Regina's two events!

[Above] A photograph from Natani Notah's performance piece #TSIIYÉEŁPOWERED. Notah is a Native artist whose work focuses on missing, murdered and indigenous women as well as her family's own history. She got her MFA from Stanford and came to the Harmony House earlier in the quarter to give a talk. The performance piece was filmed and shows Notah wearing three TSIIYÉEŁs.I was really inspired by Notah, especially when she shared with us how she uses social media to bring awareness to these important issues. (She's the one who started the "and Native Americans") social media movement.

[Below] Nanoia Thompson's talk (featuring Vance!).  I really enjoyed listening to Thompson speak about how his Native Hawaiian heritage connected with his passion for the earth. One part of his talk that really struck me was when he talked about how Native Hawaiian history carries so much shame. It made me think about the consequences of intergenerational trauma and how pain and suffering can be passed down along family lines. Also, Thompson's journey—both physical and personal—really moved me. 

Foster- Two events

Here are my two events that I attended. On the left is a picture of David eating Delphines Buffalo Chili, Cherry Wojapi, and fry bread for the Lakota Traditional Dinner. It was a fun time eating such amazing food and being around Lakota elders that were there. On the right is Brett Shelton (Oglala Lakota) who is a peacemaker of the Native American Rights Fund NARF. He talked about the work that he does and this specific project he helped with on the Pine Ridge Rez which worked on incorporating the Lakota language and culture into policy and law.

2/20/19 Hawaii History Make-up

For those who did not attend tonight's House Sem, please watch this short documentary on Nainoa Thompson. What did you learn? What are you thoughts?

https://www.pbs.org/video/long-story-short-leslie-wilcox-nainoa-thompson/

200-250 words.

MMIW make up

For those who did not attend the MMIW panel, please watch this 35 min video on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women called Our Sisters In Spirit. What did you learn? What are your thoughts? Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdzM6krfaKY
200-250 words.

Naturally Native part 2

For those who weren't in class when we finished Naturally Native we talked about how the movie touched upon issues such as alcoholism, MMIW, growing up on the reservation v not (urban), tribal sovereignty, selling your indigeneity, tribal enrollment numbers, etc. We also came to the conclusion that this movie sort of beat around the bush when it came to these issues. If you were to update the movie now, what would that look like? OR What native issues would you include in the movie that weren't touched upon. 

If you were at the discussion at the end of class you do not have to respond. But if you have more thoughts we'd love to hear them :) 

Naturally Native part 1

We will be watching the rest of the movie next class! 

For this prompt please write about/identify some of the stereotypes/issues that you saw in the movie related to Native identity. Feel free to include personal experience. 200-250 words 

Video Reflection

Hi everyone! 
Thanks for a good first session last Wednesday. Please respond directly to this post as a comment before our next meeting. The prompt is to simply reflect/respond to the two videos we watched at the end of class. Word count 200-300 words. 
Here are the links to the vids: 
Alcatraz: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBjuhFOeitE
UN Indigenous Language: https://www.maoritelevision.com/news/regional/2019-international-year-indigenous-languages

Event- Kauaenoe Batangan Talk

A few reflections on the talk:
I would say one of the most interesting things to me during the talk was hearing how he engaged in policy in a meaningful way without having a direct path. Policy has always interested me, but I never felt aggressive enough, or full enough of righteous indignation to take on that path, but he seemed like a super chill and upstanding person, so maybe that is possible in politics! I guess I have to rethink my life now! I really appreciated the fact that he was so upfront about the path that his life followed and that the constant flux of life doesn't stop after college. it felt like when you read one of those relatable teen novels when you're sixteen and everything feels profound, because you feel more connected to the ~human experience~. It was really reassuring to me, even though I front like I'm not TERRIFIED of the future, I do worry about it some times.
It was also interesting to see how he did something that he really cared about and incorporated his identity into how he wanted to make change in the world. I also appreciated hearing about how his experiences as an undergrad shaped him. I thought it was even better that it was experiences and not classes that did the shaping!

