Indigenous Solidarity

I am in SURJ Boston, part of the Indigenous Solidarity group and have been for years.

We are learning that our role as descendants of settlers is to listen, learn, and share what we learn from our Indigenous hosts (we are guests on this land of theirs) to support unerasure of their culture and contributions (the opposite of the erasure perpetuated by society's teachings and history lessons). For example, about the genocide of Indigenous people, and what survivors are doing to continue their culture and advocate for their rights. We (including you, dear reader) can help with this unerasure by signing petitions, going to rallies, and sharing what we learn in our personal communities. Below are examples of things we have been doing to support unerasure of Indigenous history, culture, and contributions:

We attended and volunteered at a Pow Wow hosted by NAICOB at Prowse Farm in Canton recently.

This week we attended an Orange Shirt Day rally outside Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Boston, for those who survived Indian residential/boarding schools and those who never came home. Here is a 2 minute YouTube video presentation on Orange Shirt Day by Phyllis Webstad, an Indigenous woman and the creator of Orange Shirt Day. < Please share this widely.

In the Indigenous-Palestinian Solidarity Webinar, From Turtle Island to Palestine: Indigenous Solidarity with Palestinian Resistance, presented by UAINE and NAICOB, we heard about Nakbas happening every day in Palestine with Indigenous people and children there. Everyday Nakba documentary

Call to Remove Racist Stereotyping Native and Himalayan Views
From UAINE: ‘Please sign the petition to get rid of this stereotyped statue of a Plains Native man outside this store in Charlemont, MA. (Don't give any money to the change.org petition site, though.) The tipis need to come down as well since they fit into the stereotype that "All Indians live in tipis," even though Indigenous peoples from this region of course did not do so.’

I am being personally affected by what we learn from our prospective partners. For example, because Mahtowin from UAINE posted on their FB page: “If you are not an Indigenous person and sage is not part of your cultural practices, stop buying it or using it!”, I canceled plans for an upcoming job involving sage and planted some seeds by sharing my experience in this blog and during a recent Action Hour (join me, Wednesdays 6:30-7:30 pm ET), and communicating with a non-Indigenous store owner who sells sage and smudge sticks.

Join us at Indigenous People’s Day Celebration in Newton, Monday, October 10 at Albemarle Park, 11am-6pm. Click here to volunteer!

Please sign the petition above, and watch and share the Orange Shirt Day short video, and take other actions above (and beyond this post). Thank you for joining us to support unerasure of Indigenous history, culture, and contributions.