Native American Mamas tribe

[Little Bear's Mama]

Any other Native American Mamas out there? Post here!

[~member~]

Hello Little Bear's Mama! I am Lakota and Anishinaabe. No longer on the rez. Going to college to become a doctor. Somedays I feel so out of place...some days I am on top of the world and feel so proud of myself. For not only have I survived but am trying to thrive. I want my children to be safe. Did you ever realize that our ppl have only suffered oppression for less than 400 yrs? Think of all the other ppl's who have endured thousands of years! So little time, I feel like I could make this a better world for my children, kwim? I want to make it possible for our people to be able to practice our healing ceremonies without fear of being arrested and thrown in jail.

Well, I'll check in again soon! Time for baby...

[JessicaS]

I am Leni Lenape (Delaware) from my father's side and Lakota from my mother's



400 years of oppression from who? We did oppress each other a bit.

[Little Bear's Mama]

Hi! How exciting to meet you!
Mamaintheboonies,it is wonderful to hear you are going to college to be a doctor! I can imagine why you sometimes feel out of place,but it is great that you are strong and you preservere. Your family must be so proud!
Hiya,abbimommy!

As for myself,I am Creek and my dh is Southern Cheyenne/Winnebago. He is originally from OK and we usually travel there for ceremonies in the summer. I'm a SAHM. Our ds is 4(he'll be be 5 soon ). I am hoping to homeschool his kindergarten.

The thing I find the hardest,is exposing to my ds to his culture where there is a cultural void. I mean,he is exposed to pow wow culture(my dh sings),but I wonder about him understanding where he comes from when we are so far from everyone. Do either of you feel that way?

And thanks for replying to this thread. This is gonna be fun!

[Jane]

I'm not a mama, yet, but I will be someday. My dad was Choctaw and Cherokee. I am saddened sometimes to know that my kids won't be indian. So Little Bear's Mama, I don't have an answer for you. If you don't mind, I'll just go back to lurking here?

[~member~]

abimommy - I was refering to ppl always talking about how the 'White Man' has been oppressing our ppl for 500 yrs. Columbus may have landed on Plymouth Rock 500 yrs ago, but that doesn't mean that settlers were all over America. It has really only been the last 300 yrs, if that.

Little Bear's Mama - I still speak both my languages and speak them to my children. I am very tradional, ie- pipe carrier, I am the person who names the children, healing ceremonies, etc. I also sing. I do know what you mean, tho, about being away from it all. I had to hide all my ceremonial stuff because of ppl's b.s. Long story short, I was being racially harrassed and was and still am in fear of them calling the police. It is sad that my children see this. I want to be able for us to live in peace and without fear.
My 7 yr old dd struggles with knowing who she is, but that is because of all the stereotyping out there. The kids at school make fun of her skin color and her hair. The teacher told her that 'You get to go to school for free because you are an indian.' My dd was really confused by that statement. The teacher also told the other kids that the reason my dd always has nice clothes and new toys is because all indians get casino money. Arghhhhh!!!

So, lots of discussions and talk and dealing with hurt feelings. I really wish I had never sent her to school, kwim? I won't even go into the crap around Thanksgiving. needless to say my dd was volunteered to be the indian.

Okay, no more ranting lol! Our children will do just fine. If we talk to them and tell them the stories, they will know who they are. I have always taught my children they are human beings worthy of being loved before teaching them anything else, kwim? I just figure that is what we all are first and foremost.

[Little Bear's Mama]

I understand what you mean my dh is a ceremonial person,too. He has that to show our ds and I am glad of it. My has an Uncle and cousins that leave in a nearby state and they come to visit regularly,which is helpful.
How wonderful to hear that you are passing your ways on to your children.
My dh is fluent in his language and neither am I. Quite sad,really. Luckily,my dh Uncle works with the Johnson O'Malley(sp?) folks for his community and are teaching the Cheyenne language to the kids in head start. So,I will be able to get the materials to begin teaching my ds his language(or one of them) at home.
It is SO sad to hear you had to hide your ceremonial objects.
I'm sorry you are being harrassed. Please stay safe.
May I ask where you're located? Are you far from home?(feel free to pm me).
I'm sorry your daughter is facing the stereotyping. I,too,have heard the "free school" comments along with the whole free healthcare,no taxes,B.S. If people only knew. It amazes me the kind of misinformation that is out there. This is one reason I plan to homeschool my ds kindergarten.

[~member~]

I'm about three hours drive from home, so not too bad.
I am so happy to hear you will be able to homeschool! I so wished I could! Being a full time student myself leaves no time for anything. I barely get supper made and then it's time for bed. At least my children see me reading all the time, so they are all into reading lol!
When I was younger I was fortunate that I got to go to school that was all ojibwe's and they taught class in ojibwe. I didn't have to speak english until third grade, when my mom moved to the cities. But, even then, it was mostly Native children. So, I have very little knowledge of what my dd is going through, kwim? I just try to be supportive of who she is and wants to be.
Does your son dance? My ds is a grassdancer, my dd is jingle dress but wants to start fancy shawl this year. We'll see how it goes lol! I found my shawl from when I was her age, but she doesn't have a dress yet. I'll have to make a visit to my aunty's lol! I never did learn how to sew!
I do beadwork, and can make moccasins and shawls, but the dresses and everything else...:
I DO have a sewing machine tho!!! just don't know how to use it...

