Friday, March 15, 2024

NAMH 2023: Indigenous Identity - complexity

We have already covered some of the complexity behind how identity can be defined, but I want to cover a little more, mainly from things read in Indian Country Today newsletters.

Let's start with an article about Lily Gladstone and her Oscar nomination:

https://ictnews.org/news/a-wave-of-emotions-after-oscars

I have seen some messages previously with people irritated about her being called the first Native American nominee for best actress, with mention of Yalitza Aparicio's 2018 nomination for Roma.

North America has the descendants of the original inhabitants in Canada, the United States, and Mexico (and all of the Central American countries), and tribal boundaries often cross the national boundaries. Gladstone is the first indigenous nominee from the United States for best actress.

The ICT article gave a good perspective (without it being the main focus of the article) because it also mentioned Keisha Castle-Hughes, who is half Maori, as the first indigenous nominee for best actress in 2002.

Then, there was this one:

https://ictnews.org/news/winter-olympics-feature-three-indigenous-women

The focus is on hockey players, but there is a mention of Inuk biathlete Ukalek Slettemark, representing Denmark. Inuit for Denmark? Yes, because Greenland is an autonomous territory of Denmark.

This might have been more surprising for me, but Notable Native People mentioned Holly Mititquq Nordlum, an Alaska native who went to Greenland to learn traditional Inuit tattooing arts, Denmark apparently having been less persistent in eliminating indigenous culture.

Remember, I have been catching up on old articles, as well as reading various books, so these two articles are just a part of what I have been thinking about. I will try and make some coherent points.

https://ictnews.org/news/ncai-vote-to-exclude-state-recognized-nations-fails

There are tribes that are federally recognized, and tribes that are not. For tribes that are not currently federally recognized, starting that process can be expensive, and may not be easily within reach.

It is worth remembering that tribes are not a monolith, and there can be very different views -- even among neighbors -- about desired outcomes, though that may not justify invalidating the views opposite yours.

The concern raised about "fake" tribes sounds very similar (in my opinion) to the people attacking "pretendians". 

I was surprised reading comments on an interview with Rita Coolidge where she mentioned working with Robbie Robertson. Commenters were calling both her and Robertson fake. Also, the things they were saying, like there being no reason not to be enrolled... no, that doesn't hold up.

Which leads to one more article:

https://ictnews.org/news/fighting-for-native-honor

You can find native people who support native mascots. They may mean well, but I noticed this...

Several association members’ Facebook accounts feature Native American imagery, stories supporting nicknames and imagery mocking politicians, including President Joe Biden.

You might be drawing a certain type, and that's worth thinking about. 

That's not even that they are going to be conservative (though that is certainly more likely), but if all they can do is mock and attack, that's what you are going to get.

There are other ways of being, and I will try and wrap this up next week, but first, a reminder that anytime something like tribal termination or blood quantum or the Dawes Rolls were introduced, it acted as a way of transferring land to the settlers.

Related posts:

https://sporkful.blogspot.com/2024/01/native-american-heritage-month_26.html 

https://sporkful.blogspot.com/2024/02/native-american-heritage-month.html

Tuesday, March 12, 2024

How's your mom?

Have you seen Origin?

Directed by Ava DuVernay, the film goes over the genesis and content of Isabel Wilkerson's book Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents

I assure you that description does not do it justice.

This post is just based on one very small bit, though, where in asking about someone's parents, the answer is given "They're slowing down."

I have said that so many times, and I have heard it from others. I had just said it recently, so it stuck out more.

It's an accurate response, but realizing how common it is highlights how non-specific it is.

There are reasons we do that, and I think I want to get into that more next week.

This week, I want to answer the question.

Yes, she is slowing down. As she was starting to fall more, she has been spending more time in a wheelchair. She has always had a tendency toward swelling in her ankles, so they switched to a Geri Chair, which allows for some foot elevation and reclining.

It has definitely helped. There have been no falls and the swelling went down. 

It may also make it easier for her to doze off, but that wasn't hard before.

Recently we had been in a pattern for our visits. I would arrive and she would be dozing, but I would take her hand and she would wake up and start chatting. Although she is kind of past where her speech is coherent, there would be times when I could tell she was joking, or at least being kind of funny. Then she would get a little tearful, cheer up again, and doze off. 

The entire sequence would take about fifteen minutes. 

