Memorial Day

On this Memorial Day I want to specifically say, Gunalchéesh to all of the Code Talkers that served, especially those who paid with their life.

Our lands were taken by people that didn’t see that we were religious people, already living in a continent founded on religious freedom.

When Pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock, they struggled with food.

So we taught a man to fish; we taught them to grow corn and feed themselves.

When they came to our lands, they became our neighbors; we loved them as we loved ourselves.

“Forgive them father, for they know not what they do”.
Settlers didn’t know all of the protocols Natives followed to uphold peace and avoid conflict.
Yet, despite encroaching on Clan territories, and boundaries, unannounced, and without permission, to take what wasn’t theirs; and yet, we still came to meet, to speak about solutions, to sign agreements... because it was obvious these settlers had no idea what offensive things they did.

So we forgave those offenses in order to attempt to settle disputes.
Attempts to communicate and problem solve were more important than hasty decisions, wars, and disrespect.

They didn’t know that our lives were devoted to the creator, and upholding our way of life- our religion of serving the earth, and yet by fulfilling our religious culture, we also fulfilled their religious teachings.

So when we fulfilled our ancestral traditions of peace and acceptance, we agreed to take on the demands of the new society.
They didn’t treat us equally, or love us equally.
We weren’t their neighbors, we were their burden, their nuisance.
They didn’t allow us the offerings that ensured prosperity.

Yet, even when forced to serve in wars, we stepped up.

Indigenous people have served this country in the highest numbers, per capita, since the Mayflower hit the beaches.

Let it be known that all Indigenous Americans served in the highest numbers, on behalf of their new government, in every major war since WWI.

Our people continually save Americans, with little recognition.

Please see the following commemorative medal coins for all Code Talkers of America, and remember the great sacrifices all our Native people made on behalf of this country.
We lost our best warriors early on, in this manner. Chiefs, warriors, peace makers, shamans... all our best, because they were taught to never give less than their best.

Gunalchéesh

https://catalog.usmint.gov/medals/code-talkers/

Respecting the circle of life:

Tlingit culture was so adamant about being respectful and responsible that their speech even forced abstract thought.

English were destined to misunderstand Tlingits.

If any of Tlingit language is similar to other Native cultures, English were destined to misunderstand us all.

Tlingit language doesn’t follow the English structure.

English speaks in a specific order.
Tlingit language reverses that order, and even position of verbs, nouns, etc.

You can’t translate word by word

Where the English language names things, with identifiers: the red box,
Tlingit language uses metaphors, and indirect ways of describing things. Instead of a red box, it might be something like a hollow container that holds... and change according to the context of the sentence.

Words were interchangeable, speech varied clan to clan...

Their words were never meant to offend, and carefully chosen especially when speaking with people from outside their clan, so as not to offend people of other lands- first because ancestors became one with the land upon death and burial, so speaking ill of the land was as egregious as disrespecting an elder. Second- because offenses needed to be repaid. A clan house could lose their at.oow, their clan house items of inheritance, that held deep ties to their culture, and honor.

Giving and receiving at.oow was a deep act of respect. It was so strongly upheld, that sometimes a clan house would give ALL that they had.

This was not easy for Christians, and especially capitalistic Christians that came to chase the dream of riches to see. Their culture had become entrenched in greed, and ruthless efforts to attain it: Soapy Smith, miners, claim jumpers, the men claimed Christianity and yet upheld a thriving and prosperous sex industry in every town they settled. They couldn’t plainly see the cultural value of this behavior. Giving your sole possessions away was a dangerous idea to them.

Watching Natives hold potlaches where they gave away their life’s possessions was an act they thought was careless.

Settler society had already firmly planted itself in selfishness, greed, and pursuit of being the best, the richest, the most powerful individual.

Whereas Tlingit culture was entirely a socialized society. You were only homeless, hungry, or uncared for if you weren’t respecting your clan, or representing them well. It was customary for Tlingit to only think in terms of the whole... always.

Settler society: mined the best of the earth for the direct benefit of the individual, and their direct descendants.

Native society: mined the best of the individual for the direct benefit of the whole; the earth, the self, the clan, the respect of other clans.

This is why abandoning Native culture has been so detrimental to everyone.

Disrespect one, you disrespect all.

Think about it.

Our respect of the land, respected our bodies, respected our culture.

Eating things not Indigenous to the area broke the respect of self: we weren’t meant to eat colonized food= thus resulting in diabetes, hypertension, etc. etc.


We weren’t meant to work and live indoors: thus we developed ADHD, anxiety, depression, and lost our physical and emotional well being.

Our DNA is altered by our environment- the earth. She gives us the tools to care for her, and live in harmony with her.
Like the Bajau divers- how would they ever replicate the factors that keep them healthy if they didn’t dive daily? How would Natives remain the healthy specimens we were before contact if we weren’t hiking, paddling, and training every day?

Our culture was so careful of upholding balance that its rules self governed against greed, and upsetting balance.

