Seeds of Change Action Item: Support Native American Culture and the NAVRA
From project562.com,a documentary project by Matika Wilbur dedicated to photographing over 562 Indigenous Nations.
So far our Seeds of Change classes have focused on the Pre-Columbian history of the Indigenous societies of North America. As we move through the historical timeline, we are getting close to the moment of first contact between Native people and European colonizers. This history, from first contact to present day, is a calamitous one. As Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz writes in the adult version of An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States: “The history of the United States is a history of settler colonialism- the founding of a state based on the ideology of white supremacy, the widespread practice of African slavery, and a policy of genocide and land theft.” While we will work hard to address this history sensitively (since we are learning alongside an audience of young children), there will be many accounts of times when colonizers and then the US government have taken actions that have been devastating for the Indigenous people we have been learning about. Our class today was a deliberate pause before we begin our study of this post-Columbian history to focus on the beauty of the Indigenous societies of North America. The food, the art, the music, the architecture, the academic and technological advancements- there is so much to honor and celebrate in Native communities, historically and still continuing today and we wanted to make time to do just that.
Our action item for today is to support, honor, and uphold Indigenous cultures. This article, from 4Rs Youth Movement in Canada, offers some ideas for how non-Indigenous people can help:
Research whose land you’re on. Install the free Native Land app on your phone or visit native-land.ca. Tonkawa, Comanche, Apache, Jumanos, and Sana all lived on the land where Austin now sits. But the Indigenous Cultures Institute, an organization based in San Marcos, Texas, notes that “More than 600 Native American groups were populating what is now central and southern Texas and northeastern Mexico when the Spanish invaders first arrived.” This population is collectively known as the Coahuiltecans. This video is a great resource to learn more about them:
If you don’t have time to watch the whole video, check out what Dr. Mario Garza has to say starting around the 2 min 40 second mark about why the tribes of Texas aren’t federally recognized.
Support Local Indigenous Communities. The Indigenous Cultures Institute has made this one really easy for those of us living in Central Texas. Every year, they host the Sacred Springs Powwow, but because of Covid-19, this year the powwow will be held virtually, for free! You can sign up at the link. Events will take place from September-November, including “recorded performances by hundreds of dancers, traditional drums & singers with featured Indian vendors of arts, crafts & more, all leading up to [the] grand finale announcing the dance competition's winners.” If you can, consider shopping for your holiday gifts from the vendors- the list from last year looks amazing.
Another action item is to help amplify the ICI request for UT to return the remains of Indigenous ancestors so they can be returned to the earth. You can read more about it here and find a draft of a letter to send to the President of UT here.
Support Indigenous Communities Throughout the US. My kids and I watched a film called Gather, which is now available to rent through Amazon Prime, which is a documentary about the “growing movement amongst Native Americans to reclaim their spiritual, political and cultural identities through food sovereignty, while battling the trauma of centuries of genocide.” It’s beautifully made and the kids and I learned a lot. If you have sensitive viewers, you should know that there are mentions of suicide, homicide, drug abuse and alcoholism, the mass killing of buffalo, a scene where an animal is killed for food, and an allusion to incidents of sexual assault. One of the stories highlighted in the film is about the Yurok Tribe’s fight to reclaim the Klamoth River. Here’s a short video that explains part of the story:
Another way to help is to write to your representatives to ask them to support the Native American Voting Rights Act. If you go to this link you can put in your information to have emails sent to your Senators and US Representative automatically. Check out this page to learn more about why this is a huge issue.
And for one more way kids can learn more and support Indigenous communities, here’s a list of kid-friendly social media accounts and videos that they could like and subscribe to, or just watch to learn more!
notoriouscree on TikTok or Instagram
Tloke Nauoke channel on youtube. This video is in English and Spanish and offers a charming telling of the story of Quetzalcoatl.
If you have the PBS passport you could check out their series about Native Americans.
autumn.peltier on Instagram (an Indigenous youth climate activist)
Speaking of Autumn Peltier, a short film about her was released in Canada and should be available in the US soon. You can stay informed here.
A theatrical production of the Legend of the Bluebonnet is scheduled to be released online in the spring of 2021.
Supaman on youtube and Facebook
Let us know if you have other resources or ideas to add to this list to support Indigenous cultures!
