happy pride month from sápmi! ❤️💚💛💙 I want to show you the sámi pride flag, it’s a rainbow version of the sámi flag (bottom left picture) and I think it’s really beautiful
There's always a weird duality attending Native events. And for me, they're always bittersweet. But yesterday especially.
It's easy to get annoyed at little kids running around during a public event. But no one really discouraged them. It was nice. There's a weird comfort in knowing they aren't burdened by fully understanding the gravity of some things yet. There's a weird comfort in knowing this is a relatively new thing. Native kids just getting to be kids. But for whatever reason, everyone allowed it. I think we all found a form of comfort in them.
It was as much individual as it was communal. Most people kept to themselves most of the time. But eventually all these strangers, in a relatively small group, poored their hearts out and sobbed together; all in the presence and comfort of our community's children. Some were climing random mounds off to the side, one little girl kept tugging at the dresses of those crying to console them.
The exuded presence of both pride and heartbreak, wrapping into the fissures of the bark, and coiling into the veins of the leaves, and dampening the soil of this small forest clearing, filled with Indigenous women, is unparalleled; with exclusion only to that of simmilarly greif-striken Indigenous women.
I was a bit unsettled at the sheer lack of men, maybe 6 total (in a group of about 30-40). But in it's own way, that was nice too. Probobly helped everyone cry in a bit more comfort.
And before and after all these shed tears; we can laugh; and continue to do so. That's the duality. It's weird to think how we just keep living; but we have to, and we do; Somehow.
After the crying we planted women's plants, we made friends, we made plans, we finished our food, and we all went home.
- Just some of my musings of the mmiwg2s event I went to yesterday. Keep yourself and your loved ones close, everyone.
Your tax-deductible donation will help us preserve keystone species in Colorado
Donate to Grasslands ColoradoYour tax-deductible donation will help us preserve keystone species in Colorado Your gift helps restore habitat
A nonprofit I've been working with that puts all their money towards helping relocate endangered prairie dogs, to supporting cities in making better choices (ie not exterminating), to educating local children, and much more. I joined mostly for the prairie dogs but they have other areas of interest as well. The founder just recently bought a decent chunk of land that she hopes to work with other nonprofits on restoring and essentially make a sanctuary for prairie wildlife with no where else to go.
so basically if you have any disposable income and want to help out a good cause that directly helps wildlife AND focuses on systemic issues, I can vouch for this one~
one thing that's really monumentally hard about this moment is accepting that there will never be perfect allies. i'm hispanic; i have been against ICE and state-sanctioned violence the whole time. it's so hard for me to hold both my activism and my personal rage in both hands. the rage in me keeps asking why the fuck wasn't it enough at the first kidnapping. why haven't the other deaths mattered at all?
but at the same time - if Good and Pretti's murders are radicalizing people, it's radicalizing them. someone online (with 5k likes) said: i don't know why, but this one feels more personal than usual. i don't blame them for their ignorance (they're just people) but that one comment hurt me. none of the other crying mothers or little kids calling out for their parents or men slaughtered by police felt personal?
and ... i get it. maybe for once other people are finally saying that could have been me in the car. they are finally saying he just tried to help someone up, he wasn't even at a protest. maybe they finally realized: these people did nothing wrong, but the government defamed them before any investigation was even begun. the killer was pardoned before he even drew the fucking gun.
and i know what that's like, i have seen this happen too-many times.
but maybe this was the first time they've ever actually seen ICE violence. maybe they don't read the news, maybe they genuinely believed every kidnapped person "deserved it". maybe... i don't know. maybe it didn't feel real until now, you know? to be fair: social media has a way of making everything film together, a massive wave of tragedy that you cannot parse. and maybe there's just such a sense of pointlessness to it that it filtered out for them. the government usually provides such a clean narrative (he was resisting, she was a criminal); maybe it had given them some peace to just-believe. maybe this is the first time that the lie is obvious even to their eyes.
it's frustrating, and dehumanizing. a white lady and a white man shouldn't be the face of a movement that largely affects everyone else.
