21-DAY RACIAL EQUITY INDIGENOUS CHALLENGE© FIGHTING WHITE SUPREMACY SINCE 1492
Curated by Dr. Eddie Moore Jr., Debby Irving, Marguerite Penick-Parks, and Claudia A. Fox Tree (Arawak), Massachusetts Center for Native American Awareness (MCNAA) board member
#NativeVoices #N8VVoices #Idlenomore
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©2014-2024 All Rights Reserved America & Moore, LLC
“Just a reminder: the system in what is currently known as the US isn't ‘broken.’ It was designed by male white supremacist slaveowners on stolen Indigenous land to protect their interests. It's working as it was designed.”
– Dr. Adrienne Keene (Cherokee)
Too often the framing of racial justice gets limited to the Black/white experience. We find that by broadening our lens of how white supremacy marginalizes multiple groups, we both deepen our understanding of white supremacist strategy and impacts and learn about particular histories and current issues of historically targeted groups. Indigenous people, the first to feel the wrath of white supremacy on what we now call US soil, sets the stage for the human and environmental destruction that has unfolded since.
As you work through this challenge, bear in mind the degree of invisibility experienced in US Native communities. Not only did European colonial settlers rob Indigenous people of their land, their culture, and their lives, they erased their 20,000+ year old history through omission and myths. The process of reclaiming Indigenous history is a work in progress and therefore not always complete or aligned. Not to worry.
Take in what you can in the spirit it is offered –– from perspectives and experiences as diverse as the millions of descendants from the 574 nations on whose land we in the US now stand.
READ
LISTEN
Access most where you listen to podcasts
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Hosted by Matika Wilbur (Swinomish and Tulalip) and Adrienne Keene (Cherokee Nation)
"Explores indigeneity in all its complexity.” Episodes focus on issues such as DNA identity, appropriation, feminism, food sovereignty, gender, sexuality, and more while “keeping it real, playing games, laughing a lot, and even crying sometimes.” (1 hour episodes)
Have You Ever Been Told To “Go Back To Where You Came From?”
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Jacqueline Keeler (Diné and Ihanktonwan Dakota)
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KBOO listeners asked in light of Congress passing a resolution condemning Trump's racist tweets telling unnamed "Progressive Congresswomen" to "go back and help fix the totally broken and crime infested places from which they came," have you ever been told "to go back to where you came from?" (1 hour)
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Gyasi Ross (Blackfoot/ Suquamish)
Wesley
(“Snipes Type”) Roach
(Lakota Sioux)
and Minty LongEarth (Santee/Creek/ Choctaw)
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“A few Natives with opinions and a platform.” Episodes report on current events through an indigenous perspective. (1 hour episodes)
Uprooted: 1950s Plan to Erase Indian Country
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Max Nesterak
(not Indigenous)
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About the genocidal Indian relocation and termination policies of the US government in the 1950s and 60s. At the time, "blackness" was defined by the "one-drop rule," but "Indianness" could be washed away in just a few generations through intermarriage with whites. More black Americans meant more workers to exploit. Fewer Native Americans meant more land to take. (50 minutes)
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Podcast host Rosanna Deerchild (O-Pipon-Na-Piwin Cree) takes you straight into Indigenous Canada, from Halifax to Haida Gwaii, from Shamattawa to Ottawa, introducing listeners to the storytellers, culture makers and community shakers from across the country. The Unreserved team offers real talk from the people behind the headlines, with a soundtrack from the best in Indigenous music. (40-55 minute episodes)
Listening to Indigenous Voices
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Join the Jilted Indians as we discuss the importance of listening to indigenous voices and building a shared memory of the history of this country on a special Indigenous People’s Day episode. (1 hour)
Lear
WATCH
The Doctrine of Discovery and Manifest Destiny
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Professor Robert Miller (Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma) Tells the legal roots of manifest destiny and the pervasive land theft violations that resulted. It lays the foundation for systemic racism.
