Counter-programming War with Peace and a true history of democracy
A message of One Heart and One Mind for all right now
Today feels better than most to send this message. When the United States has plunged much of the world into war, I want to remind us we can choose peace. In this, our 250th year as a nation, let’s remember the seeds already planted on this land and find better ways to live together, even and especially when formal leaders insist otherwise.
At the bottom of this message I’ll share a video link which will serve as energetic counter-programming to stupid wars of choice. I encourage you to absorb it all and feel the truth of this way of being that channels our deep ancestral connection from all First Peoples. Those who have been forced to relinquish so much are often best positioned to retain the most essential things. They are seed banks of life ways we all need. So it is with Indigenous people. So it is with Black people. So it is with all people who remember we belong to each other.
But before we get there, let me honor my own participation in that video with a story of acknowledgement.
In November last year, I had the privilege of speaking at Netse Mot: One Heart | One Mind, an annual Indigenous celebration of unity that coincides with the National Congress of American Indians annual gathering. This invitation came on the heels of another, almost exactly one year ago, during the Bioneers conference (coming up end of this month!).
The young people of the Coast Salish community, through Children of the Setting Sun Productions, witnessed my Day 1 keynote on shifting from a story of “Me” to a story of “We” and invited me to join them on their Young & Indigenous podcast. I was blown away by our conversation, and we had a mutual festival of love.
When I arrived to their own event last November in Seattle, I experienced a rare feeling of nerves and slight intimidation. Only on-site did I understand and feel the power of the gathering and the honor of being the only non-Native solo presenter on stage that night. I wasn’t trying to Blacksplain Indigenous history to a theatre filled with thousands of Indigenous tribal leaders!
Instead I spoke as much from my heart as my mind. I shared how I came to learn more of the true roots of democracy present in this land long before European colonization in the form of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy. I had just authored a massive, collaborative piece about that history and my own journey to it for Atmos magazine in a piece titled Declarations of Interdependence which is literally written for this very moment.
I shared much of my own journey and the overlapping history of Black and Indigenous struggles, resilience, and joy. I lovingly roasted Dallas Goldtooth (Resevoir Dogs)! And I gave an enthusiastic shoutout to BLIS Collective (Black Liberation Indigenous Sovereignty) of which I am a proud member.
The world we have known is dying. A more beautiful world is emerging. Both are true at the same time. I offer this video as a reminder of that more beautiful world. When you press play, it will jump to my portion of the evening, but if you have time (make time), start from the beginning and feel the full two hours.
Now, let’s invite something new in.
I’d like to honor the other presenters that night:
Elder Gene Harry (Coast Salish)
Seattle University’s Indigenous Peoples Institute Senior Director Jill La Pointe (Upper Skagit and Nooksack), and author Sasha LaPointe (Upper Skagit and Nooksack)
Emcee actor and activist Dallas Goldtooth (Lower Sioux Indian Community)
National Native American Boarding School Healing CEO Deborah Parker (Tulalip)
Singer and Musician Isaac Tonasket (Colville, Spokane)
Delbert Anderson Quartet ( Diné (Navajo) and dance performance by Nakeema Ray (Upper Skagit)
Activist, attorney and author Amy Bowers Cordalis (Yurok) KLAMATH RIVER!!
Opera singer Adia Bowen (Upper Skagit Indian Tribe)
Writer, filmmaker and champion filmmaker Julian Brave NoiseCat (Canim Lake Band Tsq’secen of the Secwepemc Nation)
Singer Fawn Wood (Saddle Lake First Nation) and powwow group Cree Confederation
What an incredible experience. My son is Lummi and Upper Skagit and we’ve been watching closely as Children of the Setting Sun has been establishing an interactive museum and teaching center here in Bellingham. It’s already amazing. Thank you for your words of peace.