and... they died for our movement. and if this is what it takes. if now there are people who are going to take up a banner and walk with me... I want them to be there. i want them to feel the same fire i do. i want them to have that fury that has been burning in me for so long. hell, maybe because they're new to it - they'll burn hotter. there's probably places i am jaded and overwrought. a friend in need is a friend indeed, right?
i have always hated the parable of the prodigal son. i cannot help but feel i have been standing in this space, screaming. that we have been begging for help. that we have warned you. why wasn't it enough when it was one of us?
still. still. i close my eyes. they're here now, and that is something. a handprint. at least, at last: they're by my side. as the saying goes: better late. okay. okay.
Here’s what I’ve been working on these past couple weeks that I’ve been very excited to share!!
RAINBOW RAVEN 🌈🪶 A FORMLINE STICKER COLLECTION!
These are now available on my Ko-fi store for 4$ CAD each! (divided into two separate item types since ko-fi has a cap on how many variants of one item you can have)
So I haven't shared this personal update to tumblr yet, but this is the unfortunate hand I've been dealt this holiday season. TLDR: I've been laid off from the day job I've had for over a year that paid for all my rent and most of my monthly expenses (transit, groceries, phone bill, etc.)
I've opened a shop. Come take a look!
It's a rough spot for me this holiday season, and I'm looking into what options I have to keep me afloat in the new year, but if you're able to pitch in some bucks- either via my monthly tip jar, my online shop, or via commissions- it'll help me out. And of course, sharing/reblogging this post and other artwork from me goes a long way at no financial cost.
The western gender binary is so soul-poisoning every time I think "should I cut my hair off so white people stop thinking I'm a woman" something dies inside of me lowkey. 2spirit 2furious
And the thing is I personally reject it but because gender is an inherently social phenomenon I continue to have it imposed on me every time I go outside. Social transition relies on other people mentally transitioning me in their own perception. If a tree falls in a forest and everyone ignores it did it still make a sound
Really the question is "how can I decolonize myself while living in a colonial state" . Personal resistance isn't enough I need these people to fuck offfffff
Finally got the skin cover off so here’s the tattoo I’ve been teasing for a while!!! I’m really happy with how it turned out and I hope you guys like it!!
(Who wins; a pic of the tattoo the tattoo artist took himself after he finished it with his professional photography and lighting setup, or a photo I took while fighting for my fucking life trying to set up the right angle after I got out of the shower?)
Edit: the condensation over the bathroom mirror finally went away so here’s another picture
Plus the final design and some symbolism/tattoo significance below the cut
The main reason I chose Fireweed is because A) it’s my clan’s crest!! I’m from the Laksamshu clan!
The second is because of Fireweed’s significance in nature; for those of you that don’t know, fireweed is known primarily for how it grows after a wildfire or similar natural disaster. In wildfire burn areas where ground has been ruined, fireweed actually thrives and is considered to be one of the first signs of an ecosystem regrowing after a disaster! They grow fast and spread quickly, which is ideal for areas that have been ravaged by fire. More info here.
Because of this, I wanted to try and pair the fireweed with a stylus pen (a common pen used for digital artwork, I’m sure most people know on Tumblr what it is) as a symbolism of creativity and renewed passion for artwork. My motivation to create has taken some rough hits over the years for multiple reasons, I’m sure most online artists can relate, so I wanted to design this tattoo with the thought in mind that no matter what happens, I still have that creative energy with me no matter how burnt out I feel or how divisive or depressing the art scene can be. A symbol that I have the ability and talent to create, even when I feel like I’ve lost it.
35 years ago today a 17 year old boy from Salteaux First Nation was found dead in a field outside Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.
His name was Neil Stonechild.
Neil played hockey, and he loved wrestling. He once won a bantamweight provincial title in Saskatchewan. His brother Chris described him as fun loving and caring. His mother Stella's nickname for him was baby boy.
Neil went out with his friend Jason on November 24th, 1990. It was -28° C outside. Later that night he was picked up by Saskatoon Police Service officers Brad Senger and Larry Hartwig. Neil was not charged with any crime and the officers did not keep any record of taking Neil.