[Little Bear's Mama]

LOL!!! I'm not a very good seamstress,either. I can sew better by hand than by machine! I like to make dance shawls,that is my thing. I'm not very good at beadwork or leatherwork. Glad to hear that you are!
My ds does not dance. He had a slammin' grass dance outfit,but he didn't like to wear it(mind you this was 2 years ago) he was really liked the bells,though. Last time I put it on him,he said "Mama I don't want to dance". I said "why not?" he said "I sing". So there you go! He enjoys singing with his daddy,and that is good enough for me! Glad to hear your children are dancing. I wish your dd lots of luck with fancy shawl.
I'm glad to hear you have instilled a love of reading in your children. I have tried to do so in my ds. Story time is one of his favorite things!

[plum]

Hi. My mom is Lakota and Hidatsa and my dad is Mandan. My husband is white and we live about an hour from my reservation. I'm excited to see this thread. I didn't expect to see Indian women on this site.

Umm, not sure what else to say. I'm due in September, but I would like to start school again in January. I would also like to be a doctor.

It's interesting that you mentioned dresses and dancing, because I'm going to start making one. I am not very good at sewing, but I got a sewing maching as a wedding present and lately I've felt like making things. I'm thinking I might be having a boy, so I also want to make a little ribbon shirt.

Speaking of kids in school: my little brother is in third grade. The boys in his class were giving each other nicknames and Justin ended up with 'Chief Joseph.'

[JessicaS]

Wow, MamaInTheBoonies I would definately complain to that teacher's superior about her behavior. That is completely and totally inappropiate.

My dh is Blackfoot but they don't know much about it so dd is registered with the Lenape (Delaware) as I am.

[FroNuff]

to you MamaintheBoonies

Just passing through and read about how horrible you and your DD have been treated. I agree with abimommy -- that teacher should be reported to her supervisor.

My father was Ramapough and Penobscot. His sister definitely identifies with being Ramapough, but I wasn't raised by that family and only see her occasionally. I don't really identify with being Indian. I love going to powwows, but am cautious because I don't want to seem like someone who just jumped on the bandwagon because they found some distant relative who is a 1/4 Indian, KWIM? I inquired about registering with the Ramapoughs, but I never got a response back, and I'm not even sure it's a possibility since they aren't a federally recognized tribe. So much for me to learn, but I'm too shy to ask more questions.

[Little Bear's Mama]

Hi,Apple! Great news about your baby. Congrats!

[roarzilla]

Hey ladies! I'm SARAH I live in Mpls, MN. Anyway I personally have no Indian heritage of my own but my DF does. And we have chosen to follow the Indian ways. DD had a baby naming ceremony and everything. MIL is very into her Indian heritage and is a Medicine Woman. I am always wanting to learn more. We are expecting our 2nd DD very soon now too.

[JessicaS]

Mom2AliKat, you can be registered with tribes even if they are not federally recognized.

Was your grandfather on the rolls for the tribe? I would also try asking his sister about it. Non-recognized tribes are often run by all volunteers and it really is a lot of work to get everything straightened out. Try contacting them again.

A lot of times things are lost when the older generation gets very old or passes away. I would really try and talk with ehr about it. I am sure she would be glad to see you had interest.

[FroNuff]

Abimommy, thanks for the info. I don't keep in touch with my aunt nearly as much as I should, but I'll have to talk to her about it. I've never really brought it up to her because she has cancer, and tends to be very sick off and on. Plus, I had to question my reasonings why I wanted to be on the tribal rolls in the first place. I don't want to do it for selfish reasons, and when I was younger that was certainly part of my reasons for looking into it.

[JessicaS]

Why do you have to have a reason?? It is your birthright.

[FroNuff]

Originally posted by abimommy
Why do you have to have a reason?? It is your birthright.

I guess I felt like since I'm not full-blooded, and I only found about being Indian when I was 19 (now 27), I don't have the same right as someone who has been living their whole life knowing they were Indian. I really don't want to step on anyone's toes or be out of place, y'know?

If you all don't mind me asking, how does one get started in dancing? Is it ok to ask someone that already dances? I know they probably won't teach you *everything* (so you don't copy them step-for-step), but perhaps they would teach you some basics?

[JessicaS]

I am sure you can find someone who knows at a pow wow, when you mentioned your tribe I hadn't heard of it and did a search on google and some things came up..maybe you can get an idea there..

Every tribe is different about that sort of thing really, some have tapes, some have classes and some people have to find someone to teach them...

I don't think it matters if you are not full blooded. A lot of tribes don't have any full blood members.

[~member~]

Topic of my dd and her teacher - reporting it to her supervisor would do nothing, as her supervisor is even more ignorant. He believes all non-white children are savages and need to be taken from their parents and raised by non-savages so they learn how not to be savages. Thankfully, with the help of a lot, and I mean a LOT, of people, the charges against me were dismissed. THat man seriously wanted my children removed from my home purely based on the color of our skin.
My youngest dd was born by emergency c-section and I am a single mom with no family near by. So, september 24 until the 27 my dd was not in school because she was in the hospital with me, I have all the documentation and even the nurses notes saying that she was there. The principal waited until January 14 to file charges against me for educational negelct, because in MN it is a crime if your child misses or is even tardy more than 7 times!!!!

Okay, onto other stuff - if you want to learn how to dance at pow-wows, do as the children do and all other beginners...you watch and practice and learn. And, yes, ppl will laugh at your mistakes, but if you stick with it and actually learn, you will be very respected. I have been dancing for 20 odd years and I still don't know all the dances, and that is just for fancy shawl! But I did only put effort into the fun dances lol! Not that they can't all be fun, just that there are a lot of ceremonial ones that I never learned. Now that i am a mother, tho, I no longer dance. Someday, maybe lol!

baby cryin', gotta go