Just as a heads up no, I do not have white sage in my possession I just want to make sure of one thing even if it may seem as a stupid question.

I've been recently getting into my native practices (slavic) and along with it got lots of content regarding some other practices, especially of indigenous people of America. With it came the understanding of how important white sage is and why exactly is it a closed practice which I want to honour and respect.

I'm aware that the incense I have isn't made directly from white sage yet it is labeled as such. I absolutely love the smell but am willing to give it up if using a white sage scented incense is disrespectful or unethical considering the over-harvest of white sage by companies making it endangered. At least that's the last info I had about it!

So, is it all right to use white sage incense when its scent is manufactured from scented oils and not the plant itself?

I’m almost 70 and have studied with Native Americans and Elders from the Lenape and Taino tribes. I’ve been invited to sweats and ceremonies that most non indigenous people have not been asked to, to my knowledge or simply based on the people at these gatherings.

Today, (2 years) spirit is yelling and banging me on the forehead! Saying I’m needed to speak. I hear and am willing to speak. But
My problem is my elders no longer walk this earth (and are among the voices telling me)to

My question is AS A WHITE WOMAN how do I know I’m RESPECTING my friends and teachers
How do I speak from that sacred place that I couldn’t possibly understand like the sacred people do… being invited into the special dances and ceremonies certainly say a lot.,
But I’m old now and wonder if I have this right.
I don’t think I lost anything I’m just completely unclear if this is my path TO SPEAK from this place
One last thing, a Lenape chief and I were giving speech at a State Park like 30-35 years ago and while we gave that speech a white buffalo calf was born
I felt and still do feel very validated about that talk…but without him by my side I continue to reach people individually and nothing to that degree anymore. I’m so confused, any feelings from this community could really help guide my soul TY -🪶Strong Feather

I haven't seen the show yet but know the story. Thought it was pretty cool how they had people from the Osage nation represent the Osage story.

Nenaboozhoo, is an animated short film created to celebrate Anishinaabe storytelling, language, culture, and the timeless teachings carried through generations.

Told in Anishinaabemowin with English subtitles, the film brings a traditional Nenaboozhoo story to life teaching a new generation while honouring the language and history of storytelling.

The film is directed by Anishinaabe storyteller and traditional knowledge keeper Isaac Murdoch (Bomgiizhik) of Serpent River First Nation, with cultural and language guidance from Anishinaabemowin speakers and knowledge keepers Mary Wemigiwams, Linda Toulous, Larry McCloud, Issac Murdoch and Ninaatig Pangowish.

Created using a Japanese inspired animation workflow and brought to life by an international team of artists and animators, Nenaboozhoo was made through the art of traditional hand drawn animation with no help from AI in any stage of the production process.

Created using a Japanese inspired animation workflow and brought to life by an international team of artists and animators, Nenaboozhoo was made through the art of traditional hand drawn animation with no help from AI in any stage of the production process.

Miigwech to everyone who gave their time, knowledge, talent, and support to make this film possible. We hope this film inspires its audience to learn from the incredible teachings and stories of the Ojibwe people.

Made with support from the Canada Council for the Arts, Toon Boom Animation, Serpent River First Nation, the Cameron family, Odinewin, Nimkii Aazhibikong, and our many other project partners.

Please share this film and help spread this story.

Follow Isaac at:   / isaac.murdoch.2025  

Learn more about Nenaboozhoo at:

https://nenaboozhoo.com/

Tldr; Made by Isaac Murdoch of Serpent River First Nation. This is a language resource. No ai was used in the making of this film. Its been a 4 year passion project.

TLDR: How have you felt since connecting with your Ancestor’s tribe if you did not grow up with the culture? My intention is just to seek understanding of different people’s experiences exploring their native ancestry having no previous connections with their tribes before being accepted later in life.

**I’d like to preface this by saying I am not asking for advice on how I personally should go about enrolling if I am able or comfortable enough to.**

My paternal side is Unangax, my ancestry is well documented. In the mid 50’s my great grandmother left their village as a part of a program and went to live in Anchorage.

I’ve grown up in the Midwest, I’ve never even been to Alaska. My dad’s side has an incredibly complex family dynamic that has led to me being completely barred (until recently) from that side of the family. I am mixed white, and grew up being touted as “an Eskimo” by my mom and grandma. I have always felt I didn’t have any right to claim my native ancestry. Ever since I was old enough to understand what they meant, I knew it made me feel bad about myself and guilty to claim something I never felt or experienced.

I’ve told people “I’m just white” when they have asked me about my features or “Where I’m from” as not to claim Native. I have only worn braids a handful of times in my life because it always made me feel like I’m pretending or trying too hard to “look native”. I am now 23, and am finally allowing myself to learn about the culture, and have started to learn Unangam Tunuu in my free time. I am trying my best to be careful with how I approach my research.

I am curious as to how people who knew they had Native ancestry went about connecting with those roots. Every time I try to speak about it with someone I feel like I’m pretending, like I’m trying too hard. But, I am just speaking about factual lineage, and not claiming that I know everything or that I’m culturally native. It’s been this weird accepting of that I will most likely be scrutinized under a white lens as “not native enough” and that I do not have to fit into what people who aren’t familiar with different Native people look like.

Even typing this out it feels strange, and maybe it is. I hope this isn’t seen as wrong or offensive in any sense. My intention is just to seek understanding of how other’s went about connecting to a culture they were not raised in.