That had been the phase. We have been through other ones. There were times when she would talk for much longer, and it was speech I could follow, even though she was referring to events that never happened, or talking about recently being with people who were long dead, or naming children who never existed.

In the recent phase, it is not just that her words don't really make sense, but also that I can tell she is not really processing the things she hears and sees well. I say something, and she will look puzzled, then find something to say, but it doesn't relate.

This has alleviated fears I had that she would switch back to Italian and no one would be able to understand her; communication is not about words now.

She does hold my hand very firmly, so I feel like that's the most important thing I do now.

Well, there is value in getting a visual and staying on top of things... that would be important even if she were completely unresponsive. In terms of what she notices, though, I think the hand holding is now the most important thing. That is a change, but dementia is a process of constant adjustment.

So, here's the thing: on my last visit she barely woke up. 

She opened her eyes a few times,  and said a few words, but it was another downgrade.

My overall feeling is that she is sinking further away from the surface. Getting to her is harder. 

But that's such a long answer, and I don't know how long it will be accurate.

She's slowing down.

Related posts:

https://sporkful.blogspot.com/2023/08/more-about-my-mother.html

https://sporkful.blogspot.com/2023/09/the-next-mourning.html

Friday, March 08, 2024

NAMH 2023: For "younger" readers and viewers

Last week's "Hodgepodge" was for works that didn't necessarily seem to go with anything else, but there was another category taking shape. I reserved those items for this week.

The tricky part is that "younger" is a fairly broad category (and there can be a fair amount of overlap even with those breakdowns), and it wasn't only books this time.

Pre-school:

Spirit Rangers (animated series, Netflix)

The Skycedar siblings (Chumash and Cowlitz) live in a national park with their park ranger mother and scientist father. They serve as junior rangers, but also as Spirit Rangers, where they can go to the Spirit Park and assist the spirit beings there. 

It's CGI, which I know not everyone loves, but the vivid colors really make the park beautiful, especially with the hot springs and other water.

There are simple lessons about things like courage and sportsmanship, with some extra fun for adults in hearing familiar voices, like Wes Studi as Sun and Tantoo Cardinal as Moon.

Remember by Joy Harjo, illustrated by Michaela Goode 

The artwork is really gorgeous here, with the important thing to remember being the connection to other life, and all life.

My Powerful Hair by Carole Lindstrom, illustrated by Steph Littlebird

This goes over the significance and history of hair really well, so covering times when hair was taken in residential school, times when hair was judged, but also when cutting hair can be appropriate and helpful. It provides good context that children can understand.

Elementary school:

Molly of Denali (animated series, PBS Kids) 

With a more traditional animation style, this is also the first nationally distributed children's show in the US to feature an Alaskan native.

One thing I appreciate is that the show features a much larger human network, with neighbors, friends, and extended family, but it is also clearly meant for older children, with more sophisticated concepts. It also teaches more about Alaska, with viewers submitting questions that Molly answers with filmed segments.

The Rez Detectives by Steven Paul Judd and Tvli Jacob, drawn by M.K. Perker

The humor in this comic book is a little juvenile, mostly being about how clueless the narrator is (setting up as a detective, no less), plus one of the villains. Then there are some surprisingly sophisticated site gags, and issues that one might not think of, like the residents of the reservation wanting ice cream on a hot day but being mostly lactose intolerant.

Notable Native People: 50 Indigenous Leaders, Dreamers, and Changemakers from Past and Present by Adrienne Keene, illustrated by Ciara Sana

This covers a wide range of people in different areas and with different origins and time periods. There are historical segments in between that can provide context for the lives featured as well. The individual stories can be inspiring, and give ideas for reports.

Teens and older:

Surviving the City # 1 by Tasha Spillett, illustrated by Natasha Donovan and Donovan Yaciuk

Set in Winnipeg, this graphic novel treats the issue of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, imaginatively showing the influences and "ghosts", and also showing how easy it would be for someone to fall between the cracks. Nothing too terrible happens in this one, but the readers are very aware of the potential.

Frybread Face and Me

This movie -- currently available on Netflix -- focuses on teenagers, but as a coming of age story may mean more to adults who remember their own struggles.

Benny is sent to live with his Navajo grandmother while his parents split up, and has to deal with that, the displacement, and the judgment he faces from others as he becomes his own person.

