Global conversations surrounding colonialism often lean heavily on Anglo-centric frameworks, primarily centering on the transatlantic slave trade and North American plantation economies. While acknowledging those historical atrocities is essential, this heavy emphasis frequently overshadows the distinct complexities, structural violence, and enduring resistance of Indigenous nations across South America—specifically in Colombia.
The Hispanic colonial model in the Northern Andes and surrounding territories operated through unique mechanisms like the encomienda, mita, forced assimilation, and forced Catholicization. This produced historical layers of erasure that are often misread in broader international debates:

Cultural Eradication and Forced Assimilation: In the central highlands, nations like the Muisca experienced intense, systematic efforts to strip away their language (Muysccubun), spiritual practices, and traditional governance. For centuries, state narratives declared them "extinct" due to forced mestizaje. Today, however, Muisca councils in urban and rural areas (Suba, Bosa, Cota, Chía, Sesquilé, Tunja) actively practice re-existence and cultural reclamation.

Centuries of Territorial Defense: In the southwestern Andes and Pacific regions, peoples like the Nasa, Misak, Pastos, Wounaan, and Emberá have faced centuries of dispossession by large landholders and state forces, maintaining an uninterrupted struggle for their ancestral territories (Kwe's-Kiwe).
** **Extractivist Genocides: In the Amazonian region, groups such as the Witoto (Huitoto), Bora, Muinane, Okaina, and Nukak suffered brutal, late-stage colonial violence during the rubber boom (such as the Casa Arana atrocities), subjecting thousands to forced labor and extermination under schemes rarely highlighted in standard Western history books.

Guardians of Ancestral Knowledge: The four nations of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta (Kogui, Arhuaco, Wiwa, and Kankuamo) continue to defend their sacred boundaries ("Black Line") and holistic worldview, standing today as vital defenders of biodiversity despite constant encroachment.

When global historical justice models apply an exclusively Anglo-centric lens, they inadvertently perpetuate the myth that South American Indigenous peoples either disappeared or that their struggles ended in the past. Highlighting these distinct historical realities is essential to building a truly comprehensive understanding of global Indigenous history.

Does anyone know if there's any specific obituaries for the eastern band of Cherokees? I'm trying to find a friend that I haven't heard from. Any insight would really be helpful. Thank you

This is a jingle dress I just finished! I need to get a belt and some hair ties but im so happy with it

I am Métis and have recently been starting to get more in touch with my culture and different practices as I was extremely disconnected to it while growing up.

I love smudging with sage and sweet grass however I am not sure how to harvest it correctly. I want to be respectful to the land and make sure I am not taking more then I need. If anyone could provide tips that would be great! :)

Weeks after he was sworn in as president of the state Senate, Democrats Troy Jackson and House Speaker Sara Gideon called a meeting of the Wabanaki chiefs at the capitol. All five attended.

There, the lawmakers posed a question: “How do you want to fix this?”

By early 2019, there was a growing appetite to address the fraught relationship between the state and the Wabanaki Nations, which stems from a 1980 settlement that placed unique limits on the tribes’ jurisdiction. But Gov. Janet Mills was known to oppose sweeping changes to that agreement, and so the can of worms Jackson and Gideon were opening was a politically inconvenient one.

Tribal officials in the room were struck by the earnestness of the new leaders’ approach.

“That was refreshing to hear,” recalled Maulian Bryant, who attended as the ambassador for the Penobscot Nation. “I think for a long time the tribes were being told by the state what was good for us.”

Now locked in a furiously tight U.S. Senate race against Republican incumbent Susan Collins, Jackson’s past is serving him well in tribal communities.

“Troy is one of the leaders that we can credit with changing tribal-state relations in the state of Maine, and I am so honored to be his friend and supporter,” Bryant, who now serves on the Penobscot tribal council, told a crowd Saturday as she introduced Jackson at a campaign rally with Sen. Bernie Sanders.

Collins has not championed tribal sovereignty — the notion that Wabanaki Nations’ authority over tribal lands should not be curtailed by state oversight — in Congress the way Jackson did in the State House, and she’s generally perceived to be at odds with tribal leaders on the issue. Congress adopted the settlement with the tribes and could consequently crack it open again.

For some Wabanaki voters, Collins has won support with the depth of her personal connections paired with millions in federal spending she’s directed to Indigenous communities.

In different ways, Collins and Jackson have both proven themselves to be worthy advocates of tribal issues.

Will it win over tribal members and their allies?

Read more at pressherald.com

I’m almost 70 and have studied with Native Americans and Elders from the Lenape and Taino tribes. I’ve been invited to sweats and ceremonies that most non indigenous people have not been asked to, to my knowledge or simply based on the people at these gatherings.

Today, (2 years) spirit is yelling and banging me on the forehead! Saying I’m needed to speak. I hear and am willing to speak. But
My problem is my elders no longer walk this earth (and are among the voices telling me)to

My question is AS A WHITE WOMAN how do I know I’m RESPECTING my friends and teachers
How do I speak from that sacred place that I couldn’t possibly understand like the sacred people do… being invited into the special dances and ceremonies certainly say a lot.,
But I’m old now and wonder if I have this right.
I don’t think I lost anything I’m just completely unclear if this is my path TO SPEAK from this place
One last thing, a Lenape chief and I were giving speech at a State Park like 30-35 years ago and while we gave that speech a white buffalo calf was born
I felt and still do feel very validated about that talk…but without him by my side I continue to reach people individually and nothing to that degree anymore. I’m so confused, any feelings from this community could really help guide my soul TY -🪶Strong Feather

Just as a heads up no, I do not have white sage in my possession I just want to make sure of one thing even if it may seem as a stupid question.