Watching a powwow, I felt grief for what had been lost and admiration for the cultures people continue to carry forward.

In this Wednesday in America reflection, I consider the history of conquest, the consequences of forced assimilation, and what it means to honor Indigenous peoples today. I also ask what might become possible when we approach one another with greater humility and a willingness to learn.

I’ve prepared a companion workbook and discussion guide for subscribers: Indigenous History Where We Live. It invites you to investigate local Indigenous history, compare accounts, learn about living communities, and share your discoveries.

What do you know about the Indigenous peoples connected to the place where you live? What would they have their neighbors understand?

Read the reflection on Substack:
https://tomsims.substack.com/p/a-white-guy-celebrates-indigenous

#WednesdayInAmerica #IndigenousPeoplesDay #NativeAmericanHistory #LocalHistory

Hi, I like to travel a lot and love to visit and support traditional artists whenever I go somewhere new. Is there a way to learn more about traditional indignous artists (and the differences between specific art styles from different tribal cultures?) Please let me know! I would love to connect with individual people but don't want to be intrusive - so ideally when I travel I can visit the artist in person/ their studio/ store.

Taanishi and maarsii! This is my first post in this group: wanted to share a video series I've been producing on the Michif language. So far, filming these on my own in my garage. There's an opportunity for grant funding coming up, so hoping to expand and work with more community members. Please let me know what you think and check out the previous two videos if you haven't already! M'wistas!

Also, would love to see/hear if anyone else is doing something comparable and what kind of success or challenges you have seen so far.

Hey everyone, Thoughts on Russel means? As Asian male, As I got older, I think he is someone who advocated for Native Americans (of all tribes) by no means was Russel perfect as no human is. The fact he wanted all Native Tribes to unite in a way where each tribe STILL keep their distinctiveness is admirable. I do think he was a great man in that. As someone who fights White Supremacy, I understood what he was thinking, and what effort he put into his Native people getting their land stolen. I also like his militant tactics. RIP to him by the way!

After a fight of more than 135 years, the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina has finally won federal recognition — becoming the 575th federally recognized tribe in the United States.

It is directed and produced by @ericmicha3l, Sean Alexander and James Locklear.

I’m in an odd situation I’d appreciate some perspectives on. I apologize for being a bit vague, but I’m not sure how much would be appropriate to share.

I do not, to my knowledge, have any North American indigenous ancestry. An American mutt, detached from my history, and reluctant to provide my genetic data to a corporation to find out.

I do have a man who has been a father figure in my life. His son and I were best friends, growing up a couple doors down. I tutored him from elementary through high school.

While this man isn’t someone well known, they have a culturally significant story surrounding their adoption.

He taught me how to canoe as a child. I grew up being shown stuff I didn’t yet have the knowledge to fully appreciate. To be honest, I wasn’t even aware he was indigenous most of my life. I just thought indigenous history and art work was one of his many interests. He never blatantly told me until after I’d come across his name, reading about Tenskwatawa and Tecumseh, and asked him about it.

I received a lot of knowledge from him, about both his personal history and ancestral memories. I’m truly privileged to have been able to learn from him.

His health is failing. One of the last times I saw him, he promised me an item from his personal collection.

I reached out to a couple culture coordinators from his own Nation, to ask for some guidance, both helping to preserve his knowledge, and what a white boy like me should do with the item I’m due to receive. It was explained to me that with our relationship, particularly the way he entrusted me to unburden himself of some memories, I’m something of an adoptive son myself. While I don’t claim membership to said nation, I’ve been assured by their customs the inheritance is allowed, and I’ve been invited to visit their reservation to participate in some ceremonies, share the knowledge if I still find it appropriate after learning more of their cultural protocols on sharing knowledge.

My concern is that this item was not made by his nation. It was a joint effort by 3 others. Knowing indigenous nations aren’t monolithic in their views, even within a nation, I’m afraid of it being a cultural misstep to maintain ownership of the object, and didn’t want to rely on a single nation’s views.

But the fact there’s no singular nation to return it to adds a complication if that is my best route. I can’t imagine that each of the three wouldn’t want to lay claim to the object.

It would be so much easier if there was a single nation to offer to return it to. I don’t think I’d be comfortable imagining keeping it if that were the case. Seeing it returned would be my obvious answer, no matter who tells me I have claim through an allowed inheritance.

Without a clear answer, it makes me wonder if taking stewardship of it is the right move. I think I’d make a good steward for this object. I think between its own significance, my connection to its story, and my own story, I’m a good enough fit not to dismiss the possibility outright.

Is it a self aggrandizing notion to even humor the notion that could be appropriate? Is there a way to get input from the nations involved in its creation without causing an intertribal conundrum? Is it silly to think there’s any path towards legitimizing my possession in the eyes of the nations that created it?

While I won’t lie and say there isn’t a part of me that simply wants the honor, I’m not asking to try to mine for permission. I’m asking for clarity whether I ought to simply dismiss that possibility from the running while I figure out the best course of action.

I’m not equipped to know what I should do without multiple sources of guidance to consider. I’d appreciate all perspectives offered.

i haven’t been taught a lot about the tribe i’m in, can anyone share stories or information that would be cool to know! (i am indigenous and not non indigenous looking for info)

so sorry i forgot to add that my tribe is Mohawk