The last words his friend heard him say were "Jay, help me. They're going to kill me."
Neil was found dead on November 29th, injured and with one shoe missing. He was wearing his favourite letterman jacket, which his brother Chris had given him. There were bruises on his face and cuts around his wrists. He had frozen to death.
Neil was murdered in what canadian Natives call a Starlight Tour, in which Indigenous people are picked up by police and left outside the city. Some are told to walk home. Not all of them make it.
There are reports of Starlight Tours as far back as 1976 and as recent as 2018.
The Saskatoon Police Service investigated themselves and found they did nothing wrong.
The RCMP investigated and told the Department of Justice that they would not be recommending any charges in relation to Neil's death.
Canada's police services were created to confine and oppress Indigenous people. They are brutal and racist. 9 Indigenous people were killed in interactions with police between August 29th and October 4th, 2024. That is 36 days. 9 people in 36 days.
Indigenous people make up 5% of the population of Canada, but make up 16% of police related deaths. 31% of people in Canadian prisons are Indigenous.
Land Back means justice for all the victims of colonial police brutality.
Neil's possessions were never returned to his family.
from the website:
This piece is part of our 2025 Charity Bentwood Boxes auction running from November 22nd to December 6th.
Artist Statement
"Before I started designing this box, I had been thinking a lot about what Turtle Island looked like pre-colonial contact. I could Invision communities working together, honing their skills and their crafts, in a completely sustainable way with the land, plants and animals. A sort of Utopia, in my mind, except this place actually did exist once.
In this image of pre-contact Turtle Island, no one in the community goes hungry, everyone is warm, loved, and has a roof over their head ... it sounds like dream to me. A dream where an artist could work while being supported by their community and they reciprocate with beautiful art that is rich in culture for everyone to enjoy.
In contrast, I don’t think it needs much explanation when I say its difficult to be a full time Indigenous artist, in a single income household and living in one of the most expensive and socially lonely cities in 2025. This society makes it almost impossible for me to exist and create while still complying with their schedule and social structure.
The feeling I wanted to capture with this bentwood box was a snapshot of that Utopia I could see. Of it absolutely bursting with abundance! I wanted to make a box rich in story, culture, and time spent creating it. To get this feeling across, I chose the salmon. Their life cycle is miraculous and a symbiotic relationship with the plants, animals and humans around it. When that cycle is taken care of their nutrients provide for dozens of species. If taken care of and respected, this cycle will continue for generation as a part of an ecosystem and society bursting with abundance. Abundance from balance.
You can take this example of the salmon and extrapolate it to every living thing on this planet. They/we are all connected and when we take care of each other, no one is forgotten and everyone has (more) than enough to thrive.
This box is a story of what once was of what could be again."
Architecture of return, escape (The British Museum)
2022
Pigment and acrylic on deer hide, 36 x 55 in. (91.4 x 139.7 cm)
Nicholas Galanin
Born 1979, Tlingit/Unangax̂
"Galanin’s work engages themes of persistence, power, and survival in the face of settler colonialism and its legacies of institutional racism and collective amnesia. Here, the floor plan of the British Museum is painted over a blue field. Pictograms of baskets, masks, woven hats, weapons, tools, and textiles reference the contested objects held in the museum’s collection, while a red line maps an escape route for these examples of Indigenous cultural production. In many Native cultures, hide paintings relay histories across generations and objects embody lineages; in referencing both, Galanin is proposing a getaway plan for his ancestors."
I think that White people, especially White trans people, who want to talk about Black Feminists should actually study the racialized nature of gender. The way that manhood and womanhood are denied and hyperapplied to People of Color and those of racialized ethnicities.
