, young adult, and adult crossover books!

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Our Graphic Novel Preview series invites readers to look inside graphic novels. In honor of Bullying Prevention Month, we're highlighting the moving middle grade graphic novel Saving Sunshine by Saadia Faruqi; illustrated by Shazleen Khan, out now!

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October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month where we acknowledge domestic violence survivors and recognize stories that offer opportunities to discuss complex topics. Browse the books below for titles you can confidently recommend to young readers on this sensitive subject. For more resources on this topic, please visit the Domestic Violence Awareness Hotline or call the National Domestic Violence Hotline 800-799-7233.

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Read below to find our staff picks for October 2023 and learn more about these must-reads!

Read More "

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Looking for recommendations for books by Latinx authors? We've got you covered! Keep reading to discover new books and revisit your favorites! Plus, download our Latinx Voices catalog and watch our book buzz! Read More " You'll hear from talented creators, including author Zohreh Ghahremani and illustrator Susie Ghahremani (Memory Garden ), E.

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Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked the World

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Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked the World

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RUMBLE: The Indians Who Rocked The World

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A new feature documentary | RUMBLE: The Indians Who Rocked The World

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A new feature documentary about the role of Native Americans in popular music history that premiered at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival.

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Watch Spirit Rangers | Netflix Official Site

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Native American siblings Kodi, Summer and Eddy have a secret: They're "Spirit Rangers" who help protect the national park they call home! Watch trailers & learn more.

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The National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition

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Curriculum Resources - The National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition

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The National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition has developed a curriculum on U.S. Indian Boarding Schools for teachers and parents to use with their students and children. The Truth and Healing Curriculum is comprised of four (4) robust lessons on Indian boarding schools covering His…

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For Indigenous Eyes Only | School for Advanced Research

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Imagining the Indian: The Fight Against Native American Mascoting

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Imagining the Indian: The Fight Against Native American Mascoting

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Imagining the Indian is produced by The Ciesla Foundation. For forty years, Ciesla has produced documentaries that investigate non-stereotypical images of Jews in history and celebrate the untold stories of Jewish heroes. Imagining the Indian will further Ciesla's mission of bringing important stories to the forefront, this time focusing on the movement to eliminate Native American mascoting.

Based in Washington, D.C., the Ciesla Foundation is a 501(c)(3) public, tax-exempt educational organization. Ciesla was founded in 1979 by filmmaker Aviva Kempner, who serves as the executive director. Ciesla's films have received numerous honors and awards including top honors from the National Society of Film Critics, the New York Film Critics Circle, the Broadcast Film Critics Association, a George Peabody Award, and the CINE Golden Eagle Award.

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Imagining the Indian | The Fight Against Native American Mascoting

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Imagining the Indian is produced by The Ciesla Foundation. For forty years, Ciesla has produced documentaries that investigate non-stereotypical images of Jews in history and celebrate the untold stories of Jewish heroes. Imagining the Indian will further Ciesla's mission of bringing important stories to the forefront, this time focusing on the movement to eliminate Native American mascoting.

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Season 2 of Native America is a groundbreaking portrait of contemporary Indian Country.

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Vision Maker Media - The Premiere Source of Media By and About Native Americans

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Vision Maker Media's mission is empowering and engaging Native people to share stories. We envision a world changed and healed by understanding Native stories and the public conversations they generate. We work with VMM funded producers to develop, produce and distribute programs for all public media.

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Project 562: Changing the Way We See Native America

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Project 562: Changing the Way We See Native America

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About The Book

A photographic and narrative celebration of contemporary Native American life and cultures, alongside an in-depth examination of issues that Native people face, by celebrated photographer and storyteller Matika Wilbur of the Swinomish and Tulalip Tribes.

In 2012, Matika Wilbur sold everything in her Seattle apartment and set out on a Kickstarter-funded pursuit to visit, engage, and photograph people from what were then 562 federally recognized Native American Tribal Nations. Over the next decade, she traveled six hundred thousand miles across fifty states-from Seminole country (now known as the Everglades) to Inuit territory (now known as the Bering Sea)-to meet, interview, and photograph hundreds of Indigenous people. The body of work Wilbur created serves to counteract the one-dimensional and archaic stereotypes of Native people in mainstream media and offers justice to the richness, diversity, and lived experiences of Indian Country.

The culmination of this decade-long art and storytelling endeavor, Project 562 is a peerless, sweeping, and moving love letter to Indigenous Americans, containing hundreds of stunning portraits and compelling personal narratives of contemporary Native people-all photographed in clothing, poses, and locations of their choosing. Their narratives touch on personal and cultural identity as well as issues of media representation, sovereignty, faith, family, the protection of sacred sites, subsistence living, traditional knowledge-keeping, land stewardship, language preservation, advocacy, education, the arts, and more.
A vital contribution from an incomparable artist, Project 562 inspires, educates, and truly changes the way we see Native America.

Pictured on Cover: Dr. Henrietta Mann, Cheyenne

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A heartwarming and humorous picture called , My Great Big Native Family is vibrantly illustrated by Bridget George. When Russell gets a part in the school play, he lights up like a shining star-and he can't wait to tell his big, boisterous Native family the exciting news. But catching their attention when they all get together feels impossible; no matter where they go, they seem to be too noisy, too many, and just too much! But when Russell decides to venture on his own, he discovers that being alone isn't the answer . . . and that, when he needs them most, his great, big, loving family knows how to be just enough. (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, January 23, 2024)

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A heartwarming and humorous picture called , My Great Big Native Family is vibrantly illustrated by Bridget George. When Russell gets a part in the school play, he lights up like a shining star-and he can't wait to tell his big, boisterous Native family the exciting news.

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Brian Young's powerful debut novel tells of a seemingly ordinary Navajo boy who must save the life of a Water Monster-and comes to realize he's a hero at heart.

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Indigenous Art Market (Natural History Museum SATURDAY)

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Indigenous Art Market (Natural History Museum SATURDAY)

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The Market Happens Both Saturday and Sunday at NHMU!

Shop for Native American art and jewelry at the 2023 Indigenous Art Market at the Natural History Museum of Utah. Featuring Native American artists, dancers, and speakers from around the country, this celebration of indigenous art and culture brings the best Native American jewelry, painting, pottery, sculpture, beadwork, textiles, and carvings to Salt Lake City.

In addition to the market, we will have special performances from Community Hoop & Dance Performance Group, fry bread and Indian tacos, and talks from artists Eugene Tapahe and Jihan Gearon. Join us for this unforgettable event and prebook your tickets below.

Indigenous Art Market Schedule

Saturday, October 14

10 a.m.-5 p.m. - Indigenous Art Market

11 a.m.-4 p.m. - Anthropology Showcase

11 a.m. - Fancy Shawl Dance- performance by Tavamawisi Groves (Ute/Hopi), accompanied by Buffalo Nation

12 p.m. - Jingle Dance - performance by Dowawisnima Groves (Ute/Hopi), accompanied by Buffalo Nation

1 p.m. - Grass Dance - performance by Tuumogoy Groves (Ute/Hopi), accompanied by Buffalo Nation

2 p.m. - Boys Fancy Dance - performance by Vaisega Ieremia (Blackfoot Blood/Navajo), accompanied by Buffalo Nation

3 p.m. - Artist Talk, Eugene Tapahe - Art Heals: The Jingle Dress Project

2023 Artists

Peterson Yazzie -Navajo - Painting/Jewelry/Drawing

Andy Marion - Navajo/Apache - Jewelry

Michael Billie - Navajo - Mixed Media/Resin

Herb & Veronica Thompson - Navajo - Jewelry

Todd Westika - Zuni - Fetish Carvings

Kevin Horace Quannie - Hopi/Navajo - Painting/Sculpture

Peggy Fontenot - Patawomeck/Patowatomi descent -Photography/Beadwork

John Balloue - Cherokee Nation - Painting

Roman Skow - Navajo - Sculpture

Pahponee - Kickapoo Tribe in Kansas/Citizen Band Potawatomi

Jimmie Harrison - Navajo - Jewelry

Bruce Joe - Navajo - Jewelry

Calvin & Pillar Lovato - Santo Domingo - Jewelry

Rosabelle Teesyatoh Shepherd - Navajo - Jewelry

Arielle Tsingine - Navajo - Jewelry

Sage Goldtooth - Navajo - Jewelry

Duran Gasper - Zuni - Jewelry

Frank & Evelyn Chase - Navajo - Jewelry

Rad Cuch - Northern Ute - 2D/Painting/Drawing/Photography

Gilmore Scott - Navajo - Painting/Drawing/Photography

Nelson Garcia - Kewa Pueblo/Santo Domingo - Jewelry

Aaron Garcia - Kewa Pueblo/Santo Domingo - Jewelry

Jimmy Yawakia - Zuni - Fetishes

Susan Hudson - Navajo - Textiles

Bob Lansing - Navajo - Pottery

Priscilla Tacheney - Navajo - Photography

Toney Mitchell - Navajo - Jewelry

Phyllis Coonis - Zuni - Jewelry

Randy Dukepoo - Hopi/Laguna - Painting/Sculpture

Franklin Carrillo - Laguna/Choctaw - Jewelry

Charlene Sanchez Reano - San Felipe Pueblo - Jewelry

Rick Worker - Navajo - Jewelry

Mary Lou Begay - Navajo - Jewelry

Rafina Canyon - Navajo - Jewelry

James Goodman - Navajo - Sculpture

Ray Tsalate - Zuni - Sculpture/Jewelry

Troy Slice - Zuni - Sculpture

Monte Owen Yellow Bird - Arikara/Hidatsa - Ledger Paintings

Shannia Crank - Comanche/Navajo - Jewlery/Beadwork

Shawl Deel - Hopi/Navajo - Carvings

Lisa Deel - Hopi/Navajo - Beadwork

Roxanne Seoutewa - Zuni - Jewelry

Carlos Laate - Zuni - Pottery

Eugene Tapahe - Navajo - Photography

Every year, 100 percent of sales from NHMU's Indigenous Art Market go directly to the artists.
NHMU/University of Utah ("NHMU") are not responsible for any sales. All sales are negotiated directly with the artist, who is operating independently from NHMU.
Tribal Member Discount

Guests enrolled with a federally or state recognized tribe in the United States of America, including any children in their household, are eligible for free admission to NHMU. Redemption of this discount requires presentation of a tribal enrollment card or tribal ID at the time of visit.

Tribal members may also request a visit to the anthropology collections at NHMU. We welcome and encourage tribal nations to use the collections. Please email requests to the anthropology collections manager at least two weeks in advance.

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Experience NHMU's Indigenous Art Market, featuring top Native American artists from around the country.

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The core of Indigeneity is to be cosmically and earthly bonded to relationships. For Indigenous people: our lives, our ways of loving and knowing oneself is reliant on understanding that we are inextricably woven into relations that extend into Mother Earth, outwards to Father Sky, including all elements and non-human relatives. As Diné (Navajo People), the entirety of this understanding can be found within our homes.

Our hooghans (homes) were given to us as teachings of the universe and more fractally, our world view. For Diné, home is matriarchal. The facing ha'aa'aah (east) "where the sun comes up" doorway, which leads into the womb, sustains our relationship to all directions and cosmic processes. At the center of our universe is the fireplace. Like Náhookòs Bikò' (North Star), the fireplace never moves. It is the central light that brings warmth and guidance to our humble consciousness.

There are no "rooms" or separations between relatives in the creation of our homes. Instead, we are taught that as life is created within our home/womb, our lives are fulfilled by the full awareness of our young ones to our elders. We can see all that is taking place, we see generations of loved ones revolving like constellations.

This way of relating to one another allows us to be knowing and giving to the nourishment and stability of the minds, bodies, and spirits that circle the fireplace. This world view extends beyond our hooghans and has carried into the lives of colonized Diné today as a protective prayer. However, this most sacred teaching has been and continues to be violently disrupted in our homes and homelands.

Surrounded, compounded, and extracted by colonization, Indigenous people experience a violence that has created a complex network of foreign activity within our homes and on our homelands.

When we experience violence in our hooghans or when a relative is violently removed from our hooghans, murdered or trafficked into abyss, it disrupts and creates lasting fractures in our universe. It is a violence that affects all our relations, including the land and waters that yearn for our return and the restoration of healthy family kinships and ceremony.

Today we are taught that when the pain is unbearable, we return to the fire that knows us for love and guidance. It is there we give our prayers, sending smoke that travels to those we lost where we often find them in the sky.

[Denae Shanidiin | Diné | MMIWhoismissing]

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Carry the Water is sovereignly funded & seeded through community kinship and support.

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Our mission coupled with our vision statement reflects the current needs of Utah's urban indian population. We are predominantly funded through Federal and State grants and contracts, private foundations and individual donor based giving. We devote resources to support and develop accessible, culturally competent healthcare programs and services for the whole family.

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Salt Lake Community College Indigenous Events

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Salt Lake Community College Indigenous Events

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SLCC Land acknowledgement

Salt Lake Community College is located on the Native American shared territory of the Goshute, Navajo, Paiute, Shoshone, and Ute People. We honor the original ancestors of this land and also offer respect to our other tribal communities. We acknowledge this history to cultivate respect for and advocate with our Indigenous students and communities still connected to this land.

2022 Native American Heritage Month

SLCC SOcial Powwow 2022

A pow-wow is a time for friends and family to come and celebrate through song and dance. Tribal communities gather to practice dances and songs that keep our traditions alive. Social pow-wows seek to enhance and promote awareness of the plethora of cultural uniqueness within our Native American students at our institution. The event showcases Native American culture through hands-on activities, music, interactive dance presentations, and resources. Interactive dance presentations, and resources.

After two years off, SLCC's powwow brings Indigenous people back together - Salt Lake Tribune Article (April 15, 2022)

SLCC powwow to reunite Indigenous community after two-year hiatus - SLCC Globe Article (April 11, 2022)

Radioactive - Radio Broadcast (April 11, 2022)

Pow wow season is back in Utah after a two-year pandemic pause. Rocklyn Merrick, SLCC Powwow coordinator, joined the program to share about the up-and-coming SLCC Spring Social Powwow. Diné (Navajo), Oglala Lakota and Omaha, Merrick shared the significance of Powwow gatherings. She wanted Natives and non-Natives to know that ALL people are welcomed at this gathering.
Listen to the Radioactive Show
Native American Heritage Month (NAHM) - November 2021

Native American Heritage Month is a celebration in November that promotes and enhances the plethora of cultural uniqueness within our Native American students and communities. Our goal is to recognize and celebrate contributions of the Native American and American Indian people.

