Native American Community: The Uncensored Native American Community

Hi, I'm new to this community.   My daughter is doing a school project on the Iroquois and although we have found a lot of information online and in books, I was wondering if there is anyone here that could maybe share some other information or tidbits that aren't  so widely known... maybe certain details about traditions, foods, folklore, etc.  Anything would be a great help.  She's really enjoying this project so far. TIA.

• Name? Trisha
  
   
• Age? 28
  
   
• Are you Native? Yes
  
   
• If so, what is your affiliation? Paiute, Shoshone,  Miwok
  
   
• If not, what brings you here? Looking for a Native Group
  
   
• Your "family ties" are in what areas? Nevada, Califorina
  
   
• Did you grow up on a reservation, homestead, etc.? Yes born and raised
  
   
• Do you practice a form or forms of your native culture? Yes everyday 
  
   
• Do you speak/understand your native language? If so which one(s)? Some, its dying fast. Only few speak fluently. I am learning.
  
   
• Your interests and/or anything else you'd like to share? I do beadwork, I make jewlery, and I love being Native! :)

* Name? Jöl.

* Age? Late twenties.

* Are you Native? Aoo' (yes), I am Diné (Navajo).

* If so, what is your affiliation? I am Diné (Navajo). Kin Lichíi'nii nishlí, Tábaahí báshíshchíín, Bit'ahnii dashicheii, Táchii'nii dashinálí. Díí kót'éego Diné ashkii nishlí. - t'áá át'éé nít'éé' baa'alhéé nisin.

* If not, what brings you here? :-)

* Your "family ties" are in what areas? :-)

* Did you grow up on a reservation, homestead, etc.? Yes I did - on the Navajo Nation. Tsé Nitsaa Deez'áhí hoolyéédéé' éí áyisíí naashá.

* Do you practice a form or forms of your native culture? Aoo'.

* Do you speak/understand your native language? If so which one(s)? Aoo'. I can speak Navajo and Apache, and (kinda) understand Hopi.

* Your interests and/or anything else you'd like to share? My passion is living abroad - beyond US boundaries. During university, I studied/lived in Switzerland for 2 years. I am currently living in China, my 3rd consecutive year. I believe living abroad, outside your native country, is indeed educational and inspiring. Everyone should have the opportunity to experience being far from home. It will teach you valuable lessons and take you to magical places. I may be in far distant lands, but I am never far from my heart: Arizona, my parents, and my Diné culture. :-)

Name? Sam
Age? 32, whoa
Are you Native? No
If so, what is your affiliation?
If not, what brings you here? Interested in Native issues.
Your "family ties" are in what areas?
Did you grow up on a reservation, homestead, etc.?
Do you practice a form or forms of your native culture?
Do you speak/understand your native language? If so which one(s)?
Your interests and/or anything else you'd like to share?

I stumbled across this article today and thought it was really interesting;

Tribes buy back America — acres at a time
Purchases to help protect culture, way of life by preserving sacred areas

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34602971/ns/us_news-life/

Stumbled across a website, basically where anyone can contribue stories. Someone decided to write a story about Slavery in Hawaii, posing the question of Hawaii ever had African Slaves.

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/198245/slavery_in_hawaii_did_hawaii_ever_have.html

The article doesn't really focus on that, but the writer decided to outline a timeline regarding Hawaii's kauwa or "servant" class which is always interpreted by westerners as a slave.

I replied pointing out a few things, but one in particular which bothers me whenever people try to cite sources, sometimes they don't get it right. I've seen it before and it happened in this article. The person wrote:

1870 it was published locally, "Today, with the breaking down of class barriers, members of the slave class are indistinguishable from the ruling classes." (Kepelino, 142-147; Kamakau, Ke Au Okoa, November 3, 1870.)

I corrected that person saying that passage actually comes from a book called "Hawaiian Mythology" by Martha Beckwith & even cited the page number. That they quoted only a part of the very first sentence, and in that long paragraph, Beckwith quoted a few words from Kepelino's "Traditions of Hawaii" but that she also cited Samuel M. Kamakau's article which was printed in the newspaper - Ke Au Okoa dated November 3, 1870.

