Since it’s National Aboriginal Day, I thought I would share a few photos from throughout the years expressing my Native American Identity.
I go by PAM on the internet, but my native name is Morning Glory. This name was given to me by my mother and means “born in the morning to the glory of God.” I am part of the Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape tribe of New Jersey, although I live in Delaware. Ever since I can remember, I’ve been influenced by my heritage and culture growing up. There’s even a picture somewhere of my mom holding me as an infant wearing regalia and little baby moccasins.
This is who I am. I cannot think of who I would be without my native identity. As I struggled with finding my gender identity, I found the terms nonbinary and two-spirit. It was amazing that I found a word for what I was feeling that was directly tied to my identity as a native person (I know I mostly present as feminine, but that’s because I’m not out publicly). My love for my culture drives me every day to do more, to better myself as a social worker, and to be the best representation I can be for my people.
Photos are from 2004, 2010, 2013, 2015, 2017, and 2018.