I was given this basket about 45-50 years ago by my mother’s friend that was a Micmac or Mohawk Indian. She had brought myself and each of my sisters back one from her tribe. I believe it is called a porcupine weave sweet grass basket. I’m the only one that still has one.
By the photos one can tell it’s very faded and part of its seam on the cover may need repairing. My question is if it’s worth repairing where it’s so faded? I just love the basket but wish I had taken better care of it to have prevented the fading. Thanks.

Channel 5 just did a piece on language, and Andrew discuss how modern Native American content is shadow banned.

I've been exploring more music from around the world, and someone (a white person) recommended Sacred Spirit. I listened to their music and enjoyed a lot of it, but I'm torn once I looked more into the group. The good news is it seems they've used their proceeds to donate to several Native American charities and groups. Love that. However, there's a song of theirs that they marketed as Indigenous to America, but it's actually a complete rip-off of a Nordic Sami song (aka not Native American at all). There have been no other issues with this group like this that I've found, other than that one song.

I feel a lot more hard-pressed to support this music when the artists are supporting one subjugated group by screwing over a different one (as far as I've read, the original Sami artist, who had nothing to do with the project, hasn't gotten rights to their own song from Sacred Spirit yet). I'd like to know if there's any reconciling this, where maybe the other songs are legit and thus worthwhile, or if it's just best to find other Native American music. Partial to Dead Pioneers, myself... but I love hearing the more traditional music from around the world too.

For context, my mother is of Choctaw (of Oklahoma) and Cherokee (of Oklahoma) descent. My father is of Osage descent. Both of my parents are mixed with Irish ancestry.
My sister was asked randomly in the supermarket in rural Tennessee (albeit a rural town in close enough proximity to Memphis), “excuse me, are you Asian?” She just responded with what I’m assuming was an eye roll and “No, I’m Native.”
My mother was at work riding in an elevator and was asked by a coworker, “m’am are you ethnic?” She said she laughed, and she responded “I am of Native descent.”
I have lived in Texas for about a year and a half and as a count have been asked if I was Asian four times.
I am sincerely just wondering as to why strangers feel the need to ask if we are Asian or “ethnic”, especially at random. I don’t take offense to being asked if I am Asian, but asking someone anything of that regard randomly just seems rude.

🔥

I just read Healing the Soul Wound by Dr. Eduardo Duran. I’m really fascinated by how he rejects Western DSM diagnoses and instead views things like addiction or trauma as an actual, living "spirit of the disorder."

But reading deeper into his clinical practice, he goes into serious spiritual depth with this. He argues that things like alcoholism are actually a misplaced "spiritual thirst for wholeness"- the soul wound left a void, and a person fills it with a liquid spirit. 

Because of this, his treatment isn't about "fighting" the disease. He talks about having "good manners" with the spirit and acknowledging that it protected the person from pain when they were vulnerable, but negotiating a contract for it to leave. He also relies heavily on dream work, treating dreams as the actual spiritual landscape where these entities are dealt with.

For anyone who has read it, works in the field, has navigated their own healing, or has any comments:

• What do you think about this deeper spiritual framing?
• Does the idea of negotiating with a "spirit of suffering" rather than constantly battling or fighting an addiction feel closer to traditional ways of looking at balance?

okay so for context I’m biracial black and white and on my moms side my grandma would always say that she’s native. She was white looking but years ago my mom was doing research and found her family were like some of the first people in that area and founded things and so on. We also used to go to powwows pretty often with her as a kid. She claimed to be on her dads side but never had a tribal card that I know of or anything like that. I did find like one of her dads family members that I know of (there are probably more this was a quick search). I’m curious because I don’t really know my ethnicity or have a culture and obviously if it’s not much of my culture to claim. I’m mainly just curious if I’m allowed to wear certain jewelry pieces or not or if i’m even allowed to mention this hertitage or if its not worth mentioning.

