https://insearchofourselves.com IN SEARCH OF OURSELVES, WE FIND EACH OTHER Fri, 02 Apr 2021 16:15:33 +0000 https://insearchofourselves.com en https://insearchofourselves.com/In-Search-of-Ourselves-We-Find-Each-Other Wed, 24 Mar 2021 02:39:17 +0000 IN SEARCH OF OURSELVES, WE FIND EACH OTHER https://insearchofourselves.com/In-Search-of-Ourselves-We-Find-Each-Other <img width="4477" height="835" width_o="4477" height_o="835" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/e8af06930591c3188e8b238139a89f3a6be28f5f9c27ba2fb05096a07b499791/In-Search-of-Ourselves.png" data-mid="103061759" border="0" data-scale="79" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/e8af06930591c3188e8b238139a89f3a6be28f5f9c27ba2fb05096a07b499791/In-Search-of-Ourselves.png" /> <img width="2578" height="710" width_o="2578" height_o="710" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/16d37068565522f5d91298cd20cc5af57b7a324bfe784f6eff90de710e53c274/Enter-Site.png" data-mid="103061760" border="0" data-scale="29" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/16d37068565522f5d91298cd20cc5af57b7a324bfe784f6eff90de710e53c274/Enter-Site.png" /> https://insearchofourselves.com/Learn-About-the-Show Wed, 24 Mar 2021 03:58:45 +0000 IN SEARCH OF OURSELVES, WE FIND EACH OTHER https://insearchofourselves.com/Learn-About-the-Show <img width="1401" height="320" width_o="1401" height_o="320" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/8f61dd1e296ec0e69ffd7c8ad2b2fe386f022c2f7e6df4e4c24b51b609df1cd0/ARROW.png" data-mid="104071430" border="0" data-scale="14" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/8f61dd1e296ec0e69ffd7c8ad2b2fe386f022c2f7e6df4e4c24b51b609df1cd0/ARROW.png" /> <img width="4477" height="835" width_o="4477" height_o="835" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/e8af06930591c3188e8b238139a89f3a6be28f5f9c27ba2fb05096a07b499791/In-Search-of-Ourselves.png" data-mid="104070703" border="0" data-scale="62" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/e8af06930591c3188e8b238139a89f3a6be28f5f9c27ba2fb05096a07b499791/In-Search-of-Ourselves.png" /> Click below for in-depth information about each aspect of the exhibit <img width="3696" height="796" width_o="3696" height_o="796" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/18d4e56147fb27576c322e36b0eaffd6eb924fa1f437883942710c370ac2d6ec/THE-FRAMEWORKS.png" data-mid="104070601" border="0" data-scale="41" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/18d4e56147fb27576c322e36b0eaffd6eb924fa1f437883942710c370ac2d6ec/THE-FRAMEWORKS.png" /> <img width="2365" height="715" width_o="2365" height_o="715" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/e1daa286143be80d57e45c498cccb478bc09cee25c57e69a0d526c1b32f2261d/THE-WORK.png" data-mid="104070571" border="0" data-scale="26" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/e1daa286143be80d57e45c498cccb478bc09cee25c57e69a0d526c1b32f2261d/THE-WORK.png" /> <img width="3145" height="708" width_o="3145" height_o="708" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/cfa71179568d2295234695a5f0424a8e10beb1bcd71ef9c40f70edb20beb5ffd/CONTACT-ME.png" data-mid="104070573" border="0" data-scale="33" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/cfa71179568d2295234695a5f0424a8e10beb1bcd71ef9c40f70edb20beb5ffd/CONTACT-ME.png" /> https://insearchofourselves.com/The-Frameworks Fri, 02 Apr 2021 16:14:38 +0000 IN SEARCH OF OURSELVES, WE FIND EACH OTHER https://insearchofourselves.com/The-Frameworks <img width="1401" height="320" width_o="1401" height_o="320" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/8f61dd1e296ec0e69ffd7c8ad2b2fe386f022c2f7e6df4e4c24b51b609df1cd0/ARROW.png" data-mid="104072927" border="0" data-scale="20" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/8f61dd1e296ec0e69ffd7c8ad2b2fe386f022c2f7e6df4e4c24b51b609df1cd0/ARROW.png" /> <img width="3696" height="796" width_o="3696" height_o="796" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/18d4e56147fb27576c322e36b0eaffd6eb924fa1f437883942710c370ac2d6ec/THE-FRAMEWORKS.png" data-mid="104072947" border="0" data-scale="96" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/18d4e56147fb27576c322e36b0eaffd6eb924fa1f437883942710c370ac2d6ec/THE-FRAMEWORKS.png" /> The frameworks for in search of ourselves, we find each other come from both Cherokee and inter-tribal epistemologies. Some are based on my personal cultural understanding and others are based more broadly on the wider scope of Indigenous research methodologies presented by knowledge keepers in their specific tribal communities. The frameworks flow in and out of the exhibit, with every piece holding some of all. Every aspect of this framework exists in a circle, each being dependent on one another, and should be approached non-linearly.&nbsp; PerceptionPerception is the moment in which we realize there is something different, an awareness of otherness, but is, simultaneously, the realization of sameness, an intrinsic or inherent tie to something or someone. It is a sort of metaphysical beginning understanding of self. Perception is realized through multiple avenues and varies person-to-person. It is influenced by intersections in our ways of knowing and being. In this state of awareness, questions are formed in which we begin to ask ourselves where we come from, where we belong, what we believe, what we value, who we honor, who supports us, what we steward, what we hope for, and what we dream, to name a few. Perception begins early for many people, especially those coming from decentralized ways of being and knowing. I believe this is true for many reasons, but most certainly due to the perception of otherness. One of my first perceptions of Indigeneity was in sports, specifically basketball. My family would take me to Tahlequah (the Cherokee Nation Capitol) to watch the Sequoyah basketball teams play and I remember being excited to see myself reflected on the court, on that platform, even at a young age. I was able to perceive that sameness because I had previously perceived my otherness in relation to the people I existed alongside outside of that space. Perception can come in many moments, through many channels. I believe perception of self happens in experiences with other people, present or non-present. When I say present, I mean we can perceive ourselves in relation to another person who is physically alongside us. When I say non-present, I mean that a person is not physically alongside us, but still able to communicate with us, like in a writing, a song, a movie, or even now, in this writing. The person is not with you, physically, but their knowledge, presence, legacy, etc. has helped you become more aware of self. I see perception as happening both within and beyond the general senses, therefore I see it as something that has the ability to be found beyond cognition, into the supernatural. I say supernatural to create a better understanding for the reader. My understanding of the supernatural is different than some, coming from Cherokee oral traditions, narratives, and stories where life, death, land, people, and animals are all expansive and our belief systems ad values are tied up within them. Self-LocationSelf-location refers to personal perspectives, our relations to people, places, and things, and the experiences with all of them that help us understand them better. It is an adaptable way of thinking about location, that is less geographic and more relational. In reference to self-location, I refer to the answers of the questions asked at the point of perception. Identifying what we value, what we believe, and who our community is are all important parts of self-location. The answers to the questions do not come to us informed by a singular part of ourselves (i.e. race, culture, class, gender, etc.), but through the intersections of all of these things. Knowing