I don’t like to be political on this page since I’m trying to stay professional, but my existence is political so here we go.
If you support Trump, unfollow me. I’m over it and don’t give a fuck. You don’t deserve to consume my content while not seeing me as a human being.
I am a queer Indigenous person. He wants me and my family forced onto the Reservation of our Nation for the CRIME of being registered. For the CRIME of acknowledging our ancestors and our families. He doesn’t want me or my family to be able to go to school or work off of that Reservation. Rights Indigenous Peoples have gotten in the last few DECADES (dancing our traditional dances, our religious practices, speaking our own fucking languages), he wants to take away. Trump fucking posted the National Guard outside of Reservations during COVID to prevent my people from getting medical care. Instead of medicine or help, he sent BODY BAGS. He was President and he let his own people die because of where they lived.
Don’t get me started on all the other ways he wants me dead. I have medical issues where it would be easy for me to die during pregnancy. I shouldn’t be allowed to love another adult because of our sex. I shouldn’t be allowed to work , have children or own anything because technically I’m disabled.
He is a convicted felon. If he can’t vote, he shouldn’t be President. If you are even considering voting for him, unfollow me, because you don’t see me as a person. I would rather never make another cent off my writing than have people that think my death and my rights being stripped away is a fair trade for another old White Supremacist to be in office pay me.
In recognition of Indigenous Peoples' Day, we are highlighting Speaking with Light (Radius Books and Amon Carter Museum of American Art, 2022) curated by Will Wilson and John Rohrbach. It accompanies an exhibition of the same name held at the Amon Carter Museum of American Art from October 30, 2022, to January 22, 2023.
This insightful volume brings together contemporary Indigenous photographers who are redefining how their cultures, histories, and communities are seen. Centered on the themes of Survivance, Nation, and Indigenous Visualities, the book illustrates how artists are reclaiming representation and shifting the focus from colonial viewpoints to Indigenous perspectives grounded in community, identity, and connection to the land.
Through striking images and thoughtful essays by leading Indigenous scholars, Speaking with Light explores how photography can express resilience, cultural continuity, and the interdependence between people and the earth. Together, these works reflect the creativity and strength of Indigenous voices in shaping conversations about art, belonging, and the future.
-View more from our Native American Literature Collection
We acknowledge that in Milwaukee we live and work on traditional Potawatomi, Ho-Chunk, and Menominee homelands along the southwest shores of Michigami, part of North America’s largest system of freshwater lakes, where the Milwaukee, Menominee, and Kinnickinnic rivers meet and the people of Wisconsin’s sovereign Anishinaabe, Ho-Chunk, Menominee, Oneida, and Mohican nations remain present.
The achievement is attributed to a decade of collaborative efforts with the government, Wildlife Conservation Society, and local communities
"Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo has a lot to celebrate.
The park, which celebrated its 30th anniversary on December 31 of 2023, also shared an exciting conservation milestone: 2023 was the first year without any elephant poaching detected.
“We didn’t detect any elephants killed in the Park this year, a first for the Park since [we] began collecting data. This success comes after nearly a decade of concerted efforts to protect forest elephants from armed poaching in the Park,” Ben Evans, the Park’s management unit director, said in a press release.
Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park was developed by the government of Congo in 1993 to maintain biodiversity conservation in the region, and since 2014, has been cared for through a public-private partnership between Congo’s Ministry of Forest Economy and the Wildlife Conservation Society.
Pictured: Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park. Photo courtesy of Scott Ramsay/Wildlife Conservation Society
Evans credits the ongoing collaboration with this milestone, as the MEF and WCS have helped address escalating threats to wildlife in the region.
This specifically includes investments in the ranger force, which has increased training and self-defense capabilities, making the force more effective in upholding the law — and the rights of humans and animals.
“Thanks to the strengthening of our anti-poaching teams and new communication technologies, we have been able to reduce poaching considerably,” Max Mviri, a park warden for the Congolese government, said in a video for the Park’s anniversary.
“Today, we have more than 90 eco-guards, all of whom have received extensive training and undergo refresher courses,” Mviri continued. “What makes a difference is that 90% of our eco-guards come from villages close to the Park. This gives them extra motivation, as they are protecting their forest.”
As other threats such as logging and road infrastructure development impact the area’s wildlife, the Park’s partnerships with local communities and Indigenous populations in the neighboring villages of Bomassa and Makao are increasingly vital.
“We’ve seen great changes, great progress. We’ve seen the abundance of elephants, large mammals in the village,” Gabriel Mobolambi, chief of Bomassa village, said in the same video. “And also on our side, we benefit from conservation.”
Coinciding with the Park’s anniversary is the roll-out of a tourism-focused website, aiming to generate 15% of its revenue from visitors, which contributes significantly to the local economy...
Nouabalé-Ndoki also recently became the world’s first certified Gorilla Friendly National Park, ensuring best practices are in place for all gorilla-related operations, from tourism to research.
But gorillas and elephants — of which there are over 2,000 and 3,000, respectively — aren’t the only species visitors can admire in the 4,334-square-kilometer protected area.
