This article was originally published at Truthout under the title "The Future is Indigenous: Decolonizing Thanksgiving" and is reprinted here with permission. In 2015, a video meme circulated prior to Thanksgiving, featuring YouTube personality Franchesca Ramsey humorously breaking down the actual history of the holiday. A wet blanket to her family's Thanksgiving dinner, … [Read more...]
7 Things US History Class Should Have Taught Every American About Indigenous History
The history of people indigenous to the North American continent is often glossed over in education. We are badgered with the legend of Native benevolence to the pilgrims who landed on the East Coast on Thanksgiving. If Indigenous history is covered, students are likely to hear a tragic but vague narrative of massacre, disease, and death, a narrative devoid of the specific … [Read more...]
To Understand Puerto Rico’s Troubles, We Must Understand Colonialism
With all that has been impacting Puerto Rico in recent years, from defaulting on debt payments to Hurricane Maria to the mass protests against our now-former governor, it makes me wonder why more people aren't talking about the state of the Island. Many simply do not know, for instance, that Puerto Rico is on the brink of bankruptcy much like Detroit, Michigan was in 2014. I … [Read more...]
Listening to Mother Earth’s Voice: An Indigenous Female Perspective on Sexual and Ecological Violence
Editor's Note: This article was originally published by Princess Daazhraii Johnson under the title "What's Missing From #MeToo and #TimesUp: One Indigenous Woman's Perspective" and is republished with permission. As I have watched the national dialogue unfold around sexual harassment and sexual violence, I can’t help but take notice of the lack of tie in to a much larger … [Read more...]
5 (More) Ways to Radically Exist in Decolonial Love
At TBINAA, there are articles that affect us and inspire us from other digital magazines and blogs on a daily basis. One article in particular that seemed to strike a great chord with our followers on Facebook is one by Gwendolynn Benaway for the site Working it Out Together titled “Decolonial Love: A How-To Guide.” In this article, Benaway talks about her experiences as a … [Read more...]
What I Learned at Standing Rock: Being Latinx And a Settler
Growing up in Peru, I was taught to be very proud of my heritage. I grew up hearing stories of my people from my teachers, my mother, and my grandmother. They would often tell me to be proud of where I came from, but they would also then compare our ancestors to the current state of our country. “How could we have been so wise, only to now be struggling like this?” I would … [Read more...]
6 Radical Indigenous Artists Doing Decolonial Work
Too often, Native American and Indigenous people are depicted as a thing of the past, even in art, literature, and music. I remember in elementary school learning how the Ojibwe nation I descended from used to live, the games they used to play, and the music they used to create, as though there were no more Native Americans worth discussing in class. While tribal history is … [Read more...]