where our perspective comes from and why is incredibly useful in being able to ground ourselves in relation to others. Growing up and to this day, my father never lets me leave his presence without saying, “remember where you come from.” He isn’t just referencing the place I come from, but also reminding me to remember how I became who I am and who helped me get to this understanding. This idea of knowing where you come from is especially poignant in Mvskoke elder and U.S. poet laureate Joy Harjo’s poem, Remember. Remember the sky that you were born under, know each of the star's stories. Remember the moon, know who she is. Remember the sun's birth at dawn, that is the strongest point of time. Remember sundown and the giving away to night. Remember your birth, how your mother struggled to give you form and breath. You are evidence of her life, and her mother's, and hers. Remember your father. He is your life, also. Remember the earth whose skin you are: red earth, black earth, yellow earth, white earth brown earth, we are earth. Remember the plants, trees, animal life who all have their tribes, their families, their histories, too. Talk to them, listen to them. They are alive poems. Remember the wind. Remember her voice. She knows the origin of this universe. Remember you are all people and all people are you. Remember you are this universe and this universe is you. Remember all is in motion, is growing, is you. Remember language comes from this. Remember the dance language is, that life is. Remember. Self-location also references the relations we build with others. We are able to see ourselves more clearly when we are in relation with others because we are able to recognize our differences and similarities in perspectives. We are able to find intersections and how we do not. In short, the development of strong relations with others acts as a mirror in which we see parts of ourselves that might have otherwise remained unknown. We are able to locate ourselves more fully when we identify the land and spaces within which we built our understandings. When I speak of land, I speak with the understanding that it is part of me and I part of it. It is my kin. Just as I would sit and listen quietly to an elder or peer pass down knowledge or stories, I listen to the land. In this process, I am able to identify the places where my knowledge was formed by land and our shared experience. This shared experience that helps locate self can also encompass the shared experience between self, land, people, animals, etc. These experiences help to map oneself, to use your own understanding as a location from which to start moving beyond self. Community RelationsWithin self-location, one begins to think about the relations that are built with others, person-to-person. Within community relations, I am actively grounding myself in the knowledge that comes from experiences and interactions within broader community. The idea of collectivism over individualism is an important aspect of this framework; a responsibility to the whole. Communities come in many forms, but I like to think of mine in the forms of familial, tribal, and intertribal as it relates to my sense of Indigeneity.&nbsp; My familial relationships consist of my blood relatives, my clan, and my ancestors. My tribal community consists of those who participate in the teachings, beliefs, ceremonies, etc. of the Cherokee and Muscogee tribal nations. My intertribal community consists of the broader Indigenous peoples that exist in relationship with me, nationally and internationally. All help me ground myself in Indigenous knowledge. I would be remisce if I did not include all my relationships with communities that align with other, intersectional parts of my existence. My relationships to communities beyong strictly Indigneous also inform who I am and are part of the collective conversation of how we move forward, together. Past and Future HonoringPast and future honoring is the practice of looking backwards and forwards, simultaneously. This is based on the Iroquois teaching, adapted by many tribes, of seven generations, in which we honor seven generations before us and seven generations after us with what we do, presently. Honoring those who came before can look like implementing traditions, ceremonies, and ways of knowing that were built on ancestral knowledges. Honoring those that come after looks like continuing to build on ancestral knowledge, while also building new traditions in the mindset that you, yourself, will someday be someone’s ancestor. Subversion, intervention, and adaptability are all ways in which we can honor. ReciprocityReciprocity is the cyclical nature of giving and receiving. From both a personal and research-driven perspective, Indigenous reciprocity is a state of being and it is not tallied or measured.&nbsp; I recognize that in popular culture, giving and receiving is of an equivalent nature. I give you one dollar, you give me one dollar. However, that is not the case for this specific framework. There are things that are immeasurable, but we must still find ways to honor the gift. For example, I repay my grandparents for the cultural knowledge they shared with my father, that in now passed on to me, through memorizing the stories and implementing their knowledge in my own work and practices today so that others might also learn. Another aspect of reciprocity is honoring those who helped you come to new understandings, supported you, offered you opportunities, etc., by giving credit to their knowledge and relation, as well as offering a similar support to more who may need it. https://insearchofourselves.com/The-Work Fri, 02 Apr 2021 16:15:09 +0000 IN SEARCH OF OURSELVES, WE FIND EACH OTHER https://insearchofourselves.com/The-Work <img width="1401" height="320" width_o="1401" height_o="320" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/8f61dd1e296ec0e69ffd7c8ad2b2fe386f022c2f7e6df4e4c24b51b609df1cd0/ARROW.png" data-mid="104076340" border="0" data-scale="18" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/8f61dd1e296ec0e69ffd7c8ad2b2fe386f022c2f7e6df4e4c24b51b609df1cd0/ARROW.png" /> <img width="2365" height="715" width_o="2365" height_o="715" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/e1daa286143be80d57e45c498cccb478bc09cee25c57e69a0d526c1b32f2261d/THE-WORK.png" data-mid="104076359" border="0" data-scale="100" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/e1daa286143be80d57e45c498cccb478bc09cee25c57e69a0d526c1b32f2261d/THE-WORK.png" /> Below, read more about the work from in search of ourselves, we find each other <img width="2000" height="400" width_o="2000" height_o="400" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/c87ed5d5ece32256e5c5555ec0a09f878b7c0f5b3c367c53fe80b8a5c00d662c/It-Was-Always-Us-Exhibit.png" data-mid="104076890" border="0" data-scale="73" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/c87ed5d5ece32256e5c5555ec0a09f878b7c0f5b3c367c53fe80b8a5c00d662c/It-Was-Always-Us-Exhibit.png" />It Was Always Us! is a curated group exhibit including over 20 participating artists from Oklahoma and Arkansas. It includes visual artists, performance artists, musicians, chefs, jewelers, and writers. It exists virtually on this website and at Perrodin Supply Co. in Springdale, Arkansas from April 2-16, 2021. Every participating artist has helped me come to a new understanding of self and has supported me in some way. By being in relation to these artists and/or their work, I have been able to grow. In appreciation for these relationships and the knowledge they have given me, I chose to platform each of their work in a physical and virtual space via this exhibit.