NOVEMBER 11, 2021 - Veterans Day Flag Ceremony
Presented By: SLCC Veterans Services
SLCC commemorates Veterans Day with flag ceremony - SLCC Globe Article (November 12, 2021)
Listen to the Radioactive Show
Native American Lunch and Learn Summer 2022

The Native American Lunch & Learn event serves as an opportunity for Native American students to connect, build community among peers, and receive additional information and resources to ensure their success while at SLCC community college. We share stories and experiences that help students feel welcomed and seen and reminds them that they are not alone in their pursuit of higher education.

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American Indian/Alaskan Native Heritage Months & Programs

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Salt Lake Community College is located on the Native American shared territory of the Goshute, Navajo, Paiute, Shoshone, and Ute People. We honor the original ancestors of this land and also offer respect to our other tribal communities. We acknowledge this history to cultivate respect for and advocate with our Indigenous students and communities still connected to this land.

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The University of Utah Pow Wow is an opportunity for tribal members throughout the Intermountain West to meet and honor the cultural and religious practices of their communities. Pow Wow is planned in partnership with Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion; the American Indian Resource Center; the University of Utah's Inter-Tribal Student Association; and the Urban Indian Center of Salt Lake.

Event information will be published as details are solidified. For questions, please contact powwow@utah.edu.

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Pow Wow - Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion

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The University of Utah Pow Wow is an opportunity for tribal members throughout the Intermountain West to meet and honor the cultural and religious practices of their communities.

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(North American Indian Boarding Schools)

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(North American Indian Boarding Schools)

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The U.S. compelled generations of Native American children to attend boarding schools where they experienced violence and trauma to achieve its broader goal of acquiring tribal land, a federal report concluded Wednesday after a nearly year-long investigation.

The schools intentionally cut ties with children's tribal nations and purposely worked to assimilate students into mainstream culture, Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Bryan Newland said in the 105-page report. The review focused on 408 federally run boarding schools, with the largest concentration, 76, in Oklahoma.

Schools in Utah

In Utah there were seven schools discovered in this report that were dispersed across the state. Previously, it was believed only six of these schools operated in the state. The schools were located across Utah with schools in Box Elder County, Uintah County, San Juan County and two in the southwest part of the state.

These two schools operated briefly at the start of the 20th century in St. George and Panguitch, with the report suggesting that the schools were connected.

The school in St. George was called the St. George Southern Utah Boarding School and might have started as the Shebit School. The school operated from 1901 to 1904 but during that time the superintendent of the school, Laura B. Work, indicated the school needed to expand and made several references about moving the school to Panguitch, a town about 120 miles to the north. Around the time the Panguitch school opened, Work said "the school has found its home," according to the report.

The school in Panguitch, called the Panguitch Boarding School, opened shortly after the one in St. George closed in 1904. The Panguitch school operated from 1904 to 1909 and it's estimated 150 Paiute children were forced to attend. Twelve unmarked graves are located on the site. Currently, the land where the school is located is owned by the state and leased to Utah State University which has said they would excavate the site if they get approval from the Paiute Tribe of Utah.

More: On the ground at the Panguitch Indian Boarding School where 12 Paiute children likely died

Most of the schools were located in counties with small populations, two schools each were located in San Juan County and Uintah County. One school in Uintah County was the Uintah Boarding & Day School in White Rocks, it operated from 1880 -1951. The other Uintah School was called the Ouray Indian School in Randlett Utah, it operated from 1885 - 1905 and when it closed its students were moved to the boarding school in White Rocks.

Of the two schools in San Juan County, one is still operating although not as a full-time boarding school. That school was called the Aneth Boarding & Day School when it housed students and opened in 1935 in Montezuma Creek. Now it operates as the Aneth Community School and is controlled by the Bureau of Indian Education. The other San Juan school was called the Navajo Faith Mission; it operated in Aneth from 1899 - 1919 until the buildings were swept away by the San Juan River, according to the report.

More: Utah reconciling its history with Indian Residential Schools

The biggest boarding school that operated in Utah was called the Intermountain Indian School in Brigham City in northern Utah. The report said the school operated from 1950 - 1984, in a remodeled hospital. When this school started it had 500 Navajo children and during its time the school held kids from at least 26 Native American tribes, according to the report.

Scope of the Report

It is the federal government's first attempt to provide an in-depth accounting of the harm done by boarding schools, but the full reckoning remains incomplete. Officials acknowledged they are still trying to count how many children attended the schools and how many died while there. They have so far found 53 burial sites on boarding school grounds.

"The department expects that continued investigation will reveal the approximate number of Indian children who died at federal Indian boarding schools to be in the thousands or tens of thousands," the report said.

The schools were common throughout much of the 1800s and the first half of the 1900s. Some are still open today.

The report found school leaders regularly changed Native children's names, cut their hair, forbid them from practicing any part of their culture and required students to complete military drills. The schools focused on manual labor and trade skills training, not education. Living conditions were often "grossly inadequate." At one boarding school on the Kiowa-Comanche-Apache reservation, children were forced to share small beds pushed closely together in a row.

Federal officials sent children from as far away as Alaska to attend schools in Oklahoma, which was known as Indian Territory until it became a state in 1907.

The traumatic legacy of Native American boarding schools gained broader awareness in 2021, after searches of school sites in Canada revealed mass graves where children were buried.

U.S. officials launched the investigation in June at the direction of Interior Secretary Deb Haaland. She is Laguna Pueblo and the first Native American to serve in her post, which oversees federal relations with tribal nations. Newland, who belongs to the Bay Mills Indian Community, answers to her.

In the report, he concluded boarding schools broke up Native families and eroded the health and wealth of tribal citizens and the economies of tribal nations for generations. Investigators found instances when federal officials spent money that was supposed to compensate tribal nations for land to run the boarding schools.

The schools also contributed to the erosion of Indigenous languages, because students were often punished for speaking their native languages. One boarding school in Kansas, which operates today as Haskell Indian Nations University, purposely housed children from several 31 different tribes together in the late 1800s "to disrupt tribal relations and discourage or prevent Indian language use."

More: 'Just another dead Indian': Indigenous woman's murder shows systemic struggles in MMIW cases

The report calls for federal officials to keep investigating both the direct harm and lasting damage of boarding schools. Congress approved $7 million to continue the review.

"It is my priority to not only give voice to the survivors and descendants of federal Indian boarding school policies, but also to address the lasting legacies of these policies so Indigenous peoples can continue to grow and heal," Haaland said in a statement about the report.

The report's release comes the day before a Congressional hearing on boarding schools. A House subcommittee plans to hear testimony on a bill that would establish a truth and healing commission to investigate the legacy of boarding schools and hear from survivors. Shawnee Chief Ben Barnes plans to testify.

Barnes and other Shawnee leaders are working to preserve a Kansas boarding school where many Shawnee children were sent and look into what happened at the mission school.
USA TODAY contributed to this report. Sean Hemmersmeier covers local government, growth and development in Southwestern Utah. Follow on Twitter @seanhemmers34. Our work depends on subscribers so if you want more coverage on these issues you can subscribe here: http://www.thespectrum.com/subscribe.

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Federal Investigation finds 408 Indian Boarding Schools, over 50 with graves and 7 in Utah

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The Department of the Interior released a report on Indian Boarding Schools. Here is where in Utah the schools were located.

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Tribal Nations | Utah Division of Indian Affairs

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Utah is home to eight distinct tribal nations, each with a unique heritage that can be found among the state’s many sacred places, and expand across Colorado, Arizona and Nevada.

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Potent stories that offer a forceful vision of contemporary Navajo life, by an American Book Award winner. An ex-con hired to fix up a school bus for a couple living off the grid in the desert finds himself in the middle of their tattered relationship.

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An ‘anti-World’s Fair’ makes its case: give land back to Native Americans

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A new art installation asks people and institutions to go beyond land acknowledgements - and give property back to Indigenous tribes.

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In many schools, lessons about Indigenous Peoples are presented only through social studies. This often defines Native Americans by their encounters with others, rather than by their own accomplishments. In truth, Indigenous Peoples in the Americas have been innovative and successful managers of their lands and resources for tens of thousands of years. Native innovation is anchored in a deep understanding of how tools and technologies are best suited to the environment. Cultivating these carefully attuned relationships with the land has been critical to Native existence for millennia. Indigenous Peoples of the Americas have always been accomplished scientists and innovators in ways that value balance and unity with the environment.

American Indian knowledge and related innovations, goods, and technologies (e.g., agriculture) have had enormous global impact. Medicine, engineering, astronomy, and math are as Indigenous to the Americas as the Native Peoples who practice them. More than fifty present-day medications have been developed by examining the use of plant extracts in traditional Native medicines. The Olmec Peoples of Mesoamerica created rubber. Indigenous Andeans developed complex and extensive road networks and suspension bridges that successfully distributed foods and resources across territories spanning six countries in modern South America. Today, Indigenous teachings, traditional and new, present solutions to modern-day issues in need of innovation. Industrial farming, for example, uses large amounts of fossil fuels and water supplies, and it produces 70 percent of river and stream pollution in the United States. Inka agricultural terraces offer another approach: they limit land usage and facilitate water distribution through canals powered simply by gravity.

Sharing Indigenous legacies of scientific advancement in your classrooms shows students that Native knowledge is scientific and often sustainable. Also, Native students are more likely to pursue careers in STEM when they see themselves and their communities represented in their classrooms. Ultimately, all students can benefit from learning about Native scientific innovations.

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Native Knowledge 360°-Native American Representation in STEM: Indigenous Innovation

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NK360° Helpful Handouts: Guidance on Common Questions provide a brief introduction to teachers about important topics regarding Native American life, cultures, and communities. Native Life and Food: Food Is More Than Just What We Eat explores Indigenous relationships with food. #NK360

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Anti-Racist Art Teachers - Indigenous Artists

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Chef Sean Sherman on the Rebirth of Native American Cuisine

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Listen now (32 mins) | Chapters: 0:00 Why not more Native American restaurants? 4:48 True wild rice, elk, bison, and Owamni’s menu 9:27 “Control the food, control the people”—Henry Kissinger 13:00 Not just food, but knowledge of food 16:40 Engaging with modern capitalism to preserve ancient wisdom

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Indigenous Mathematicians

Our Mission & Vision

This website seeks to put together all the known information about Indigenous Mathematicians. We recognize that Native People have been doing mathematics (and hence have been mathematicians) for millennia. However here, we use "mathematician" to mean someone formally trained in mathematics in the Western academic system and/or someone who practices mathematics in their profession. Thus we may potentially include those with non-terminal mathematics degrees.

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We Are Indigenous Mathematicians - Indigenous Mathematicians

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Indigenous Mathematicians Learn more about our community of Indigenous Mathematicians across the world! Our 2021 Honorees Learn more about our very own Indigenous Mathematicians from around the world as they share in story about their personal and professional journeys in mathematics Networking Knowledge Exchange Inspire Inspiring Mathematicians Around the World Find out here we are each doing math around the world!

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What is Indigenous Science? (Dr. Jessica Hernandez)

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What is Indigenous Science? (Dr. Jessica Hernandez)

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Indigenous peoples represent about five percent of the world's population-and sustain nearly 80 percent of the world's biodiversity. This week, Dr. Jessica Hernandez joins Jonathan to discuss the principles of Indigenous science, Indigenous land stewardship, and what it will take to heal Indigenous landscapes.

Dr. Jessica Hernandez (Maya Ch'orti' & Binnizá) is a transnational Indigenous scholar, scientist, and community advocate based in the Pacific Northwest. In her new book Fresh Banana Leaves: Healing Indigenous Landscapes Through Indigenous Science (out now!), she breaks down why western conservationism isn't working-and offers Indigenous models informed by case studies, personal stories, and family histories that center the voices of Latin American women and land protectors.

You can follow Dr. Hernandez on Twitter and Instagram @doctora_nature, and keep up with her work at www.jessicabhernandez.com.

For more resources about Native and Indigenous lands, visit landback.org and native-land.ca.

Find out what today's guest and former guests are up to by following us on Instagram and Twitter @CuriousWithJVN.

Check out Getting Curious merch at PodSwag.com.

Listen to more music from Quiñ by heading over to TheQuinCat.com.

Jonathan is on Instagram and Twitter @JVN and @Jonathan.Vanness on Facebook.

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What's Indigenous Science? with Dr. Jessica Hernandez - Getting Curious with Jonathan Van Ness

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Indigenous peoples represent about five percent of the world's population-and sustain nearly 80 percent of the world's biodiversity. This week, Dr. Jessica Hernandez joins Jonathan to discuss the ...

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"But you don't look like an Indian!"

I've heard that response more than a few times from people when they learn that I am an American Indian. I am a member of the Haliwa-Saponi tribe of North Carolina. I grew up in the D.C. suburbs, not on a reservation. In fact, our tribe doesn't have a reservation, but my family often travels to Hollister, N.C., where the Haliwa-Saponi have their tribal homelands, for cultural gatherings or events.

It's a common frustration for many of the country's American Indians and Alaska Natives: People react with surprise or disbelief when we tell someone that we're from a tribe that is Indigenous to the United States.

Many people assume all American Indians are dead; they have an image in their heads of old black-and-white photos of some western Plains Indians who performed in Buffalo Bill's Wild West shows. Or they wrongly generalize that we're all confined to reservations, living in poverty or flush with casino cash.

For many of us, the message to the rest of society is simple: "We're still here."

The city of Anchorage sits on the homeland of the Dena'ina tribe. The Anchorage Museum installed "This is Dena'ina Ełnena" on its facade as part of its land acknowledgment efforts to recognize the Indigenous people of a place. The Indigenous Place Names Project has come up with 30 locations to place new signs, like the one seen here in Muldoon Park/Chanshtnu ("Grass Creek").

There are more than 570 federally recognized American Indian and Alaska Native tribes and villages in the United States. According to the 2020 Census, fewer than a quarter of American Indians and Alaska Natives reside on reservations or other tribal lands. Most of us - close to two-thirds - live in major cities or smaller metro regions and suburban areas.

We are represented in a wide range of professional jobs, such as doctors, lawyers, scientists, artists, authors and politicians. Many of us also continue to practice the cultural traditions of our specific tribes, teaching them to the next generation.

