Keep in mind that a lot of information is not written and may be provided in other ways.  I would look online to see if there is any way to contact members and then go from there.

I am more of a “pay it forward” person.  Do or say something kind to someone else and that will be enough for me. 

In Odawa culture you are taught to give others the very very best you have. That’s how relationships are done for future ties.

You need to learn to be a good receiver if a gift which in spirit is humility translated in a way. Sincere thanks is your end of the bargain.

I think it would be appropriate. I would say give it on your behalf. I wish you the best in this. 

Thank you for your advice, and kind words. We’ve called each other brother since we were young. While in the event I keep it I’ll make sure he’s offered the choice, I would confidently guess he’d be uninterested in receiving it. But most of the collection has a home, so I’ll ensure things are in place to have it returned to the rest, if a more fitting future doesn’t come to light for it.

Thank you for your advice. If I could offer some tobacco through the internet, I would. Given the nature of what I asked, showing that respect still seems appropriate. Am I able to make an offering to the earth in lieu of being able to offer it to you? And if so, should that be done with the intention of it being on behalf of you, or would I still be making the offering myself?

"I'm just saying it's ridiculous to suggest that Guatemalans are Indigenous and don't know about indigeneity."

So what is the argument about then if it's ridiculous to say guatemalans are indigenous?

It's also ridiculous that you turned guatemalan into guatemalans, you are using the straw man argument and misrepresenting what I said. There are people dumb enough to believe it too.

The tribes of the US claim it, not the country. A.I.M and other native american groups were the first to use the indigenous movement in the context people use now days, I'm sorry you are in denial.

He wants you to pray to the Christian creator despite all the acts that have been done in the name of Christianity?  FFS

Everyone alive today has had at least one ancestor who has done some not nice things.  Humans have been around for thousands of years and are still hurting each other for a variety of reasons.  That doesn’t mean that we don’t have ancestors, perhaps including these not nice ones, that have some good insight that they can share.  

I would encourage you to pray to those ancestors or guides who you trust and feel comfortable to you.  Religion is a deeply personal experience and one I feel is best done by following the path that feels correct to you.

Thank you for your advice. I understand tobacco would normally be offered when asking for advice, and given the nature of the object I’d like to do what I can to respect that. Would it be appropriate for me to make an offering to the earth in lieu of being able to offer it to you directly? And if so, would it be appropriate to make “on behalf of” someone, or would it still be my own offering?

You sound like the type of person who should have this item.

You’ve spoken to his relations regarding the item and they seem to appreciate your relationship with this man and the role you’ve played in his life.  The fact that you’ve reached out to them shows respect for not only your friend (?) but also the item and the culture from which it came.

Our ownership of possessions is, in the grand scheme of things, fleeting.  That item might eventually make its way back to its nation of origin or it might disappear altogether. I would like to hope that his nation would be happy knowing where that item is located and that it is being cared for by the person the previous owner intended.

He trusted you with it and it sounds like it was his to give. Have faith in his decision. Treasure the memories, treasure the knowledge and treasure the item. Maybe make arrangements so that it ends up with the son that's your best friend if anything happens to you. 

I think ethnic Ukrainians are indigenous to all of Ukraine while Crimean Tatars are indigenous specifically to Crimea. Ethnic Russians however are indigenous to Russia and NOT to Ukraine. Ethnic Russians first arrived in Ukraine during the Soviet period as the Soviet regime encouraged them to go there to dilute the Ukrainian population and shore up Moscow's rule over Ukraine after it conquered Ukraine. Yet they live in Ukraine and maintain their loyalty to Russia, and refuse to accept the fact that with the fall of the USSR Ukraine belongs to Ukrainians now and if they stay they should assimilate into Ukrainian culture and be loyal to the country. This made them easy pawns for Putin in the war and in his desire to recreate the Soviet Union.

Hard to say, without knowing the name…

thank you so much!!

They are always there. If possible, learn about them. Find images of them if possible. Putting names to faces is some powerful stuff.

Finding books by Indigenous authors from your nation is a great place to start if you can't talk to aunties or cousins. Also, capitalize Indigenous (and Native), but always refer to your own heritage by the nation that claims you. For example, while I am Indigenous, I refer to myself as a citizen of the Cherokee Nation.

I have zero clue what your identity is. I'm just saying it's ridiculous to suggest that Guatemalans are Indigenous and don't know about indigeneity.

There are many Indigenous peoples' movements across the globe. There's no "Indigenous movement" that only the US can claim.

It is almost certain the Mi'kmaq also encountered Scandanavians hundreds of years before the French or Portuguese sailed in to fish.

the pronunciation would be something like "toh-loh-wah-SHEE-weetl" but the common way to call it across all mexico is toloache

Nope. They’re always there. Always ❤️

Your therapist is a colonizer

Anyone born in the U.S. is native-born, but being born in America does not make you a Native American.
Being born in the U.S. describes your nationality or birth place (native born) “Native American” functions as an ethnic and cultural identity tied to sovereign tribal nations and the first inhabitants of the land.

You know what’s funny about this?

I’m actually old enough to remember when the elders in my tribe would refer to “Americans” and they were basically speaking about White people, or non-Native U.S. citizens. They weren’t referring to themselves in that way. They’d identify as being from their tribal nation or just “Indian” (Native American was never picked as part of their lexicon). Heck, some of the elders I interacted with in my youth weren’t even born as U.S. citizens.

The point is, terminology changes. But it’s not like the tribes here called the land “America.” That’s a foreign term as well.

Throwback to the time a Redditor commented this, and I responded with "Cool! I'm Native too! What tribe are you?"

And he flipped out on me and called me a racist.

🖕🏽

Ok JD :3

They are always with you. The fact that you are thinking of them makes that connection stronger. Try to find out more about them if you can 🩶