&nbsp; By creating a place and experience to point to, my hope is to create a new way for others to locate themselves in relation with this exhibit. <img width="2000" height="400" width_o="2000" height_o="400" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/11a68746567c65e47057b8db8ad1c7c3225b7f4e9db0e7f9da4563793a0ed1b4/We-Find-Each-Other.png" data-mid="104076859" border="0" data-scale="58" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/11a68746567c65e47057b8db8ad1c7c3225b7f4e9db0e7f9da4563793a0ed1b4/We-Find-Each-Other.png" /> Collaborative performance piece Running Time 5 minutes 24 seconds Kalyn Fay Barnoski, Hanna Barnoski, Phillip Barnoski, Chris Combs, Kyle Bell We Find Each Other was filmed at Verdigris Middle School in Verdigris, OK, by Kyle Bell, Mvskoke filmmaker. The sound piece is a collaboration between Kalyn Fay Barnoski and Chris Combs, musician from Tulsa, OK. The performance includes Kalyn Fay Barnoski, Hanna Barnoski, and Phillip Barnoski playing basketball while jerseys displaying different lines of a villanelle are removed and worn until the poem finishes. The villanelle is read aloud while each line is revealed. The piece is about the platforms where we recognize each others spirits, how we see ourselves reflected, where and how we percieve each other. This was especially poignant for me when I played basketball. It’s where I built strong relationships with others through a shared goal, through accomplishments, through loss. The court is where my sister, father, and I would practice for many hours throughout the week. It’s where I learned to strive for and look for Indigenous excellence, both on and off the court. Basketball is an experience and a space I point to when I remember how I came to perceive who I am. <img width="2000" height="400" width_o="2000" height_o="400" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/40dfd5811b82d594b1b3adf3e6a91453a1c33307605b1a2296a7c5d4d075e8f1/At-The-Creek.png" data-mid="104077014" border="0" data-scale="92" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/40dfd5811b82d594b1b3adf3e6a91453a1c33307605b1a2296a7c5d4d075e8f1/At-The-Creek.png" /> Collaborative photo, sound, text piece&nbsp;Running Time VariesKalyn Fay Barnoski, Phillip Barnoski At the Creek, You Live Forever&nbsp;was recorded at Caney Creek, Bathtub Rocks, and on the road between the two in Tahlequah, OK. It is an audio and text archive of stories told by Phillip Barnoski, along with photos and sound by Kalyn Fay Barnoski. The piece is about self-locating using people and places. I learned morality, I learned patience, I learned how to exist in reciprocity with nature thorugh the stories my dad told me when we go to the creek. Both the places and the person were influential in how I understand the world, today. <img width="2000" height="400" width_o="2000" height_o="400" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/082aa30ce11c5442f652b33884d7d98999004c40e69c0c5762fb6dab9cb47b9e/NDN-Tacos-For-Dinner.png" data-mid="104076851" border="0" data-scale="77" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/082aa30ce11c5442f652b33884d7d98999004c40e69c0c5762fb6dab9cb47b9e/NDN-Tacos-For-Dinner.png" /> Digital and physical archive of conversationRisograph and hot-stamped foil publication, Series of 19. 4.25in x 5.5inKalyn Fay Barnoski, Lydia Cheshewalla, KB Huber NDN Tacos for Dinner is a&nbsp;recorded and transcribed conversation over a dinner of NDN tacos between Lydia Cheshewalla (Osage), KB Huber (Otoe) and Kalyn Fay Barnoski (Cherokee, Muscogee). This piece is about the knowledge you gain when you choose to be in relation with broader community. It is about sharing space with people, sharing time with people, sharing stories, ideas, and laughter with people. It is about the nuance of conversation and creating an archive for people to look back on. We learn by being in relation with one another, we can understand ourselves and our perspectives better by looking back on recorded moments of those who come before us.&nbsp; <img width="3085" height="867" width_o="3085" height_o="867" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/f188913b5a95638e0cbd78617ae7bd2976c564cbed9a16be7a7581d14ae99718/ULISI.png" data-mid="104076834" border="0" data-scale="47" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/f188913b5a95638e0cbd78617ae7bd2976c564cbed9a16be7a7581d14ae99718/ULISI.png" /> Audio and Video recording of on-site, improvisational music performanceRunning Time 7 minutes 48 secondsKalyn Fay Barnoski, Matt Magerkurth, Jason Miller Grandmother/Directions is an improvisational music performance between Kalyn Fay Barnoski and Matt Magerkurth from Fayetteville, AR, recorded by Jason Miller from Springdale, AR. It was recorded onsite in Bunch, OK in the middle of a thunderstorm. This piece is about honoring the people who came before you and the people who will come after you by what you do, now. I wanted to honor my grandparents for the pathways they built for me to be where I am, making the work that I do. I am appreciative of their sacrifices and knowledge that has been passed down. I wanted to share the space in which they met and built a family so that I could be with them and the land that made us. I wanted to share this moment in time in conversation with the land and my ancestors through the way in which I feel most naturally communicating – through music. I wanted to record this moment so that future generations of Indigenous people can feel validation in subverting the ways in which we communicate our Indigeneity, our traditions.&nbsp; https://insearchofourselves.com/Contact-Me Fri, 02 Apr 2021 16:15:33 +0000 IN SEARCH OF OURSELVES, WE FIND EACH OTHER https://insearchofourselves.com/Contact-Me <img width="1401" height="320" width_o="1401" height_o="320" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/8f61dd1e296ec0e69ffd7c8ad2b2fe386f022c2f7e6df4e4c24b51b609df1cd0/ARROW.png" data-mid="104072186" border="0" data-scale="19" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/8f61dd1e296ec0e69ffd7c8ad2b2fe386f022c2f7e6df4e4c24b51b609df1cd0/ARROW.png" /> You can contact me directly via email at kalynbarnoski@gmail.com OR You can visit more of my visual work at kalynbarnoski.com https://insearchofourselves.com/EXPLORE Tue, 09 Mar 2021 01:20:06 +0000 IN SEARCH OF OURSELVES, WE FIND EACH OTHER https://insearchofourselves.com/EXPLORE <img width="1401" height="320" width_o="1401" height_o="320" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/8f61dd1e296ec0e69ffd7c8ad2b2fe386f022c2f7e6df4e4c24b51b609df1cd0/ARROW.png" data-mid="103171403" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/8f61dd1e296ec0e69ffd7c8ad2b2fe386f022c2f7e6df4e4c24b51b609df1cd0/ARROW.png" /> <img width="2000" height="400" width_o="2000" height_o="400" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/c87ed5d5ece32256e5c5555ec0a09f878b7c0f5b3c367c53fe80b8a5c00d662c/It-Was-Always-Us-Exhibit.png" data-mid="103059794" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/c87ed5d5ece32256e5c5555ec0a09f878b7c0f5b3c367c53fe80b8a5c00d662c/It-Was-Always-Us-Exhibit.png" /> <img width="2000" height="400" width_o="2000" height_o="400" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/11a68746567c65e47057b8db8ad1c7c3225b7f4e9db0e7f9da4563793a0ed1b4/We-Find-Each-Other.png" data-mid="103059796" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/11a68746567c65e47057b8db8ad1c7c3225b7f4e9db0e7f9da4563793a0ed1b4/We-Find-Each-Other.png" /><img width="2000" height="400" width_o="2000" height_o="400" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/40dfd5811b82d594b1b3adf3e6a91453a1c33307605b1a2296a7c5d4d075e8f1/At-The-Creek.png" data-mid="103059792" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/40dfd5811b82d594b1b3adf3e6a91453a1c33307605b1a2296a7c5d4d075e8f1/At-The-Creek.png" /><img width="2000" height="400" width_o="2000" height_o="400" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/082aa30ce11c5442f652b33884d7d98999004c40e69c0c5762fb6dab9cb47b9e/NDN-Tacos-For-Dinner.png" data-mid="103059795" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/082aa30ce11c5442f652b33884d7d98999004c40e69c0c5762fb6dab9cb47b9e/NDN-Tacos-For-Dinner.png" /> <img