For Native American Heritage Month, my colleague Rachel Hatzipanagos and I talked with several American Indians and Alaska Natives about their work to remind nonnatives that we are still here.

They represent different tribes and varied professions, some working on reservations and some at major institutions in big cities around the country. They acknowledge the struggles of their people and are determined to educate their children and the public about their history and their current lives.

We invited Inupiaq photographer Brian Adams to create a visual response to our theme of "we're still here." He chose to document the efforts of the Indigenous Place Names Project, which looks to reclaim these Dena'ina spaces. The movement creates place markers throughout Anchorage with the names of the locations in the native Alaska language.

My husband and I have been taking our girls, ages 7 and 9, to our tribe's annual powwow since they were babies, and a few years ago, I watched with immense pride as they independently stepped into the arena and danced on their own, without coaxing.

As my mom says, they understood that this is where they come from, and this is who they are.

As we say in our Tutelo-Saponi language, lé: maini:naǫse - "we are still here."

Aaron Leggett, 40, the president of the Native Village of Eklutna, has made it his life's mission to change assumptions that natives are long gone in Anchorage, the city where he grew up and where his ancestors have lived for thousands of years. During his senior year at the University of Alaska at Anchorage, he and a professor organized a class for youth about Dena'ina history and culture. They challenged students to find public recognition of the Dena'ina people in the city. It would be the beginnings of what would become the Indigenous Place Names Project.

Nikki Bass

Member of the Nansemond Indian Nation of Hampton Roads, Va.

Nikki Bass, who lives in D.C., said people are often surprised that she's a Native American whose tribal community is in the D.C. region.

She's a member of the Nansemond Indian Nation, which has a population of roughly 600 and is one of several tribes in Virginia that received federal recognition in 2018.

"People who live here don't realize there are Native American communities living throughout the Chesapeake Bay area and we've never left," said Bass, a chemist and the associate director of the science policy division at the Environmental Protection Agency.

(Courtesy of Nikki Bass)

Bass, 39, said one of the most common myths people have about American Indians is that "Native American identity is divisible."

"They think you can be a fraction of a Native American," Bass said, referring to a controversial practice of trying to determine the amount of "Indian blood" a person has. It has been used to determine whether individuals are eligible for federal benefits, and some tribes still use it to determine membership.

"Our identities are not based on a myth of racial purity," which she calls harmful. She said many Native Americans, including her own family, have "been living as part of a blended society for centuries."

Bass said she has African, European and Native American ancestors. "I'm proud of the whole story of my family," she said.

"Our land was stolen, and we survived in blended communities," she said. "There's nothing in oursurvival story that weakens my Native Americanancestry."

Bass has served on her tribal council for two years, and she often participates in events to teach and showcase her heritage.

(Lolita Bass)

She also does Eastern Woodland women'straditional and jingle dress dancing at powwows and makes her own regalia, a traditional type of clothing worn by Native Americans for special ceremonies. Recently, Bass finished a project that tells of her tribe's relationship to the Nansemond River, a 20-mile-long tributary of the James River in southern Virginia, and how they were displaced from living near the river.

Bass said she's concerned about keeping Native American communities close and culturally connected, as many like hers have watched their members move away for jobs.

"We were forced away, but then that rippled out as people followed job opportunities," she said. "That's still affecting our people today. I'm constantly wondering how to keep our people close as the world spreads out."

Jordan Dresser

Chairman of the Northern Arapaho Tribe of Fort Washakie, Wyo.

When the elders of the Northern Arapaho Tribe in Wyoming were reunited with items they hadn't seen in a very long time, like rawhide bags adorned with special designs,they had tears in their eyes.

"That brought me hope that this is something that's important for all of us," said Jordan Dresser, 37.
Read more
Jaqueline Brixey

Member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma

Jaqueline Brixey's great-grandmother, who was Cherokee, did not want her children to speak any Indigenous languages.

"She wanted them to speak English, possibly for economic opportunities, or just because of racism and oppression, and thought that would ease their lives," said Brixey, 33.
Read more
The Indigenous Place Names Project drew knowledge from Dena'ina elders, who for the last 40 years have worked to document over a thousand place names throughout south-central Alaska. Colonizers have historically ignored Indigenous place names to their detriment, Leggett said. For example, developers in the 1950s built a community of high-end homes in Anchorage on an area that in the Dena'ina language is called Nen Ghiłgedi - "rotten land." The homes were destroyed in a 1964 earthquake because they were built on unstable soil. Seen here from Cook Inlet, Leggett hopes to soon have a place marker for Dghelishla ("Little Mountain"), or the mountain known as Sleeping Lady. A new place name for Chanshtnu, meaning "Grass Creek" in Dena'ina, was installed in August and was one of the first to be displayed in Anchorage as part of the project.

Dakotah Lane

Member of the Lummi Nation of Bellingham, Wash.

Dakotah Lane never forgot his grandfather telling him when he was growing up that he needed to come back and do work for the tribe.

Initially he got a degree in electrical engineering at the University of Washington and worked for AT&T and IBM. But he decided the best way to serve his tribe was as a doctor, so he went to medical school. After graduating from the Weill Cornell medical college in New York, he went back to work as the medical director at the health clinic for his tribe.

Lane, 41, is the first doctor from his tribe to serve his people since 1978, and he is part of a small cadre of Native American doctors in the country. Less than 1 percent - 0.3 percent, to be exact - of the roughly 918,500 licensed working doctors in the United States are Native American or Alaska Native, according to 2019 data from the Association of American Medical Colleges.

(Courtesy of Dakotah Lane)

Lane was born in Bellingham to a White mother who worked in commercial real estate and a Lummi father who is a retired commercial fisherman and now does maintenance work at the tribe's casino. Before his arrival at the clinic, Lane said, many people within the roughly 5,300-member tribe were nervous about coming there because there wasn't a Lummi doctor in charge. He said he's been able to build a trust over the years with his tribal patients. That relationship, he said, was crucial when the covid-19 pandemic hit, as the disease has been especially hard on Native American communities. At least 80 percent of the Lummi Nation are vaccinated, Lane said.

He said that in the "post-George Floyd era," many Americans have become more focused on "different minority groups that everyone ignored before."

"Now people are learning and asking," Lane said. He said other doctors or health professionals will ask him what it's like working on the reservation. Once coronavirus vaccines were distributed to all Lummi tribal members who wanted them, the rest went to people in the surrounding communities who came to their casino for a free shot.

"We were distributing them to non-tribal people because we knew [that] to protect Lummis, we had to protect those around us," Lane said. "The virus is nondiscriminatory."

A common misconception, Lane said, is that Native Americans don't pay taxes and "all get a lot of money from casinos." False and false, he said. "We do pay taxes, and there are only a few casinos nationally that make enough money to distribute small amounts to their individual tribal members."

The Lummi reservation sits just off Lummi and Bellingham bays, about 10 miles outside of Bellingham. Lane said he recalled growing up there and how people made a living fishing and catching crabs. To keep his cultural traditions alive, Lane said he participates in his tribe's canoe races, where teams compete in a long-held tradition.

Lane said he's most concerned about Native Americans "finding ways to deal with the generational trauma that dates back to the beginning of our relationship with the federal government." He said he believes that much of the historical trauma leads to mental and medical conditions that "need to be treated."

Secondly, he said, he hopes tribes can diversify their economies so they can improve job opportunities near their homelands for their people.

"To fight poverty, you have to have good-paying jobs," he said. "Tribes have to figure out what they're going to look like in the 21st century and determine their own economy."

Joseph Connolly

Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) and a citizen of the Six Nations of the Grand River in Canada

When Joseph Connolly tells people he's an American Indian who works as an aerospace engineer at NASA, they usually react with shock.

Then out of awkwardness, he said, some people respond that their great-great-grandmother was Cherokee or they had a cousin who was a Blackfoot.
Read more
Artist Melissa Shaginoff, who is Athabaskan and Paiute, helped design the place names, drawing inspiration from the Dena'ina fire bag that was used to carry a fire starter and other objects. "It's very much digging deeper than just renaming a place. It's about this sort of reclamation of an incredible, incredibly old and relevant information system that is Indigenous languages," said Shaginoff, 34. "Our language is the most perfectly designed language for that space, for that area, and there's so much knowledge embedded in that."

Jae Littlebear

Youth organizer of the Santa Ana Pueblo in New Mexico

Jae Littlebear, 20, was at an airport departure gate, heading to the nation's capital for a climate protest, when the woman checking her bag remarked: "You're really pretty for a native girl."

Littlebear, of Santa Ana Pueblo, didn't want to say thank you. She knows all her people are beautiful. So she let the airport worker finish talking, asking stereotypical questions like: Do you speak your language? Do you live in teepees?

(Ellie Silverman)

Finally, Littlebear had enough and asked the worker: "How long have you been in New Mexico for?"

"She said her whole life," she recalled.

Littlebear is a youth organizer with the Pueblo Action Alliance, but said she doesn't usually speak up like this in public. On this day, she felt the need to push back:

"How do you not know what my people's culture is?" she asked the airport worker.

Littlebear then said she gave her a brief lesson, pointing out how the state flag is a Zia sun symbol, representing one of the pueblos. The experience reminded her how she wished people knew more about her people, about their resilience and smarts.

Throughout high school, Littlebear, who also speaks her native language of Keres, had tried not to "act too rez," referring to living on the Santa Ana reservation.

She stopped wearing her favorite native-design clothing because she was bullied and she remembers how scared she was hearing that at a neighboring school, a teacher cut a native student's braided hair.

When Littlebear finally stood in front of the White House last month, joining hundreds of other Indigenous protesters calling on President Biden to stop approving fossil fuel projects and declare a national climate emergency, she felt proud, her hair twisted in two long braids.

"Thank you, water protectors," a protester yelled to the cheering crowd.

Natives had to learn how to abide "by a White man's world and still learn our cultural ways, and as a youth, that's hard," Littlebear said in an interview at the rally. "And you have to be very smart, you have to be very strong to do that. And that's what our people exactly are."

In the crowd of protesters, Littlebear thought of the issues affecting her community - like the Earth's warming, missing and murdered Indigenous relatives, and the treaties and rights of Indigenous people - and how they motivate her to be an activist.

Her grandparents have told stories about being able to go to the river to get clean water, but Littlebear grew up needing to buy clean water from stores. She has never even seen the flowing river near her pueblo full.

Now, she said, they also have to pick crops like cotton, corn, squash, tomatoes and watermelon early before the first freeze. Many people on the reservation, she said, are suffering from cancer.

"We're the future leaders of our communities," Littlebear said. "We have a right to be at this table and to decide what happens to our future, our lands for our future kids, our future nieces and nephews. So hear our youth out."

Sierra Teller Ornelas

Member of the Navajo Nation

Ornelas is best known for being the executive producer and co-creator of the comedy "Rutherford Falls," which is streaming on NBC's Peacock. The half-hour series focuses on two best friends, one White, one Native American, who find themselves on opposite sides of a debate over the history of their small town.

Originally from Arizona, Ornelas is also an award-winning, sixth-generation Navajo tapestry weaver. Weaving is a long-held Navajo tradition.
Read more
Nicholas Galanin

Tlingit and Unangax̂ ancestry

Nicholas Galanin wanted to make sure passersby didn't miss his recent art display, so he chose the same lettering used for the iconic Hollywood sign to spell out his message: "Indian Land."

The 45-foot-high installation titled "Never Forget," which was erected in Palm Springs, Calif., from March to September, was primarily "a call for settler landowners to return land back to Indigenous communities," said Galanin, 42, who is of Tlingit and Unangax̂ ancestry and lives in Sitka, Alaska.
Read more
Editor's picks

(The Washington Post Illustration/Family Photo)undefined

Perspective | I am not their nanny, I am their mom. And I'm American Indian.

My daughters were beginning to understand and appreciate who they are. This is important because American Indians are so often simply forgotten. Read more

(Josh Reynolds for The Washington Post)undefined

This tribe helped the Pilgrims survive for their first Thanksgiving. They still regret it 400 years later.

Long marginalized and misrepresented in U.S. history, the Wampanoags are bracing for the 400th anniversary of the first Pilgrim Thanksgiving in 1621. Read more

(Ash Adams for The Washington Post)undefined

In Alaska Native villages and across communities of color, the enduring silence of grief

The coronavirus is causing gaps in grief - gaps that are tragically familiar: Black, American Indian and Alaska Native communities suffer a higher bereavement burden given persistent disparities in life expectancy and mortality. Read more

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There are more than 570 federally recognized American Indian and Alaska Native tribes and villages in the United States. Still, too many people assume all American Indians are dead; they have an image in their heads of old black-and-white photos of western Plains Indians who performed in Buffalo Bill's Wild West shows.

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The Halluci Nation - Indian City Ft. Black Bear

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The Halluci Nation - Indian City Ft. Black Bear

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The Halluci Nation - Indian City Ft. Black Bear (Official Music Video)

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We Are Still Here!: Native American Truths Everyone Should Know

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Native Nations say: We are still here! Too often, Native American history is treated as a finished chapter instead of an ongoing story. This companion book to the award-winning We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga offers readers everything they never learned in school about Native American people's past, present, and future.

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Stereotyping Native Americans - Jim Crow Museum

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By Arlene Hirschfelder and Paulette F. MolinPublished February 22, 2018

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6 Misconceptions About Native American People | Teen Vogue

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Native Americans Try On "Indian" Halloween Costumes

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Shawnee Talbot Ted Talk (Music is Medicine)

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Shawnee Talbot Ted Talk (Music is Medicine)

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Music is Medicine | Shawnee Talbot | TEDxGrandJunction

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KINNIE STARR feat Ja$e ElNino HAIDA RAID 3: SAVE OUR WATERS

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Lyla June - All Nations Rise (Official Music Video)

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Redbone - Come and Get Your Love (Official Music Video)

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Xiuhtezcatl - Take It All Back (Official Video)

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Includes bookplate signed by the author. This National Book Award finalist by Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Louise Erdrich is the first installment in an essential nine-book series chronicling 100 years in the life of one Ojibwe family, and includes beautiful interior black-and-white artwork done by the author. She w

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Undefeated - Jim Thorpe and the Carlisle Football Team

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Undefeated - Jim Thorpe and the Carlisle Football Team

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Undefeated: Jim Thorpe and the Carlisle Indian School Football Team

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A great American sport and Native American history come together in this true story for middle grade readers about how Jim Thorpe and Pop Warner created the…

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Juggling soccer, school, friends and family leaves John with little time for anything else.One day at the local community center, following the sound of drums, he stumbles into an Indigenous dance class. Before he knows what's happening, John finds himself stumbling through beginner classes with a bunch of little girls, skipping soccer practice and letting his other responsibilities slide.

