Street Wonk #8: Special Thanksgiving Edition
Native American & Alaska Native Heritage Month... Unthanksgiving... Day of Mourning... Green Friday... Giving Tuesday... Shop Native
Dear Readers,
Due to the Thanksgiving holiday, no City Council, County Board, or Metro Council sessions are scheduled this week. So, I’ve assembled a collection of articles, films, and other online resources in recognition of Native American and Alaska Native Heritage Month for you!
While I enjoy spending time with my extended family, it will probably come as no surprise that this day has nothing to do with God and country for me; I celebrate as the Lincoln Thanksgiving proclamation below suggests in the “forms approved by my conscience.” I give thanks for my health and that of my family, for the feast before us, and for every person that toiled to bring it to us. For another day on this wonderful and terrible planet, for a roof over my head, for meaningful work, and for dear friends. For artists, and activists, and other visionaries who refuse to concede to capitalism despite the costs. While I hate to rain on anyone’s parade, my conscience also calls for reflection, remembrance, remedy, and recognition of Indigenous resistance and resilience.
Reflection
Despite being revered for ending slavery, President Lincoln was no abolitionist; he was a white supremacist and outright racist in his beliefs. Although I believe in considering the standards of the time, I also believe “those who do not learn history are condemned to repeat it.” And Lincoln’s time encompassed the Abolitionist movement (1830-1870)—the most important political movement in the history of the United States—which cannot be ignored when assessing his actions, beliefs, and character. Although he is considered to be one of the more sympathetic figures in American history and deserves credit for the Emancipation Proclamation and the 13th amendment (but don’t forget it allows involuntary servitude and forced labor as punishment for a crime to this day), it adds insult to grave injury to pretend he isn’t problematic, especially in regards to his treatment of Native Americans, which includes the largest mass execution in U.S. history.
Learn about different Native traditions for giving thanks and explore the wealth of Native Knowledge 360° resources for more accurate history and Native perspectives. (National Museum of the American Indian)
Explore the Zinn Education Project Teaching People’s History Resources (ZinnProject.org)
Remembrance
Between the recent revelations about mass graves at Indian boarding schools in the U.S. and Canada, the threat to Native sovereignty and civil rights posed by the possible overturn of the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) of 1978 being overturned by the Supreme Court, and the ongoing crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, the past feels especially present and painful this year. For a people whose history has been defined by loss for the last 500+ years, the convergence of these three issues, all centered on loss of children and loss of life, is especially cruel.
After centuries of genocide, broken treaties, racist public policy, and outright neglect, instead of offering remedy, the highest court in the land may undermine the sovereignty and civil rights of Native Americans because non-Native families believe they have the right to someone else’s children. Despite the legal existence of the reprehensible for-profit adoption industry, children should not be treated like commodities, and every measure should be taken to keep them connected to their families, communities, and culture. I would love to see the adoption reform movement take up this cause.
Unthanksgiving, also known as The Indigenous Peoples Sunrise Ceremony, commemorates one of the most radical protests of the 20th Century—the 18-month-long Native occupation of Alcatraz. The event will be broadcast live on KPFA 94.1 FM, online at kpfa.org, and simulcast via IITC’s Facebook page from 5:30- 8:00 AM.
National Day of Mourning is a protest against racism and oppression that honors Indigenous ancestors and Native resilience held on Cole’s Hill above Plymouth Rock in Plymouth, Massachusetts.
Recognition of Resilience & Resistance
Watch Gather, a documentary film on the growing Native American food sovereignty movement
Check out this collection of Native American documentaries streaming on PBS for Native American and Alaska Native Heritage Month
Native America Calling “a live call-in program linking public radio stations, the Internet and listeners together in a thought-provoking national conversation about issues specific to Native communities”
Learn about social, economic and environmental justice movements in Indian Country. Publications, videos, recipes and more can be found in the First Nations Knowledge Center (First Nations Development Institute)
Explore Native filmmakers and storytellers (Vision Maker Media)
Watch Reservation Dogs—third season coming in 2023!
Remedy
Listen to this excellent podcast series—This Land—on “how a string of custody battles over Native children became a federal lawsuit that threatens everything
from tribal sovereignty to civil rights.”Learn about the federal laws and loopholes that prevent Native communities from protecting Native women and girls against non-Indian predators.