"Frybread Face" is his cousin, Dawn, part of a tradition of teasing by aunts and uncles, mostly good-natured but not helpful, especially with the real issues the they face with families and life in general. Often there are not choices, but sometimes you can assert yourself, and sometimes you need to.

This is perhaps a minor detail, but the grandmother speaks only Navajo. When she is speaking to Benny, who cannot understand her, there are no subtitles, but when she is talking to Dawn, who does speak it, there are subtitles. It balances the empathy for not understanding with the need to know what is going on.

Anything I read or watch related to Native American Heritage going forward will not be written about until November 2024, probably.

I am still going to try writing some more about identity though.

Tuesday, March 05, 2024

In a good place

I am so happy.

It is not my intention to do a weekly update with what's happening on the job front -- I have plenty of other things to write about -- but I am so happy!

I knew I was not happy with my job, but based on the rebound in good feelings, it was worse than I realized.

It almost feels wrong, you know... so glad to be not working, one of those lazy entitled people the liberals think we should support...

Well, I do think it should be possible for people to enjoy their work, or get sufficient compensation that it makes up for not enjoying their work.

I also understand that a big part of my being able to enjoy this is that I can pay the bills for a few months without anything else happening, which is really important. I am aware of a ticking clock.

However, there is something else that is helping.

I have very ambitious plans for things I want to get done each day and week. While I have been getting some of them done, it is never all of them.

I was initially discouraged by that, except that I can see that I am making progress. 

What really helped was writing the post for the Sunday blog. 

https://preparedspork.blogspot.com/2024/03/changing-things-up-scripture-study.html 

It was about scripture study, but in writing it I realized that there were things that I had once wanted to do that I did not think would be possible, and yet I am working my way through. It took time and sometimes false starts and starting over, but the progress is real.

I have mentioned catching up on e-mail. From over 500 I am currently at 86, and having good experiences going through them.

I am getting somewhere. 

It is possible that I set unrealistic expectations for myself, but they are not wild fantasies either; they just require more time than I initially think they well.

I can deal with that. 

Lots of stuff to do though, so getting back to it.

Friday, March 01, 2024

NAHM 2023: Hodgepodge

I first abbreviated Native American Heritage Month last week, after realizing that when I was trying to search for specific posts, the opening was obscuring the relevant part.

Adding the year is acknowledging that I am trying to get to the end of this current section of writing and move on to other things, and that we are already in a new year. As it is, of the books I have not blogged about yet, the first one read was completed in March 2022.

Life circumstances put a pause on the blogging, but not on the reading, even if it slowed.

There are things that I know I still want to write about, but a lot of these don't fit into any particular theme. They had ended up on the reading list for various reasons, I read them, but even if there were strong reactions at the time they did not happen at a time when I could write about them.

Here are thirteen books in the order in which they were read, covering (but not exclusively) a period from March 2022 to December 2023.

No Turning Back: A True Account of a Hopi Indian's Girl's Struggle to Bridge the Gap Between the World of Her People and the World of the White Man by Polingasy Qoyawayma

Qoyawayma was a child when the white man started a school for white children and making attendance mandatory. She was initially hidden, but then sought out the school and eventually went away to school and became a teacher. 

The book deals with her acknowledgment of the ways in which that changed her, including disrespect for the culture of her birth, and her eventual reconciliation with that. The subtitle is overly long, but it was a real struggle for her, and I think that title felt honest for her.

Partial Recall: With Essays on Photographs of Native North Americans by Lucy Lippard 

Different writers are given historical pictures and write essays on them. The concept is interesting, and the execution fluctuates, as was practically inevitable. My favorite pieces were by Joy Harjo, Leslie Marmon Silko, and Gail Tremblay, who was new to me.

Pretty-Shield: Medicine Woman of the Crows by Frank Bird Linderman 

Pretty-Shield tells her life to Linderman, and it is really interesting and entertaining.

They were working with an interpreter and using signs, and there are times when that process leaves weaknesses, that is expressed in the text. 

The book is known for being the first of its kind about a woman. Reading it for the historical significance, it was much more enjoyable than I had any right to expect.

Trickster: Myths From the Ahtna Indians of Alaska by John E Smelcer 

This again is one that reads more smoothly than might be expected. I really appreciated the personal touch. The Ahtna are a small group, so Smelcer is working with family and acquaintances, making it very personal.