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Regina Petit's family has always been Umpqua, and living on the Grand Ronde Tribe's reservation is all ten-year-old Regina has ever known. Her biggest worry is that Sasquatch may actually exist out in the forest. But when the federal government enacts a law that says Regina's tribe no longer exists, Regina becomes "Indian no more" overnight--even though she lives with her tribe and practices tribal customs, and even though her ancestors were Indian for countless generations.

Now that they've been forced from their homeland, Regina's father signs the family up for the federal Indian Relocation Program and moves them to Los Angeles. Regina finds a whole new world in her neighborhood on 58th Place. She's never met kids of other races, and they've never met a real Indian. For the first time in her life, Regina comes face to face with the viciousness of racism, personally and toward her new friends.

Meanwhile, her father believes that if he works hard, their family will be treated just like white Americans. But it's not that easy. It's 1957 during the Civil Rights era, and the family struggles without their tribal community and land. At least Regina has her grandmother, Chich, and her stories. At least they are all together.

In this moving middle-grade novel drawing upon Umpqua author Charlene Willing McManis's own tribal history, Regina must find out: Who is Regina Petit? Is she Indian, American, or both? And will she and her family ever be okay?
TEACHERS: Click here for the free classroom guide and also check out this wonderful list of resources and teaching ideas post from Professor MaryAnn Cappiello for School Library Journal's "The Classroom Bookshelf" blog.

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Regina Petit's family has always been Umpqua, and living on the Grand Ronde Tribe's reservation is all ten-year-old Regina has ever known. Her biggest worry is that Sasquatch may actually exist out in the forest.

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Told in lively and powerful verse by debut author Kevin Noble Maillard, Fry Bread is an evocative depiction of a modern Native American family, vibrantly illustrated by Pura Belpre Award winner and Caldecott Honoree Juana Martinez-Neal.

Fry bread is food.
It is warm and delicious, piled high on a plate.

Fry bread is time.
It brings families together for meals and new memories.

Fry bread is nation.
It is shared by many, from coast to coast and beyond.

Fry bread is us.
It is a celebration of old and new, traditional and modern, similarity and difference.

MACMILLAN NEWSLETTER

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Reviews

Praise for Fry Bread

"With buoyant, heartfelt illustrations that show the diversity in Native America, the book tells the story of a post-colonial food, a shared tradition across the North American continent . . . Through this topic that includes the diversity of so many Native peoples in a single story, Maillard (Mekusukey Seminole) promotes unity and familiarity among nations. Fry bread is much more than food, as this book amply demonstrates." - Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"Fry Bread celebrates the thing itself and much, much more . . . Maillard and Martinez-Neal bring depth, detail, and whimsy to this Native American food story, with text and illustrations depicting the diversity of indigenous peoples, the role of continuity between generations, and the adaptation over time of people, place, and tradition." - Booklist, starred review

"A powerful meditation" - Publishers Weekly, starred review

"This warm and charming book shows and affirms Native lives. The informational text and expressive drawings give it broad appeal." - School Library Journal, starred review

"An affecting picture book that features family and friends gathering, creating and enjoying fry bread together. Glorious . . . [Back matter] augments the simple, sincere verses with illuminating edification for older readers . . . Remarkable in balancing the shared delights of extended family with onerous ancestral legacy, Maillard both celebrates and bears witness to his no-single-recipe-fits-all community."... More...

"With buoyant, heartfelt illustrations that show the diversity in Native America, the book tells the story of a post-colonial food, a shared tradition across the North American continent . . . Through this topic that includes the diversity of so many Native peoples in a single story, Maillard (Mekusukey Seminole) promotes unity and familiarity among nations. Fry bread is much more than food, as this book amply demonstrates." - Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"Fry Bread celebrates the thing itself and much, much more . . . Maillard and Martinez-Neal bring depth, detail, and whimsy to this Native American food story, with text and illustrations depicting the diversity of indigenous peoples, the role of continuity between generations, and the adaptation over time of people, place, and tradition." - Booklist, starred review

"A powerful meditation" - Publishers Weekly, starred review

"This warm and charming book shows and affirms Native lives. The informational text and expressive drawings give it broad appeal." - School Library Journal, starred review

"An affecting picture book that features family and friends gathering, creating and enjoying fry bread together. Glorious . . . [Back matter] augments the simple, sincere verses with illuminating edification for older readers . . . Remarkable in balancing the shared delights of extended family with onerous ancestral legacy, Maillard both celebrates and bears witness to his no-single-recipe-fits-all community." - Shelf Awareness

- Less...

Reviews from Goodreads

Written by Kevin Noble Maillard; illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal

Kevin Noble Maillard is the debut author of Fry Bread, published by Roaring Brook/Macmillan. He is also a regular writer and former contributing editor to the New York Times, with additional writings in The Atlantic, Essence, and The Week. He has provided on-air commentary for MSNBC, CNN, ABC, and Al Jazeera. Currently based in Manhattan, New York, he splits time between the city and upstate New York, where he is a tenured professor of law at Syracuse University. A graduate of Duke University and Penn Law School, he also earned a PhD in Political Theory from the University of Michigan. Originally from Oklahoma, he is an enrolled citizen of the Seminole Nation.

Juana Martinez-Neal is an illustrator of books for children, including the Pura Belpre Award winner La Princesa and the Pea. She made her authorial debut in 2018 with Alma and How She Got Her Name, which was awarded the Caldecott Honor. Juana was born in Lima, Peru, where she grew up surrounded by amazing meals prepared by her mom and amazing paintings made by her dad and grandad. She now lives, eats, and paints in Scottsdale, Arizona, surrounded by her amazing children.

Chris Owyoung

Jade Beall

From the Publisher

Roaring Brook Press

g

$18.99

Roaring Brook Press

Roaring Brook Press

ISBN: 9781626727465
48 Pages, Ages 3-6

Reviews

"With buoyant, heartfelt illustrations that show the diversity in Native America, the book tells the story of a post-colonial food, a shared tradition across the North American continent . . . Through this topic that includes the diversity of so many Native peoples in a single story, Maillard (Mekusukey Seminole) promotes unity and familiarity among nations. Fry bread is much more than food, as this book amply demonstrates." - Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"Fry Bread celebrates the thing itself and much, much more . . . Maillard and Martinez-Neal bring depth, detail, and whimsy to this Native American food story, with text and illustrations depicting the diversity of indigenous peoples, the role of continuity between generations, and the adaptation over time of people, place, and tradition." - Booklist, starred review

"A powerful meditation" - Publishers Weekly, starred review

"This warm and charming book shows and affirms Native lives. The informational text and expressive drawings give it broad appeal." - School Library Journal, starred review

"An affecting picture book that features family and friends gathering, creating and enjoying fry bread together. Glorious . . . [Back matter] augments the simple, sincere verses with illuminating edification for older readers . . . Remarkable in balancing the shared delights of extended family with onerous ancestral legacy, Maillard both celebrates and bears witness to his no-single-recipe-fits-all community."... More...

"With buoyant, heartfelt illustrations that show the diversity in Native America, the book tells the story of a post-colonial food, a shared tradition across the North American continent . . . Through this topic that includes the diversity of so many Native peoples in a single story, Maillard (Mekusukey Seminole) promotes unity and familiarity among nations. Fry bread is much more than food, as this book amply demonstrates." - Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"Fry Bread celebrates the thing itself and much, much more . . . Maillard and Martinez-Neal bring depth, detail, and whimsy to this Native American food story, with text and illustrations depicting the diversity of indigenous peoples, the role of continuity between generations, and the adaptation over time of people, place, and tradition." - Booklist, starred review

"A powerful meditation" - Publishers Weekly, starred review

"This warm and charming book shows and affirms Native lives. The informational text and expressive drawings give it broad appeal." - School Library Journal, starred review

"An affecting picture book that features family and friends gathering, creating and enjoying fry bread together. Glorious . . . [Back matter] augments the simple, sincere verses with illuminating edification for older readers . . . Remarkable in balancing the shared delights of extended family with onerous ancestral legacy, Maillard both celebrates and bears witness to his no-single-recipe-fits-all community." - Shelf Awareness

- Less...

Chris Owyoung

Jade Beall

From the Publisher

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Fry Bread | Kevin Noble Maillard | Macmillan

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g Told in lively and powerful verse by debut author Kevin Noble Maillard, Fry Bread is an evocative depiction of a modern Native American family, vibrantly illustrated by Pura Belpre Award winner and Caldecott Honoree Juana Martinez-Neal. Fry bread is food.It is warm and delicious, piled high on a plate.

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The People Shall Continue | Indigenous History | Lee & Low Books

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Renowned Acoma Pueblo poet and storyteller Simon J. Ortiz traces the progress of Native/ Indigenous people of North America from the time of creation to the present.

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We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga by Traci Sorell: 9781580897723 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books

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2019 Sibert Honor Book 2019 Orbis Pictus Honor Book NPR’s Guide To 2018’s Great Reads 2018 Book Launch Award (SCBWI) Kirkus Reviews Best Books of 2018 School Library Journal Best...

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Baby Board Book
Pages: 24
Themes: happiness, joy, reflection, First Nations, family, love, sharing, celebration, toddlers, children, feelings, Indigenous

Publisher: Orca Book Publishers
Pub Date: 01/Mar/2016

The sun on your face. The smell of warm bannock baking in the oven. Holding the hand of someone you love. What fills your heart with happiness? This beautiful board book, with illustrations from celebrated artist Julie Flett, serves as a reminder for little ones and adults alike to reflect on and cherish the moments in life that bring us joy.

International speaker and award-winning author Monique Gray Smith wrote My Heart Fills with Happiness to support the wellness of Indigenous children and families, and to encourage young children to reflect on what makes them happy.

"A board book that leaves you feeling cheerful and appreciative of those small moments in life that bring one joy. Recommended."

"A celebration of aboriginal culture...but also universal in its message: sometimes it's the simplest things that lift our spirits highest...[The book] is beautiful in both its appearance and its intention."

"A comforting board book offers young children the opportunity for reflection, and for affirmation, too. Moments of happiness tucked into each and every day celebrated here include time with family, self-expression, and the natural world."

"[A] light, warm and utterly charming book...Highly recommended for families, parents of young children to share with them and to begin conversation and sharing about emotions."

"An excellent board book for every baby Canadian."

"Specific visuals ground this sweet celebration of simple pleasures."

"It is a fantastic toddler book that celebrates family and heritage and would be valuable in any collection, especially those of First Nations heritage."

? "A quiet loveliness, sense of gratitude, and-yes-happiness emanate from this tender celebration of simple pleasures, which features a cast of First Nations children and adults...Short, first-person phrases...revel in both solitary and familial activities...Flett's ( Little You) crisp-edged paintings blend universal and culturally specific experiences."

★ "Joyful and tender, this board book celebrates the activities that bring gladness through family and cultural connections...Flett's quietly powerful gouache and digital collage illustrations emphasize the relationships between people...The sweet family story has universal appeal. A first purchase for all libraries."

Christie Harris Illustrated Children's Literature Prize | 2017 | Winner

Bank Street College of Education Best Children's Books of the Year | 2017 | Commended

Girls of Summer Reading List | 2017 | Commended

Global Read Aloud | 2018 | Commended

Indigenous Literature Award | 2018 | Short-listed

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Baby Board Book Pages: 24 Themes: happiness, joy, reflection, First Nations, family, love, sharing, celebration, toddlers, children, feelings, Indigenous Publisher: Orca Book Publishers Pub Date: 01/Mar/2016 The sun on your face. The smell of warm bannock baking in the oven. Holding the hand of someone you love. What fills your heart with happiness?

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nhabit Media
Pub Date: 2019
ISBN: 9781772272161
Susan Avingaq, Maren Vsetula

(click icon for large image)

by Susan Avingaq & Maren Vsetula

Illustrated by Charlene Chua.

Susan and her sister, Rebecca, love watching their mother write letters to people in other camps. Their mother has one precious pencil, and she keeps it safe in her box for special things. One afternoon, their mother leaves the iglu to help a neighbour, and Susan, Rebecca, and their brother Peter are left with their father. They play all their regular games but are soon out of things to do--until their father brings out the pencil! As Susan draws and draws, the pencil grows shorter and shorter. What will their mother think when she comes home? Based on author Susan Avingaq's childhood memories of growing up in an iglu, this charming story introduces young readers to the idea of using things wisely.

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nhabit Media Pub Date: 2019 ISBN: 9781772272161 Susan Avingaq, Maren Vsetula (click icon for large image) Illustrated by Charlene Chua. Susan and her sister, Rebecca, love watching their mother write letters to people in other camps. Their mother has one precious pencil, and she keeps it safe in her box for special things.

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This post on Land Acknowledgements is long over-due. I promised to do it last year, but one thing after another meant I put it off. This morning (Saturday, March 9, 2019) I did a twitter thread about land acknowledgements, and am pasting that thread here. There's more to say, but I hope this is helpful.

7) Listen to Hayden King's 12) I've got links to lists of books by Native writers, here: I'd love to see ppl who do Land Acknowledgements in California say "hey everybody, 13) And, I'd love to see people in California who are doing Land Acknowledgements say "hey everybody, let's look critically at the mission projects teachers are doing..." Start by reading 19) Some of you might have taken a DNA test and in your head and heart, think that validates your family story, but it doesn't. To understand why it doesn't, read Kim Tallbear's work. Start with her article, 20) Most of the mainstream media does a terrible job reporting on Native issues. They can flail about as they've done for hundreds of years, or they can take a look at the 21) There are 22) Do you listen to podcasts as you drive, walk, or exercise? Subscribe to And 23) And give a listen to 24) One issue you could address in your land acknowledgement is mascots. There are far more than you may know. Zoom in on this
1) More and more I am seeing people in the US talk about doing a Land Acknowledgement at their meeting, conference, or event.
2) If you're wondering what a Land Acknowledgement is, it is opening remarks that say the land that the event is on is (or was) the homeland of a specific Native Nation. It is meant to create awareness.
3) At first glance, cool, right? Progressive-minded, right? They have a lot of appeal, for sure. But... that is where they can go wrong.
4) I've seen scripts that people write that a presenter/speaker can use. The use of it is well-meaning, but we all know about good intentions, right?
5) If you do one because you think you should, but that's as far as you go with it in your own thinking or what you impart to others, you're just doing it as a box-checked sort of thing that is no good.
6) If you're not mindful of what you are doing, then, you are turning a land acknowledgement into a token. It becomes an empty gesture to "honor" Native people. It becomes this century's mascot.
He makes many excellent points. Listen and share it! He's Anishinaabe.
8) If you're going to do one, you gotta do some research! If, for example, you are in Oklahoma, you might want to acknowledge one of the 39 tribal nations there today, but you know (right?) that many of them are there because of the Indian Removal Act.
9) How might you incorporate that history into your acknowledgement?'I regret it' about his reflections on a land acknowledgement he helped draft at his university.
10) Find out what the nation(s) you are naming in your acknowledgement are doing, today. Tell your audience about it. Tell them how they can support that nation's work. See? That means you have to do some research so your Land Acknowledgement is meaningful.
11) Annoying fact: lot of people think children's literature is not worthy of the same kind of study that English departments give to bks for the adult market. But you know that people want their kids to read! In your Land Acknowledgement, recommend a book by a Native writer!

