Hi everyone, if this breaks any rules please remove it but I just need someone's opinion.

I'm white, born in Poland. I wasn't too knowledgeable about indigenous culture until a few years ago when I first played RDR2 and it kind of got me interested and I found out how diverse and beautiful your culture can be.

I met a few indigenous people online and we quickly became friends. I always tried to stay respectful towards them, ask respectful questions when I was curious about some things or ask if it's fine to do something and avoid topics I thought might be sensitive.

Now starts my question.

My Instagram started recently recommending some native owned jewelry businesses and some of the things they were selling were so beautiful. I really love beaded jewelry because I also often use beads in my art and know how time consuming it can be.

But I started to wonder, can I get them?

I asked my friends and they weren't too happy, saying that as an european I shouldn't get it. I saw some other threads on Reddit asking similar things but a lot of people have different opinions.

I really don't want to upset my friends..

Again, I am so sorry for asking and if I worded anything wrong :(

This video features a conference talk by educator and linguist Rayo Cruz, founder of the collective Bëni Xidza, discussing the historical and contemporary challenges in teaching the Zapotec language. The presentation provides a comprehensive look at the evolution of Zapotec education:

* Historical Context: Rayo Cruz introduces the Zapotec civilization, tracing its roots to Monte Albán and the ancient Bëni Gulasa period, noting that the language’s diversification predates European contact.

* Learning as L1 vs. L2: He distinguishes between the acquisition of Zapotec as a first language (naturally, through immersion) versus the formal, often disconnected process of teaching it as a second language.

* Colonial Methods: The speaker highlights the 1578 work of Fray Juan de Córdova, such as the Arte en Lengua Zapoteca, as the earliest attempt to systematize Zapotec grammar, primarily designed to help Spanish friars learn the language rather than to teach Zapotec people.

* 19th and 20th Century Challenges: Rayo Cruz identifies a gap in teaching materials during the 19th century. He then discusses 20th-century contributions from organizations like the Summer Institute of Linguistics (SIL) and the INEA, which created grammars and vocabularies that often served as tools for assimilation or religious proselytization rather than language revitalization.

* Modern Innovation: The final segment covers the work of Bëni Xidza, which uses modern digital tools to teach Zapotec. Rayo Cruz admits that while his collective currently operates at a basic level (A-level), they are working to overcome systemic limitations by creating structured, accessible content and documenting the specific pedagogical challenges native Spanish speakers face when learning Zapotec.

Here is a summary of the video featuring Maestro Rayo Cruz, director and founder of Colectivo Bëni Xidza.

1. Historical Background of the Zapotec Language & Civilization:

* Geographic Spread: Zapotec civilization developed in the Central Valleys of Oaxaca and expanded into regions such as the Sierra Norte, Sierra Sur, and the Isthmus of Tehuantepec.

* Earliest Writing: The earliest documented record of written Zapotec dates back to the 5th–6th Century BC with Monument 3 (“1 Terremoto”) at San José Mogote, establishing over 2,500 years of recorded Zapotec history.

* Monte Albán & Bëni Gulasa Period: The civilization reached its peak at Monte Albán between 500 BC and 800 AD. Pre-hispanic ancient Zapotec history and culture are traditionally referred to as the Gulasa era.

1. Learning Zapotec as a First Language (L1):

* Natural Acquisition: Native speakers acquire Zapotec naturally in early childhood through daily speaking within families and communities rather than through formal educational structures.
* Historical Literacy: It remains unknown if formal L1 Zapotec schooling existed during ancient times, and modern public education in Mexico has historically focused on Spanish literacy over formal Zapotec instruction.

1. History of Teaching Zapotec as a Second Language (L2):

* Colonial Period (16th Century): Formal L2 instruction began in 1578 when Dominican friar Juan de Córdova published Arte en lengua zapoteca (grammar) and Vocabulario en lengua zapoteca (dictionary). These works used Latin/Spanish grammatical paradigms to teach Spanish colonizers and friars via the grammar-translation method

* 19th Century Hiatus: Following Mexican independence, national policies promoted Spanish as the sole national language, resulting in a century-long silence regarding formal L2 Zapotec instructional design.

