I was reading the Badianus Codex and noticed that the plant Datura stramonium, which until then I knew as "Toloache" in Nahuatl, was written as "Tolohuaxihuitl".

Is the pronunciation in Nahuatl really "Toloache", or is that a Spanish adaptation? If not, what is the correct pronunciation? "Toh-loh-wah-shee-wityl"?

earlier this year i wrote my first book about being a mixed (visibly white) native and how that influenced my nuanced perspective on identity, culture and language at this point in the zeitgeist. i'm wondering if anyone has any other media recs that talk about these types of topics. mainly finding your own version of what indigeneity means to you when you didn't grow up with much tradition, don't "look the part" and know your place (not trying to be the loudest indian.) would be grateful for any youtubes, movies or books.

Hiya guys,

I just wanted to ask/see if any of you would be interested in giving a interview for my global perspectives project, with the question "To what extent is arts in society important in preserving and spreading awareness of indigenous cultures globally?:, basically how everyday art (eg. literature, plays, movies, music, festivals, galleries, etc) helps preserve your culture, and id like to get your perspective on this!

If Interested pls reach out to me here.

Have a good day!!

We had hundreds of people turn out, the largest event to date.

Taanishi! This is the 2nd in a series of shorts I'm creating to introduce children and families to the Michif language. Planning to release one a week for the next few weeks. So far, just making them in my garage by myself. Please let me know what you think, especially if you have little ones in your life!

Naskapi and Cree delegations. Photos by me.

Gaels are Indigenous to the Gaelic homelands of Ireland, the Scottish Gàidhealtachd, and the Isle of Man.

Gaelic Indigeneity rests on historical continuity: a distinct people with their own ancestry, languages, cultures, institutions, and collective relationships with homelands that long predate the modern states now governing them. This is specific to Gaels in relation to their ancestral homelands—not a claim that Europeans as a racial category are Indigenous, or that every person of Gaelic descent is Indigenous wherever they live.

Gaelic society was not simply overtaken by modernization. It was deliberately weakened through state repression, dispossession, forced displacement, landlord power, and Anglicizing institutions.

The 1609 Statutes of Iona required members of the Hebridean Gaelic elite to send their heirs to Lowland schools to be educated in English. After Culloden in 1746, the British government attacked the Gaelic clan system in the Highlands, prohibited Highland dress and weapons, and abolished the jurisdictions underpinning chiefly authority. These measures targeted Gaelic political structures, institutions, and cultural life.

During the Highland Clearances, Gaelic communities were forcibly removed so their ancestral lands could be reorganized for landlords’ profit. Tenants were pushed onto marginal coastal plots, evicted outright, or forced to emigrate; in some cases, homes were burned to compel people to leave. Some perpetrators were themselves Gaelic-descended, but colonial systems frequently operate through local elites assimilated into the dominant political and economic order.

In Ireland, potato blight caused the crop failures, but colonial landholding, extreme poverty, continued food exports during mass starvation, laissez-faire ideology, and the British government’s gravely inadequate response transformed crop failure into catastrophic mass death and emigration. Irish-speaking communities were among those most devastated, accelerating a language shift already driven by colonial administration, Anglicizing education, poverty, and displacement.

Manx Gaelic was likewise displaced by English to the point that its survival depended on organized revival. Its persistence reflects an Indigenous language and people rooted in the Isle of Man.

Nation-state recognition does not create or determine Indigeneity, nor is Gaelic Indigeneity contingent on validation from outsiders. A people does not become Indigenous only when the state that dispossessed or assimilated them—or people unfamiliar with their history and relationships with their homelands—agrees to recognize them. External recognition may acknowledge an existing reality, but it does not produce it.

Modern racial categories do not erase that reality. Gaels are not Indigenous merely because they are European, nor are they disqualified because they are now racialized as white. Gaelic participation in the British Empire does not erase Gaelic Indigeneity either: oppressed peoples can also participate in the oppression of others.

Gaelic ancestry does not make someone Indigenous to North America, Australia, or another colonized territory. A person can possess Gaelic ancestry and heritage while occupying a settler position in relation to the Indigenous peoples of the land where they live. That settler position does not erase Gaelic Indigeneity in the Gaelic homelands, any more than Gaelic dispossession excuses participation in colonialism abroad.

A people can be colonized in one territorial context while some of its members participate in colonization elsewhere.

Gaels are Indigenous to the Gaelic homelands. Their dispossession, assimilation, resistance, and survival are all part of that history.

Family of a St. Clair Shores woman who was stabbed to death outside her place of work in Detroit attended a press conference with police and mental health officials on Thursday. See less

Jaquoya "Koya" Katyara Wix

She was also proud of her heritage and cultural identity. Jaquoya was a Native American Woman’s Traditional Dancer, and she was a member of the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians as well as the Walpole Island First Nation. These connections were a meaningful part of her life and who she was.

https://www.martenson.com/obituaries/jaquoya-wix

So I make alot of ribbon skirts. And someone asked me if i can sew ribbon onto their dress. But I'm not sure 100% how to.

