Indigenous People's Day

Happy Indigenous People's Day! Some people celebrate the second Monday in October as Columbus Day, but many of us prefer to honor instead the people who were here in the Americas for centuries before Columbus "discovered" it. 

Many cities are finally making the name change official, adopting Indigenous People's Day to celebrate the people and their culture, and also to reflect on their ongoing struggles in this land. The celebration today includes powwows, drumming, dancing, Native American foods and crafts.

Agenda:

1. Skywoman falling

2. A note about appropriation

3. Land and people acknowledgement

4. Drumming

1. Skywoman Falling:

Scientists are careful not to give self-awareness to Gaia, but I cannot believe that this living planet has no consciousness or spirit. Are we the only part of nature with self-awareness? What giant egos we have!

As a mystical Earth-Quaker I am happy to embrace Nature as a conscious Being.

I want to reprint here the Genesis of Turtle Island as told by Robin Wall Kimmerer in Braiding Sweetgrass (Adapted from oral tradition and Shenandoah and George, 1988):

In the beginning there was the Skyworld.

She fell like a maple seed, pirouetting on an autumn breeze. A column of light streamed from a hole in the Skyworld, marking her path where only darkness had been before. It took her a long time to fall. In fear, or maybe hope, she clutched a bundle tightly in her hand.

Hurtling downward, she saw only dark water below. But in that emptiness there were many eyes gazing up at the sudden shaft of light. They saw there a small object, a mere dust mote in the beam. As it grew closer, they could see that it was a woman, arms outstretched, long black hair billowing behind as she spiraled toward them.

The geese nodded at one another and rose together from the water in a wave of goose music. She felt the beat of their wings as they flew beneath to break her fall. Far from the only home she’d ever known, she caught her breath at the warm embrace of soft feathers as they gently carried her downward. And so it began.

The geese could not hold the woman above the water for much longer, so they called a council to decide what to do. Resting on their wings, she saw them all gather: loons, otters, swans, beavers, fish of all kinds. A great turtle floated in their midst and offered his back for her to rest upon. Gratefully, she stepped from the goose wings onto the dome of his shell. The others understood that she needed land for her home and discussed how they might serve her need. The deep divers among them had heard of mud at the bottom of the water and agreed to go find some.

Loon dove first, but the distance was too far and after a long while he surfaced with nothing to show for his efforts. One by one, the other animals offered to help—Otter, Beaver, Sturgeon—but the depth, the darkness, and the pressures were too great for even the strongest of swimmers. They returned gasping for air with their heads ringing. Some did not return at all. Soon only little Muskrat was left, the weakest diver of all. He volunteered to go while the others looked on doubtfully. His small legs flailed as he worked his way downward and he was gone a very long time.

They waited and waited for him to return, fearing the worst for their relative, and, before long, a stream of bubbles rose with the small, limp body of the muskrat. He had given his life to aid this helpless human. But then the others noticed that his paw was tightly clenched and, when they opened it, there was a small handful of mud. Turtle said, “Here, put it on my back and I will hold it.”

Skywoman bent and spread the mud with her hands across the shell of the turtle. Moved by the extraordinary gifts of the animals, she sang in thanksgiving and then began to dance, her feet caressing the earth. The land grew and grew as she danced her thanks, from the dab of mud on Turtle’s back until the whole earth was made. Not by Skywoman alone, but from the alchemy of all the animals’ gifts coupled with her deep gratitude. Together they formed what we know today as Turtle Island, our home.

2. A note about appropriation:

When I was teaching art classes, I taught Native American crafts and culture often, because it was relevant to my students, and I always included historical and contemporary images and information. (Go to my sidebar to see the National Art Education Association position statement regarding cultural appropriation.)

But I also sometimes borrow symbols, techniques, and ideas for my own use. Borrowing from someone else’s culture happens all the time. Artists and craftspeople have always been inspired by symbols and images of other cultures. This practice is called cultural exchange. In cultural exchange, there is mutual sharing and mutual respect.

Cultural appropriation, on the other hand, is “the unacknowledged or inappropriate adoption of the customs, practices, ideas, etc. of one people or society by members of another and typically more dominant people or society.” It's when we borrow without permission, and without acknowledgement to the victim-culture’s past.

 

As Taté Walker says in 

4 Ways To Honor Native Americans Without Appropriating Our Culture

:  "There is a fine line between appropriation and appreciation." Most of us intend no harm - we like the style or the symbolism; we like to appear worldly or exotic - but it's time to stop being boorish, insensitive, racist white folks and learn what is appropriate and what isn't. 

Queries:

Am I using items or ceremonies of a minority culture in order to make it a part of my own culture, or to appear worldly? 

Am I creating crafts from a minority culture in order to sell them to make a profit?

Do I know the history of the people, and understand the cultural significance of the item or custom?

3. Land and people acknowledgement:

My Climate Revolutions by Bike group organized a ride a few year's ago to visit the 15 Talking Stones found in a loop in Alton Baker Park's Whilamut Natural Area. The Talking Stones reintroduce words of the Kalapuya language onto land where the people hunted, fished, and gathered camas bulbs for thousands of years. At the canoe pond, I gave this acknowledgement:

We decided to dedicate today's ride to this area’s first people - the Kalapuya - and their descendants, to acknowledge their environmental ethics, and recognize the land they have lived, hunted, and fished on for thousands of years. This land acknowledgement is an expression of gratitude and appreciation to those whose territory we reside on, and also our sorrow for the genocide and removal, and the ongoing racism and discrimination they have suffered.

 

The Kalapuya people were dispossessed of their indigenous homeland by the US government between 1851 and 1855, and forcibly removed. Today, descendants are citizens of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Community of Oregon and the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians of Oregon, and continue to make important contributions in their communities.

 

Indigenous peoples all around the world are uniquely vulnerable to impacts of the climate crisis due to their dependence upon, and close relationship, with the environment and its resources. The environmental impacts and some of the proposed solutions to climate change threaten their ways of life, lands rights, future growth, and cultural survivability.

 

Today we acknowledge that indigenous people are the leaders we should follow: Countless Tribal Nations, water protectors, land defenders, and pipeline fighters, have dedicated their lives to defending the sacredness of Mother Earth. They have developed highly effective campaigns of non-violent direct action, political lobbying, multimedia, and divestment. 

 

For this we thank them.

4. Native American Drumming:

In the spirit of cultural appreciation, we will watch Native American dancing and drum music today and dance with our grandson!