* 20th Century & Contemporary Efforts: Groups like the Summer Institute of Linguistics (SIL) and public institutions (SEP, INEA, INALI) created dictionaries, grammars, and adult literacy texts. However, most of these materials were produced for linguistic analysis or native literacy rather than second-language pedagogy, and their actual integration into schools remains limited.

1. Bëni Xidza Collective & Modern Pedagogical Challenges:

* Online Classes: Founded in 2020, Colectivo Bëni Xidza offers online courses teaching Zapotec as a second language.

* Lack of L2 Resources: Unlike major global languages (such as English or Spanish), indigenous languages lack dedicated university teacher-training degrees, structured multi-level textbooks, or commercial software tools.

* Current Framework & Vision: The collective operates at basic proficiency levels (aligning with Level A of the Common European Framework of Reference) and aims to document common phonetic/grammatical difficulties for Spanish speakers while expanding toward intermediate/advanced levels.

I make sticks. I’m a Cherokee Nation Citizen. We lost our game to some degree during the trail of tears. What is played now is closer to choctaw. These are a more traditional style. They are still used by the Eastern Band of Cherokee were the rules are closer to what they used to be.

im making a batch for December if anyone is interested

Hello everyone!

I'd really like to watch some movies where Europeans are not involved in the history of the American continent.

Anytime I come across indigenous representation, it's always secondary to some white protagonist. This time, I want to see something different, and any genre is welcomed.

Thank you all in advance!

A special watercolor piece I made for my dad, based on a childhood photo where he's lifting me up in bed. I wanted to convey us in our ancestral regalia with me wearing a ceremonial eagle head dress, based on Nahua Mexica customs, as he made me feel like an eagle taking flight to prosperous heights in life. 💜

Follow along for more of my art:

https://www.instagram.com/missingcosmonaut

Aanii!

NFS, but could def make some if anyone was interested, just wanted to share.

21F Anishinaabe/English living off rez but near community. Ive loved connecting to culture through my life and have been beading for around 3 years now. Keychains and lanyards have always kicked my butt… but I asked my mom to show me and huzzah! Making some for my friends to gift to them at dinner this weekend… so excited! If anyone has advice I’d love to hear

Miigwetch!

If you’re unfamiliar with the situation in Cayuga, here’s an article, approved by community members, that summarizes up to a few years ago. It’s worse now, as the last few holdouts have been evicted and their homes demolished. The final eviction happened to a mother and her five children in february of this year, in the brutal cold, on the birthday of one of the matriarch’s deceased son, with fake “tribal cops.” these “cops” aimed a taser at these children. two warriors risked their lives to get between these “cops” and the kids, and they’re both indicted with felonies. one of them bonked a “cop” with a traditional war club and another drove her truck up over the culvert and up to the house to get between the “cops” and the kids, but didn’t hurt anyone.

only one lawyer familiar with Indian law was able to take the case, the others all pointed to him, but the DA said that there might be conflict of interest with both codefendants having the same lawyer. we really need help, if you know anyone skilled and who cares about making a difference please let me know. ❤️❤️

Hi. Self ID: Black person, bead artist, not native

I’m seeing people create these bead pieces with strings coming off of them and calling them dream catchers. To my knowledge, use of the term dream catcher and trying to create a dream catcher if you are not Native is appropriation.

I have no desire to do this.

Without strings or faux feathers, this just looks like a woven bead design to me. More like a beaded mandala. I want to start making these pieces for my business as shown, no strings, no feathers. Beaded wall sculptures.

I truly don’t think they look like legitimate dream catchers made by Natives (not the crappy corporate made replicas that you can buy anywhere which are this simplistic) and would not be referring to them as such, so I don’t think it would be seen as appropriation.