The way that East Asian men are emasculated and denied manhood, the way East Asian women are objectified and hyper sexualized, the way that Black men are hyper sexualized and hyper masculinized, the way Black women are also uniquely hyper sexualized and hyper masculinized, the way that SE Asian men are seen as dirty sexual predators, the way SE Asian women are fetishized and treated as oriental decoration, the way Indigenous men are completely denied manhood and gender as an extension of personhood, the way Indigenous women are stolen and silenced, the way ethnically Jewish men are seen as impotent non-humans, the way Jewish women are treated as monstrous and abrasive, it goes on it goes on.
These are unique positions that people of these demographics experience at the intersections of their races and genders that are not experienced by white gender conformity.
It's like a bare minimum anti-racist feminist understanding of gender and its use as a tool of white supremacy that is required if you are White and are going to start throwing around the names of Black Feminists I think.
i would like to add on a little “footnote” if you will (as a native person who engages in native community discourse), with no aim at critiquing the above post, but rather add supplemental information:
- the missing and murdered movement has pivoted towards using more inclusive language (missing and murdered indigenous people) as all of us are affected and it is not just our women who are stolen and exploited; our 2spirits, our men, and our children are all vulnerable.
- if you are speaking on a global scale, id just like to note that “indigenous” is a category beyond just native people of turtle island (who are already so so varied!)— indigenous can refer to anyone from ainu to !kung to saami to cree, whathaveyou.
beyond that, some further reading that readers of this post might appreciate to better educate themselves on issues of indigenous peoples of turtle island
Guys, it got so much freaking worse. KOSA is bad, but SCREEN is even worse, somehow.
Text for S.737 - 119th Congress (2025-2026): SCREEN Act
"Sen. Mike Lee has introduced the SCREEN ACT, a bill that applies the "harmful to minors" standard used to ban LGBTQ+ books and resources in schools and libraries and apply it nationally to the internet.
Any site that has any amount of material "harmful to minors" would be forced to employ surveillance tech (biometric scans, ID uploads, background checks) to prevent minors from accessing "pornography."
You will not be surprised to learn that this is backed by the Heritage Foundation.
Unlike some of the state age-verification laws, many of which are being challenged in court, SC will be enforced by the FTC, which has the ability to levy fines, raid business and freeze bank accounts. Yes, meaning that even non-for-profits like Ao3 will suffer.
This is something for all US users to keep on their radar. Call your reps, call your senators, and spread the word to protect our archive!"
- When talking with Republicans play up the fact that this would force Elon to implement age verification systems on X (yes do call it X during the call). Elon's been threatening to primary Republicans who stand in his way so there's fear of him. Also play up concerns about "Liberals" doxxing people or Chinese hackers.
- When talking with Democrats, play up the connections to Project 2025 and suggest voters will not be happy to see Democrats siding with it.
Shelley Moore Capito, West Virginia - Phone: (202) 224-6472
Cynthia Lummis, Wyoming - Phone: (202) 224-3424
Democrats:
Maria Cantwell, Washington (Ranking Member) - Phone: (202) 224-3441
Amy Klobuchar, Minnesota - Phone: (202) 224-3244
Brian Schatz, Hawaii - Phone: (202) 224-3934
Ed Markey, Massachusetts - Phone: (202) 224-2742
Gary Peters, Michigan - Phone: (202) 224-6221
Tammy Baldwin, Wisconsin - Phone: (202) 224-5653
Tammy Duckworth, Illinois - Phone: (202) 224-2854
Jacky Rosen, Nevada - Phone: (202) 224-6244
Ben Ray Luján, New Mexico - Phone: (202) 224-6621
John Hickenlooper, Colorado - Phone: (202) 224-5941
John Fetterman, Pennsylvania - Phone: (202) 224-4254
Andy Kim, New Jersey - Phone: (202) 224-4744
Lisa Blunt Rochester, Delaware - Phone: (202) 224-2441
SCRIPT
Hi, my name is [], and I am one of Senator []’s constituents. I live in [city, zip code - leave your full address if leaving a voicemail].
I am calling in regards to a bill that was recently introduced in the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transport: the SCREEN act.
I am asking Senator [] to either take no action or vote against this bill because of its implications for freedom of speech. [insert one of the other concerns listed above]. Thank you for your time and for listening to my concerns.