(30 minutes)
“The Police Killings No One Is Talking About”: Native Americans Most Likely to be Killed by Cops
News report revealing Native Americans are more likely to be killed by police than any other group (including African Americans) although cases are mostly unreported by mainstream US media.
(Starts at 45:45, 15 minutes)
Buffy Sainte-Marie: A Multimedia Life Documentary
Chronicles the achievements of Sainte-Marie and her personal journey as singer, songwriter, artist, teacher and activist. Featuring interviews with Joni Mitchell, Randy Bachman, Steppenwolf’s John Kay, Robbie Robertson, Bill Cosby and folk legend Eric Andersen. Other appearances include Pete Seeger and Floyd 'Red Crow' Westerman.
(48 minutes)
Native America*
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Four-episode series exploring the world created by America’s First Peoples. Available on iTunes and Amazon, also in local libraries. Native America in the Classroom offers lessons with clips from film.
(1 hour episodes)
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*PBS subscription
In Whose Honor: American Indian Mascots in Sports*
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A critical look at the long-running practice of "honoring" American Indians as mascots and nicknames in sports. It follows the story of Native American mother Charlene Teters, and her transformation into the leader some are calling the "Rosa Parks of American Indians."
(1 hour, 10 minutes)
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*Vimeo on Demand
Cultural Appropriation Panel
Online panel discussion which defines cultural appropriation, gives examples, and features cultural educators: Amina Zakki (Cultural Educator for Moroccan stories), Alma Richeh (Cultural Educator for Syrian stories), and Claudia Fox Tree (Cultural Educator for Arawak/ Native American stories). Moderator: Meghan Gardner, Guardian Adventures founder and CEO.
(1 hour, 10 minutes)
Dawnland*
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The first government-sanctioned truth and reconciliation commission in the U.S. investigates the impact of Maine's child welfare practices on Native American communities. Available for group purchase plus many free online and live screenings. Teachers’ Guide available.
(1 hour, 30 minutes)
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*Information to view & trailer:
Lies My Grandfather Told Me: Talking with Kids about Frozen 2
Paired with Frozen 2, companion guide questions for youth to discuss racism, colonialism, and Indigenous sovereignty. Questions were written with non-Indigenous families in mind and can be adjusted for age contains spoilers.
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Frozen 2*
(1 hour, 40 minutes)
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*Rent or Buy: Apple+, Prime Video, and Vudu
Warrior, the Life of Leonard Peltier*
Suzie Baer documentary about American Indian activist, Leonard Peltier. His story is told within the context of the American Indian Movement, the US federal government, and the multi national companies interested in mining the land in South Dakota.
(1 hour, 30 minutes)
Who is Leonard Peltier?
Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked the World
Filmmaker Catherine Bainbridge examines the role of Native Americans in contemporary music history. She exposes a critical missing chapter, revealing how indigenous musicians helped influence popular culture. Available on iTunes and Amazon Prime, also in local libraries.
(1 hour, 42 minutes)
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*Available on Netflix
Rent or Buy: Apple+, YouTube and Vudu
Warrior, the Life of Leonard Peltier*
Suzie Baer documentary about American Indian activist, Leonard Peltier. His story is told within the context of the American Indian Movement, the US federal government, and the multi national companies interested in mining the land in South Dakota.
(1 hour, 30 minutes)
We Shall Remain*
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Five-part collaborative documentary series about the history of Native Americans spanning the 17th century to the 20th century. Several different directors, writers and producers worked on each episode, including Chris Eyre, Stanley Nelson Jr., and Ric Burns. Resources and lesson plans available through Info button.
(1 hour, 20 minutes per episode)
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*PBS
1491: The Untold Story of the Americas Before Columbus*
Eight-part series based on Charles C. Mann's best-selling book "1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus." Covers 20,000 years of Indigenous achievements in the Americas. Features 60+ separate segments on such topics as agriculture, hunting, archaeology, architecture, art, culture, science, technology, governance, trade, languages and repatriation.