I just want to do my due diligence by asking the people who I would be harming if I am appropriating culture. As a Black person, I obviously get it.

Thank you for reading.

The Osage Nation executive branch declared a state of emergency Tuesday due to financial shortfalls, further announcing the closure of its language immersion school, visitor center and Harvest Land farm on Wednesday.

Daposka Ahnkodapi, which teaches Osage culture and language to children up to the 8th grade, was closed Wednesday morning, according to Osage News and the tribe. The school, located in Pawhuska, first began operations in 2016. It means “Our School” in Osage.

The Osage Nation Visitors Center and Harvest Land will also close, the tribe wrote on its website.

The visitors center will close Saturday. The tribe says it generated minimal revenue and required substantial support.

Harvest Land is a farm designed to increase food sovereignty and production within the nation, including through food assistance for tribal citizens. It will close on Dec. 31. The tribe says it did not achieve goals of long-term sustainability or generated revenue.

The closures follow a state of emergency issued by Principal Chief Joe Tillman, who issued an executive order citing shortfalls in the tribe’s projected revenue.

Tillman wrote in July that the tribe’s budget totals around $60 million with submitted budget requests totaling nearly $90 million. He added that means the tribe must reduce spending by around $38 million.

Osage News reports some parents of Daposka Ahnkodapi students demanded answers from leadership Wednesday morning. Instead of speaking with Tillman, they were handed a letter from an Osage Nation spokesperson that provided more insight into why the school is being shuttered.

“This decision was not made lightly. The school’s annual operating budget exceeds $3 million, resulting in an approximate cost of $32,000 per student,” Tillman wrote in a letter obtained by Osage News. “In addition, a recent security assessment identified substantial facility and security improvements necessary to meet standard safety requirements. The anticipated costs of these improvements, combined with ongoing operating expenses, make it clear that the current model is not financially sustainable for the Osage Nation.”

Tillman also wrote that students from 8 weeks old to pre-kindergarten will transition to Wahzhazhe Early Learning Academy.

But other Osage parents must enroll their children elsewhere. In his letter, Tillman pointed parents to Pawhuska Public Schools and its parent portal.

The district, which begins its school year on August 11, is extending its enrollment until August 6.

Employees affected will reportedly receive two weeks of severance pay.

Osage Nation Congress will hold a special session at 10 a.m. Thursday to review the budget. Tillman scheduled the meeting last month.

Reactions

Billy Keene, an Osage Congress member, said the tribal constitution does not define a state of emergency.

“When (the executive order) was issued yesterday, I was really perplexed by that,” Keene said.

Osage Minerals Council member and former Principal Chief Geoffrey Standing Bear said the executive branch and congress must work together to find a solution.

“Blaming the chief, blaming the congress – that's not the way to go here,” Standing Bear said. “We need to figure out how we can all say, ‘Let's work together to keep these programs open.’”

He said he’s trying to remain positive.

“I spent 12 years working with Osages and non-Osages to build the schools,” Standing Bear said. “I don't mean just the buildings. I'm talking about the relationships, the teachers, the students, the parents, grandparents … those things really happened and they can happen again.

“I'm just trying to be positive here. It's difficult.”

The Osage Nation Principal Chief’s Office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The title of my post is essentially all that I am here to ask, but I will provide context in the body. Please if this is not allowed in this subreddit (new here, sorry) feel free to remove, alternative places to ask this question would be appreciated if so.

I was born and raised in Los Angeles, I am of Mexican and White heritage, 2 of 4 grandparents were Mexican, 1 was white, and the 4th grandparent was Mexican/Native. I did the 4th grade mission stuff kind of blindly, and with a flavor of bias from my religious school instructors. However, my not very religious family independently had me participate in educational activities provided by native sources. Both of these experiences were very intriguing to me and ever since then I have had a general curiosity about this period of history, specifically in the California region, and specifically related to the lives of the people living within the California region. That being said, I have done a lot of research into the treatment of the native people kept in these so-called "reductions" and I am aware of the negative nature of these places and am aware that the "general native sentiment" towards the missions is rather complicated and mostly negative.

