Wednesday, January 31, 2018


Joseph Ironhawk Little emaciyapi
Lakol caje bluha sni
Ma Oglala yelo
Na Palm Springs, California he maciyatahan
Stanford University hel wablaya
Na wana ma sophomore yelo
Pilamayayelo

Hey everyone! My name is Joseph Ironhawk Little (you can call me Joe for short); I do not have a Lakota name yet. I am Oglala Lakota of the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. I am from Palm Springs, California (born and raised aye!). I am a sophomore at Stanford University. Thank you!

My interest in the Muwekma Tah-Ruk house seminar, outside of the requirement to enroll while living here, is to learn more about other people's cultures and their understanding of what it means to be indigenous. 

As well, I'm interested in learning more about everyone!

Tuesday, January 30, 2018

Ixcanul director, and his motivations for the film

Guatemalan director Jayro Bustamente has taken prizes at the Berlin International Film Festival and the Guadalajara Film Festival for his feature 'Ixcanul.'
This is Jayro Bustamonte, the director of Ixcanul. 
Here's a link to an article where he talks more about his motivations for the film

Here's one quote to address the question that was raised in our class today about why he chose this topic for his film:
"Q: Why shoot in Kaqchikel? What is your own experience with the language?

 A: I want to say that it's respect for my childhood. It's a language my nanny taught me. I understand it, though I don't speak it completely. And there is such a lack of respect towards it. The woman who inspired this story — a real woman — she spoke Kaqchikel, or mostly Kaqchikel, so that's where it came from. The movie was a very interesting process. I wrote the film in French [in Paris, where I went to film school]. Then I translated it into Spanish. We then went to Guatemala and I translated it into Kaqchikel. Then we worked with each actor to personalize the dialogue. Then once we figured that out, we fixed it. And from there, everyone needed to memorize the script. I had to memorize it. The sound engineer had to memorize it. We didn't have a continuity person because they left, so everyone had to understand a little bit of the language. For me it was important to create a setting where the language was just another language, not the [so-called] "language of the Indians," which is an insult there."

See ya next week! Watch and finish the movie if ya can :)

Monday, January 29, 2018

Malia Alika Wakiekona

Hello all who come to read this post!

My full name is Malia Alika Wakinekona and I take pride in my Hawaiian name. Not too long ago in my family history (1800s) our last name used to be Noni. During this period of time my ancestors worked as servants to the Hawaiian king(King David Kalakaua). One day he left the Hawaiian Islands for a diplomatic journey to the mainland United States. Part of this journey included a visit to Washington D.C to attend a state dinner and meet with the president. When Kalakaua returned back to Hawai'i he granted my family with the new last name Wakinekona. Apparently he loved members of my family so much that he decided to give us a new name after his voyage to the mainland. The kicker of the story is that Wakinekona, in English, translates to Washington. For that reason my family has been able to trace our lineage very carefully. The sad thing is that there are not too many Wakinekonas walking around today because of name changes through marriage and death. I never plan on changing my last name and I am sure that my children will be Wakinekona.

Overall, I'm super psyched to be in house sem this quarter. During admit weekend four years ago, I actually stayed in Muwekma! I'm excited to be completing my time here at Sanford in a full circle manner. I've had the opportunity to live in Ujamaa my sophomore year and explore my black identity and now I have the chance to explore my indigenous identity in Muwekma.

At the summer camps I used to attend at Kamehameha they used to have us sing song in which we said, "We are the youth of Hawai'i nei. We are the chosen sons and daughters who are bound together by rich tradition." I've always been proud to be kānaka maoli and felt a sense of purpose in furthering the values of our community & culture. There's power in having so many indigenous peoples living together under one roof and everyday I get to experience the beauty that is Muwekma.

About Julian

Hey everyone. I'm Julian, as many of you know in spite of my reclusive proclivities. On social media, papers, signatures, etc. I always write down my full name, though, which is Julian Rey Saenz (Olivia's the first person I've ever known personally, outside my family, who shares my last name!). I'm a white-passing half-Hispanic, and though I only have a small percentage of Native blood in my veins (my maternal grandmother is one quarter), I have experienced my own questioning related to the intersection between my active identity and my familial roots, both culturally and ethnically. I think my elementary school choice to begin displaying my whole, slightly non-white looking name pretty much every chance I got was one of the first observable manifestations of this peculiar dissonance; I felt both proud of and bewildered by those two thirds of my own name, as if they were from some other strange world from whence I knew I came yet hardly knew.