(1 hour, 20 minutes)
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*Available on Amazon Prime, AppleTV, and Vimeo
NOTICE
Whose Land
Check out the Native Land App on your browser (also can download on phone, tablet).
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On whose land were you born?
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On whose land are you now?
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On whose land did you (pick one) go to college, get married, hold a job?
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Did you know this?
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How hard was it to find this information?
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Foods
Review this list of culinary and food contributions.
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How many you use in your own diet that are Indigenous to the Americas.
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Did you know they were Indigenous?
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If not, where did you learn/ think they were from?
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Does your own ancestry use or claim some of them as their own?
Names
As you move about around your town/region, look for signs of Indigenous people.
Look for
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State’s name
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Street names
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Parks, lakes, mountain names
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Car names
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School and other building names
Get curious
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Are the names connected to the original people of the area?
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Are the names stereotypical and disconnected?
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Can you find out the meaning of the name(s)?
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What language is the name from?
Notice
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Once you discover (hello google!) what the meanings are, notice if you think or feel differently
Sports
Notice what sports you have played or watched.
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How many involve rubber or a stick and ball?
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Are they team against team or one-on-one?
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Many sports owe their origins to Indigenous people if they used rubber (an Indigeneous plant) or are played in teams (other places in the world created two player games like chess and checkers).
Holidays
If there is a major holiday or observance, what is the Indigenous perspective?
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Consider events, such as, New Year’s Day, Valentine’s Day, Memorial Day, July 4th, Halloween, Columbus Day, Thanksgiving, and Veteran’s Day.
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How can you find out what the Indigenous perspective is for each of the above?
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How is the Indigneous perspective portrayed in news sources, greeting cards, and/ or television shows?
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Is it there or missing?
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Do you know any Indigenous observances and is time off work given for them?
CONNECT
SOCIAL MEDIA
Follow Indigenous activists, educators, and organizations on social media. Here are some ideas to get you started. A good way to widen your circle of who you follow is to check out who these organizations follow, quote, repost, and retweet.
Pro Tip: Check out who these organizations follow, quote, share, and retweet to find more people and organizations to follow.
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Check out and/or follow these hashtags:
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ENGAGE
Some things to keep in mind when engaging with Indigenous peoples and cultures.
Cultural Appropriation
Be aware of cultural appropriation.
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Consider where you see images of Indigenous People.
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What is the worst thing that could/would happen, if an Indigenous “mascot” was changed?
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What is the positive outcome of changing a mascot?
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What has happened when celebrities have worn a headdress? How has the public reacted?
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Do you think religious practices should be done outside of the religious institution? Consider ceremonies in your own practice (If Catholic, maybe the Eurcharist. If Jewish, removing the Torah.) How does this apply to Vision Quests, Naming Ceremonies, Sage Smudging, and Sweat Lodges?
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Teaching Through Books
Which books are appropriate?
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Visit Debbie Reese (Nambé Pueblo) to see her analysis of American Indians in Children’s Literature.
Environment
Practice “reciprocity” with the natural environment.
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“What should be our response to the generosity of the more-than-human world?
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In a world that gives us maple syrup, spotted salamanders, and sand hill cranes, shouldn’t we at least pay attention?
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Paying attention is an ongoing act of reciprocity, the gift that keeps on giving, in which attention generates wonder, which generates more attention—and more joy.
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Paying attention to the more-than-human world doesn’t lead only to amazement; it leads also to acknowledgment of pain.
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Open and attentive, we see and feel equally the beauty and the wounds, the old growth and the clear-cut, the mountain and the mine.
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Paying attention to suffering sharpens our ability to respond.
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To be responsible.
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This, too, is a gift, for when we fall in love with the living world, we cannot be bystanders to its destruction.
