Being Indigenous in America

I've always identified as indigenous. My mother and father are indigenous. My grandparents are indigenous - and so on. This continued generational existence is what defines me as indigenous. My heritage is caught between who we always were and who we will always be.

On the base level, indigenous identity is tied to our culture. However, on a much larger scale, indigenous identity must constantly develop and adapt to fit its surroundings. I say this to clarify the gap between who our peoples are today, and how we are portrayed in the media.

Most of how indigenous peoples are seen is through a historical context. We are viewed through the lens of the past. This is not only damaging to those who identify as indigenous but also, psychologically influences western ideals on what we are capable of and how we should be treated.

The problem with this is that how you identify us does not correlate with how we identify ourselves. As our culture develops, we are seeing a resurgence of music, language, art, and dance. This is not to say we haven't kept traditions but we have realized that unless we scale our culture, it may eventually die

There are many ways that we can compare and the differences between the western world and traditional indigenous cosmology. For starters, the dominant society’s worldview is not only antithetical but also, hostile to indigenous perspectives.

On one hand, indigenous cosmology is associated with the land that sustains human society. In this worldview, the environment is a life source, a kind of extended self; we should take care of it as we do ourselves. On the other hand, the western worldview is the servant of cost and benefit analysis, maximum sustained yields, and profit margins.

The former believes people and the environment are part of a unity that is intuitively wise and self-regulating. The latter believes people and the environment are both resources to be viewed as things in which their value is derived from their utility. 

This comparison shows the direct difference between our peoples on government, environmental policy, and sustainable development. It identifies how the world works outside of indigenous peoples and does not present a clear path to collaboration and mutually beneficial relationships.

Life for indigenous peoples has constantly been in a state of change. Our relationship with the government has been turbulent but has provided a means for us to retain traditional practices that is tied to our continued existence.

Contrary to what you might know, indigenous peoples have settled well into both worlds and have succeeded at thriving in the existing worldview while retaining a sense of identity and culture. Our hardships will continue as the government seeks to exploit resources but, their efforts will not be without a fight.

Our peoples are extremely autonomous and understand our place in the world. We hold a strong sense of who we are. This sense of self helps facilitate community based ideals that place family, heritage, and culture above monetary value. Our leaders know the ways of the government and how treaties have been broken in the past.

Instead of accepting what is given, our peoples have adapted and proved our resilience in a worldview that does not value our gifts. Many tribes have fell short of this lofty goal by accepting whatever it is the government gives them. They lose representation because of a lack of self and concentration on what the government can give them to make life easier.

I applaud the intelligence of our peoples and leaders to realize that restitution in the form of money would do nothing but influence decisions and lead to the necessity of more money. To live with less is to live with the realization that other things are more important. Family, happiness, community, these are all things that contribute positively to our self-worth. It puts others necessities above their own. These things lead to a better society.

Money is only as good as the master is serves. Should money become your master, then you are only but a slave to the things you possess.  

Being indigenous in America has helped me learn to adapt. It has taught me that how we choose to identify ourselves affects how society sees us as well. For indigenous peoples to be seen, we must continue to bang the drum and sing that we are still here. We have survived. We hold our spirits high to stay connected to all that has ever been. We mourn. We laugh. We are people. We are worthy of positive representation. I am proud to be indigenous. I am proud of my culture.

If you made it this far, I am proud of you too. All love and light to you and yours.