width="3085" height="867" width_o="3085" height_o="867" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/f188913b5a95638e0cbd78617ae7bd2976c564cbed9a16be7a7581d14ae99718/ULISI.png" data-mid="103862622" border="0" data-scale="67" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/f188913b5a95638e0cbd78617ae7bd2976c564cbed9a16be7a7581d14ae99718/ULISI.png" /> https://insearchofourselves.com/We-Find-Each-Other Thu, 14 Jan 2021 17:13:57 +0000 IN SEARCH OF OURSELVES, WE FIND EACH OTHER https://insearchofourselves.com/We-Find-Each-Other <img width="1401" height="320" width_o="1401" height_o="320" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/8f61dd1e296ec0e69ffd7c8ad2b2fe386f022c2f7e6df4e4c24b51b609df1cd0/ARROW.png" data-mid="103171447" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/8f61dd1e296ec0e69ffd7c8ad2b2fe386f022c2f7e6df4e4c24b51b609df1cd0/ARROW.png" /> <img width="1920" height="400" width_o="1920" height_o="400" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/2b8e1765f21c54bcb981e2fbccef1de1930e9eabe2e111a410ba92ed30046a28/villanelle-1.png" data-mid="101319773" border="0" data-draggable src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/2b8e1765f21c54bcb981e2fbccef1de1930e9eabe2e111a410ba92ed30046a28/villanelle-1.png" /> <img width="1920" height="400" width_o="1920" height_o="400" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/6cea90db1b3ab99c650ec34d912581d66660d11666f428f492347a447f3aa494/villanelle-2.png" data-mid="101319772" border="0" data-draggable src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/6cea90db1b3ab99c650ec34d912581d66660d11666f428f492347a447f3aa494/villanelle-2.png" /> <img width="1920" height="400" width_o="1920" height_o="400" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/c5265df8c3db1e66a1dcae59601a3e2f22f0ec2dd32b2e277f3033197fb6aa1f/villanelle-3.png" data-mid="101319771" border="0" data-draggable src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/c5265df8c3db1e66a1dcae59601a3e2f22f0ec2dd32b2e277f3033197fb6aa1f/villanelle-3.png" /> <img width="1920" height="400" width_o="1920" height_o="400" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/2be0c04f0e2a10531ffdf915c9ec859eea09a00b4b24351bfe0212391a5cde3c/villanelle-4.png" data-mid="101319770" border="0" data-draggable src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/2be0c04f0e2a10531ffdf915c9ec859eea09a00b4b24351bfe0212391a5cde3c/villanelle-4.png" /> <img width="1920" height="400" width_o="1920" height_o="400" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/01e7ef63770be3ac7acb9ab9c37647d1a88a483f5d8beaf8d42937db3c871eb3/villanelle-5.png" data-mid="101319769" border="0" data-draggable src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/01e7ef63770be3ac7acb9ab9c37647d1a88a483f5d8beaf8d42937db3c871eb3/villanelle-5.png" /> <img width="1920" height="592" width_o="1920" height_o="592" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/f6647477b4cac9bfa748cbb6dd5098edeb81d48f3a19909b00975507e4bf0b32/villanelle-6.png" data-mid="101319768" border="0" data-draggable src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/f6647477b4cac9bfa748cbb6dd5098edeb81d48f3a19909b00975507e4bf0b32/villanelle-6.png" /> https://insearchofourselves.com/At-The-Creek-You-Live-Forever Thu, 21 Jan 2021 04:55:02 +0000 IN SEARCH OF OURSELVES, WE FIND EACH OTHER https://insearchofourselves.com/At-The-Creek-You-Live-Forever <img width="1401" height="320" width_o="1401" height_o="320" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/8f61dd1e296ec0e69ffd7c8ad2b2fe386f022c2f7e6df4e4c24b51b609df1cd0/ARROW.png" data-mid="103171476" border="0" data-scale="12.5" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/8f61dd1e296ec0e69ffd7c8ad2b2fe386f022c2f7e6df4e4c24b51b609df1cd0/ARROW.png" /> <img width="2574" height="3164" width_o="2574" height_o="3164" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/7cfbedc23ec57f85da9b2264b9622e2ecfc666649cc6a531c1f52567e58125ab/CREEK-working_2.png" data-mid="102641408" border="0" data-marker-id="3" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/7cfbedc23ec57f85da9b2264b9622e2ecfc666649cc6a531c1f52567e58125ab/CREEK-working_2.png" /> <img width="3291" height="582" width_o="3291" height_o="582" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/63c86766c86359ebb1ade74f8497cfc10fcc965f0964824b7489a5b772d3a324/CLICK-AROUND.png" data-mid="102917259" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/63c86766c86359ebb1ade74f8497cfc10fcc965f0964824b7489a5b772d3a324/CLICK-AROUND.png" /> https://insearchofourselves.com/NDN-Tacos-For-Dinner Thu, 21 Jan 2021 04:55:08 +0000 IN SEARCH OF OURSELVES, WE FIND EACH OTHER https://insearchofourselves.com/NDN-Tacos-For-Dinner <img width="1401" height="320" width_o="1401" height_o="320" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/8f61dd1e296ec0e69ffd7c8ad2b2fe386f022c2f7e6df4e4c24b51b609df1cd0/ARROW.png" data-mid="103171222" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/8f61dd1e296ec0e69ffd7c8ad2b2fe386f022c2f7e6df4e4c24b51b609df1cd0/ARROW.png" /> <img width="1464" height="1063" width_o="1464" height_o="1063" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/24dd2a073d28cc2d065d8f7f4b5b097e94c59aa4c96b420b8095ae30f5ebddd2/indian-taco-yum-.png" data-mid="103154874" border="0" data-scale="32" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/24dd2a073d28cc2d065d8f7f4b5b097e94c59aa4c96b420b8095ae30f5ebddd2/indian-taco-yum-.png" /> [we all sit down with our plates of NDN tacos] Lydia I’m pumped. This is so good. This is exactly what I needed. KB Hey, Google, play my liked songs on Spotify. Hmm. I forgot. Hey, Google, pause radio. Kalyn A little background music never hurt anyone. Lydia Yeah. This is bomb. I’m like, native medicine is strong. KB The last batch I had, the bread1 was not this good. Theirs was really dark. They had overdone it, too Kalyn Keep it light.2 KB They brought a bunch though. Kalyn I think a lot about Colony3 and those people who brought the meat pies4. Lydia The meat pies! I was also thinking of that taco truck, what was it? KB Mr. Nice Guys. And then we brought in that sauce truck. Lydia Yeah! I liked Sauce Boss. I mean, of course I like Mr. Nice Guys, too. Kalyn You guys. This is bomb. KB The spread is very good. Kalyn Yeah. I’m going to use this mix5 again. KB The lady who brought the pies was XXXXX. I can’t remember if the mom was XXXXX or the daughter was? Yeah. It’s XXXXX and XXXXX.6 Lydia That’s cute. KB I think the mom was XXXXX. Lydia Meat pies all the time. KB Those weren’t even like, great meat pies. Kalyn I know. I’ve had better meat pies, but they were still good. Lydia Yeah, anybody who’s bringing meat pies to any bar is my friend. Kalyn Didn’t she only come there to visit you?7 KB Our moms were the founders of the All Nations Indian Youth Group, which was my mom, XXXXX, XXXXX, someone that I can’t remember her name, and then XXXXX. Lydia Mmm. We did a good job. Simple. KB I was looking for bison. They always have it at Aldi’s, but they didn’t have it today. Today they had the lamb hamburger and I said I don’t want to do that. But it might be interesting. Lydia You mean Che?8 KB I think it would be good! Lydia It’s so funny. How, like, I don’t know. Good food can just make you feel so good. KB Does XXXXX like fry bread? Kalyn He’s never tried fry bread. Oh wait. No, he has. Cause we went to Del Rancho9 once who actually has really good fry bread and you can eat it with a bucket of beans.10 KB The steak sandwich is bomb. Kalyn Fried chicken is really good there, too. I love going there, but there was also a Del Rancho in Tulsa somewhere. Maybe 11th? If you go there and ask for fry bread, they get really confused. KB