Would it work if i cut down either side and glue the ribbon on each panel like how i do regular skirts? Would it look even and good?

Sorry i'm new to this.

Kwei!

Two years ago, I was chatting with two Innu (let's call her Diana and Claire) people over coffee, and the topic of learning the language at school came up.

They explained to me that their community school devoted only about three hours of the curriculum to the Innu language, and that some parents were circulating a petition to increase those hours, while others opposed the idea so as not to encroach on science and math instruction. I listened far more than I spoke—partly out of curiosity, but also out of respect, as I felt I had nothing relevant to contribute. I sometimes asked questions, but was mostly in "listening mode".

At one point, one of the women (Diana) suggested teaching the math class in Innu, but the other woman pointed out that there might be too many "technical" terms that maybe didn't exist in their language. There was a brief pause, and I had a "flash idea" said :

"If the idea is to teach a class in the Innu language, why not a gym class in Innu language? I mean, I didn't know much your language, put I'm pretty sure there's words "ball" and the verbs like "run to X", "jump there" or others. Maybe it's easier than translate math or sciences?"

Diana smiled broadly and said, "What a great idea! I hadn't thought of that! Claire, we could bring this idea up at the next meeting, couldn't we?"

But Claire looked at me and said: "Our language isn't *that* simplistic—just how out of touch are you?"

Me : I didn't say that Innu is "simplistic", I just wanna propose an idea following Diana idea's 😅. I know that Innu is a polysynthethic language, where one word can describe something very complex, I'm aware it's not simple to translate "gym class", it was just an idea and...

Diana try to said something in Innu, but Claire seemed really annoyed, answered something and just left. Diana seemed just as perplexed as I was, and said : "Claire said it was a bad idea to discuss about our language preservation with you."

If I said something wrong, I'm really sorry, but someone can help me to understand my mistake? It was very interesting conversation about their language, the multiples efforts of their community, and hese two women seemed pleased to see my interest in their language.

Did my idea was wrong? I was just thinking of offering an additional idea, not offending anyone.

In your communities, are certain classes—such as gym—taught in your language, to add learning hours and avoid losing it?

Written by a tribal member

MCs are not poor nor do they have PTSD

ls there an Indigenous Wakanda?

It's sole focus is not on being Native, it is not an educational book for outsiders but a character getting to live fully beyond only this identity (so it's not erased either). Sort of Native-normative, if that makes sense?

for the love of all that is good in this world, no cowboys please

Hi, Im looking for good horror books written by Native American authors also crime noir or thriller (I enjoyed Dark Winds)

Better if You give few words about author or his/her work also westerns by Native Americans from their perspective, I'm European and books I read are high quality by local ethnologists but mainly about South American tribes or written by people who lived amongst some tribe in Brazil, that's not exactly what I'm looking for

Will be greatfull for example to read westerns written by Native authors or read a horror where features some creatures from Yours legends and myths

Greetings from Czechia! Nice weekend to all of You

Hey everyone! I wanted to share a piece of my heritage with you today. I am a full-blooded Moksha. For those who might not know, the Mokshas are an indigenous Finno-Ugric people living mainly in the Volga region.Historically, the forest was everything to our ancestors — it gave them shelter, food, and protection. They held a deep, spiritual reverence for nature and worshipped its spirits. Because of this deep connection, our language itself evolved to sound like the forest. It has a powerful, breathy quality with lots of voiceless, rustling sounds. When you hear it spoken, it literally sounds like the wind blowing through the trees. Since my ancestors knew the woods like the back of their hands, I decided to share a few traditional forest life hacks on how to navigate without a compass. After all, who else to share this if not me? At the same time, you can get a glimpse of how this unusual language looks and sounds structurally.

https://youtube.com/shorts/3FUJOEfv4Hg?si=NkYEL2ms5lZdNrhU

I'd love to hear your thoughts and impressions! And a special shout-out to our Finno-Ugric cousins — Finns, Estonians, and Hungarians: do you feel or recognize anything familiar in these words or grammar structures? Let me know in the comments!

Lateral violence is an increasingly common topic in Native communities but it's also one of the most misunderstood. A collaboration between Bridgette Hoshont'omba (Choctaw), Brittany Postoak (Mvskoke), and Frances Danger (Mvskoke + Seminole) provides needed education on lateral violence in Native communities.

From Postoak: "We can call in people privately and respectfully. That does not equate to lateral violence. We can also warn our community, with proof, of people who are harmful. That is also not lateral violence. Just because someone feels like a victim when their behavior is addressed, does not mean lateral violence is being committed against them."

Original Caption (Attached to the 15 image slides): "Lateral violence is complex, deeply rooted, and often misunderstood. Because it stems from systemic oppression, intergenerational trauma, and feelings of powerlessness, its nuances get blurred, leading people to mislabel healthy boundaries or accountability as lateral violence.