14) And, wouldn't it be terrific if Land Acknowledgements in California and Alaska and Georgia included "let's think about the impact the gold rush had on Indigenous people..."
15) In other words: do some work before doing a Land Acknowledgement. Make it meaningful. Give your audience a task.
16) And when you speak those words... don't do it in a somber tone. You're not in church! When you're teaching, you don't speak in a reverent, prayer like way. Don't do it for a Land Acknowledgement, either.
17) By this point in this thread, some of you are wondering what to do. How, you might wonder, can you 'get it right' (or close to right)? Best Books ISLAND OF THE BLUE DOLPHINS is not a good book." Because it isn't.
Teaching the Truth about California Missions. 18) Most of you have a lifetime of unlearning to do. Some of you have a family story about a Native ancestor and you think that puts you in a place to say this or that about an issue, but if you don't know more than just "Native ancestor", you're probably relying on stereotypes.

'There is no DNA test to prove you're Native American' (link: https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg22129554-400-there-is-no-dna-test-to-prove-youre-native-american/) Get her book, too. And follow her on Twitter. resources developed by the Native American Journalists Association. resources available from the American Indian Library Association, too: All My Relations: (link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/all-my-relations-podcast/id1454424563?mt=2) Media Indigena. Henceforward. interactive map. Note on Oct 30: the interactive map is offline for revisions.

25) And if you want to incorporate something about why mascots are unacceptable, start by reading 26) Get a copy of Daniel Heath Justice's Stephanie Fryberg's research.
WHY INDIGENOUS LITERATURES MATTER. It doesn't matter what YOU teach... we all read, buy, and share books... Daniel's book will help you a lot.

28) Make sure you read the articles there, and take a look at the teacher's guide, too! Here's the link that will take you right to theIn August, I was at the
That's it for now...
---Back to add one more tweet---

This is a great resource for doing land acknowledgements. map. Read the disclaimer that pops up when you go to the map. ---Update on Oct 30, 2019---
Indian Ed for All conference, held on the Pala homelands in California. There were several excellent presentations but my reason for doing this update today is because some of the most powerful remarks came from Dr. Joely Proudfit. She's the chair of the American Indian Studies at Cal State San Marcos, and the director of the California Indian Culture and Sovereignty Center. She said a few things about Land Acknowledgements that prompt me to add what I'm saying next.
When the acknowledgement is a "thank you" it suggests that you (the speaker) are replying to someone. Is it a specific person in a tribal nation? Or, is it Native peoples in the abstract as in no-longer-here? If it is the former, name that person. If it is the latter, reconsider saying it because it comes off as prayer-like.
When you say you're a guest on a specific nation's homeland, it implies that you were invited. Were you, in fact, invited to be there by someone of that nation?

Some people say "uninvited guest" but doesn't the word "guest" embody invited?

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Are you planning to do a Land Acknowledgement?

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This post on Land Acknowledgements is long over-due. I promised to do it last year, but one thing after another meant I put it off. This morning (Saturday, March 9, 2019) I did a twitter thread about land acknowledgements, and am pasting that thread here. There's more to say, but I hope this is helpful.

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An Indigenous People's History for Young People

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An Indigenous People's History for Young People

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"An important corrective to conventional narratives of our nation's history . . . . An accessible, engaging, and necessary addition to school libraries and classrooms. An excellent read, dismantling American mythologies and fostering critical reasoning about history and current events."
- Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review

"This adaptation of An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States (2014) should be required reading for all middle and high schoolers-and their teachers . . . . There is much to commend here: the lack of sugar-coating, the debunking of origin stories, the linking between ideology and actions, the well-placed connections between events past and present, the quotes from British colonizers and American presidents that leave no doubt as to their violent intentions . . . . The resistance continues, and this book urges all readers to consider their own roles, whether as bystanders or upstanders."
- Booklist, Starred Review

"Dunbar-Ortiz's narrative history is clear, and the adapters give readers ample evidence and perspective to help them to engage with the text. A highly informative book for libraries serving high school students."
- School Library Journal, Starred Review

"Gripping, tightly written, and packed with facts traditional textbooks and historical accounts neglect to cover."
- Shelf Awareness

"Wide-ranging and politically engaged . . . a valuable resource."
- The Horn Book

"This is a desperately needed corrective to existing histories for young people, and its combination of breadth and passion will spur both reflection and emotion."
- The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"This is the book I wish I'd had when I started teaching. An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States for Young People represents a fundamental challenge to the textbooks that celebrate 'liberty,' 'freedom,' and the 'rise of the American nation' but fail to recognize the humanity-or often even the existence-of the Indigenous peoples who were here first, and are still here. Our students will see the history of this country much more clearly when we put Indigenous people's lives at the center."
-Bill Bigelow, curriculum editor, Rethinking Schools, and codirector, Zinn Education Project

A Note to Readers

INTRODUCTION
This Land

CHAPTER ONE
Follow the Corn

CHAPTER TWO
Culture of Conquest

CHAPTER THREE
Cult of the Covenant

CHAPTER FOUR
Bloody Footprints

CHAPTER FIVE
The Birth of a Nation

CHAPTER SIX
Jefferson, Jackson, and the Pursuit of Indigenous Homelands

CHAPTER SEVEN
Sea to Shining Sea

CHAPTER EIGHT
Indigenous Lands Become "Indian Country"

CHAPTER NINE
The Persistence of Sovereignty

CHAPTER TEN
Indigenous Action, Indigenous Rights

CONCLUSION
"Water Is Life": Indigenous Resistance in the Twenty-First Century

For Further Reading
Some Books We Recommend
Notes
Image Credits
Index

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An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States for Young People by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz: 9780807049396 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books

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"An important corrective to conventional narratives of our nation's history . . . . An accessible, engaging, and necessary addition to school libraries and classrooms. An excellent read, dismantling American mythologies and fostering critical reasoning about history and current events."- Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review "This adaptation of An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States (2014) should be required reading for all middle and high schoolers-and their teachers .

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Get the latest updates from Adrienne Keene

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Notable Native People by Adrienne Keene: 9781984857941 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books

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Get the latest updates from Adrienne Keene And go from well-read to best read with book recs, deals and more in your inbox every week. And go from well-read to best read with book recs, deals and more in your inbox every week.

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Braiding Sweetgrass for Young Adults: Indigenous Wisdom…

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Read 114 reviews from the world’s largest community for readers. Drawing from her experiences as an Indigenous scientist, botanist Robin Wall Kimmerer demo…

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Everything You Wanted to Know About Indians - Young Readers Edition

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Everything You Wanted to Know About Indians - Young Readers Edition

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Reviewed by: Jean Mendoza

Review source: American Indians in Children's Literature
Book Author: Anton Treuer

Anton Treuer's original Everything You Wanted to Know About Indians But Were Afraid to Ask was published in 2012. Many people, myself included, hoped there would soon be a version for young people. And at last, there is, and it's getting good critical attention, including a Kirkus starred review. Here's what its publisher Levine Querido says about the book:

From the acclaimed Ojibwe author and professor Anton Treuer comes an essential book of questions and answers for Native and non-Native young readers alike. Ranging from "Why is there such a fuss about non-Native people wearing Indian costumes for Halloween?" to "Why is it called a 'traditional Indian fry bread taco'?" to "What's it like for Natives who don't look Native?" to "Why are Indians so often imagined rather than understood?" and beyond, Everything You Wanted to Know About Indians But Were Afraid to Ask (Young Readers Edition) does exactly what its title says for young readers, in a style consistently thoughtful, personal, and engaging.

This is AICL's "short-and-sweet review," with four reasons I think teachers, librarians, and parents should read this book and share it with teens.

Reason One for recommending Everything You Wanted to Know: Accessible format and logical organization
Questions are grouped by general subject, starting with Terminology and proceeding through such topics as History, Powwow, Politics, and Economics. The book's Conclusion, "Finding Ways to Make a Difference," tells how, beginning in 1967, several non-Native people in Bemidji, MN, followed the lead of Native residents of the area to combat the blatant systemic racism directed against Native people there. I found it to be a moving and encouraging story, and a good way to end the book - when many readers are wondering, "Now that I've had my questions answered, what can I do to make things better?" (I put that phrase about following the lead of Native people in bold because Treuer wants to be clear that non-Native people need to understand that true support consists of the support that Native people say they need.) Continue reading.

Everything You Wanted to Know about Indians But Were Afraid to Ask by Anton Treuer
Published by Levine Querido on April 6, 2021
Genres: American Indians First Nations Metis Inuit
Pages: 400
Reading Level: High School
ISBN: 9781646140459
Review Source: American Indians in Children's Literature

Publisher's synopsis: From the acclaimed Ojibwe author and professor Anton Treuer comes an essential book of questions and answers for Native and non-Native young readers alike. Ranging from "Why is there such a fuss about non-native people wearing Indian costumes for Halloween?" to "Why is it called a 'traditional Indian fry bread taco'?" to "What's it like for natives who don't look native?" to "Why are Indians so often imagined rather than understood?", and beyond, Everything You Wanted to Know About Indians But Were Afraid to Ask (Young Readers Edition) does exactly what its title says for young readers, in a style consistently thoughtful, personal, and engaging.

Updated and expanded to include:
* Dozens of New Questions and New Sections - including a social activism section that explores the Dakota Access Pipeline, racism, identity, politics, and more! * Over 50 new Photos * Adapted text for broad appeal

Filed Under: Book Reviews

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Everything You Wanted to Know about Indians But Were Afraid to Ask (Young Readers Edition) - Social Justice Books

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Reviewed by: Jean Mendoza Review source: American Indians in Children's Literature Book Author: Anton Treuer's original Everything You Wanted to Know About Indians But Were Afraid to Ask was published in 2012. Many people, myself included, hoped there would soon be a version for young people.

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Firekeeper's Daughter and Warrior Girl Unearthed are books by Native American author, Angeline Boulley.

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Shop at smile.amazon.com,
and Amazon donates. To support
remote learning, we have set up a
Book Wish List to Support Native Students
During the Pandemic.

Remote Learning Book Wish Lists by Grade:
K thru 4; 5 thru 8; 9 and Up

Designate NIEA As Your Charity of Choice

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Shop at smile.amazon.com, and Amazon donates. To support remote learning, we have set up aBook Wish List to Support Native StudentsDuring the Pandemic. Remote Learning Book Wish Lists by Grade: K thru 4; 5 thru 8; 9 and Up Designate NIEA As Your Charity of Choice

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Native Knowledge 360° | Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian

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Educational resources, lesson plans, teacher training, and strategies to support positive change! Native Knowledge 360° is a national initiative to inspire and promote improved teaching and learning about Native America. #NK360

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Tanka, a Native-owned business, invented the commercial bison bar. But Epic took credit, built an empire on a foundation of misleading claims, promised ranchers investment that never materialized, and left an industry struggling in its wake.

To hear the processed food industry tell it, the bison bar-the trendy, protein-dense snack now ubiquitous at high-end grocery stores across the country-has a clear, undisputed origin story. It was invented in 2011 by Katie Forrest and Taylor Collins, vegan endurance athletes who turned to meat to power their punishing training regimen. They got hooked on grass-fed bison, started making unusual bars from meat, dried fruit, and seeds out of their home kitchen, and quickly incorporated their obsession into a business. As co-founders of their new company, Epic Provisions, Forrest and Collins were smart and idealistic and naïve in all the right ways. Demand grew so quickly it's almost as if they stumbled onto their defining moment: an acquisition by General Mills, to the tune of $100 million, that would launch countless imitators and have major implications for the American bison market.

The temptation to elide history in this way is understandable. The consumer packaged goods industry needs this story to make sense of itself. Perhaps more than any other product, bison bars illuminate the state of American processed food, and Epic exists at the intersection of several trends that food manufacturers are convinced are the key to their survival. There's "snackification," a fixation with convenience rooted in the suspicion that we're all too busy to eat sit-down meals. There's "wellness," which includes a new category of functional superfoods marketed as though they have medication-grade power to give us stronger and better bodies. And there's "clean label," the increased insistence that packaged foods contain just a few familiar ingredients you might find in your pantry.

Perhaps most importantly, there's the narrative that big food companies cannot save themselves, the idea that they must bring on outside help if they are to survive. By acquiring natural and organic food startups-helmed by mostly young, mostly college-educated, mostly white co-founders-multinational food conglomerates can buy their way to success and offset the flagging sales of aging marqee brands. The food industry is too old, too set in its ways, to change. But maybe it can be a benevolent master to the next generation of food companies, who are trying to offer America something new and truly different-or so the story goes.

That newness is what's emphasized again and again, as food media tells Epic's story. The takeaway is that Taylor and Forrest invented something no one else had ever thought of, and that General Mills never would have tried in a million years. "At the time, no protein bar of this kind existed," wrote Inc. 's Tom Foster in a breathless profile published last month. "Forrest and Collins had hit on a powerful formula for new food brands. It was a novel product concept that fused two hot categories, protein bars and meat snacks like jerky. There was their mission for a larger purpose-sustainable sourcing-and, of course, the couple's own compelling story. It all added up to exactly the kind of authenticity that legacy companies only wish they could create on their own."

But there's a problem with the insistence, central to Epic's own marketing and repeated endlessly in the press, that Forrest and Collins invented something that didn't exist before: It isn't true.