Wait – there’s a Del Rancho in Tulsa. What? Kalyn Yeah, there was one somewhere on 11th. Cause my mom tried to go to the drive thru there and thought like the menus were all the same at every location. And my mom was like, “I’d like some fry bread.” And the lady was like, “fry bread.” Then she was like, “yeah, fry bread.” Then the lady goes, “yeah. Okay. I think we got that.” And we got the bag and opened it and it was just some dry toast.11 Lydia It’s crazy to me how in Oklahoma, even though there are so many tribes here –like, literally this is Indian territory, everybody was moved here – people in Oklahoma still be like native culture, what?12 KB That’s deliberate. Every other, you talked to anybody who wasn’t born in the U.S. and they know more about Native American culture than anybody who was born here. Kalyn Yeah. That was like when I went to Denmark, everybody was obsessed with Native culture.13 Lydia And that’s why I’m just like trying to go over to Europe and strike it big in Europe. Take these cheekbones14 across the pond. Ya know? Kalyn How do we decolonize the old world? Lydia You don’t, you burn it.15 I’m just kidding. You don’t, to be honest, though. I don’t think you can. Do you decolonize anything? Kalyn No. I said that to someone and all they said was it was an interesting take. I just don’t think you can do it. I believe you can decolonize your practices, but we’re all assimilated into a culture. So you can’t like, do that. Lydia Also to me, I feel like decolonialism or decolonization as a concept, it sounds remediative, but not in the correct way. Like this like idea that we can somehow go backwards, unlearn these things. And I do believe that you can unlearn bad behaviors or learn new patterns. But my problem with it is that it’s not facing forward. It’s facing backward. And I’m just like, instead of saying to decolonize stuff, why don’t we say Indigenize16 because we’re still bringing forth our ideologies. It’s not like we’re regressing to lesser ideologies. We’re just bringing forward the ideologies which have existed for thousands of years and that still have relevance. Kalyn Yeah, [referencing the remedial aspect of decolonization] it’s underscoring this stereotypical idea of us not existing past 1620.17 It’s interesting. Lydia I also think if we say decolonize and it has this kind of backwards notion, then it leaves room for us to be called antiquarians, which is what that white philosopher called me. And the thing is, I’m not an antiquarian. The cosmology I was raised in is so relevant that modern day science is just now catching up or verifying scientifically things that Indigenous cultures have known for thousands of years.18 So it’s like, how is that being antiquarian? KB What is an antiquarian?19 Lydia Basically that you’re really concerned with antiquity and the things that have happened in the past. And you think that the best way is to repeat things that are old. But I don’t think natives are about that. I think we constantly are reinventing ourselves and adapting and changing with the environments around us.20 That we have these rooted ideas and they’re not antiquated they’re still relevant. We’re just living in a world where people don’t know how to be in relation with the world. And so to have a culture that knows how to be in relation with the world, actually isn’t antiquated. It’s really modern and necessary. Being out of that harmony is what has created climate change and also like classism and racism and all that other garbage. Kalyn That’s still crazy that they straight up called you antiquarian. Who was it? It was in your fellowship, right? Lydia So it was that guy who was trying to say the second Holocaust is coming and it’s coming for people who look like him. And I was just like, “Whoa, are you being for real?” Because I mean, it’s really, it’s actually concerning. I don’t believe that for a second, but it’s concerning to think that there are white men, white cis men who that is what they strongly believe.21 And that can’t just be ignored. Right? You have to acknowledge that there are some white men who really are convinced, first of all, that there’s only one genocide that’s happened. And the second one is for them. Like, that sounds like a lot of white guilt.22 Kalyn Yeah. But you know, they’re acting from that place. They’re acting from that place of like, “someone’s trying to get us, someone’s trying to kill us the way that we killed other people,” and when it’s like that, that seems like a root issue. Lydia Yeah, this dude also had no idea that it wasn’t until just like within the last two decades that the Cheyenne people were able to go to the Smithsonian and get like their ancestors bones back through repatriation.23 KB Is this a young kid? Lydia No, this is an old, I think tenure professor. Dusty.24 He brought this guy – I can’t remember this guy’s name, I’d have to look it up – but he brought a speaker to the university and I went just because I was going to everybody’s programs, whoever the fellows were bringing in. I went to the speaker that he brought and it was this guy who is, I want to say like a fundamental Christian or whatever. Some guy who basically said that, it was something that was really off base, about how Jesus was a humanitarian, but so is the devil.25 The devil is humanitarian and to be like someone who is considering all of humanity is to be like working for the devil. I mean, it was just something like so wild that I was just like, what is this man talking about? Like, I can’t believe that this is a speaker at a university. I got so mad. I literally had to like turn and face the wall because I couldn’t look upon this person as they were saying some of this stuff. And I remember going to the fellowship and being like, “Whoa, what was up with that speaker?” And some of the fellows were like, “Oh yeah. We should have told you not to go. That guy is crazy.” And I was like, “well, I went and felt physically harmed by his ideas.” But yeah, he was equating humanitarianism with being totally evil. And I mean, I’m just, I’m never going to understand that as a concept. Kalyn That is not even like a theory to play around with. It makes me want to pick his brain about like what community means to him. KB That’s like, one of the Izod guys. It’s the Tiki torch boys. It’s all of those guys. Right? I mean, its the guys who say the Jews will not replace us. It’s that same group and the same thing that’s happening with middle-age men and young white boys, these guys that hang out downtown at the bar where I work. It’s crazy. You see it in so many 21 year olds with that kind of mindset. Lydia It’s sad because it’s like, it’s both incredibly boring and unimaginative. They’re just following some sort of rhetoric that’s been spouted at them.26 And they don’t have like any type of like critical reasoning skills or obviously perspective of other human beings, which means in short, they’re not global citizens.27 They’re not learned, they’re not scholastic. Kalyn [referencing the frybread] I can’t do it. It’s too much. KB Leave some for the spirit, you know?28 Kalyn Yeah, for that ghost who lives here. I seriously had a whole conversation with that ghost for you. I was like, “please, you have to leave my friend alone. He doesn’t like you guys, but I don’t mind you. But it’d be cool if you all just left for him.”29 KB I know I had a video. Kalyn Please find it. KB I dunno how I lost that video. It’s ridiculous. Lydia Damn, we made a good dinner. Kalyn Yeah, we did. We did it. I almost hurt myself, but it’s fine. I hurt myself from fry bread. Lydia [mimicking old man telling story] I have this huge frybread scar down belly. How’d you get that one? Kalyn Well, from the war, the year was 2020. Lydia 2020 was a bully year for Native Americans. I feel like we’re on the up and up. You know? Kalyn