The Park is also home to large populations of mammals such as chimpanzees and bongos, as well as a diverse range of reptiles, birds, and insects. For the flora fans, Nouabalé-Ndoki also boasts a century-old mahogany tree, and a massive forest of large-diameter trees.
Beyond the beauty of the Park, these tourism opportunities pave the way for major developments for local communities.
“The Park has created long-term jobs, which are rare in the region, and has brought substantial benefits to neighboring communities. Tourism is also emerging as a promising avenue for economic growth,” Mobolambi, the chief of Bomassa village, said in a press release.
The Park and its partners also work to provide education, health centers, agricultural opportunities, and access to clean water, as well, helping to create a safe environment for the people who share the land with these protected animals.
In fact, the Makao and Bomassa health centers receive up to 250 patients a month, and Nouabalé-Ndoki provides continuous access to primary education for nearly 300 students in neighboring villages.
It is this intersectional approach that maintains a mutual respect between humans and wildlife and encourages the investment in conservation programs, which lead to successes like 2023’s poaching-free milestone...
Evans, of the Park’s management, added in the anniversary video: “Thanks to the trust that has been built up between all those involved in conservation, we know that Nouabalé-Ndoki will remain a crucial refuge for wildlife for the generations to come.”"
how old is taniel supposed to be? between duties to the tribe — watching and making sure the military base don’t dig too close to the pillars — and working and helping out his aunty rose at the thrift store, we don’t see him in school.
would it be okay to ask if there would be there’s a school in derry, mainly for the shokopiwah tribe to teach the true histories? even based on the extras I didn’t see any indigenous students. but considering the towns racist and colonial history, i’d imagine that they’d unfortunately be forced to go to school with the rest of the town. but then again we saw the elders of the tribe pass stories down during meetings.
i know the actor, joshua is 24, but i would presume he’s playing 18+ to early 20s.
The Brazilian Senate has just approved Bill 2159/2021, dubbed the “Devastation Bill” — we still have margin to halt it!
I'll be succinct.
It's a severe blow to not only the Constitution but to the environmental future of Brazil and the world entire.
We have until 8 August to act — just two days left to sign the petition here:
SIGN THE FUCK OUT OF THIS PETITION AND SHARE IT FAR AND WIDE
Article 225 of the Brazilian Constitution is clear:
Everyone has the right to an ecologically balanced environment.
This right — essential to a healthy quality of life — cannot be trampled for the economic interests of the few.
This Bill:
Legalises “self-licensing” for medium-impact projects, bypassing proper technical environmental assessments;
Allows political bodies with no environmental expertise to approve high-risk projects;
Excludes Indigenous and traditional communities from decision-making, in violation of ILO Convention 169;
Completely ignores the climate crisis, even as Brazil prepares to host COP30;
Undermines the Paris Agreement, paving the way for new environmental disasters, like the Mariana dam collapse.
According to the Instituto Socioambiental (ISA) and the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG):
The Ferrogrão railway project between Mato Grosso and Pará alone could cause the loss of 53,000 km² of Amazon rainforest by 2030 — an area the size of Croatia.
Paving the BR‑319 highway could result in up to 9,400 km² of deforestation per year, adding up to 170,000 km² by 2050. All of this would be worsened by the removal of the technical environmental checks currently required by law.
Now: President Lula still has the power to veto Bill 2159/2021.
His decision will be crucial, not just for the future of the Amazon and traditional peoples, which, arguably, are the most important factor, but for Brazil’s climate commitments on the global stage.
"This site is a multigenerational home for the Indigenous peoples of Florida, and it is not the home of a harmful and unnecessary prison." -
Friends of the Everglades
MASTERLIST - list of victims, ways to help, construction timeline, frequent updates, COMMUNITY CARAVAN
Source
“Alligator Alcatraz” is an immigrant detention center being built illegally in the Big Cypress Preserve of the Florida Everglades to house 5,000 people in tents in summer, with plans to use alligators and snakes as opposed to walls and buildings as a deterrent to the people being kidnapped, trafficked, and contained.
“State authorities project that the center will be operational at the beginning of July, with an initial capacity of at least 1,000 detainees and a gradual expansion thereafter”
As of 6/26: Construction has already started and has been connected to LOGISTIC EVENT CORPS and US TENT RENTAL. FL National Guard and Highway Patrol have been sent to “secure the perimeter and entry points of Alligator Alcatraz”. Homeland Security is largely funding it with FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) using its Shelter and Service Program, which usually allocates money to governments and nonprofits to “provide migrants with temporary shelter, food and transportation”.
There are 15 Miccosukee and Seminole villages in Big Cypress, which also supplies 40% of their drinking water, but the tribes WERE NOT CONSULTED and EXPLICITLY OPPOSE construction.
The Mayor of Miami is opposing construction until environmental impact assessments are done and is reportedly considering legal action
“Levine Cava also reported that the state of Florida offered only 20 million dollars for the property, while its most recent appraisal exceeds 190 million”
DeSantis has claimed the project has zero environmental impacts, which has been vehemently denied by environmentalists:
"There will be impact because sewage will be generated, water will be used, and it will create light pollution affecting the habitat” - Eve Samples, Executive Director of Friends of the Everglades
“She also contends the state failed to follow proper procedure by skipping a required environmental review before building a federal facility. Samples raised additional alarm over the threat to endangered species, noting that Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) maps show panthers living in the area.”