I'm from San Antonio, Texas, originally, though I lived in San Diego from the age of six. From that point on, my parental life was divided between states. I'm only now beginning to recognize that this transition catalyzed my psychological detachment from my paternal, Hispanic heritage rooted in Texas. Years after, I find myself contending with a sense of shame where there once was simply embarrassment, or self-conscious yet ignorance-driven incompetence. Why can't I speak Spanish yet, in spite of growing up listening to all the members of my dad's side (which dramatically outnumbered my mom's few relatives, whom I've spent much more time with, all while being named after my father's mother, Julia) speak Spanish, as they'd been doing since birth? Why don't I know more about them, or anyone, or anything? This questioning has accelerated in recent times in both depth and intensity, motivated also by the profound and abstract suffering I've witnessed befall the people whom I love the most in my life, who happen to be more vulnerable to systematic injustice than I at a multi-factorial level.

It is this urgent inquiry which inspires me to learn more about both the historical and ongoing struggle of native peoples in the United States and across the world. One of my favorite places to go when my mom and I first moved to San Diego was a collection of hiking trails tucked between the rivers of the valleys between the small mountains in the area. Amid the natural beauty was the occasional sign describing the lives of the native people who used call this place their home. It never delved into the fact that they'd been killed and conquered by imperialist, missionary forces, whom (sorry for three uses of that awful word, simply necessary) the trails were oftentimes named after. Thankfully, my mom filled me in on that part herself. Now, I believe the time has come to learn the greater details of that story, and its legacy in our world today. Sorry for being so late on this! I look forward to the rest of the class and our discussions.

Sunday, January 28, 2018

toro/anglo/irish kid

My name is Maya Nell Murungi Abwoli Kairumba Burke. I was born in Frankfort, Kentucky to an Anglo-Irish descendant father and Toro/ Ugandan mother. My younger sister and I lived in Kentucky from birth till 2005, and moved with our mother to Kampala, Uganda, living there between the years 2005 and 2008. My mother's family (the Kairumbas) are from Fort Portal, a small town in Western Uganda. Fort Portal was founded as a British garrison in 1859, and is the only town in Uganda with an English name. Fort Portal is the seat of the Toro Kingdom. The Kairumba family is an extension of the royal family of the Toro tribe. The patriarchal heir lineage of our family is the ceremonial drum player for coronation and other sacred ceremonies.
While living in Uganda my sister and I spent a lot of time in Fort Portal, meeting family and learning about where our mother came from when she first left home for college in Berea, Kentucky.

My interests regarding this class are in global indigenous solidarity and indigenous-nonindegenous dynamics. As a recent descendant of indigenous people from another continent I am interested in how best to operate as a guest and in solidarity with the people who are indigenous to where I currently live. As half Toro/ half white American I am personally interested in how those two identities play out in my own life, and investigating questions of whether white people have lost and/or can reclaim/return to an indigenous way of being in the world. I am also interested in understanding violent behaviors of whiteness and anti-indegeneity and how best to diminish and/or stand up against these behaviors in my immediate spheres.

Thursday, January 25, 2018

Spam Dinner @ the NACC



I attended the Spam Dinner at the NAAC and had a great time. I've only ever really had spam in spam musubi and kimbap, so I was excited to try it in other dishes like mac and cheese and stir fry. It was nice to have such warm food on a cold, rainy day, and to have such nice company in the middle of the week, as the quarter is ramping up.

I'm currently taking a course on food and eating in East Asia (CHINA 118), and one of the foods we discussed in depth was spam in Korean foods (dating to the Korean War and the need to transport/preserve food during wartime).  It's interesting to see how spam has become such an integral part of foods and dishes in a variety of cultures, and how spam is perceived by different people. Spam is relatively expensive and almost like a luxury item in Korea, while it is a more common food in the U.S. which sometimes looked at as a "mystery" meat.

Furthermore, I also got to try coconut pudding today for the first time (at the same dinner) and I really liked it (thanks for the info, Kawena), and I really appreciated the circle we formed and the prayer made before our dinner. The intentional reflection was something I really needed.

-Elen Mendoza


Tuesday, January 23, 2018

Snow Trip with Muwekma-tah-ruk & SAIO





This weekend was a very heartwarming one, even though I felt like my hands were going to freeze off. Playing in the snow with everyone, and then warming up with a bowl of hot pozole, was pretty nice (even though I ran into a tree on my sled, along with Sierra who now suffers from a bruised shin).

A part of Snow Trip that really stuck with me was Cafe Night. It was a beautiful mix of songs and dances, some more traditional, others more contemporary, and all full of love and community.

----

But as someone who does not identify as Native American, I've been trying to be more thoughtful, aware, and intentional in the spaces I visit and occupy. When reflecting on my experience in Tahoe- especially how beautiful the scenery is- with jagged mountains, tall trees, and soft snow- I realized I hadn't thought about whose land I was on. After some research, I found that the Wašiw people of the California/Nevada area were the original inhabitants of the Lake Tahoe area, and that while the Wašiw language is currently moribund (in danger of becoming extinct) there have been great efforts implemented (which continue to be implemented) in order to conserve it (3, 1).

I hope to continue to learn more about different indigenous cultures (although there is such a large variety, I'm sure we'll only skim the surface in class) and issues (many, if not all, of which have deep historical roots).