I agree. Lydia I mean, aside from the fact that like we’re dying at rates like 11 and a half times faster than our white peers, but you know.30 Issues to the forefront, please. And also white guilt is at a peak right now. Kalyn Guilt’s at a peak. I think our people made some money off that. I think. Reparations.31 Lydia Yeah. And we’ve got elected officials. Deb Haaland’s up for Department of the Interior.32 The fact that nobody in America even knows what the department of the interior is. Even though it’s literally to deal with treaties. Also the fact that people will be writing these articles after Christmas about like, you know, Lincoln being this awesome man who just gets a bad rap for murdering all these people [referencing the Dakota 38].33 But it’s like everybody forgot that. The reason why there were treaties is because it was a nation to nation issue. So he didn’t even have the right to execute anybody because we34 weren’t considered citizens. And we weren’t a rebellion. We were nations, which were in an actual legitimized war. We had treaties that were nation to nation and none of that was honored. And the fact that people want to call him like some sort of hero when all he was doing was trying to save the union. Like that’s it, he couldn’t even act like a leader respecting another nation. So I’m just like, y’all, don’t even know what you’re talking about. Kalyn I guess you could say, in the end he did get his. Lydia John Wilkes Booth was a native advocate.35 Natives stan John Wilkes.36 Kalyn [pulls out $1 lottery scratchers] Okay guys. Here’s the part of the evening where it gets crazy. I hope you’re ready. You got to pick a scratcher and a coin. You know like, the right coin. And yeah. I did jump into this. Lydia This is sacrit.37 Kalyn Skoden.38 Where’s your bingo Dobber. Lydia Stoodis.39 KB [Putting away dishes] What are y’all doing in there? Lydia We’re about to test our lucky sevens40 is all. KB All right. I’ve got some coins. Lydia We’re doing at-home casino. Kalyn At-home casino! Lydia Absolutely. Yeah. 100%. KB Don’t let me forget that the NDN tacos are in the fridge for you to take home. Kalyn Frybread is the best because it can be a meal AND a dessert bread. Lydia Yeah, cause it’s for people who like trying to survive.41 KB It’s true. Yeah. Commods.42 Kalyn Okay. Pick your poison. I have separated the coins for the scratchers by year. Lydia I want one of those bottom two pennies. KB I want a nickel. Kalyn There’s no nickel. I got two dimes, a quarter and some pennies. Lydia I’m going to do this 1975&nbsp; penny because Lincoln’s more tarnished on this one. And that’s how I feel about him.43 [starts working on lottery scratcher.] KB [piling dishes in the dishwasher] That was such a good meal. Lydia Yeah. I feel similarly. Kalyn How do you even pile that many things into a dishwasher like that. KB You ever had a family of five and had to put all your regalia44 in the back of a van. You just gotta figure it out. Lydia Yeah. Just thought about how I was just this one little girl dressing and how many things we carried. Like my mom had like a whole suitcase and that was just part of all of it. KB You know, I had bustles45, uh, I had two bustles when we were young. My brother had a huge bustle, which is like spread out. It’s like this, like this big [spreads arms out wide] it’s huge. And then all of our suitcases and shit match. All my mom and sisters stuff were always hanging. You know, it’s like a thing that had to be like laid out like a body. Lydia Man. That’s another thing I can’t wait for is like, I can’t wait to get a business under me and start getting some like, passive income and stuff so that I can like get my regalia on again. I already have it in my mind. KB You guys only do cloth46, right? Lydia Hmm. Well, pretty much all our songs are actually war songs.47 KB The men only do straight dance and the women only dress in cloth, right?48 Y’all don’t have buckskin or like jingle dress or fancy shawls.49 Lydia Yeah. But that’s mostly because like we had to like shift a bunch of stuff because we were killing everybody when we got to Oklahoma that they like really put up – I mean the government, the US government, put a kibosh on that real quick. Cause one of our practices was like, when our warriors die, we go kill some other warrior to like, not make them have to walk the spirit path alone. So it was like in the “modern times” of being in Oklahoma, our people were going off and like killing the Keetoowah and killing Cherokee and being like, “peace out, take this warrior home!”50 Then the US government was like, ah, no, that’s murder. Kalyn Oh, is it? Cause I call that finding a partner for the end times. Lydia Yeah. But we only danced straight pretty much. [later in the conversation] Lydia I love native internet.51 Native. Internet is the best. They’re hilarious. I love that. One of that woman who’s like talking about putting on makeup and it being war paint. And she’s like, “you think I want to walk in this world and let other people see my bare face? Oh, this is war paint. My face is for my family.” Kalyn I feel that actually. Did you guys see that there was a, it’s like a new X-Men movie, New Mutants and there’s a native girl in it. There is also Adam Beach in it.52 Lydia Cause you gotta have Adam Beach in it. Every native movie. KB Smoke signals.53 Yeah. Kalyn He’s in this movie as the dad, but he dies immediately. But it’s a new movie, not a series. KB What is her mutant power? Kalyn She can conjure up this crazy Satan bear, but she doesn’t have control over it yet. So just like, wreaking havoc on herself and everyone else. But there’s the two bear thing in it, you know? Like, that quote that everyone has two bears in them or wolves or whatever.54 That’s why it lost me. I was like, this is boring. This is some “my great great grandma was a Cherokee princess” shit if I ever heard it.55 Makes me think of the time whenever I was in high school and I won the Trail of Tears56 district award. Felt super cheesy. KB What do you even win a Trail of Tears award for? Kalyn Just being the most native in high school, I guess? So they just gave me an award. I mean, I guess they thought I was a good “representative.” I played sports, I had good grades, I was involved. The Nation57 gave it to me. KB Thats like the show we did with All Nations58 in youth. But it was talking about, they would hire us to go to schools and go to corporate events and like basically dance. And I remember I’d have to talk about grass dance and like where the tradition came from.59 And then I would like perform it and then like, you know, we would all like take a turn and do an exhibition. Tokenizing.60 But growing up, you know, like I didn’t realize that all of our moms who were all strong native women were the ones who founded that were the ones that put that together. Kalyn Yeah. I mean, I think it’s just like, there’s this constant battle between like how do we make ourselves visible and how do we not tokenize ourselves or allow ourselves to be tokenized when really sometimes that’s what is required to get the visibility. That’s something we talk about a lot at Folk Alliance when I do the Indigenous Music Summit.61 Cause it’s like, I don’t want to be set aside to just play on a stage for Indigenous peoples. Like, that’s not the point. Lydia Yeah. It’s like when you get pigeonholed as an Indigenous visual artist and it’s like, that might not be the only audience my work is for. Kalyn Exactly and it shouldn’t be. Lydia But sometimes it is. Sometimes we are the only people who get it, but it’s frustrating. KB My uncle shared a video with me and at the end of the video is the sentiment of like sharing our culture with people. But my thing is, I don’t know what I want to share. I’ve always been taught that we keep it to ourselves because of what our