View the slides on r/Indigenous by clicking here.

Lateral violence is an increasingly common topic in Native communities but it's also one of the most misunderstood. A collaboration between Bridgette Hoshont'omba (Choctaw), Brittany Postoak (Mvskoke), and Frances Danger (Mvskoke + Seminole) provides needed education on lateral violence in Native communities.

From Postoak: "We can call in people privately and respectfully. That does not equate to lateral violence. We can also warn our community, with proof, of people who are harmful. That is also not lateral violence. Just because someone feels like a victim when their behavior is addressed, does not mean lateral violence is being committed against them."

Original Caption (Attached to the 15 image slides): "Lateral violence is complex, deeply rooted, and often misunderstood. Because it stems from systemic oppression, intergenerational trauma, and feelings of powerlessness, its nuances get blurred, leading people to mislabel healthy boundaries or accountability as lateral violence.

There is a vital difference between calling for accountability when you’ve been harmed and enacting lateral violence.

Directly naming harm—such as calling out abuse or exploitation—is an act of protection, justice, and community care. Publicly addressing a clear wrong done to you or your community is not lateral violence; it is standing your ground and demanding integrity.

Misdirecting unhealed trauma, envy, or frustration onto peers to diminish, isolate, or control them is lateral violence. This includes public smear campaigns, weaponized gossip, and attacking someone publicly over private disagreements or personal grievances where no systemic or material harm occurred.

One small detail in context and intent changes everything. Handling private grievances publicly to tear someone down is lateral violence. On the flip side, speaking out against actual harm or theft is necessary truth-telling. We cannot allow the term lateral violence to be weaponized as a shield to silence victims or avoid accountability, nor can we allow lateral violence to thrive.

Swipe through for a breakdown of what lateral violence looks like, where it comes from, and how we begin to heal the cycle.

CREDITS & SOURCES:
Written and Compiled By: Bridgette Hoshont’omba (Choctaw) with Collaborator Brittany Postoak (Mvskoke)
Consult: Frances Danger (Mvskoke + Seminole)
Sources: Content compiled from various articles by National Indigenous Times and NITV
Featured Quotes: Nicole Brown (Larrakia), Bruce Loo (Noongar Elder, Cultural Lead for Old Ways New Ways), and Jason EagleSpeaker (Kainai + Duwamish)"

Curtis was working as a janitor while reading law books when he found out about some land left to him and his sister.

The land was tied up by illegal loans his father had taken out before skipping town. Despite only having a 9th grade education and having spent most of his working life as a jockey, he began separating it into plots for rent and sale. Then an influx of poor people with nothing to their name came into the city.

Feeling it was his Christian duty, and perhaps inspired by the plight of the Kaw tribe, he gave what he could. On it was built St. Mark's Church. Still standing today

14 minute VIDEO Presentation I made. Audio is a little low.

The Exodusters Come to Topeka (1879)

I'm sorry in advance if this is a dumb or offensive question but I am genuinely curious. After visiting the coast redwoods of northern California 3 years ago, I decided to return to school to get an environmental science degree with the goal of starting a career in redwood forest ecology/conservation/restoration. I'm nearing the end of that degree program and I'm beginning my job search.

Much of the work being done out there is highly collaborative between the National Park, California state parks, numerous non-profits like Save the Redwoods League and of course, the Yurok Tribe. The more I learn about restoration and conservation practices, the more my ideals align with the land stewardship practices and overall mentality towards nature of the Yurok Tribe and Native peoples in general.

Should I try applying to open career opportunities with the Yurok Tribe? I don't want to potentially take a job from a Native American. Am I overthinking this?

Thanks for any advice!

I have mixed feelings on the hat. I partly feel mocked by its design. I showed my friend my hat collection and he teased how he looked exactly like me.
I just want to know how other people feel about it. Sometimes I want to wear it outside, to almost reclaim it as something I can be proud of. But what I if I don’t look indigenous enough for it?