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Attention becomes intention, which coalesces itself to action.” –Robin Wall Kimmerer
ACT
Though many people want to jump to action sooner instead of later, action without a vigorous self-education, self-reflection, and multiracial coalition can unexpectedly reproduce the very power and privilege dynamics we seek to interrupt. That said, sometimes acting immediately is called for. Welcome to the messy, imperfect world of challenging the status quo!
ACTION IDEAS
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Invite friend(s), family, and/or colleagues to do this challenge with you.
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Prepare yourself to interrupt racial jokes about Indigenous people. Click here for some advice about how.
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Interrupt the pattern of white silence by speaking openly with family, friends, and colleagues about what you’re doing and learning in this challenge.
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Invite friend(s), family, and/or colleagues to join you for one or more of your daily “to-do’s” for a low-threshold invitation into the work and introduction to the 21-Day Challenge.
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Does your school, workplace, or faith group have an Equity Committee? Share this with them. Can they make it a school wide initiative? Particularly in the fall when two especially oppressive holidays happen?
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Join and Support your state’s Indigenous Organizations
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Google “[city] or [state] Indigenous Trails” and go walk them
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Attend a Day of Mourning/ Remembrance on Thanksgiving Day
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If you’re Indigenous, consider starting a Day of Mourning/ Remembrance on Thanksgiving Day (Massachusetts example here)
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Attend a (Social Distance) Pow Wow. Prep for Pow Wow here, here, and here.
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Write a letter. Tell the MA Senate Ways & Means Committee: Amend the Native American Mascots Bill
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Research an Indigenous issue in your area, join it, and/or take action:
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Removing monuments or placing new monuments/placards nearby
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Not Your Mascot campaign (writing letters to public officials)
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Current local repatriation requests
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Local tribal, state, federal recognition requests
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Environmental racism/damage
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Controversies around building a casino
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Water/hunting/fishing rights (usually related to treaties, access to pathways)
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Current Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) cases
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Create a PSA (Public Service Announcement) poster or video:
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Describe stereotypes in your environment (grocery stores, party/costume shops, books, movies/cartoons/television, etc.)
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Explain the stereotype
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Correct misinformation
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Offer a challenge to dismantle stereotypes (i.e.: stop buying product)
REFLECT & STAY INSPIRED
WHY REFLECT
Difficult emotions––such as shame and anger––though uncomfortable to feel, can guide you to deeper self-awareness about how power and privilege impacts you and the people in your life.
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Reflecting and journaling enhances learning. By using a 21-Day Reflect tool each day, you discover how much you are actually understanding and making meaning. It helps you to transform your personal experience into a learning experience, and thus build your racial equity habits.
Indigenous Edition Inspiration Songs:
AIM Unity Song (American Indian Movement)
Cradle Song and Colors of My Heart by Sharon Burch (Navajo)
Who Will Speak by Crystal Woman (Cherokee)
Prayer Loop Song by Supaman (Apsáalooke/ Crow Nation)
Why by Supaman (Apsáalooke/ Crow Nation) also has a Jingle Dress Dancer
Stand Up is about DAPL
Blackbird by The Beatles sung in Mi'kmaq by Emma Stevens (Mi'kmaq)
The Climb by Miley Cyrus sung in Mi'kmaq by 10 year old Kalolin Johnson (Mi'kmaq)
Gentle Warrior (featuring Devon Paul and Thunder Herney) by an older Kalolin Johnson (Mi'kmaq)
Wishi Ta by Brooke Medicine Eagle (Crow)
Come and Get Your Love by Red Bone (various nations)
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Universal Soldier with narrative by Buffy Sainte-Marie (Cree)
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Up Where We Belong by Buffy Sainte-Marie (Cree)
Invisible No More - Spotify's first-ever playlist of Native American musicians
Songs not by Indigenous People, but related and supportive
Indanee by Pat Humphries
HERE is a good, simple song for Columbus Day
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Want to keep learning? See more resources HERE.
Recent “Good News” (including legal victories) HERE.
Want to keep learning? See more resources HERE.
Recent “Good News” (including legal victories) HERE.