How to Indigenize Your Feed (an accomplice's perspective)
Wow, you’re here! So great to see you, or at least to have you see this blog post. I think you may find it helpful.
But who am I? My name is Mia (i: @miaaarmon), and I’m an ally-in-progress (like most allies). My road to allyship was really a journey of empathy, compassion, and education. I like to believe that all humans start out with a base level of empathy, that the desire to help the people around us is pretty much intrinsic to our species.
Me (Mia), my partner, and our son on a recent hiking trip on unceded Amah Mutsun territory (so-called Pinnacles National Park).
Over time, I think our environments shape how much we use that empathy “muscle”. If we use it a lot, we probably stop to help folks put groceries in their cars, or help tourists get to their destinations, or offer to take an unhoused person on a shopping trip to pick out whatever they want and need.
You see, the American culture we live in wants us to believe that only the “deserving” should be helped – and if someone isn’t “deserving” enough for help, we should berate them for their living situations. You’ve likely seen and heard this in phrases like, “I don’t want to give that homeless guy any money, he’ll probably just spend it on alcohol.” Or, “Well, if they wanted to make rent, they shouldn’t own an iPhone.” And even, “They’re on welfare, what more could they need?”
I’ll be honest, I used to believe these things too. In a society where everyone is pitted against one another to “earn” the means to live, why should any of us look out for someone else? It’s scarily easy to think this way, I’ll admit it.
But my first step towards finding the empathy and compassion that had been drilled out of me was to realize that the people around me were not the source of the issue – it’s the system we live, work, and die in.
“But my first step towards finding the empathy and compassion that had been drilled out of me was to realize that the people around me were not the source of the issue – it’s the system we live, work, and die in.”
Tackling that system is a tall order. Before we can ever hope of changing anything systemically, we need to start listening to voices that have been silenced, and uplifting communities that have been oppressed. Privileged folks need to take responsibility for their privilege.
That’s coming from someone with immense privilege!
Being privileged doesn’t mean you don’t face hardship. It just means that that hardship won’t come as a result of your race, gender identity, religion, or ability. The greatest thing that privileged folks can do is to be the best ally they can be to the people who need it most.
Three generations of my family (me, my parents, my partner, and our son) on a recent hiking trip on unceded Amah Mutsun territory (so-called Pinnacles National Park).
To give you some information that will help to start turning the gears in your mind, we can play a little game called “How Much Do You Really Know about Indigenous History”. You may be surprised by your results.
Okay, we’ll start off easy. Were you aware that the “Americas” were occupied for many thousands of years by hundreds of different Indigenous tribes, long before Columbus or any other colonizer arrived? Sure, that’s common knowledge. Many of those tribes utilized their natural resources to their benefit, such that they had “highways” on rivers, advanced agriculture, and even bio-terraforming of the landscape. They also had advanced knowledge of the constellations and seasons, tracked animal migration patterns, and possessed agricultural expertise that far surpasses what we practice today.
Let’s move on to something tougher. Did you know that the Indigenous tribes living in what we now call the US were tortured, killed, and then forcibly removed from their territories, pushed onto smaller and smaller plots of unusable land, and had entire cultures nearly destroyed? Did you know that it was the US government who sanctioned this activity?
In fact, they justified their behavior by drafting treaties which were supposed to establish certain rules, certain things that would be afforded to the displaced people, and certain actions by the government that would be forbidden. But did you know that every one of those treaties - every single one - was broken by the US government? Not a single word was upheld.
Did you know that Indigenous people in the US were only granted the right to vote in every state in 1962? Yes, there are Indigenous people alive today who only gained the right to vote in their lifetime. Did you know that certain laws and loopholes still make it extraordinarily difficult for Indigenous people living on reservations to have their votes counted?
You see, there’s quite a bit of Indigenous history you may not be familiar with yet. But don’t worry, I have a solution for you! It’s called Indigenizing your feed, and decolonizing your mind.
INDIGENIZING YOUR FEED
Firstly, what do these phrases mean? To start, Indigenizing your feed involves taking a critical assessment of the media you consume, and analyzing it for its content. Are you supporting Indigenous artists, musicians, business owners, activists, and social groups? Of the voices you hear from daily, how many belong to Indigenous people?
If you’re unsure about any of the answers to these questions, you’re in luck: The Chapter House is a great place to start to Indigenize your feed. I found out about them from a truly wonderful person, activist, and founder of TCH, Emma Robbins. Come on in and stay a while, you’ll quickly find Indigenous voices who would benefit from your accepting ears.
DECOLONIZING YOUR MIND
But what about decolonizing your mind? This refers to performing a critical analysis of your thoughts, beliefs, and biases against Indigenous people, or for colonial systems. These could be as overt as viewing your Indigenous coworkers simply as “diversity hires” or believing that what the US did to the Indigenous people was “righteous”. It can also be as “silent” as ignoring or discounting Indigenous people when they discuss their struggles.
Here’s an easy question to ask yourself: am I truly listening to Indigenous people, even when what they say makes me feel uncomfortable? Your honest answer to this question may bring on feelings of embarrassment or even shame. Don’t let those feelings take you away from this moment - know that you have the power to push past the discomfort and choose understanding.
It’s true that on your path of Indigenizing your feed and decolonizing your mind, you will likely encounter big, powerful emotions. You may feel fear or guilt - fear of change, guilt for how your behaviors affect other people. But you’ll also experience inspiration and community - inspiration from listening to stories of Indigenous success, and a sense of belonging to a community built on acceptance.
As a fellow ally who dealt with these big feelings (and still deals with them - learning is a lifelong project), I implore you to keep going. When we all live in communities that stand strong together, we’ll be thankful for the work we’ve put in, and for the Indigenous voices we’ve listened to.
HOW TO START
To get you started, here are a few of the Indigenous people, artists, and activists in my feed:
Their views are varied, and I’ve found that the variety leads to a more complete picture of both the Indigenous rights movement and our role in it as allies. Please give them a follow, a like, a share, and/or a donation!
Me, my partner, and our son taking a minute to strike a pose on our hike.