Legends, Traditions, and Laws of the Iroquois, or Six Nations, and History of the Tuscarora Indians by Elias Johnson

Conversely, while the tales are interesting here, there is a lot of treaty information and context, some of which drags.

That's the thing about history: things that are very important to understand can involve some very dry digging and delving. That's why when something is also enjoyable, I make a big deal out of it.

And Still the Waters Run... The Betrayal of the Five Civilized Tribes by Angie Debo

Speaking of... this book is dry sometimes, but it provided such important context for things that I read later and shed light on things that I had already read so that I can't have any regrets about reading it or surprise when other writers refer back to it. Foundational.

Raccoon by Daniel Heath Justice

This is part of a series of books about different animals, going over some of the zoological information but also lore and fashion and how the animal interacts with humans. It only ended up in this list because the writer is Cherokee, and yet that did have an influence on his understanding of the lore, and it was interesting, if a bit wandering. I would not be against checking out other books in the series, though there are lot of other books in the way.

Medicine River by Thomas King

Speaking of... I had realized at one point that as important as history is, to really have an understanding of people you need to read about them today, their fiction and memoirs and also in their own words. King is also part Cherokee.

I had read about this book in another book, and gotten it mixed up with This House of Dawn

I was frustrated by the inertia shown by so many of the characters. They had reasons for it, but it was aggravating.

An Act of Genocide: Colonialism and the Sterilization of Aboriginal Women by Karen Stote

This might be one of the more dry ones, technically, but there are two things that are really important about it. First of all, it is one illustration of genocide, which is real and must not be ignored. 

In addition, there is a lot to admire about how the data was compiled and reported, what the difficulties were, and what some of the solutions were. For someone taking on issues requiring research, there is some serious guidance here.

Native American Renaissance by Kenneth Lincoln

Published in 1983, it is a loving record of what is going on with art and literature and poetry right then, but it doesn't really hold up. It might be more interesting for people who were reading then, acting as a time capsule.

In the Beginning, The Sun: The Dakota Legend of Creation by Charles Alexander Eastman (Ohiyesa)

This gives the feelings of the winter teachings for the Dakota. Compiled in 1939, it was only published last year, and is a valuable resource.

Aboriginal Education: Fulfilling the Promise edited by Marlene Brant Castellano

Speaking of... One of the points mentioned here is that in traditional aboriginal education, the students would be taught by people who cared for them and about them. Ohiyesa'a writing demonstrated how that would be.

The book is primarily about different initiatives, with the methods and difficulties. It is probably due for update now, but there are some good points.

Men As Women, Women as Men: Changing Gender in Native American Cultures by Sabine Lang 

Speaking of dry... this is a really exhaustive account of what anthropologists had about transgender and two spirit people up to that time. There is a great deal of time spent on terminology, and it attempts to be respectful, which I appreciate. There is no overarching theme, as there is so much difference between the different groups and time periods. Probably the most interesting thing to me was how much it related to gender roles, which seemed to be much stricter in a preindustrial society, though I also could not help but wonder about the Observer effect.

Tuesday, February 27, 2024

The next thing

Friday was my last day at work.

Regular readers may not be surprised, given some of the things I have said about my work situation. However, you could also be surprised knowing that money is tight and some of the tolls that other times of unemployment have taken on me.

I'll tell you how it happened.

I have been waiting since the new year for the volume to go down, but it was not. Neither was the frustration.

I had been fighting this urge to walk away. That was probably more true since around my birthday.

I had taken a sick day on a Thursday, then worked Friday, had a three-day weekend due to President's Day, worked Tuesday, and then had my birthday off. It wasn't a full vacation, but those days where I was not working felt so beautiful. 

Ahead of me was a stretch with no holidays until Memorial Day. The frustration was growing. I was tired and stressed and unhappy; and not "sick" but not well.

On February 5th I checked the calendar and saw that no one had the next two days off. I requested them as mental health days. I had been planning on saving my time off for an actual vacation, but I needed to not break down before then.

One of the last things I did Monday was call a member who had been having issues due to a formulary change. I had been trying to help her and if I was going to be out I wanted to update her. She was not happy and I could not blame her.

I felt okay for those two days, but I was not exactly recharged. 

Thursday I had e-mail about the one incident, saying that I had needed to cancel this request and I missed the deadline for doing it, and had refused to do so.