Alyssa Farrow - Final (Pendleton Woolen Mills)

Why do native people place a high monetary value on Pendleton blankets? In this day in age, many of us [native people] stress the importance of supporting or buying companies that are “native-owned,” or “native-made,” instead of “native-inspired.” Yet, Pendleton blankets are still viewed as a highly valuable items that are used ceremonially, in regalia, and for trading purposes.

The Pendleton Woolen Mills was created in 1909, by the Bishop family, who used the geography of eastern Oregon and it’s major railhead in the Columbia Plateau, to begin sourcing wool from sheep farmers. The mill was originally built in 1893, as a “wool scouring plant,” and in 1895, it was transformed into making blankets and robes for native people, this eventually failed as native people were unable to purchase these blankets because they were not able to easily leave the confines of the reservations, to the city of Pendleton. At this point in time, the tribes in the Pacific Northwest (Oregon, Washington, Idaho) had signed treaties approximately 20-30 years before this around 1850s-1860s. In September of 1909, the Bishops had reopened the Woolen Mills and released “Indian Trading Blankets,” which then became what is the now tradition of the Pendleton Blankets.

These “Indian Trading Blankets” were created based upon a “study of the color and design preferences of local and Southwest Native Americans that resulted in vivid colors and intricate patterns.” Unfortunately, this wasn’t always true. On the website, you can find many blankets under the “Native American-Inspired Blankets,” tab and one of the first blankets that pops up is the “Chief Joseph Blanket.” Chief Joseph was from the Nez Perce tribe in what is now the state of Idaho, who was relatively close with my tribe (Cayuse). This design and color scheme has no significance to the Nez Perce tribe, nor does it have significance with Chief Joseph. The Pendleton Woolen Mills have profited from created a design and named it after Chief Joseph, without permission or given a portion of the profit to Chief Joseph’s descendants or the Nez Perce tribe.

Unfortunately, this is only one example of how the Pendleton Woolen Mills is using native people’s designs, names, colors, and cultures (some that aren’t even used by tribes – just makes the items more desirable) to profit off of. None of the proceeds from the Pendleton Woolen Mills go to tribes in the Northwest or Southwest that they continually borrow names and designs from, but why do we continue to support Pendleton blankets?  

Pilli Final Project

I wrote this poem in response to a culturally insensitive moment with one of my best friends. So often I find that people feel offended when you point out that they offended someone. In other words people don't take the time to understand someone else's emotions or reactions and instead become aggressive. When talking to David my roommate from South Dakota slang I use instead of cool or dope is sav. Like instead of that so cool I would say thats sav. Not realizing the different between the cultural context I said this to David and noticed that he was slightly surprised by me calling him that.I wrote this poem as a response and apology. 

Ive always been careful with my words

And today every curved sound that escapes these unchapped lips was given a burst of meaning

I was told

I have the power to define the words I speak

but after so many slipped wispers

Uttered mistakes

Unthunk murmurs

And yelled blasphemy

I realized

I take for granted the power of my lungs

I take for granted the presence of my voice

I take for granted  how easily I speak

Ands because of this im not as careful as I think

So when a best friend explained to me he was a hunter

I responded with

“Thats sav as fuck bro”

I was met with a pause

A quick mistep or an unchecked mouth vomit of words

the lines is far finer than i thought

Because

it means so much more when Your people have been called not just sav but full blrown savages

When the people who called you savages still may not say that word but treat you as if you were one

When I a close friend of yours started to sound like a reminder of those people

(Quietly) you are not a savage

Let me say it again

You, are, not, a, savage

The thiefs, the murders, the culture vultures, the hate breeders, the bleach skinned colonizers, the hate breeders, the school shooters, the hate breeders

Have always been the savages

Day of the dead

I went to two day of the dead ceremonies. One at Stanford and one which my grandmother held. The photo is of the altar at my grandmothers ceremony where we had an overnight vigil where we sang prayed and danced together. This ceremony has always been an extremely spiritual and powerful event for me and being able to share it with family and now Stanford family is a new layer of enjoyment. 

I visited Alcatraz for the indigenous peoples day ceremony. Here we were able to see a number of different cultures in what I would consider a sacred location. The entrance to the ceremony early in the morning on the boat was something I will always remember. Also, being able to see so many people unite for what they believe in was beautiful.

Xolotl Pilli Cruz-De Jesus