In 2006, almost a decade before General Mills acquired Epic, social entrepreneurs Mark Tilsen and Karlene Hunter started making the Tanka Bar, the first commercial meat and fruit bison bar, on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. The goal was to create a product sourced from and produced by Native people who would help reduce the reservation's unemployment rate, which hovers around 65 percent. The second goal was cultural. The co-founders hoped demand could be the economic driver that would restore the buffalo's place in the lives of the Oglala Lakota people.

Tanka may have been a community-minded enterprise, but it wasn't a niche product. Sold in more than 6,500 retail locations across all 50 states, it's been a bona fide commercial success in its own right. But Tanka's role in popularizing the bison bar has been largely ignored by food media, and rarely mentioned in Epic's glowing coverage. It matters because both companies, in their own ways, are making the claim that they better the world through food. But though the two products have superficial similarities, they couldn't be more different. Their two divergent fates-an underdog struggling mightily to correct intractable social issues on its own terms, and a media-beloved startup trying to change a leading food multinational from within-do much to illuminate the challenges of making "good" food today.

While Tanka has had modest financial success, the company has sometimes struggled to attract funding and media attention, and its goal of making life better for a specific community has had both triumphs and setbacks. Epic, on the other hand, has been rewarded with admiring coverage and nearly bottomless investment-even though there are signs the company hasn't lived up to the sweeping claims made in its marketing materials. Though Collins and Forrest insist they're remaking America's entire bison supply chain for the better-helping the planet and our bodies while they're at it-the truth is more nuanced. Epic's efforts have been viewed by producers and others in the bison business with, at best, mixed reviews. Questions about whether the company lives up to its promises are far from settled. And the broadly accepted narrative that Epic has been a force for good in the industry-and a transformational influence on its parent company-is worth revisiting.

-

In 2006, a group of Lakota bison producers approached Tilsen and Hunter for help. The duo had a successful record of establishing community projects on the Pine Ridge Reservation, a poverty-stricken place with rampant unemployment and attendant social ills like diabetes and suicide. With no background in the food business, the duo decided to develop a value-added product to give the producers a market for their meat: Tanka Bar, the first meat and fruit snack bar. "In our naivete we didn't even realize we were disrupting an industry and were creating a new [retail] category," says Tilsen.

The formula for their bars was based on wasna (washNAH), a traditional meat and berry food eaten in the Great Plains for hundreds of years. Tilsen calls it the first packaged meat because it was meant to travel long distances for months at a time without spoiling. Grandmothers still teach their daughters to make it by drying the meat and berries, adding buffalo fat, and pounding the mix together in a stone bowl, a key step that binds the acid in the berries with the proteins in the meat to prevent spoilage. When the people were nomadic, the resulting meat patties were sealed back in the bison stomach where they would provide sustenance through the lean season.

Making a modern version of wasna for commercial sale without the use of chemical preservatives was a high hurdle to overcome. But in late 2006, Tilsen met Jon Frohling, a fifth-generation South Dakota butcher and nationally recognized maker of award-winning preserved meats. Within hours, they had their first test batches going at Frohling's plant. Tilsen credits Frohling with the success of their formula. "The truth is, the reason Tanka Bar is better than every other bar on the market is because of Jon," he says. "While we didn't have the expertise, we met these incredible people along the way who really loved what we were doing."

While Frohling was developing the bars, Tilsen and Hunter undertook community outreach to create their brand. In Lakota society the buffalo is sacred, and the duo wanted to seek input on how their company might best exalt the bond between the animal and the Lakota Nation, while restoring the buffalo to the land, lives, and economy of the Lakota people. They surveyed almost 800 community members including youth, elders, and tribal leaders to learn the proper way to honor-and not exploit-the buffalo with their product. The result was a document they call their branding shield, and it spells out the values behind Native American Natural Foods (NANF), Tanka Bar's parent company. To this day, every employee is expected to not only sign the document, but live by it.

It took about 10 months from the night those first batches went into the smoker to the launch of the bars at the 2007 Black Hills Powwow. Frohling packaged 10,000 small sample bars, which the company gave away to attendees. When the local TV weatherman opened one and ate it on air, Tanka Bar became a national sensation, ending up a few days later on the front page of The New York Times food section. "The story from The New York Times got picked up worldwide and literally melted our server to the ground," says Tilsen. "We were totally unprepared for real production." He and Hunter own a marketing company and so, unable to find an investor who understood what they were trying to do, they leveraged all of their assets and borrowed $1 million to ramp up production.

The company prospered in its early days, with sales growing by double digits every month. But then, as in most of America, business stalled with the Great Recession of 2008. Still, NANF persevered, and Tanka Bar sales eventually started to grow again. But after 30 quarters of strong growth, the competition changed. Other small meat companies popped up and tried to compete, but they lacked the production values and the back story that made Tanka Bar so popular. Then, multinational corporations started jumping into the meat snack space. In 2015, Hershey acquired Krave, a California jerky company, for more than $300 million. A year later, General Mills bought Epic Provisions, maker of the Epic Bar, for a reported $100 million.

Though a global recession couldn't stop Tanka's growth, a flood of new imitators did. By 2017, the company was turning to the public for financial support, raising $125,000 from the equity crowdfunding site Wefunder.

"I really misunderstood who my competition was," says Tilsen. "I thought I was competing against other little meat companies who were trying to figure it out. I'm still surprised by the magnitude of that capital."

-

While Tilsen and Hunter were building Tanka Bar into a national brand, two young entrepreneurs in Austin, Texas were creating vegan protein bars for endurance athletes. Taylor Collins and Katie Forrest were tired of fueling their athletic endeavors with the traditional soy-based, sugar-laden protein gels and bars, and instead started experimenting with whole plant foods. Their Thunderbird Energetica line of bars launched in 2011 with an assortment of flavors that included fruit and nuts while eschewing GMO ingredients, wheat, soy, dairy or refined sugars. The bars were a hit, and in 2012 the pair scored a local producer loan from Whole Foods to expand the business.

But when Forrest started suffering unexplained knee pain, the pair decided to kick veganism and try a Paleo diet. "Within a few months, Katie and I were stronger, faster, and leaner than we had ever been," Collins would write, later, on his company's website. In 2013, they debuted the Epic bar, an offering with striking similarities to Tanka's hit product. The main ingredients? Grass-fed bison and cranberry, like a spin on traditional wasna.

Cameron Smith, an angel investor, fell in love with the idea-and with a $750,000 infusion, Epic Provisions became a stand-alone company. With the subsequent help of an Austin business accelerator and a $3 million investment led by the Boulder Brands Fund, Epic Provisions expanded its product offerings from the original bison bar to include other meat, fruit, and nut bars, as well as bone broth and tallow. But the grass-fed bison bar has always remained at the center of its marketing efforts.

Epic Bars have been a big hit with the clean-eating Paleo crowd, and that's no accident. The company's explicit pitch to customers is that Epic provides a way to "eat like our ancestors ate." Its website is littered with references to evolutionary biology, indigenous cultures, and hunter-gatherer lifestyles, suggesting that to bite into an Epic bar is to perform a kind of time travel-going back to an era before modern processing technologies distanced us from the sources of our food. Each bar features an illustration of the animal that supplies the main ingredient-grass-fed bison, grass-fed cattle, wild-caught salmon, wild boar-rendered as if by a 19 th-century naturalist painter. The company slogan is "Live wild, eat wild." It calls its office staff and customer base its "tribe."

But though Epic's brand relies on a nostalgic vision of stone-age eating, its purported mission goes far beyond that. The company's reason for being, according to its marketing, is to change American animal agriculture over to pasture-based systems. Over and over again in its marketing and on its blog, Epic has spelled out in exacting detail its commitment to a nose-to-tail, whole animal model where little is wasted, along with its efforts to scale the grass-fed bison supply chain, bringing new bison ranchers into the grass-fed fold. This goal of providing financial support for ranchers who want to get into the business of pastured meat is central. As Collins put it in a 2016 blog post, Epic's model means "grow[ing] supply chains of grass fed bison by financially incentivizing ranchers to do the 'right thing.'"

But that's where things get complicated.

After General Mills acquired Epic Provisions, many in the natural foods world questioned whether a company trying to spread the gospel of grass-based, minimally processed proteins could partner successfully with a multinational conglomerate specializing in grain-heavy snack foods. Still, a year after the sale, Epic reported that things were going well. "We still operate EPIC independently at our World Headquarters in Austin, TX, wear flip flops to anything important, curse like ranchers, and seize any opportunity to be outdoors," Collins wrote, in a blog post commemorating the acquisition's one-year anniversary. To hear him tell it, selling out hadn't changed Epic, it had only increased the company's positive impact.

"From the beginning, it was our intention to utilize all the best parts of General Mills to accelerate our mission of large-scale grassland restoration and to create supply chains of pastured, grass-fed, and antibiotic free animals," Collins wrote. "With General Mills adding muscle to the brand, EPIC accomplished over 10x the impact we could have accomplished independently.... Within the last year EPIC has sourced over 250,000 pounds of regenerative protein, [impacting] millions of acres of grasslands."

But it's not clear that Epic's impact has in fact been a net positive, and the company's efforts have been divisive in the bison community. Many producers and others in the business were hesitant to talk on the record about Epic for this story, citing their relationships with Collins and Forrest, or their fear that their businesses and the grass-fed bison niche in general could suffer if they aired criticisms in the press.

Still, the main point of contention-the 2,000-pound animal in the room-is clear. General Mills bought Epic pledging to build the grass-fed bison supply chain, quickly reneged on its promise, and left a generation of suppliers in the lurch.

When Epic decided to source grass-fed bison for its original bars, it hit up against serious supply chain limitations. As a result, the company had to supplement its grass-fed supply with grain-fed bison; those bars are labeled "natural," rather than "grass-fed." Epic still has not overcome that supply bottleneck. Collins says that, today, about half the bars are labeled "grass-fed," an improvement from past years when only 10 percent of the bars were grass-fed.

Collins and Forrest hoped that General Mills would be able to help them build their grass-fed bison supply chain. At first, it seemed like their ambitious regenerative model would come to fruition. General Mills committed $3 million to a program to buy grass-fed bison in partnership with Northstar Bison, a family-owned operation based in Cameron, Wisconsin. The plan was that Northstar would buy the bison and contract with other graziers to feed them on grass until they were ready for harvest in three years.

"We were up front with them from the beginning," says Lee Graese, the founder and owner of Northstar. "We told them it was going to be very expensive because of the cost of infrastructure, land, and animals."

That's where the culture clash seems to have started. General Mills owns brands that primarily produce processed, grain-based products-cereals, baking products, snack bars-and frozen fruits and vegetables. The company's buyers are used to driving hard deals with distributors for the best prices on massive amounts of grain and produce over a single growing season. But meat, especially pasture-raised meat, works on a very different timetable. Everyone I talked with felt that General Mills didn't understand bison or how to build a meat supply chain. (No one from General Mills would comment for this story.)

Graese says General Mills' buyers expected that any cost savings would be passed along to General Mills. When it became obvious there wouldn't be any savings, the company canceled what was supposed to be a five-year program after just a few months. Collins says that initial batch of 1,200 animals, now close to harvest, will end up costing Epic more than it would have spent buying meat wholesale.

Northstar still has a contract for 2019 with General Mills, but at a lower negotiated price. Graese says the company asked him how low he could go, and he gave them a price, "but I told them they don't get the regenerative story with it." Many of the small graziers and other businesses that jumped at the chance to be a part of the Epic bar story, and scaled up to handle the demand, are now suffering because the anticipated business didn't materialize.

"We took the leap and went all in, but the rug got pulled out from under us," one producer, who asked not to be identified by name, told me. "We really did bet the farm. We still need money coming in to run the place."

With the supply of grass-fed bison stretched so thin, what, exactly is going into Epic's bars? While the company claims to "use over 80% of the cattle and bison we source," the suggestion that Epic is buying whole carcasses appears not to be true. On the bison side, the company is buying trim, a blend of the meat and fat left after the more salable parts like steaks and roasts are fabricated. At Northstar-a company Epic has cited extensively in its marketing materials as a kind of archetypal supplier-the high-end cuts remain with the ranch, which sells them independently. "That's our end of the deal where we make the profit," says Graese. Only the trim is sold to Epic. The company claims it's using 80 percent of the animal, when it's really buying only what's left over after the more desirable cuts are parceled out.

Collins says Epic also uses bones and fat in its bone broth and tallow. But it doesn't buy whole carcasses or offal, as would be the norm in a true whole animal, nose-to-tail operation-despite using the term "whole animal" prominently in its marketing.

You might think that buying trim would help bison ranchers somewhat. But even that marginal effort has been made in a way that doesn't reinvest in the supply chain.

Currently, Collins says, much of the trim Epic buys comes from culls-mature cows at the end of their reproductive life-or animals from ranches where herd sizes need to be reduced because of drought or other management issues. While there's a benefit to not wasting old or unwanted animals, especially when the end result is a processed meat bar, relying on culls isn't building a sustainable supply chain or regenerating the land, as Epic purportedly wants to do. It's economically unfeasible to invest in the enormous amount of land needed to raise bison entirely on grass, the fencing and other infrastructure necessary to keep the animals safe and healthy, and the cost of building a herd, without a buyer willing to pay for prime animals rather than culls. For most new bison ranchers, the numbers don't add up.

Many of the other marketing claims Epic makes are also aspirational, rather than real. Collins says the company is excited that first-generation bison ranchers are joining the business. "We oversaw the first generation of people who want to get into ranching. It's exciting to see fresh blood. We're demystifying ranching, making it cool and desirable again," he tells me. But he cites only two of those ranches. One is ROAM Ranch in Texas, purchased by Collins and Forrest after the General Mills buyout. The other, Wisconsin-based Grand View Bison Ranch, left the Epic program when the General Mills deal fell apart.

Where does that leave Epic and grass-fed bison? Almost everyone I spoke with agreed that the increased consumer awareness of bison as a protein option has been a positive for the bison business. But, to a person, they all felt that Epic got too big too fast without understanding how to build a sustainable grass-fed bison supply chain. That's because, in order for the economics to work, the capital investment has to be a long-term one, and buyers have to be willing to pay more for grass-fed bison.

So far, General Mills and Epic have not managed to do either.

-

As the influx of corporate money rushed into the meat bar business, Tanka suffered. Tilsen says he's had to lay people off in the past couple of years, which is especially painful. "When you lay off folks in a community like this, it isn't like there's another job. It almost feels like it's taking their dreams," he says.