Reconciliation & Reparations
Read the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People and related documents (Indian Law Resource Center)
Learn about the work being done by the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition toward delivering truth, healing, and justice for boarding school survivors and their descendants
Learn about the Land Back movement
Learn about decolonizing wealth and philanthropy from Edgar Villanueva founder and principal of Decolonizing Wealth Project and the author of Decolonizing Wealth: Indigenous Wisdom to Heal Divides and Restore Balance. (YES! Magazine)
Green Friday: November 25th, 2022
Oregon and Washington State Parks are fee-free today! (Seattle Times)
While you’re out there exploring nature’s bounty, check out Which Indigenous lands are you on? (OPB)
Giving Tuesday
As of 2018, less than one percent of community foundation funding went to Native American organizations and causes annually. If you’re in a position to give or you work for a foundation, please give to Native-led non-profits. Here are a few PNW based organizations.
Crow’s Shadow Institute of the Arts (CSIA) is located on the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation in the foothills of Oregon’s Blue Mountains. CSIA's mission is to provide a creative conduit for educational, social, and economic opportunities for Native Americans through artistic development. (Regional)
The National Indian Child Welfare Association (NICWA) is dedicated to the well-being of American Indian/Alaska Native children (National)
Native American Youth and Family Center (NAYA) enhancing the diverse strengths of Native youth and families in partnership with the community through cultural identity and education. (Portland Metro)
Native Arts and Culture Foundation advances equity and cultural knowledge, focusing on the power of arts and collaboration to strengthen Native communities and promote positive social change with American Indian, Native Hawaiian, and Alaska Native peoples in the United States. (National)
Give to The Potlatch Fund—a Native-led nonprofit organization that provides grants and leadership development to Tribal Nations in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana. (Regional)
Red Lodge Transition Services provides transition support to Native community members released from treatment centers, jails and prisons, who are working on creating a better life for themselves, their children and communities. (Regional)
Wisdom of the Elders preserves and shares Native American oral history, cultural arts, language and traditional ecological knowledge of Indigenous elders, storytellers and tribal leaders, collaborating with tribes, arts and cultural organizations, educational institutions and many others. (Regional)
Shop Native
8th Generation: Eighth Generation is a Seattle-based art and lifestyle brand owned by the Snoqualmie Tribe and the first Native-owned company to ever produce wool blankets. Eighth Generation provides a strong, ethical alternative to “Native-inspired” art and products through its artist-centric approach and 100% Native designed products and builds business capacity among cultural artists while addressing the economic impact of cultural appropriation. Inspired Natives®, not "Native-inspired."
Celebrate National Native American Heritage Month at These Native-Owned Neighborhood Businesses: A short list of Native owned brick & mortar businesses from organic makeup, green beauty, and an eco-friendly hair salon, to coffee and tea, to tattoos, clothing, and jewelry. (Venture Portland)
Crow’s Shadow Institute of the Arts: See the entry under “Giving Tuesday” for full description. Choose from a wide selection of gorgeous, limited edition, fine art prints by their artists-in-residence.
Indigenize: Connecting conscious consumers with Tribal and Native owned businesses who make quality everyday products. More than just a company, it’s part of a movement to indigenize our economies and redistribute wealth back to tribal nations and people.
Indigenous Marketplace: Featuring nearly 200 Indigenous/Black artists & entrepreneurs and thousands of culturally traditional and handmade/crafted/produced products including clothing, jewelry, traditional tools, art and more!
Mercatus Buy Native Guide: Dozens of local Native owned businesses—retail, food and beverage, health and wellness, beauty and skincare, clothing and jewelry, artists, professional services, and more. Some of my favorites are Aesthete Tea, Bison Coffee House, Churos Locos, Es Super Fun, Ice Queen, Make & Mary, Quintana Galleries, Ritual & Fancy, Tamale Boy, Tierra del Sol, Tin Cantina, and Vania Vananina.
I wanted to get this out first thing this morning and in my rush omitted some critical commentary. I've also added resources and revised the original newsletter somewhat.
Chloe, I made a fairly conservative comment on the Portland Business Alliance article but didn’t mean it to seem critical. I don’t find the article now, but I am really interested in how others might revitalize downtown. I’ll continue this on chat.