grandparents were taught and why they were taught that because they weren’t allowed or forced not to.62 So like, I don’t know. I just, I hate talking to non-native people about any native shit and if they have any questions for me, I’m usually stoic about it. Like giving them the shortest answer. Never wanting to share it. But I know that sharing is like the only way to keep us in existence. Lydia I think, you know, like it is, it’s like it’s layered and there’s nuance. It’s like, I want to speak from the perspective of being Indigenous and centering it in. Like I was raised in this Indigenous cosmology. I was raised in these belief systems, but I don’t like to share specifics. Like I’m not going to tell people what our ceremonies are like. And even with making artwork, there’s certain imagery and things that I’ll stay away from because it’s like, why give this away? I don’t even want to share this for somebody to be inspired by it and for that then to ripple through them and become something different because if it’s something sacred, it may be too powerful to be open to interpretation. And I think that, that goes back to just something that my elders say, which is like, who gave you authority to share a thought or who gave you authority to share that certain thing? Or who gave you the authority to like, yeah, become someone who makes this kind of work that’s telling this kind of story. And so I think I often defer to like what our elders did and also just check in with the tribe because you know, even Anita63, she makes it very clear that it is a reinvisioning of an Osage wedding coat.64 But basically she also went to our tribe and has asked permission to share in that way. And there’s been things she’s been told that she can’t do. And there’s been things that she’s told that she can do. And I think it’s like, sharing books, sharing in those ways that still allows us to keep like, what is sacred, sacred and separate from what could just be beneficial to other people. Like, yeah, maybe that’s the best thing to share. And to me that’s like Robin Kimmerer sharing her ideas on plant kin and kinship ecology.65 They don’t need to know why we wear this thing, but they could maybe know how we interact with like plants and animals. KB Also most of the time I am just like, why do they want to know? Kalyn Yeah. I think it’s cool to like share the methodologies, the frameworks. And I think that’s cool because it gives them an opportunity to learn and like create for themselves. But giving away full on ceremony stuff or sacred belief systems is not. Lydia I also, I feel comfortable sharing things that are already out in the public. Like I don’t mind sharing the Osage creation story because we already got it out there for people. KB I don’t know. I guess I don’t know. I’m more for stuff being out there and texts somewhere. Someone who actually wants to learn and be kind and study it. But I feel like I’ve posed for pictures because people have never seen an Indian before. You know, like I did that without thinking what it meant – just zombie through the motions and then felt awful about it after. Kalyn I will say, I think like the text thing is good because anyone can take that information and pretend it’s their own. So it’s like good to have that down and to have it referenced. Lydia Intellectual property is real. I also think having text is important. And just because, even though I don’t necessarily love the written word, when you put something into text and people go find it, it’s because they’re interested and they care to do the work. When people just come to you asking invasive questions, man, that’s some lazy ish. Like, read a book. Seriously, I get, there’s definitely some things that you can’t learn from books about us, but maybe start with the book so that you don’t come with such ignorant invasive questions. KB Exactly. [pauses to think] Well, ya’ll wanna go for a drive for a minute? Footnotes 1&nbsp; Frybread is a popular food amongst Native peoples that allowed us to survive prison camps and poverty. It consists of fried and flattened dough, depending on the tribe. 2&nbsp; Dual reference to both the general mood and the color of the frybread. 3&nbsp; A beloved bar and venue within Tulsa, OK where many of our peers perform. Surprisingly, we weren’t triggered when we went there, despite their troublesome name and logo. 4&nbsp; Frybread, but with meat and suet, pepper condensed inside of it. 5&nbsp; Pro-tip: The Redcorn Frybread mix is the best if you’re short on time, but if you’re going to make frybread and mix it yourself and have time to chill, then use Blue Bird flour. 6&nbsp; Native networks are expansive. Lineage is very important to us. There is always a chance you might know someone, their sister, uncle, cousin, mom, brother-in-law, etc. We like using the names so we can place people better in the community as we speak about the community. 7 When you find another Native person out in the world, you make an effort to maintain that relationship. We like to stick together and support each other beyong Tribal Nation communities to broader community relations. 8 Referencing the Otoe word for “biso”n, Lydia was making fun of herself for misusing the word at an earlier time, mistaking it for the word “bear” in the context of “bear hands.” 9 Del Rancho is a well known restaurant in Tahlequah, OK. 10 Beans and frybread were a staple of my growing up years and of my fathers. It is cheap and filling. 11 Toast is not fry bread. Periodt. 12 With 39 affiliated tribes within what is Indian Territories, it is still alarming that Oklahoma’s residents and leadership views of U.S. Indigenous peoples is still driven by steroetypical understandings of tribal nations that don’t even inhabit Oklahoma. 13 I say overarching Native culture because they did not have an understanding of tribal nations or that their understanding of Indigenous peoples came from stereotypes in the media. 14 A joke about remarks made, frequently, to Native people about our cheekbones. It’s a thing. I swear it. 15 Burning things is noth a reference to literally starting over OR burning it as in a sick joke, ayeee. 16 The concept of Indigenizing has mixed reviews and is actually defined as “to bring (something) under the control, dominance, or influence of the people native to an area,” but for people not aware of the tribal nations of the area, this can be used as another tool for colonization. In this context, she is referring to center Indigenous belief systems. 17 September 1620 is when the Mayflower landed in the so-called U.S. 18 Nicholas, George. “It’s Taken Thousands of Years, but Western Science Is Finally Catching up to Traditional Knowledge.” 19 a person who studies or collects antiques or antiquities, according to Meriiam Webster. 20 Not only did tribal nations adapt to their geographic locations, we adapted to the challenging nature of a colonial society, still bale to maintain traditions, values, and belief systems despite it. 21 Rankine, Claudia. “I Wanted to Know What White Men Thought About Their Privilege. So I Asked.” 22 Also known as settler guilt. It is the individual or collective guilt felt by some white people for harm resulting from racist treatment of ethnic minorities, defined by Wikipedia. 23 National Museum of the American Indian. “Repatriation.” Repatriation 24 Referencing someone whose actions reflect archaic, often problematic, ways of being and knowing. 25 Growing up in the Bible Belt means we all have been subject to the religious beliefs of the area. People in leadership within religious communities are often intertwined with colonial beliefs and values, as well as deeply embedded into the political sphere. Often, they choose to use their platform for spouting things like this – like equating humanitarianism with evil. 26 Again, we are in the Bible Belt. I personally, think these ways of thinking has to do with lack of access to well-funded, quality education and lack of diverse community members. 