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This weekend at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C. is the seventh annual Festival in celebration of the Living Earth and the vitality of the Indigenous peoples of the Americas! The events are open to the public. Check out their website at www.nmai.si.edu.

This year the focus is on traditional agricultural practices, which are referred to today by modern people as "sustainability." Indigenous peoples used sustainable agricultural practices for centuries. Another focus of this year's Festival is Indigenous food, including Native Chefs' culinary demonstrations and Indigenous wine tastings. If you have been to the Museum before, or if you live in D.C., you already know that one of the best places to eat in our capitol is at the Mitsitam Cafe in the Indian Museum!

Sunset Over Lake Superior in Michigan: Traditional Lands of the Anishinaabeg

In 2003, several Anishinaabeg women from different clans came together to address water pollution in their traditional lands. What they decided to do that year, and something similar every year since, is to walk the perimeter of the Great Lakes. Along with other Anishinaabeg people and supporters of all races and identities, they annually raise awareness about the sanctity of water to all life on Mother Earth and draw attention to the pollution in and around the bodies of water.

Sky Woman (Haudenosaunee). Spider Woman (Pueblo). Copper Woman (Pacific Northwestern nations). Selu (Cherokee). To nearly all Indigenous nations of Turtle Island (most of the Americas), the ancient creators of the Earth, her inhabitants and humanity are Women who are complemented by a male either through Her offspring or a partner.

Indigenous Women Creators made life from their bodily fluids, from their thoughts, from their words and actions. Because of Their creative powers, these very things became holy in human women forever after: our menstrual and childbirth blood, our thoughts, our words, and our actions are holy. We are holy. Traditional Indigenous peoples know this, practice this, and to this very day keep the rituals and laws that demonstrate that belief.

Before the European settlers arrived, Native American nations included, indeed they welcomed, their lesbian, gay, and gender-queer people.

We know this is true because not only do many Native nations today still recognize and honor their LGBTQ people, but there are literally thousands of words in Native languages that acknowledge various gender identities and sexual orientations in both neutral and positive lights. Also, LGBTQ deities/spiritual beings are featured in many ancient, sacred Creation stories and in traditional teaching stories. That's a lot of evidence across centuries of time and from nations all over Turtle Island!  Furthermore, we know for certain that the European settler military leaders and religious leaders also knew that LGBTQ Native Americans held esteemed roles in their nations because they deliberately sought them out for attack and "conversion," even murder.

S p i d e r w o m a n   T h e a t e r!

Spiderwoman Theater is the country’s longest running women’s performance group, founded in 1976 by Muriel Miguel in conjunction with Miguel's sisters, Lisa Mayo and Gloria Miguel. The three Native American sisters are of Rappahannock and Kuna heritage.  The theater troupe can be reached at info@spiderwomantheater.org.

More Great News from Indian Country!!

When Leonardo DiCaprio received a Golden Globe Award last evening for his role in the film The Revenant, he said he was sharing the award with First Nations peoples!