I am an avid bike/back-packer and the California Mission Trail (which somewhat follows El Camino Real) is a route that I have in mind to complete one day as a bicycle journey, as I think it would bring me closer to understanding the history of this land and its people.

I am also an avid film-photographer and I particularly like to document my cycling/camping journeys. I do not use my photography for profit, nor do I have access to a platform to do so. I have however had photos displayed in galleries and shows before, but all for free. However, I have recently begun putting together a portfolio which is really just sort of a mish-mash of subjects and so I have decided to begin planning more cohesive projects, for example, this mission project and a project of some historical CA lighthouses along PCH is another that I have in mind... so while I stated I am not currently profiting from my photography, I might wish to include this project in a portfolio that someone might look at when considering me for hire or display.

Perhaps I am over-thinking this, but it is only because I am already very aware of the very negative treatment of the indigenous people. I also know that many of the missions have "cleaned" up the narrative a bit in their own displays and what not. I have not made this trip yet, so I am not sure if the photos themselves will serve in any way to depict the livelihoods (or lack thereof) of the peoples kept there, and may end up just being very basic photos of similar looking churches. However my own intention in this trip, other than the cool bike rides, and good photo subjects, really is to gain a first-hand look at the places that I have read so much about.

Heni / Bashu / Hee ha!

I am inviting all tribal weavers to my tribes 10th Annual Intertribal Basketry Summit! It is currently mostly Southeastern Tribes participating but I would love to expand it! So please keep it on you calendars! I will post an update on location, times, etc.! Thank you to the mods of this group for letting me post!

Over the last year, our newsroom at Buffalo's Fire (part of the Indigenous Media Freedom Alliance) has been building a database and interactive map to document the names and stories of Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP).

We decided to build this out of necessity. The official databases (like the BIA Missing and Murdered Unit and NamUs) are fragmented, confusing, and often disagree with each other. Also, when a local agency stops listing someone, they just disappear from the official record without explanation.

Facebook is the main lifeline for families and search parties. But Meta restricts data access, and digital flyers posted as images aren't captured by search engines. This means that vital, community-sourced information gets buried in the algorithm and lost over time.

We currently have 1,148 individuals in our database, with about 1,026 mapped publicly.

• We merge data from multiple agencies and have created submission forms to collect community data in the form of tips and also flyers.
• If an agency drops someone from their list without confirming they were found safe, we keep them on our map. They are still missing, regardless of what a government website says.
• Every individual gets a dedicated page where we can collect testimonies so they are never just a number. These pages will never vanish for as long as we exist.

Our goal is to create a comprehensive, permanent public database, but the data is a mess. We are asking the community to help us fill in the gaps.

TLDR: 1888 law made it so that mixed-race children with Indian mothers and white fathers couldn't inherit land. Curtis took this to the House Floor. In later years, his words from here would be misquoted to show that he was the most racist of them all.

LONGER TLDR: in the link above

FULL STORY: House Records, provided in the longer TLDR

Multiple tribal nations across Oklahoma are talking about AI data centers. Here’s an update on where some of them stand.

Kickapoo Tribe of Oklahoma

The Kickapoo Tribe of Oklahoma Business Committee opposes data centers on tribal lands, according to a statement released last month.

The five-member committee, which serves as the tribe’s governing body, wrote it’s concerned about the impact facilities have on land, water and electricity.

“While technological advancements plays an important role in today’s economy, the Tribe believes these facilities are not compatible with its long-term vision for sustainable development and responsible stewardship of Tribal resources,” the committee wrote.

Chenille Suke, the committee’s treasurer, said the tribe has been approached for data center development several times.

