Bead-maker, Sea-shell people: Chumash

Dear Inhabitants of this Land,

This is me at this time: a 57 year old white woman living far away from my ancestors (primarily Southern Italian, Syrian, a smattering of Scotch and English) on your land. I know only a small bit of how I got here and what twists of fate and circumstance and stardust and love brought me, but at present I feel lost and broken and confused and overwhelmed. I feel obligation to my family — obligation so heavy that you — inhabitants of this land — are just shadows on the periphery. 

Read the rest, if you'd like, on my Substack.

Sustenance and Salvation

Greg Gray Cloud, being led away from Senate Chambers

Grandfather look at me, I am standing here struggling, 

I am defending Grandmother Earth and I am chasing peace.

Grey Cloud, 

translated from a Lakota unci maka wiwayang wacipi song

I'm not sure who is unmoved, always, by the plight of Native Americans in this country, -- both by their history and their present struggles -- but surely only those with cruel and hard natures. Yesterday's close vote against the Keystone XL pipeline was a relief to those of us who have even the tiniest bit of concern for our environment, and maybe a slap in the face to the oligarchs and plutocrats that hold all the power, and when I read the story of Greg Gray Cloud, arrested for unruly behavior in the Senate Chambers, I felt the tiniest bit of hope in what otherwise is my growing cynicism and disdain for anything pertaining to government and business in our country.  That even Elizabeth Warren (whom I deeply respect and admire) was a tad undone by his chanting gave me a thrill. That Gray Cloud was arrested with a court date in December gives me another one, to tell you the truth -- a diversion, perhaps from the grotesquerie that parades as democracy.

Here's the article and video.  Wica Agli is a group created to bring back traditional masculinity values and to eradicate violence against women and children.  And thanks to Rebecca for posting it!

I've been busy slamming them

photo via artsytime

Bless those who challenge us

for they remind us of doors we have closed

and doors we have yet to open.

Native American prayer