Still, as a mission-driven company, NANF is taking the long view and refocusing. Tilsen and Hunter established the Tanka Fund, a nonprofit that provides grants for infrastructure projects for producers, as well as Tanka Resilient Agriculture, a producer co-op that will offer Native ranchers guaranteed contracts so more of them will be able to transition to raising grass-fed bison with sustainable, wild pasture management standards, the original regenerative agriculture. Right now, Tanka Bars don't carry a grass-fed label because, while Native ranchers don't feed grain, the company also sources from non-Native producers who do. The goal is to eventually have a 100-percent Native supply chain.

While capital has been hard to come by, Tanka Bar has been successful in other ways. The Tanka Fund has provided money for fencing and solar wells and helped a producer build a small slaughter plant on the reservation. In one example, a geological formation called Buffalo Ridge in Minnesota had become home to wind generators, but the Tanka Fund was able to bring animals back to the land, supporting one of its ranchers to open up springs on the ridge and construct fencing.

"That allowed us to put buffalo on top of Buffalo Ridge for the first time in 150 years. And the day they opened the gate and the buffalo went up there, in all honesty, the buffalo danced on the grass," says Tilsen. "It made you think, 'We're doing the right thing.' All the bureaucratic stuff and all the stuff we do, this is what success smells like. Just the buffalo back on the grass where they came from."

While Tilsen admits NANF isn't an attractive takeover or acquisition target, he believes success will continue. "I'm not that naïve to believe we're going to return to a buffalo-based economy. But I am idealistic enough to believe that we can recreate a regenerative economy," he says. "There's no reason for 40,000 people on 2.9 million acres, living in a protein factory, to be protein starved and have the second highest diabetes rate in the country because they have no food system."

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Bison bars were supposed to restore Native communities and grass-fed ranches. Then came Epic Provisions | The New Food Economy

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Tanka, a Native-owned business, invented the commercial bison bar. But Epic took credit, built an empire on a foundation of misleading claims, promised ranchers investment that never materialized, and left an industry struggling in its wake. To hear the processed food industry tell it, the bison bar-the trendy, protein-dense snack now ubiquitous at high-end grocery stores across the country-has a clear, undisputed origin story.

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Bundles of sage and Palo Santo packaged as "smudging kits" are available for sale at yoga studio gift shops, popular retailers like Madewell and Urban Outfitters, and even behemoths like Walmart. These products' very existence seem to indicate that, for less than $10, you can get everything you need to practice an ancient ritual that will clear your home of negative energy.

Except, that's not the case. If you're not a member of an Indigenous community, purchasing white sage, Palo Santo, or other sacred herbs and quickly Googling "how to smudge" will not make you qualified to do so. This is cultural appropriation, and it's harmful to Native communities.

Up until two weeks ago, if you were one of the thousands of people each month to search online for a smudging tutorial, you might have landed on a Well+Good article titled "How To Burn Sage in Your Home To Get Rid of Bad Vibes." However, after hearing from Native people about the harm inflicted by the article, we removed it from our website-this story you're reading now was written to take its place.

Thank you to those who generously reached out to call us in, and we are deeply sorry for perpetuating this offensive line of thinking. We know that removing this particular article is just one step in the work that needs to be done to eradicate culturally appropriative content from our library, and we are committed to continuing our education on this topic and taking the necessary steps to ensure Well+Good is a safe space for all people, including members of Indigenous communities.

What is cultural appropriation, and why is it harmful?

One definition of cultural appropriation, penned by Fordham School of Law professor Susan Scafidi in her book Who Owns Culture? and used by the National Conference for Community and Justice in its materials, states:

"Taking intellectual property, traditional knowledge, cultural expressions, or artifacts from someone else's culture without permission. This can include unauthorized use of another culture's dance, dress, music, language, folklore, cuisine, traditional medicine, religious symbols, etc. It's most likely to be harmful when the source community is a minority group that has been oppressed or exploited in other ways or when the object of appropriation is particularly sensitive, e.g. sacred objects."

Native people have been violently oppressed in North America since the first European colonizers set foot on the continent in the 16th century, and in 1892, the " Rules for Indian Courts," written by the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, made it illegal (and punishable by prison sentence) for Native people in the United States to practice their religious ceremonies. It wasn't until 1978-less than 50 years ago-that the American Indian Religious Freedom Act (AIRFA) was passed, guaranteeing Native Americans the freedom and protection to "believe, express, and exercise [their] traditional religions."

It's largely because of this history-and the restrictions still placed on Native traditions today-that the mainstream co-opting of Indigenous spiritual practices is so harmful to many. "It hurts to see our traditions, which our ancestors died and fought for, now become a trend that others are demanding to be a part of," Well for Culture co-founder Chelsey Luger previously wrote in an article for Well+Good. "These practices are sacred and special to us because they helped our people thrive for thousands of years and subsequently survive several brutal generations of genocide and colonialism. These practices keep us strong as we continue to deal with historical trauma."

"That smudge stick represents the deep pain, sacrifice, resistance, and refusal of Native peoples. It represents a continuing legacy of marginalizing and punishing Native spirituality." -Adrienne J. Keene, EdD

In a post on her blog Native Appropriations, Adrienne J. Keene, EdD, a citizen of the Cherokee Nation and Assistant Professor of American Studies and Ethnic Studies at Brown University, also speaks to this point. "That smudge stick is not benign. It's not about 'ownership.' That smudge stick represents the deep pain, sacrifice, resistance, and refusal of Native peoples. It represents a continuing legacy of marginalizing and punishing Native spirituality. So when our religious practices are mocked through these products, or folks are commodifying and making money off our ceremonies, it's not about who has the 'right' to buy or sell. It's about power."

Dr. Keene continues, "The sale of Native spirituality is easily a million dollar industry-not even including all the culture vultures and white shamans who sell fake ceremony. Who is benefitting from the sale of these products? Not Native peoples."

I urge you to read Dr. Keene's entire post.

Does that mean burning sage is completely off-limits for non-Indigenous people?

Many cultures around the globe have traditionally burned herbs, incense, or other materials as a spiritual ritual. So if you're looking for a cleansing ceremony, you might want to start by learning more about your own heritage. But "the idea of 'smudging' is distinctly indigenous to the Americas," Dr. Keene writes. Within North and South America, it's important to note, different communities use different medicines and rituals for cleansing.

As with the ceremonies themselves, when it comes to non-Native people following Indigenous practices, there is no single point of view; there are certainly some who believe it is possible for non-Indigenous people to respectfully burn sage and other sacred materials. But the mass commodification of this spiritual practice largely ignores the ritual's traumatic history and puts money in the pockets of those who have oppressed Native communities for centuries.

As Dr. Keene summarizes: "What I care about is the removal of context from conversations on cultural appropriation, the erasing of the painful and violent history around suppression of Native spirituality, the ongoing struggles Native students and peoples have in practicing their beliefs, and the non-Native companies and non-Native individuals that are making money off of these histories and traditions without understanding the harm they're enacting."

Where do we go from here?

Of course, cultural appropriation doesn't just happen to Indigenous practices. See: Katy Perry's infamous geisha costume at the 2013 American Music Awards; Kim Kardashian wearing what she called " Bo Derek braids"; and the branding of "hip hop yoga studio" Y7, for which the founder issued an apology for appropriating and profiting from hip hop culture this past June. And those are just three high-profile examples of something that happens every day. (For more information about the cultural appropriation of Black hairstyles in particular, I highly recommend you watch this video from author Emma Dabiri, and then purchase her book Twisted: The Tangled History of Black Hair Culture.)

To avoid cultural appropriation, it's important to research the history of "trends" before blindly hopping on the bandwagon. To this end, in addition to the articles and books mentioned above, Rachel Ricketts's Spiritual Activism courses provide a great primer on cultural appropriation-and more books and courses are just a Google away. (Do the research yourself; don't burden others-particularly Black, Indigenous, and people of color, if you're white-with your self-education.)

"When Native people express to you that they are hurt by the exploitation of their spiritual practices, please believe them." -Chelsey Luger

And, more importantly, it's vital to listen when someone from a marginalized group tells you that your actions are harmful. To quote Luger again, writing for Well+Good, "When Native people express to you that they are hurt by the exploitation of their spiritual practices, please believe them. Our communities have seen so much pain. We have been mocked, brutalized, infantilized, dehumanized, and ignored. The last thing we need is to be harassed for knowledge when it comes to the most sacred things that we hold dear."

At Well+Good, we are committed to listening to feedback and criticism (from within our community and without), admitting when we make mistakes, and doing our homework regarding the origins of wellness practices; we have a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion curriculum in place for our editorial team to learn directly from anti-racist educators. We also know that this article on "how to burn sage" is not the only harmful story in our catalogue. We currently have a library of 19,000 articles, and will be systematically combing through our older content to surface and revise or delete harmful content. More information on this to come very soon.

The work to dismantle white supremacy is constant and ongoing, and so will be Well+Good's on this front.

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It's Cultural Appropriation for Non-Native People To Burn Sage | Well+Good

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Bundles of sage and Palo Santo packaged as "smudging kits" are available for sale at yoga studio gift shops, popular retailers like Madewell and Urban Outfitters, and even behemoths like Walmart. These products' very existence seem to indicate that, for less than $10, you can get everything you need to practice an ancient ritual that will clear your home of negative energy.

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Reclaiming Native Truth is a national effort to foster cultural, social and policy change by empowering Native Americans to counter discrimination, invisibility and the dominant narratives that limit Native opportunity, access to justice, health and self-determination. Reclaiming Native Truth's goal is to move hearts and minds toward greater respect, inclusion and social justice for Native Americans.

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Reclaiming Native Truth is a national effort to foster cultural, social and policy change by empowering Native Americans to counter discrimination, invisibility and the dominant narratives that limit Native opportunity, access to justice, health and self-determination. Reclaiming Native Truth's goal is to move hearts and minds toward greater respect, inclusion and social justice for Native Americans.

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Mapping

We strive to map Indigenous territories, treaties, and languages across the world in a way that goes beyond colonial ways of thinking in order to better represent how Indigenous people want to see themselves.

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NPR coverage of Bowwow Powwow by Brenda J. Child. News, author interviews, critics' picks and more.

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My radical activist mother Kahentinetha Horn tells me stories of her very long adventurous life, always with the sense of humour that carried herthrough.

My radical activist mother Kahentinetha Horn tells me stories of her very long adventurous life, always with the sense of humour that carried herthrough.

Fundamentally important and absolutely incredible

This is so important. The stories speak about, speak to, speak against the loud stories of colonialism. To listen to these stories as I walk on stolen Muskogee/Creek land, to hear both the connections to larger issues facing Indigenous communities while getting the specific personal, sometimes hilarious and sometimes heartbreaking, stories of you and your Ma is an absolute privilege.

So good.

Your Ma's voice is so comforting. She reminds me so much of my Aunt and all her amazing stories. Thank you for sharing this part of your family and life.

Sharing is gifting knowledge

I found this podcast when looking for a book to read on Canada Reads 2020 and I saw your name. Our mom's were friends through CASNP and therefore I had to hear your Mom's wild and crazy stories. My mom past away in 2012 and hearing your mom has brought back many memories for me and my sisters. Aboriginal rights are often conveyed in less personal formats and hearing from you, your mom and friends helps spread the native's message and experiences in a wonderful down to earth manner. Looking forward to season 2. Thank you!

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My radical activist mother Kahentinetha Horn tells me stories of her very long adventurous life, always with the sense of humour that carried herthrough. My radical activist mother Kahentinetha Horn tells me stories of her very long adventurous life, always with the sense of humour that carried herthrough. This is so important.

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Revolutionary Socialism

Third General Assembly formally adopts revolutionary socialism and liberation as the primary political ideology of The Red Nation. While incomplete, the purpose of this proposal is to articulate the basic principles of revolutionary socialism and Marxism and its connection to Indigenous socialism and communism. Read in full.

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Our socialism is rooted in Indigenous resistance, African slave rebellions, and European labor history. It is also rooted in the nations of the Tri-Continental-of Asia, Africa, and the Americas-that aligned themselves against the primary enemy of the planet: US imperialism. Indigenous peoples were the first victims of European imperialism and invasion. The US inherited that mantle and has exported the settler colonial project to the rest of the globe by plundering and killing other darker nations. We are internationalists.

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How a string of custody battles over Native children became a federal lawsuit that threatens everything
from tribal sovereignty to civil rights.

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The award-winning documentary podcast This Land is back for season 2.
Host Rebecca Nagle reports on how the far right is using Native children to attack American Indian tribes and advance a conservative agenda.

ALM - as referred to in court documents - is a Navajo and Cherokee toddler. When he was a baby, a white couple from the suburbs of Dallas wanted to adopt him, but a federal law said they couldn't. The Brackeens' case would have been a normal adoption dispute, but then one of the most powerful corporate law firms in the United States took it on and helped the couple launch a federal lawsuit. Today, the lawsuit doesn't just impact the future of one child, or even the future of one law. It threatens the entire legal structure defending Native American rights. The second season of This Land is a timely exposé about how the far right is using Native children to quietly dismantle American Indian tribes and advance a conservative agenda.

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This Land is Crooked Media's 8-episode podcast series hosted by Rebecca Nagle about how a cut and dry homicide opened up an investigation into the treaty rights of five Native American tribes. Find out how this unique case could result in the largest restoration of tribal land in US history.

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Home | Native American Fashion Artist | J. Okuma | United States

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native american fashion artist Jamie Okuma's official website and shopping experience. J.Okuma specializes in Indigenous Native North American art and design.

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Summer 2023 Collection

Traditions

Traditions

Summer 2023 Collection

Luxury Leather & Elk Ivory Inspirations

Early Summer Release

Lauren Good Day

Lauren Good Day "Good Day Woman" is an
Multi- award winning Arikara, Hidatsa, Blackfeet and Plains Cree artist
& sought after fashion designer. She is an enrolled member of the
Three Affiliated Tribes (Mandan, Hidatsa, Arikara Nation) of the Ft.
Berthold Reservation in North Dakota, USA and also a registered Treaty
Indian with the Sweet Grass Cree First Nation in Saskatchewan, Canada.
She has shown her artwork at the world's most prestigious Native
American juried art shows such as the Santa Fe Indian Market in Santa Fe
NM, Heard Guild Museum Market in Phoenix AZ, Autry American Indian Arts
Marketplace Los Angeles CA, Eiteljorg Museum Indian Market Indianapolis
IN, Cherokee Indian Market in Tulsa OK, Red Earth Fine Arts Festival in
Oklahoma City OK and the Northern Plains Indian Art Show in Sioux Falls
SD. Her Awards include many First Places in Tribal Arts, Traditional
Arts, Cultural Arts, Diverse Arts, Beadwork, Drawings, Textiles and the
prestigious Best of Tribal Arts award. Lauren's artwork has been part of
numerous solo and group exhibitions at galleries and museums across the
Country.