I'm sick & tired of people trying to paint a particular image of Hawaiians. It's really bad when they try to look authentic and credible by citing sources but it's done incorrectly and in most cases, it comes from non-Hawaiians. Apparently a Hawaiian perspective (or any indigenous person for that matter) aren't credible enough, in which sometimes they like to cite academics, but the problem is not all academics may have done their research thoroughly as it was done in this article.

Anyway, below the cut is what I responded with.

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Name? Lyle.

Age? Twenty-one.

Are you Native? Yes.

If so, what is your affiliation? 100% Navajo.

Your "family ties" are in what areas? New Mexico.

Did you grow up on a reservation, homestead, etc.? Yes, I grew up in the heart of the Eastern Navajo Nation agency!

Do you practice a form or forms of your native culture? Sadly no. The culture has been lost in my family.

Do you speak/understand your native language? If so which one(s)? Unfortunately I don't speak it but I can somewhat understand it.

Your interests and/or anything else you'd like to share? Nothing that I can think of at the moment.

Name? Sarah.

Age? 18.

Are you Native? Yep, but I'm also Spanish and White.

If so, what is your affiliation? Blackfoot and Cherokee.

If not, what brings you here?

Your "family ties" are in what areas? I know I have some family in Montana on the reservation, but a lot of my family come from different places.

Did you grow up on a reservation, homestead, etc.? Nope, I grew up in Florida, but I've been to the reservation when I was younger.

Do you practice a form or forms of your native culture? No, that's kind of why I'm here :)

Do you speak/understand your native language? If so which one(s)? A few words in the Siksika dialect, and by few, I mean one or two. Ha-ha.

Your interests and/or anything else you'd like to share? My grandmother wants me to get more in touch with the culture, it's important to her, and I guess I see that it is also important to me too :)

• Name? Temira
• Age? 21
• Are you Native? Yes
• If so, what is your affiliation? Northern Tutchone, Tagish (Both Yukon) and Tahltan (BC)
• If not, what brings you here?
• Your "family ties" are in what areas? Mostly the Yukon,Canada (Pretty much all over) and Northern BC (Telegraph Creek, BC) , possibly a little further down the coast of BC and into Alaska but we're not sure of that yet.
• Did you grow up on a reservation, homestead, etc.? A little over 10 years ago my Nation finalized our final land claims agreement with the government of Canada and we are no longer considered a reservation. So for the first 9 or so years of my life I did live on a Reservation, but not anymore.
• Do you practice a form or forms of your native culture? My culture is my life, native spirituality and a traditional lifestyle is what I was brought up in.
• Do you speak/understand your native language? If so which one(s)? A few words here and there, but I'm working on it.
• Your interests and/or anything else you'd like to share? If you'd like to know more, just message me. I'm always up for a chat.

I wanted to make a post to invite anyone who is interested to a brand new community celebrating indigenous people in the arts! There's a whole generation of amazing artists, actors, musicians, and more who are creating amazing work and doing great things for the Native community and this is a place a friend and I created to celebrate their work and their efforts. The people we feature are primarily from the Americas but we're also going to be discussing aboriginal Australians as well.

We'll be doing a weekly feature where we introduce and give information on a particular artist, actor, musician, etc. We'd love to get some great input because the more variety we can have, the better! So please join us at native_arts.livejournal.com! Thanks and all the best!

Name? Nana.

Age? Going to be 20 in two days.

Are you Native? Sure am.

If so, what is your affiliation? Choctaw. Cherokee. Lakota.

Your "family ties" are in what areas? Mostly Oklahoma, Mississippi, and South Dakota (Pine Ridge).

Did you grow up on a reservation, homestead, etc.? Nope, a small city in Wisconsin.

Do you practice a form or forms of your native culture? A bit of Native spirituality mixed with zen philosophy. I also fancy dance.

Do you speak/understand your native language? If so which one(s)? Unfortunately I don't.

Your interests and/or anything else you'd like to share? Nothing that I can think of at the moment.