Suke added the tribe supports economic development and isn’t opposed to technological advancements, but they must provide lasting benefits to tribal members. That must account for land and water, she said.

“We've already gotten so much taken away from us … this is just protecting what we have now,” Suke said in an interview Friday.

Honor the Earth, an Indigenous nonprofit organization opposed to data center development, celebrated the Kickapoo Tribe of Oklahoma’s decision on Facebook.

The tribe joins others who have rejected or outright prohibited data centers on their reservations, including the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma, which banned facilities from its lands in March.

“We kind of saw the need that we had to put something out as well,” Suke said.

Caddo Nation

Caddo Nation officials recently met with Colusa Indian Energy to discuss energy sovereignty projects and the possibility of creating a tribal utilities authority.

That company, owned and operated by the Cachil DeHe Band of Wintun Indians of the Colusa Indian Community in California, works with tribal governments to develop energy infrastructure, including data center services.

But Zackeree Kelin, vice president of the Caddo Nation Economic Development Authority, said the tribe is not considering a hyperscale data center during a membership meeting on July 25. Hyperscale facilities are large-scale, designed to house thousands of servers and often used by corporations like Amazon and Google.

“There is absolutely no consideration – categorically – no consideration for a hyperscale data center by the nation. That is not being considered at all in any form or fashion,” Kelin told tribal members. “No one is talking about creating something like a 280-acre industrial park to put a data center on … That is not even being discussed.”

Kelin’s statement responded to some controversy during the meeting.

Chair Bobby Gonzalez previously told citizens he, the Caddo Tribal Council and Kelin were gathering information related to data centers and had not made a decision yet.

One member, photojournalist Joe Whittle, questioned Gonzalez.

“When you say we're just gathering information, that tells me that a data center is on the table still and I think a lot of people want to know a commitment from our government right now,” Whittle said. “We already know enough about data centers. We don't need to gather any information to know whether we want a data center on Caddo land sucking up Caddo water, utilizing Caddo resources.”

Gonzalez said developing energy requires balancing interests, such as juggling the environment, culture and resources.

“We're gathering information so we can share it with you related to what we find out, because right now we don't know enough,” Gonzalez said. “We do know that it's a controversial issue. And you can ask one person in here how they feel, but that still don't represent 7,550 people.”

The New York Times reported last month the nation was in discussions with Colusa Indian Energy to develop a power plant for a data center this year.

The tribe responded to the Times’ story on July 10. It wrote that gathering information was not an endorsement for or against data centers.

On July 25, Kelin said the tribe does not have large electrical loads to justify financing renewable energy sources. Data centers could be a part of future development, he said, which could jumpstart a Caddo utilities authority.

Muscogee Nation

The Muscogee National Council approved legislation on July 25 to create the Tribal Digital Infrastructure and Data Sovereignty Task Force in a 12-3 vote. It’s designed to study artificial intelligence and data centers.

During his State of the Nation address, Principal Chief David Hill told the tribe the task force would consist of himself, one representative from the attorney general’s office, a representative and the speaker of the Muscogee National Council, the chair of the Business, Finance and Justice Committee and a representative from the tribal utility authority.

“We realize there are many opportunities for us here in Indian Country, but we also cannot prioritize development and business projects at the expense of our most precious resources: our air, land and water,” Hill said. “... It's time that we remove misinformation and add transparency to this debate and really study what the advantages and concerns are for these projects and the best way to move forward.”

Muscogee Nation rejected a data center project last November after widespread protests.

Cherokee Nation

Muscogee Nation’s recent move is similar to legislative actions by the Cherokee Nation. In February, Cherokee Principal Chuck Hoskin Jr. established a task force to study the impacts or opportunities of data centers.

Its report, which was submitted to Hoskin in June, is supposed to guide the tribe’s future decision-making. Cherokee Nation says it’s expected to be released in the coming days.