27 A global citizen considers human rights, religious pluralism, gender equity, environmental protection, sustainable worldwide economic growth, poverty alleviation, humanitarian assistance, and preservation of cultural diversity, to name a few. They feel responsible to each other. 28 A reference to when I tried to have an intervention with a ghost in KB’s house and it was actually KB remotely adjusting his lamps while I was in it. 29 Spirits are real, KB does not like them, and he had not yet smudged his space. Don’t get me started on smudging appropriation. 30 Cirruzzo, Chelsea. “COVID Mortality Twice as High Among Native Americans.” 31 “Land Reparations &amp; Indigenous Solidarity Toolkit.” &nbsp; 32 Rott, Nathan. “Deb Haaland Confirmed As 1st Native American Interior Secretary.” 33 Schilling, Vincent. “The Traumatic True History and Name List of the Dakota 38.” &nbsp; 34 We use “we” to reference both our specific tribal nations and overarching Native American groups as a whole. In this moment, she is using the collective we to offer support to our kin from other tribal nations. 35 He wasn’t. 36 We don’t condone murder. This is a JOKE. 37 Sacred. 38 Let’s go then. 39 Let’s do this. 40 Lucky 7’s is a type of lottery ticket. Seven is also a revered number in our specific tribal communities. 41 Moya-Smith, Simon. “Native American Fry Bread Is the Food of Our Oppression. It’s Also Delicious, so We’re Reclaiming It.” 42 Commodities. Federal food distribution. 43 This is just funny and I wanted it highlighted. 44 Clothing and accessories worn by Indigenous people wear for traditional dances. 45 A traditional part of a man’s regalia that originates from the Plains region of the United States. Contemporarily, the men’s bustle is typically made of a string of eagle or hawk feathers attached to a backboard. 46 A women’s dance category at powwows that include both norther and southern styles. Osage is considered southern style cloth. 47 There are different types of songs for different types of ceremonies. The Osage was a warring tribe, so naturally they have many songs centered on war for both men and women’s ceremonial dances. 48 Also known as Southern Straight Dance or Southern Traditional is a men’s dance that tells the stories of hunts and wars. 49 Buckskin is a slow dance for women wearing buckskin regalia, Jingle Dress is a women’s healing dance, and Fancy Shawl is specific to women, but Fancy can reference both men and women’s categories of dance that is fasy and upbeat. 50 Keetoowah is a band of Cherokees. Currently there are only 3 recognized Cherokee tribal nations due to so much fraud surround cultural claiming. Keetoowah Band of Cherokees, Cherokee Nation, and Eastern Band of Cherokees. 51 A very specific sphere os the internet that focuses on Indigenous cultures, values, etc thorugh popular culture references. 52 Adam Beach is an NDN movie staple. 53 Smoke Signasl (1998) is a quintessential native movie that addresses many aspects of Native culture, is referenced often, and, not surprisingly, Adam Beach is in it. 54 Two bears, two wolves, either way it is appropriated and misattributed to many different chiefs, or my personal favorite, referenced as “a NAtive American Proverb.” 55 Referencing the problematic, but common phrase: my great great grandma was a Cherokee princess. 56 The Trail of Tears was a horrific act by the U.S. government to forcefully remove tribal nations from their homwelands and forced them to walk for hundreds of miles to new territires in Oklahoma. For it to be reduced to a title of an award is silly. 57 Cherokee Nation. 58 Referencing a now defunct Native American group for youth in Oklahoma. 59 Men’s dance depicting the movement of prairie grass originating from the Omaha tribe. 60 The practice of making only a perfunctory or symbolic effort to be inclusive to members of minority groups, especially by recruiting people from underrepresented groups in order to give the appearance of racial or sexual equality within a workforce. From Wikipedia. 61 An annual muisc summit held for Indigenous peoples in the music industry, globally. 62 For so long, Indigenous peoples, Native peoples, tribal nations were all forced to assimilate or bear the burden of no longer existing. This happened in many ways, one of which from the last 100 years is the use of boarding schools, ex. Carlisle Indian School.63 Anita Fields is a nationally revered female Osage artist. 64 Piece title: It’s in Our DNA, It’s Who We Are, 2018. 65 Kimmerer, Robin Wall. Braiding Sweetgrass. Tantor Media, Inc., 2016. References Moya-Smith, Simon. “Native American Fry Bread Is the Food of Our Oppression. It’s Also Delicious, so We’re Reclaiming It.” NBCNews.com, NBCUniversal News Group, 14 Oct. 2019, www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/native-american-fry-bread-food-our-oppression-it-s-also-ncna991591. Nicholas, George. “It’s Taken Thousands of Years, but Western Science Is Finally Catching up to Traditional Knowledge.” The Conversation, 30 Jan. 2021, theconversation.com/its-taken-thousands-of-years-but-western-science-is-finally-catching-up-to-traditional-knowledge-90291. Rankine, Claudia. “I Wanted to Know What White Men Thought About Their Privilege. So I Asked.” The New York Time Magazine, The New York Times, 17 July 2019, www.nytimes.com/2019/07/17/magazine/white-men-privilege.html. “Repatriation.” National Museum of the American Indian, americanindian.si.edu/explore/repatriation. Cirruzzo, Chelsea. “COVID Mortality Twice as High Among Native Americans.” U.S. News &amp; World Report, U.S. News &amp;amp; World Report, www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2020-12-10/covid-mortality-twice-as-high-among-native-americans-than-whites. “Land Reparations &amp;amp; Indigenous Solidarity Toolkit.” Resource Generation, 12 July 2019, resourcegeneration.org/land-reparations-indigenous-solidarity-action-guide/. Rott, Nathan. “Deb Haaland Confirmed As 1st Native American Interior Secretary.” NPR, 15 Mar. 2021, www.npr.org/2021/03/15/977558590/deb-haaland-confirmed-as-first-native-american-interior-secretary. Schilling, Vincent. “The Traumatic True History and Name List of the Dakota 38.” Indian Country Today, Indian Country Today, 26 Dec. 2020, indiancountrytoday.com/news/traumatic-true-history-full-list-dakota-38. Kimmerer, Robin Wall. Braiding Sweetgrass. Tantor Media, Inc., 2016. https://insearchofourselves.com/Grandmother-Directions Thu, 21 Jan 2021 04:55:13 +0000 IN SEARCH OF OURSELVES, WE FIND EACH OTHER https://insearchofourselves.com/Grandmother-Directions <img width="1401" height="320" width_o="1401" height_o="320" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/8f61dd1e296ec0e69ffd7c8ad2b2fe386f022c2f7e6df4e4c24b51b609df1cd0/ARROW.png" data-mid="103171492" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/8f61dd1e296ec0e69ffd7c8ad2b2fe386f022c2f7e6df4e4c24b51b609df1cd0/ARROW.png" /> &nbsp; &nbsp;<img width="3849" height="441" width_o="3849" height_o="441" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/abc689b74b334974474454df7ca8ecb627451a9590b2ced2bcf6ecf5bb2b73c6/USE-HEADPHONES.png" data-mid="103801776" border="0" data-scale="27" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/abc689b74b334974474454df7ca8ecb627451a9590b2ced2bcf6ecf5bb2b73c6/USE-HEADPHONES.png" /> <img width="4102" height="5816" width_o="4102" height_o="5816" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/20339cd46c8794aebce6d228a2056cd0815a92d3b14d777291a6b321d75d8653/DIRECTIONS---GRANDMOTHER.png" data-mid="103858678" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/20339cd46c8794aebce6d228a2056cd0815a92d3b14d777291a6b321d75d8653/DIRECTIONS---GRANDMOTHER.png" />