Modern America, and capitalism, ignoring and abandoning Indigenous cultures is the element that ensures our world will not survive.

It is leading everyone into poor health, poor communication, poor respect of self, narcissism, greed, and everything that ensures our planet will die.

Tlingit culture firmly believed in never permanently altering the land.

Deep water horizon, Dakota access pipeline, Fukushima, all industrialization is permanently altering the land- and we are permanently paying the consequences for those mistakes.

—-
Social care was the crux of Native American culture.

It is evident in every aspect of the culture.

American culture is purely narcissistic.
Purely for self.

American government protects copyrights of items, and patents that individuals created, to protect the wealth of the individual developer.

Native culture protects the copyrights of the entire clan that owns the songs, stories, and lessons of the clan, to protect the enrichment of the whole clan. To not muddle the lessons and historical importance contained in their art and culture, because those were derived from the experiences of individual clans, and were their lessons to learn, and then teach for the prosperity of all.

Americans praise individual singers.

Natives perform as one- one group, singing in unison, drumming in unison, experiencing the lessons and importance of a song, dance, story together.

Americans buy homes for themselves.
Natives live in communal homes.

It could go on, but it’s not necessary.

It is obvious to see that the colonized system is the toxic system that breaks unity, and divides.
It removes humans from the circle of life, placing them above and separate from animals, etc. Which is why industrial farming is toxic. They enslaved and colonized their food systems, removing all the richness and value of wild, free animals:
Corn/wheat/grain fed animals are not healthy to eat, or their dairy.
White flour
White sugar
Pearled barley
White rice
Instant oatmeal
Farmed fish
Corn syrup ...

Once our food has been colonized, our bodies follow suit, and the devastation of colonization takes over our health.

Disrespect of the food, disrespects our bodies and therefore health.

Colonized systems promote greed, lack of empathy, lack of respect, and places the success of the individual over the success of the entire circle of life.

Who cares if we deplete the oceans?
Natives.

Who cares if we destroy forests?
Natives.

Who cares if we extinct animals and people?
Natives.

Who cares if we permanently destroy ecosystems?
Natives.

Who cares if we disrespect the system that upholds our entire being?
Natives.

We were designed to protect the earth, and all  the children she births on her lands.
Anyone that disrespects that, suffers the consequences.


#DefendTheSacred
#Decolonize

Settlers came here for religious freedom... that Native America already established:

People have asked me how I feel about Natives that have accepted Christianity, and Natives that promote Christianity...

Here’s what I have to say now, that I’ve done some research.

Old, turn of the century publications said things like “Natives appropriated specific aspects of colonized cultures” ...

First, they incorrectly used the term appropriate, since there was no choice for us, except to assimilate. Second- the reality was that Tlingit culture IS A RELIGION. Tlingits took on aspects of colonized culture to improve theirs. They believed that under the new societal changes, that their best chance at survival, and prosperity for their people was to embrace the “new” world. 

For 5,000 years our ancestors developed a religious culture that taught every aspect of survival and unity in the environment of the time. When colonization started, they thought their best bet would be to leave the old culture that was now a hindrance to success, and accept the new culture to uphold the survival and future of our people since resistance at the time was met with aggression.

Natives gave up their religion to preserve their future. They thought it was their only option.

I don’t see this as offensive.

I think it’s predatory of a colonizing culture, to see people that are merely unfamiliar, and deem them inferior because they lack written word, books, they don’t go to church, they don’t have “advanced things”- so, even though they’ve successfully lived like this, for 5,000 years in what seemed (to settlers), like uninhabitable land, that all of this lack of transportation, buildings, lights, etc. All of that was apparently evidence that we were dumb, godless, unnecessary, and in desperate need of “saving”... from what, I don’t know, since the only thing we currently need to be saved from is the garbage left from colonization. Literally. Figuratively. Metaphorically. 

The Tlingit culture was a religion, and that is a fact, and exactly why it was easy for our ancestors to make the logical choice of accepting the new religion. They thought they were doing the right thing. 💔

—-

Reading again what I just wrote... it’s right there in what I said. 

The whole culture was about upholding the best interests, to protect and uphold háa shagoon, and háa shuka.

Their choices were always about upholding the dignity and respect of our ancestors; our ancestors before, and after us. Protecting the shuka, preserving shagoon, and that’s what honoring past while looking to the future refers to. They honored their past, their culture of what their ancestors taught...

That because the old lesson to uphold unity, and avoid wars, was to accept the best of what newcomers and outliers offered- which was a good plan when those outsiders were just other Natives with the same basic culture. 

Which then became a dangerous practice when two, diametrically opposed cultures met, and one has a level of superiority built in. 

Their choice was based on preservation and honor of their people  before them, in hopes of protecting their future generations. 

They fulfilled their religious cultural beliefs, to full fruition, just to continue life for their people, which is the ultimate sacrifice that could ever be made as a collective effort. 💔

—-

 The Tlingit culture believes that words connect the people communicating.

That the words join the speaker with those listening, no matter the distance. That once connected by words- you are one. 