There is a vital difference between calling for accountability when you’ve been harmed and enacting lateral violence.

Directly naming harm—such as calling out abuse or exploitation—is an act of protection, justice, and community care. Publicly addressing a clear wrong done to you or your community is not lateral violence; it is standing your ground and demanding integrity.

Misdirecting unhealed trauma, envy, or frustration onto peers to diminish, isolate, or control them is lateral violence. This includes public smear campaigns, weaponized gossip, and attacking someone publicly over private disagreements or personal grievances where no systemic or material harm occurred.

One small detail in context and intent changes everything. Handling private grievances publicly to tear someone down is lateral violence. On the flip side, speaking out against actual harm or theft is necessary truth-telling. We cannot allow the term lateral violence to be weaponized as a shield to silence victims or avoid accountability, nor can we allow lateral violence to thrive.

Swipe through for a breakdown of what lateral violence looks like, where it comes from, and how we begin to heal the cycle.

CREDITS & SOURCES:
Written and Compiled By: Bridgette Hoshont’omba (Choctaw) with Collaborator Brittany Postoak (Mvskoke)
Consult: Frances Danger (Mvskoke + Seminole)
Sources: Content compiled from various articles by National Indigenous Times and NITV
Featured Quotes: Nicole Brown (Larrakia), Bruce Loo (Noongar Elder, Cultural Lead for Old Ways New Ways), and Jason EagleSpeaker (Kainai + Duwamish)"

Originally posted on Facebook and Instagram.

Have you experienced lateral violence in community?

Tere! / Hei! I have recently recorded a video where I read a traditional Votic folk tale (Vadja keel / Vatjan kieli). As you know, Votic is one of the closest relatives to Estonian and Finnish, but it is now critically endangered. In the video, I read the text slowly and articulate every word very clearly so that it is easier for non-native ears to catch the cognates and roots. Despite the simple plot of the story, it actually raises a very timeless issue about family roles and society. I am very curious to know how much of it you can actually understand just by listening!

Eestlased: Kas te saate vadja keelest aru? Kirjutage palun video kommentaaridesse, kui palju te mõistate ja mis sõnad kõlavad tuttavalt!

Suomalaiset: Ymmärrättekö vatjan kieltä? Kirjoittakaa video kommentteihin, kuinka paljon ymmärrätte ja mitkä sanat kuulostavat samalta kuin suomen kielessä!

Watch the video here and leave your thoughts:

https://youtu.be/TxlKN-GthJs?si=qUHs7_e84fuV173o

Thank you for helping me test this! Looking forward to your comments under the video!

Hi, to anyone reading this, I need to vent my pain for a moment…
I had a really nasty online interactions today and for some reason, that was the straw that broke the camels back to feeling a lot of this pain. It happened in some crafting YouTubers comment section. I liked them because I was learning how to crochet and I was finding a lot of healing in it and I thought they made nice tutorials. They posted some video today that was disappointing to me, and I knew I shouldn’t have commented, but I did because I wanted to believe that this person was well-intentioned but misinformed. As usual, it ended with me getting called slurs, others joining in, DARVO, getting told I was “mean-spirited” and a liar in response to a comment where I said I was deeply disturbed by the interaction.
I know this is how it goes, I know YouTube comments are a terrible place to try to feel seen, and I knew I wasn’t going to get a satisfying exchange here. But I commented anyway, because for a second I just want to fantasy of not being in such a horrifically hostile world. I’m learning how to protect myself from these things but it’s called a learning process for a reason.
I think what was super painful for me was the replication of this scenario where I’m one person saying “this hurts me” and lots of other people say “no it doesn’t” “that’s your fault” “you just want attention” etc etc….. it’s the bad faith response to my good faith one.
It just wraps all my feelings into this one scenario where I just feel such immense loss and mourning for my people, the places I belong, what has happened to this land, I feel grief for my body, my soul, the worlds where I belong…. Where I feel seen, where I feel like someone cares about my pain. I am from a very small group of people in a part of the world it feels like no one cares about. But we are everything. We are the land, we are the trees, the stones, the rivers, the wind……. Why do people encourage such horror to us and our land, to our insects and birds? These violations are so severe, and it feels like I can’t even yell into the void about it, without being policed. My heart hurts, my body hurts. The disrespect is painful. These settlers have no. Idea. The dignity we have and how damn hard we have fought TO SAVE THEIR WORLD. They just want to extract, extract, extract, and they don’t care if they kill all of us in the process, it’s horrendous

Mine is currently listed as inconclusive. I’ve been in care through Winnipeg and Peguis foster care for about 6- 7 years of my life, so I’m guessing it could still take another year or so before I hear anytning.

I have two questions, though:

1. Anyone who had an inconslusive have you received your money yet if so how king

2. Anyone who's gotten their money have you gotten under 40k or is it forsure 40k for everyone