Consider this . . .

HoNORing First Peoples - November 2020

Although these days we are flooded with bizarre new predicaments and scenarios, some priorities persist from year to year. November is Native National Heritage Month. November is also widely celebrated in our broader American culture as the time of giving thanks and gathering with loved ones for a meal featuring great abundance of sustenance and spirit.

Thanksgiving is personally meaningful to me as it was one of my father’s favorite days and feels especially important given his death earlier this year. This holiday has also been a complicated day to mark given the pain and disgrace underlining a chapter of genocidal behavior, notoriously misrepresented as a time of white immigrants honoring and appreciating native peoples. Although the cruelty and ignorance of these immigrants do not wholly define the roots of our country, it is extremely important to acknowledge as a part of our nation’s broad origin story and the history of our beloved community. Toward that end, I have included a link to an overview of other ways to honor this day that also align with all my father taught me about speaking truth, even when it’s difficult to digest.

https://www.culturalsurvival.org/news/9-ways-decolonize-and-honor-native-peoples-thanksgiving

your money, your values

If you love to shop or simply find it especially important this year to convey your connection to someone remotely through gift-giving, consider where you spend your wealth, be it limited or abundant.

As you may know, some of the popular sources of great online deals are rife with controversy or clearly known for exploiting hardworking employees, entrepreneurs, or artists. Like so many of us, I am often taken by the promise of great savings and certainly have been known to purchase a number of items for my family at a deeply discounted price from less than savory sources, yet as my identity solidifies and online purchases become more the norm and less the exception, I find myself more invested in where I place my earnings. Of course I may not be able to buy an indoor trampoline for my highly energetic 3 year-old from a Saturday Market artisan but there are many special and practical purchases I can make more mindfully this year.

In addition to generally exploring ways of safely shopping local makers, artisans, kitchens, and business teams, consider the following online options for aligning your values with your purchases.

International Independent Artists Shop

https://www.redbubble.com/about

Cultural Survival Indigenous Shop Access

https://cultural-survival.square.site/

https://bazaar.culturalsurvival.org/

https://bazaar.culturalsurvival.org/winter-2020-cultural-survival-bazaars

Buy Native Shop List

http://www.beyondbuckskin.com/p/buy-native.html

Coming Soon

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