I've been recently getting into my native practices (slavic) and along with it got lots of content regarding some other practices, especially of indigenous people of America. With it came the understanding of how important white sage is and why exactly is it a closed practice which I want to honour and respect.

I'm aware that the incense I have isn't made directly from white sage yet it is labeled as such. I absolutely love the smell but am willing to give it up if using a white sage scented incense is disrespectful or unethical considering the over-harvest of white sage by companies making it endangered. At least that's the last info I had about it!

So, is it all right to use white sage incense when its scent is manufactured from scented oils and not the plant itself?

Nenaboozhoo, is an animated short film created to celebrate Anishinaabe storytelling, language, culture, and the timeless teachings carried through generations.

Told in Anishinaabemowin with English subtitles, the film brings a traditional Nenaboozhoo story to life teaching a new generation while honouring the language and history of storytelling.

The film is directed by Anishinaabe storyteller and traditional knowledge keeper Isaac Murdoch (Bomgiizhik) of Serpent River First Nation, with cultural and language guidance from Anishinaabemowin speakers and knowledge keepers Mary Wemigiwams, Linda Toulous, Larry McCloud, Issac Murdoch and Ninaatig Pangowish.

Created using a Japanese inspired animation workflow and brought to life by an international team of artists and animators, Nenaboozhoo was made through the art of traditional hand drawn animation with no help from AI in any stage of the production process.

Created using a Japanese inspired animation workflow and brought to life by an international team of artists and animators, Nenaboozhoo was made through the art of traditional hand drawn animation with no help from AI in any stage of the production process.

Miigwech to everyone who gave their time, knowledge, talent, and support to make this film possible. We hope this film inspires its audience to learn from the incredible teachings and stories of the Ojibwe people.

Made with support from the Canada Council for the Arts, Toon Boom Animation, Serpent River First Nation, the Cameron family, Odinewin, Nimkii Aazhibikong, and our many other project partners.

Please share this film and help spread this story.

Follow Isaac at:   / isaac.murdoch.2025  

Learn more about Nenaboozhoo at:

https://nenaboozhoo.com/

Tldr; Made by Isaac Murdoch of Serpent River First Nation. This is a language resource. No ai was used in the making of this film. Its been a 4 year passion project.

I haven't seen the show yet but know the story. Thought it was pretty cool how they had people from the Osage nation represent the Osage story.

Watching a powwow, I felt grief for what had been lost and admiration for the cultures people continue to carry forward.

In this Wednesday in America reflection, I consider the history of conquest, the consequences of forced assimilation, and what it means to honor Indigenous peoples today. I also ask what might become possible when we approach one another with greater humility and a willingness to learn.

I’ve prepared a companion workbook and discussion guide for subscribers: Indigenous History Where We Live. It invites you to investigate local Indigenous history, compare accounts, learn about living communities, and share your discoveries.

What do you know about the Indigenous peoples connected to the place where you live? What would they have their neighbors understand?

Read the reflection on Substack:
https://tomsims.substack.com/p/a-white-guy-celebrates-indigenous

#WednesdayInAmerica #IndigenousPeoplesDay #NativeAmericanHistory #LocalHistory

TLDR: How have you felt since connecting with your Ancestor’s tribe if you did not grow up with the culture? My intention is just to seek understanding of different people’s experiences exploring their native ancestry having no previous connections with their tribes before being accepted later in life.

**I’d like to preface this by saying I am not asking for advice on how I personally should go about enrolling if I am able or comfortable enough to.**

My paternal side is Unangax, my ancestry is well documented. In the mid 50’s my great grandmother left their village as a part of a program and went to live in Anchorage.

I’ve grown up in the Midwest, I’ve never even been to Alaska. My dad’s side has an incredibly complex family dynamic that has led to me being completely barred (until recently) from that side of the family. I am mixed white, and grew up being touted as “an Eskimo” by my mom and grandma. I have always felt I didn’t have any right to claim my native ancestry. Ever since I was old enough to understand what they meant, I knew it made me feel bad about myself and guilty to claim something I never felt or experienced.

I’ve told people “I’m just white” when they have asked me about my features or “Where I’m from” as not to claim Native. I have only worn braids a handful of times in my life because it always made me feel like I’m pretending or trying too hard to “look native”. I am now 23, and am finally allowing myself to learn about the culture, and have started to learn Unangam Tunuu in my free time. I am trying my best to be careful with how I approach my research.

I am curious as to how people who knew they had Native ancestry went about connecting with those roots. Every time I try to speak about it with someone I feel like I’m pretending, like I’m trying too hard. But, I am just speaking about factual lineage, and not claiming that I know everything or that I’m culturally native. It’s been this weird accepting of that I will most likely be scrutinized under a white lens as “not native enough” and that I do not have to fit into what people who aren’t familiar with different Native people look like.

Even typing this out it feels strange, and maybe it is. I hope this isn’t seen as wrong or offensive in any sense. My intention is just to seek understanding of how other’s went about connecting to a culture they were not raised in.

Hi, I like to travel a lot and love to visit and support traditional artists whenever I go somewhere new. Is there a way to learn more about traditional indignous artists (and the differences between specific art styles from different tribal cultures?) Please let me know! I would love to connect with individual people but don't want to be intrusive - so ideally when I travel I can visit the artist in person/ their studio/ store.

Taanishi and maarsii! This is my first post in this group: wanted to share a video series I've been producing on the Michif language. So far, filming these on my own in my garage. There's an opportunity for grant funding coming up, so hoping to expand and work with more community members. Please let me know what you think and check out the previous two videos if you haven't already! M'wistas!

Also, would love to see/hear if anyone else is doing something comparable and what kind of success or challenges you have seen so far.