“In addition to the criticisms of the immigration plan itself, construction in this region -considered ecologically sensitive- could cause irreversible damage to the ecosystem of the Everglades, one of the most important natural reserves in the United States.” [x]
In 1969, Marjory Stoneman Douglas founded Friends of the Everglades to stop construction in the same location based on the findings of the 1st ever environmental impact study done in FL and was successful
"Development of the proposed jetport and its attendant facilities will lead to land drainage and development for agriculture, transportation, and services in the Big Cypress Swamp which will inexorably destroy the south Florida ecosystem and thus the Everglades National Park."
US President Ford established Big Cypress National Preserve in 1974 In order to “assure the preservation, conservation, and protection of the natural, scenic, hydrologic, floral and faunal, and recreational values of the Big Cypress Watershed”
Call Scripts:
Use these exactly, or use pieces, or base your own message on them - as long as you contact ASAP
Friends of the Everglades: “Dear Gov. DeSantis and Attorney General Uthmeier, Don’t make the same mistake Florida avoided 55 years ago. I’m urging you to STOP the reckless plan to build an “Alligator Alcatraz” detention center in the heart of the Everglades. This land is critical to the future of the Everglades — that’s why thousands of Floridians joined forces to stop the Everglades Jetport from paving over this very ground in 1970. Now Attorney General Uthmeier wants to do what even President Nixon’s administration knew was wrong: open the door to development in one of America’s most fragile and iconic ecosystems, surrounded by Everglades National Park and Big Cypress National Preserve. You have the power to stop this anti-Everglades proposal, and I’m calling on you to use it. NO AIRPORTS. NO ROCK MINES. NO PRISONS on this land. ONLY EVERGLADES! Sincerely, [your info here]”
Jessica Namath: “My name is (name] and I'm calling to ask that you help protect our nation's FIRST National Preserve - Big Cypress - and stop "Alligator Alcatraz". The Everglades are no place for ANY 1,000 person facility. The infrastructure can't support it, and the impacts to the indigenous community and ecosystem would be catastrophic. Please oppose this terrible idea!”
Sierra Club FL Chapter: “Dear Governor DeSantis - You have repeatedly claimed to be a defender of the Everglades. Now is the moment to back up those words with action. The proposed “Alligator Alcatraz” ICE facility would devastate a vital part of the Everglades — undoing decades of restoration progress and wasting billions of taxpayer dollars already invested in protecting this unique ecosystem. This project threatens to destroy the very heart of the River of Grass, undermining the hard work of generations of advocates and scientists dedicated to restoring Florida’s natural heritage. I urge you to listen to the thousands of Floridians who stand against this plan. Show real leadership by rejecting this harmful project and fully committing to protecting and restoring the Everglades for future generations. The time to act is now. Stop Alligator Alcatraz, and stand by your promise to protect the Everglades. Sincerely, [your info here]”
Friends of the Everglades provide this to contact DeSantis and Uthmeier. You can also email DeSantis through his website, or use the contact info below:
DeSantis Mailing Address: The Capitol / 400 South Monroe St. / Tallahassee, FL 32399-0001 | DeSantis Phone: (850)717-9337 or (850)488-7146
Uthmeier Mailing Address: Office of the Attorney General / State of Florida /!PL-01, The Capitol / Tallahassee, FL 32399-1050 | Uthmeier Phone: (866)966-7226
Call the companies involved and confront their complicity, demanding they stop their service
US Tent Rental (Sarasota, FL): (941)727-3311
Logistics Event Corps (SweetWater, FL): (305)232-8368
BTW DeSantis has already said he wants to build another detention center at Camp Blanding, 30 miles West of Jacksonville, in Northeast FL
Art can entertain the world — but it can also defend culture and identity.
For decades, Ofelia Medina has done both.
Born in Mérida, Ofelia Medina became one of Mexico’s most respected actresses, appearing in films, television, and theater across Latin America and beyond. Her talent brought powerful stories to life, including her unforgettable portrayal of Frida Kahlo in the film Frida, naturaleza viva.
But Medina’s legacy extends far beyond the screen.
While many know her for her artistic achievements, she has also spent decades standing alongside Indigenous communities across Mexico, advocating for cultural preservation, environmental protection, and Indigenous rights.
Through cultural projects and social initiatives, she has worked to support Indigenous languages, traditions, and the protection of ancestral lands — helping ensure that the voices and heritage of these communities are heard and respected.
Her journey reminds us that artists can do more than perform.
They can tell stories that honor history, defend culture, and inspire future generations.
Ofelia Medina represents a powerful truth about Mexican heritage:
Culture is strength.
Tradition is identity.
And protecting heritage is a responsibility shared by every generation.
From cinema screens to community work, her life shows how art and activism can come together to celebrate and protect the rich diversity of Mexico.
Because culture lives not only in museums or history books —
it lives in the people who choose to protect it.