Tlingit culture held communication, words, and speaking in high esteem. 

If spoken words are your clan’s only way of preserving and teaching 5,000 years of history, lessons, survival, and deeply spiritual meaning, why would one ever speak loosely, or without truth? 

If they knew disrespectful words could cause wars and could endanger our existence, then why would we ever speak without careful consideration? 

Speaking words of disrespect or falsehoods were self inflicted wounds; because words connected those communicating; because they all became one; because speaking and listening created one, shared experience.

It is an echo of their thinking and culture.

To never see things unilaterally. 

To be respectful of all, because disrespecting one in a circle, disrespects all. 

That all things have a balance, and all are considered as they move through life.

It is why their legends have been scientifically proven true.

Ancient shipwrecks unearthed, exactly as legends stated. 

Ancient cities discovered in places we never believed existed. 

Weapons, technologies, sciences, everything.

These people read the mountains and waterways like people of today read clocks.

They knew the seasons and movement of animals and the land.

They didn’t need books because their words were truth, and carefully communicated.

They didn’t need clocks because the sun, moon, and stars told them when to rise, and when to rest. 

They didn’t need calendars because the birds, whales, plants, fish and surroundings told them when it was time. 

They didn’t need government because Mother Earth dominates with final control and approval, so all values had to respect her. Disrespect of the land, meant the end of our existence. 

We didn’t need churches, because our long houses were our churches, and we lived in them. 

How else would one live their religious traditions each and every day? 

Our religion was our way of life, and we lived it with every moment of our days, before contact.

—-

Christianity and Indigenous culture were easily transitioned because both were religions.

The unfortunate devastation is that Christianity had a focus in the wrong places to be truly fulfilling, and attractive to indigenous. 

Every where that colonization touched, and devastated #BIPoC, those communities all suffered the same hallmarks:

Loss of identity 

Loss of self respect 

Loss of status

Loss of hope

Loss of coping capabilities 

Which lead to:

Addiction

Disease

Depression 

Anxiety 

Abuse

And inappropriate behaviors 

Loss of health 

Loss of income, etc.

Why? Because colonization ripped away the practices that taught those people how to avoid those things, and how to care for themselves. The new religion didn’t feel the same. 

Now that the outcomes of capitalism and colonization are starting to negatively impact all of society today, they’re starting to realize their demise is self inflicted.

Their disrespect of the people, disrespected the land, and now they’re paying the consequences of colonization themselves:

Stress 

Anxiety 

Depression 

Disease

Inappropriate behaviors...

Now they’re looking at studies, and results, and how to fix it... 

And guess what? 

The answer is in Indigenous culture.

Respect the land, and she’ll respect you.

Respect the people and the people will respect you.

Disrespect of one, is disrespect of all.

Learn the history of the land you’re on. 

Learn the history of the people that cared for the land for 5,000 years. 

Learn what was important to us.

——

Parallels that made it easy to let go of the old ways, for the new? 

Christianity and Tlingit religion is like two satellites pointed toward the respective creator.

 Christianity: 🌏📡

Indigenous: 📡🌏

Christianity points toward the heavens for absolution at the end of life. 

That the individual relationship with (Creator- the guy in the sky) God was what grants us and fulfills our purpose. 

Whereas Indigenous culture is all pointed at respecting the earth, and environment to ensure our survival.

Tlingit were so careful of respect of others that they did not speak disrespectfully of anything. Not the land, or inanimate objects. They knew the power of their words, and sacredness of the land. 

Why so? Because our ancestors were buried in the land. 

As Tlingit culture believes, they became one.

Speaking disrespectfully of a place, or land was like speaking disrespectfully of your own ancestors, or worse yet, speaking disrespectfully of someone else’s clan- which clans had to pay heavy fines for such disrespect. 

Christianity has all of the same type of basic lessons that Indigenous culture does- rules and traditions. Except that Christianity attached it to an ambiguous being, with intangible factors. Unearthly aspects- things we’ll never attain, physically in this life, but should strive for, to allow our soul to be free... 

to attain atonement.

Whereas Indigenous culture shares all of the same aspects and rules, except all applied to actual, physical, social, and environmental aspects of every day life. Fulfilling our purpose meant respecting the earth, to preserve our people, our way of life. 

If you took all basic Christian and religious texts, and applied them to respecting the earth, and the people of that land, you’d literally have a replica of indigenous culture.

Two satellites, pointed in opposite directions. 

Same purpose. Same intent. 

Different outcomes.

Christianity will never fix what is wrong with the world, because it isn’t directed at respecting what is in this world, on this earth, of this earth. The rules are all there, and respectable, but disconnects us from our true purpose- to respect that we are a part of the whole circle. 

We’re not separate from animals.

We are Raven.

We are Eagle.

Coho died and gave his life for me to exist.

I give my life for coho to exist. 

And this is the love affair we lived for 5,000 years to keep our waters beautiful, our streams pristine, our land untouched, our culture going... until that satellite shifted and we lost our way.