Being a sought after artist and designer
her work is in numerous public and private collections throughout the
United States, Canada and the World, including the The National Museum
of American Indian Washington DC and New York City, The Heard Museum,
Phoenix AZ, Buffalo Bill Center of the West, Plains Indian Museum Cody
Wyoming, and Red Cloud Heritage Center Pine Ridge SD. You can find her
work and mentions in publications such as Vogue, InStyle Magazine, New
York Times, Fashion Magazine, Cowboys & Indians Magazine,
Cosmopolitan and numerous national and international publications.

Lauren has passion for promoting and
revitalizing the arts of her people while developing new methods and
incorporating new trendsetting ideas in both the art & designs
communities. She has been creating Native American art since age 6.
Starting out with beadwork and Tribal regalia, she then expanded her
work into mediums such as quillwork, ledger drawings, rawhide parfleche,
and fashion design.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in
Indigenous Studies from the Institute of American Indian Arts and
Culture in Santa Fe, NM. Lauren lives on the rolling hills of North
Dakota, her traditional homelands. She continues to be steeped within
the cultural life ways of her people and actively helps with language
and culture revitalization efforts, participates in cultural
celebrations, powwows and her tribal ceremonial doings. Her role as a
mother and woman of her tribe guide her to continue on the arts of her
people for the generations to come.

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Lauren Good Day Ledger art, beadwork, quillwork, parfleche, clothing & fashion artist. Arikara, Hidatssa, Blackfeet, Plains Cree

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Urban Native Era

We are an Indigenous-owned brand focused on Indigenous visibility through Fashion & Design.

SPRING / SUMMER

YOU ARE ON NATIVE LAND

The Spring & Summer '22 collection consists of new tees, headwear, and accessories. This season we introduce the first of many variations of our 'You Are On Native Land' design. The California Poppy will serve to compliment the timeless statement.

SHOP COLLECTION SHOP ALL

Brand new

SOVEREIGN COLLECTION

SOVEREIGN is a 10-item fashion collection that communicates a deep concept reinterpreting the traditional definition of sovereignty. The collection features items ranging from an oversized plaid flannel to high fashion long sleeve tees to a fine-detailed custom print silk scarf and more. Intention in fabric quality, eco-conscious priorities & inclusive representation in marketing sets the stage for SOVEREIGN's impact in Indigenous fashion and Los Angeles fashion communities.

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Urban Native Era brings Indigenous visibility through fashion & design.

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Who We Are

OXDX is a Diné owned fashion label operating out of downtown Tempe, Arizona. Our creative team offers unique content and designs to properly represent Native people. Our artwork brings to light indigenous issues and challenges the institutions censoring our existence. We hope you will follow our journey.

- Jared Yazzie

OXDX Clothing

Mission Statement:

To preserve culture by passing on stories through art, fashion, and creative content. To be socially conscious, constantly connected to our community, and ambitious as hell.

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OXDX is a Diné owned fashion label operating out of downtown Tempe, Arizona. Our creative team offers unique content and designs to properly represent Native people. Our artwork brings to light indigenous issues and challenges the institutions censoring our existence. We hope you will follow our journey.

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Trickster Company is a way to explore living with traditional Northwest Coast values in today's world

We focus on Northwest Coast art and explore themes and issues in Native culture

We strive to represent a prestigious lineage of art in fresh and energetic ways as a celebration of Northwest Coast culture as it lives today

We are active advocates of diversity in community and work to promote diversity in civic engagement

We are Trickster Company

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An innovative Indigenous design company out of Anchorage and Juneau, Alaska. Featuring Alaska Native design, artwork, and jewelry.

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The first Native American-owned denim collection. Native-Americana

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Ginew apparel is heavily influenced by American workwear, Selvedge denim jeans, pendleton wool lined coats and wax canvas jackets offering the highest quality available. Hemp cotton shirts as well as custom made belts round out a superior collection. Come learn about Ginew and our rooted story.

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Justin Jacob Louis

About the Founder

Justin Jacob Louis is the Creative Director and Founder of SECTION 35. He is a member of the Samson Cree Nation and was born and raised in Nipisihkopahk (Samson) on Treaty 6 Territory. He now calls Unceded Stó:lō Territory his home. His work blends the past with the present and finds inspiration in the juxtaposition between these elements. He launched SECTION 35 in 2016 with the intention to use art and fashion to tell his peoples' stories.

Justin was a finalist for Menswear Designer of the Year at the 2022 Canadian Art and Fashion Awards ("CAFA") in Toronto. His work has seen features in numerous publications from Vogue to Complex and was included at "In America: A Lexicon of Fashion" at the Metropolitan Museum of New York in 2022.

SECTION 35

About the Brand

SECTION 35 is an Indigenous owned streetwear brand based on the Unceded Territories of the Xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and Sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. SECTION 35 was founded in 2014 and officially launched in March 2016.

SECTION 35 has been featured in Vogue, Complex and numerous other publications over the last year. In 2022, SECTION 35 had work featured at the Metropolitan Museum of New York's "In America: A Lexicon of Fashion" Exhibition alongside some of biggest designers in America. The brand has shown on numerous runways from Indigenous Fashion Arts in Toronto and most recently Yamaava Fashion Daze in California which was produced by Kelly Cutrone. In February of 2023, the brand attended the prestigious White Milan Trade Show in Milan, Italy during Milan Fashion Week. SECTION 35 has also collaborated with brands such as OxDx out of Phoenix, Arizona to The Hundreds based in Los Angeles, California and just recently launched its first collaboration with Mitchell & Ness alongside powerhouse Salish Artist Debra Sparrow.

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The Unceded - SECTION 35 is an Indigenous Owned streetwear brand based on the Unceded Territories of the Xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and Sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations.

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Sovereign nation studio provides beaded patch collections, apparel, and buti yoga classes

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Smudging, Indigenous Culture, Native American Teachings | Tribal Trade

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Smudge kits, learn Indigenous culture and native teachings like medicine wheel, smudging with sage, and how to learn, celebrate, and connect with traditional Indigenous Cultural teachings.

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Sḵwálwen Botanicals

Honouring cultural plant knowledge, Indigenous science and self-care rituals, Sḵwálwen (squall - win) offers skincare experiences grounded in the natural world. Founded by ethnobotanist Leigh Joseph of Squamish First Nation, this is plant medicine for skin and spirit.

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Honouring cultural plant knowledge, Indigenous science and self-care rituals, Sḵwálwen (squall - win) offers skincare experiences grounded in the natural world. Founded by ethnobotanist Leigh Joseph of Squamish First Nation, this is plant medicine for skin and spirit.

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Give the Gift of SweetGrass this season! Check out
our Gift boxes, sets, bundles and stocking stuffers!

Gifts

Wonderful products & excellent customer service!

Thank you again for your wonderful products and excellent customer service. I bought these as gifts, and I know my friend will be delighted. She currently has her smudge stick sitting in a ceramic bowl. She'll love the smudge gift kit and dry lotion.

I was introduced to your business by Leo and Kevin, and I've been promoting your business on Facebook - what a great company.

Kind regards,

I love your products!

Thank you, you handled everything so very professionally and wonderfully, will order again.

I love your products, thank you again!

We're wild about Red Lake Nation's Wild Rice! Here are some of our favorite dishes featuring the Red Lake Nation Wild Rice..

View All Recipes

We're wild about Red Lake Nation's Wild Rice! Here are some of our favorite dishes featuring the Red Lake Nation Wild Rice.

you'll find a wonderfully unique selection of traditional Native American food products and handcrafted items, perfect for sharing with your family and friends. Browse through our online shop to find just what you need - and learn more about the heritage behind each item and the featured artisans.

We guarantee your satisfaction. If you are not 100% satisfied, simply let us know and we'll make it right!

SweetGrass Trading Company is a subsidiary of the Ho-Chunk Trading Group,
a division of Ho-Chunk, Inc., the economic development corporation of the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska.

Do you have a Native American food or gift product you would like SweetGrass Trading Company to feature on our website? We'd love to hear from you! Simply fill out our Contact Us form and we'll be in touch.

Contact us now

Stay in touch with our monthly newsletter.

SweetGrassTradingCo.com Blog - Take A Look!

We guarantee your satisfaction. If you are not 100% satisfied, simply let us know and we'll make it right!

From across America,

you'll find a wonderfully unique selection of traditional Native American food products and handcrafted items, perfect for sharing with your family and friends. Browse through our online shop to find just what you need - and learn more about the heritage behind each item and the featured artisans.

SweetGrass Trading Company is a subsidiary of the Ho-Chunk Trading Group,
a division of Ho-Chunk, Inc., the economic development corporation of the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska.

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Native American Food & Handcrafted Gifts | Sweet Grass Trading Co.

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Give the Gift of SweetGrass this season! Check out our Gift boxes, sets, bundles and stocking stuffers! Gifts Thank you again for your wonderful products and excellent customer service. I bought these as gifts, and I know my friend will be delighted. She currently has her smudge stick sitting in a ceramic bowl.

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Eighth Generation is a Native-owned business with a flagship store a Pike Place Market in Seattle. Eighth Generation specializes in wool blankets. Eighth Generation was founded by artist, activist and educator Louie Gong.

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Native American Fashion, Clothing, Jewelry, and Accessories

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SHOPLIPS OUR LIPSTICKS CHANGE LIVES

OUR STORY

Aaniin! Cheekbone Beauty is an Indigenous-owned beauty brand, known for creating your favourite high quality, cruelty-free beauty products including legendary liquid lipsticks and complexion products.

Each shade in our Warrior Women liquid lipstick collection is named for inspiring an Indigenous woman like Olympian and speaker Waneek Horn-Miller, activist Sarain Fox, former Mrs. Universe Ashley Callingbull and singer-songwriter Buffy Sainte-Marie. Cheekbone Beauty aims to make Indigenous youth feel seen in the beauty community by showcasing some of the fearless Indigenous women reaching beyond the cultural divide and making a difference.

Your support helps make a difference in the lives of others. Our aim is to not only make a difference in the lives of Indigenous youth through addressing the educational funding crisis but to also create a space in the beauty industry where Indigenous youth feel seen.
Miigwech for all your support!

You are important to us!

love jenn

CHEEKBONE BLOG

Resetting Our Lives
After over a month in quarantine, it is incredible to see the shift in our lifestyles. The pandemic crisis has opened new-found values and mindsets in many individuals. Prior to the pandemic, we have been living in a fast-paced and fast cycled world. We tend to purchase unnecessary items and get "bored" of them, long before their lifespan is over. This fast-paced lifestyle has deemed to be impractical and ultimately unsustainable for our environment. It is no coincidence that with humans being confined to their homes and having less contact with the environment, that it is beginning to reset. With less disposable income, job insecurity and a recession looming over us, individuals have begun to re-think their lifestyles and just like our environment, reset.
KEEP READING

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SHOPLIPS OUR LIPSTICKS CHANGE LIVES OUR STORY Aaniin! Cheekbone Beauty is an Indigenous-owned beauty brand, known for creating your favourite high quality, cruelty-free beauty products including legendary liquid lipsticks and complexion products. Each shade in our Warrior Women liquid lipstick collection is named for inspiring an Indigenous woman like Olympian and speaker Waneek Horn-Miller, activist Sarain Fox, former Mrs.

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Shop for delicious gourmet chocolates, Meltaways, holiday gifts and more. Bedré delivers Oklahoma-made chocolate gifts & baskets for every occasion.

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Tanka products are built on our ancestors' knowledge of the Ideal Portable Energy for endurance, top performance and healthful life. Based on traditional wasna and pemmican, we combine high-protein, prairie-fed buffalo and tart-sweet cranberries. ORDER NOW

We are Oglala Lakotas on the Pine Ridge Reservation, SD, with a deep commitment to helping the People, the Buffalo and Mother Earth. We look forward to providing you with the very best foods that are sustainably grown by Native American producers, minimally processed with care and respect, to help you feed mind, body and spirit.

To "Be Tanka" means to LIVE LIFE POWERFULLY: In harmony with your spirit and with the earth. We created Tanka products to help you do just that.

Pilamaya (thank you).

instagram #tankabar

specials

TANKA GIFT BASKETS

A Happy, Healthy Choice! Be sure to click on the SPECIALTY collection on the Order Page! Check it out and ORDER NOW

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Tanka products are built on our ancestors' knowledge of the Ideal Portable Energy for endurance, top performance and healthful life. Based on traditional wasna and pemmican, we combine high-protein, prairie-fed buffalo and tart-sweet cranberries. ORDER NOW We are Oglala Lakotas on the Pine Ridge Reservation, SD, with a deep commitment to helping the People, the Buffalo and Mother Earth.

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WALK WITH US

Join us on a journey that started ten thousand years ago.

Our Vision

As a company rooted in Indigenous culture, our vision is to build a vibrant global brand that makes a positive impact in Indigenous communities.

Founded in 1997 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Métis entrepreneur Sean McCormick began Manitobah Mukluks with the vision to create a brand that could also benefit his community.

SOCIAL IMPACT IS AT THE HEART OF
EVERYTHING WE DO.

seriously waterproof

Our waterproof mukluks are the warmest, most comfortable waterproof winter boots you'll step into.

In a word: Winterproof.

Warm

Waterproof

Breathable

glacier grip

I love these slippers more than any I've ever had. High quality material and craftsmanship. Very comfortable and super warm.

Meagan N.

Exceptional quality. Comfortable, warm, beautiful to the eye.

Jim W.

Came beautifully packaged, on-time, and what beautiful workmanship. Truly proud to wear these.

Ema A.

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Join us on a journey that started ten thousand years ago. Our Vision As a company rooted in Indigenous culture, our vision is to build a vibrant global brand that makes a positive impact in Indigenous communities. Founded in 1997 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Métis entrepreneur Sean McCormick began Manitobah Mukluks with the vision to create a brand that could also benefit his community.