It was not exactly a scolding; just a reminder of the rules. I had in fact been refusing to pull the request because I was waiting for something that would work for the member. The alternative they had mentioned had not gone through. I know I was saying that, but we were speaking at cross purposes.

All the bad feelings were back, but I needed to respond to that. I needed to point out the ways in which we were not getting enough support to do right by our members and to maintain sanity and keep our heads above water.

I did not see any way I could say what I needed to say and stay working there. 

I didn't see any way I could stay working there.

I didn't write anything that day. I prayed, but I didn't respond.

I didn't start writing until late in the day Friday. I meant to send it sooner, but then when I was writing calls came in and the work day had actually ended when I got off the last call. 

I wasn't sure if they would take the two week's notice. Usually once someone is gone we find out after they are gone. In retrospect I think that means most people are not giving notice. That impulse I kept resisting may have been more irresistible for them.

I did get an announcement while I was still there, and some people reached out.

Honestly, everyone has been pretty good. 

I do understand that they are swamped, across positions and departments. The lead time for appeals went from 45 days to 120 days. That is a serious problem.

In the end, though, I can't make it my problem.

I was feeling like "I can't do this", but I can do it. I do it pretty well. Doing so was grinding me down, physically and emotionally. I can't do it with quality of life.

I know there is privilege in walking away. There are other people who are working jobs that are bad for them that can't quit. That's not a reason for me to say.

And there is still risk. I am deeply aware of that.

I had this list of things that I wanted to do, jobs and programs to apply for and things like that, but I wasn't getting anywhere because I was too tired and busy.

Well, now I have the time. The steady income is gone, but I think we are good through May.

That's some time. 

I'll be praying more.

Related posts:

https://sporkful.blogspot.com/2024/01/professional.html

https://sporkful.blogspot.com/2024/01/sick-day.html

Friday, February 23, 2024

NAHM: Indigenous people and the environment

One of Indian Country Today's regular features is "Global Indigenous" with features not only about Canadian First Nations people and Native Americans in United States, but also the Maori in New Zealand, Aboriginal Australians, and more. 

Colonization had a far reach.

There is plenty to think about there, but that is not the point of today's post.

Featured stories often came from Mongabay, which I had assumed was a news source focusing on "Global Indigenous".

Mongabay.com focuses on environmental science and conservation.

If there are frequently stories about Indigenous people, it is generally because of environmental damage that they are fighting, or from which they are suffering.

Two books in my recent reading focused on this:

Wisdom of the Elders: Sacred Native Stories of Nature by Peter S. Knudtson, David Suzuki

Science, Colonialism, and Indigenous Peoples: The Cultural Politics of Law and Knowledge by Laurelyn Whitt

Of course, it has been a recurring theme. 

Both Indians in the Making and Seeing Red dealt with it in part as part of the legal issues.

https://sporkful.blogspot.com/2024/02/native-american-heritage-month.html

Indians in the Making was inspired by a legal case about fishing rights. 

I have also recently read these articles:

https://ictnews.org/news/the-50th-anniversary-of-the-boldt-decision-is-a-celebration-of-native-leadership?

https://www.yakimaherald.com/30-years-after-salmon-scam-trial-david-sohappy-is-still-on-the-river/article_5dc2f63e-27d6-11e7-9b2f-276b99f27bf6.html 

One interesting thing to note is that sometimes the attempts to limit treaty fishing rights were in the name of "conservation", but commercial fishers were taking 85% of the catch, compared to 5-7% by Native fishers.

One has to doubt the sincerity.

Seeing Red's focus on the "political economy of plunder" really helped me see that settler colonialism and extractive colonialism are not mutually exclusive.

As settlers, we should be invested in the land and its health, but greed gets in the way.

It has been shown time and time again that to successfully restore the environment, you need to involve local Indigenous people. That was not only demonstrated in the Wisdom of the Elders and Science, Colonialism, and Indigenous People, but was also featured in a recent World Economic Forum study, Embedding Indigenous Knowledge:

https://www.weforum.org/publications/embedding-indigenous-knowledge-in-the-conservation-and-restoration-of-landscapes/

As hard as residential schools and relocation and other factors tried to eliminate this knowledge, it is still there, and is still necessary.

Greed gets in the way.

One of the warnings in Embedding Indigenous Knowledge is that profit cannot be the only consideration or marker of success.

That will require many more people being wise.