-Elen Mendoza

Sources:
1. https://www.washoetribe.us/contents/
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washoe_people
3. https://wiki2.org/en/Washoe_people


Me and Indigeneity

I was born in a country that was home to more refugees than it was to its own nationally registered citizens, in a country that welcomed refugees as it did its own people, and in a country that reaffirmed my identity as I was growing up, as a third generation Palestinian refugee in Jordan. When people ask me where I’m from, especially people in Muwekma and within the greater Native American community, I find myself saying “I’m from Jordan, originally Palestinian.” It’s interesting that I say this because my answer to where I’m from always ends with a place I’ve never set foot on, a place I’m indigenous to but have been denied of. You don’t expect an Arab American who was born and grew up in the United States to say: “Oh, I’m from Sa Francisco, but I’m originally Egyptian.” Asking an Arab American who is a son of immigrants where they are originally from is offensive. Why is not to me? It’s because of my indigenous relation to the land of Palestine.

My relationship to indigeneity has always been positive. It is only after coming to the United States where that relationship started to be faltered, because what I consider my indigenous land, others consider a terrorist claim. Zionism and pro-Zionist, pro-Israeli rhetoric has taken hold of most of the US’ public rhetoric, on both ends of the political spectrum. Now not only am I seen as terrorist because of my religion, but I am also seen as so because of my Palestinian identity.


In coming to Muwekma, I’ve had the pleasure of understanding the concept of being native in terms of people that still are on the land that has been stolen from them, yet still suffer within it. This is a narrative many of my Palestinian relatives who did not seek refuge in 1948 feel, but I do not. It’s, to say the least, eye-opening to see that perspective, because I would have never gotten it any other way as I am blacklisted from going back to Palestine. It also made me think of my own definitions of indigeneity that I hope to share with this class. My definition is one rooted in theft of indigeneity, and the struggle to even claim that identity. 

A lil' about Caro

Helloooo everyone!

My name is Caroline (or just Caro).

I was born and raised in Denver, CO. My parents, however, immigrated to the United States from Durango, Mexico. My mom, who is from a town with a population of about 600 people, and my dad, who struggled in the city because of his family's income, found their way to the United States in hopes for a better future for them and their family. Once here, my parents have been working their asses off to make sure my brother and I have that better future and that we grow up surrounded by Mexican culture to the best we could. It's all because of them that I am here. I am currently a Junior studying Human Biology (and maybe Education?) and I'm living next door in Columbae. I love to just hang out with friends, watch Netflix, and go to events with free food :p

I am interested in this house seminar because growing up, I was never exposed to indigenous communities. To be honest, I thought Native Americans were gone--thanks to our capitalist education system. It was only here, when I came to Stanford that I met many people from indigenous backgrounds and began to learn their stories and of the their ongoing battle to gain recognition and respect for their culture. I hope this seminar will give me an opportunity to dive deep into the modern issues affecting indigenous communities and into the diverse array of cultures that exist within.

I'll see y'all tonight!
Caro

winter reflections on Ixcanul





Optional prompt: How do the problems faced by María (the main character) reflect any problems that your people/culture/community/current indigenous people face today? 

Monday, January 22, 2018

775 - all about me 👌💯🔥

Hakanni memme? Ne Adam Nalley mai nanihante, ne Tokkapatih naite. Ne seemayente woosewihte man to’inkanna tomohkante. Ne pia Melinda Bear mai nanihante ma’ai nen kaku Valerie Dick nanihante. Ne tsooneweh naappeh Daisy Harney ma’ai William Dick Jr. nanihaneweh. Ne nanemenee Tokkapatih naite tease Paa Di She naite.

Hello, my name is Adam Nalley, I am Shoshone-Paiute from Duck Valley and Yavapai-Apache from Camp Verde, my mother is Melinda Bear, my grandmother is Valerie Bear, and my great-grandparents once living are Daisy Harney and William Dick, Jr. My family comes from Duck Valley and the Paradise Valley, NV areas. I was born in Alexandria, VA and then I moved out to Owyhee when I was 14 right after 8th grade. This was where I got to learn more about my identity, because even though I wasn't raised with the traditional values, I grew up the "stereotypical rezzy" way. I'll just keep this short for now.

I was interested in House Seminar not just because it’s required if I’m gonna stay here, but I think it would be a good way to get to know everyone that’s in the house and we would get to learn more about each other and our histories in a homey-type setting.

I’m definitely not fluent in either Shoshone or Paiute since I don’t really have many people to practice on at home, but I can still hold a general conversation. I also don’t know everything since a lot of cultural things that we do have been lost over the years, but every day, I try to incorporate the things that I do know about us in whatever I do, whether that be taking notes in Sho-Pai, singing, cooking, or doing artwork. This is a picture of our town from the south end when our SCLI program hiked up the radio tower last summer. I used to live right where those trees are. If you want to know more about me, let me know.

~💯