Thread by @karlajstrand

Next at the Indigenous history conf @Plymouth_400 is a panel on traditional life incl Gkisedtanamoogk (Mashpee Wampanoag), Annawon Weeden (Mashpee Wampanoag/Pequot/Narragansett), Donald Soctomah (Passamoquoddy), Paulla Jennings (Narragansett), David Weeden (Mashpee Wampanoag).

Gkisedtanamoogk: Life BC--Before Columbus--was one of deep, abstract thought and being. Why didn't Columbus see the sophistication, peace, culture of the peoples he encountered? A nuanced culture that can live *with* the earth.

Annawon Weeden: Born after boarding school era, but still found it challenging to grow up defending Indigenous identity. Part of growing up were the traditions and lifestyle of many generations. Their calendar and cycles are a part of life, as well as female leadership.

A. Weeden: Matriarchal leadership is normal in Indigenous cultures. Always cohesive and gathering equally, speaking face to face, circular not linear. Colonial mindset prevented Europeans from hearing, adapting Indigenous ways of life.

A. Weeden: Colonists weren't forced to take Indigenous beliefs. They thought the water was filthy and unholy, that they should stay out of the sun, etc. Being aware of Indigenous teachings helped Weeden to feel better, more whole.

A. Weeden: You don't see birds building square nests. Everything in nature is round, circular. Helps people to see things is a different, more holistic, natural way.

Soctomah didn't recognize he was living the traditional life, it was just his life. Heard stories as a child from elders about the hunt, about ways of life. Stories that their elders told them. Learning is a hands-on event and traditional knowledge comes from storytelling.

Soctomah: Storytelling is a way to care for nature. The stories incorporate animals, such as bears, rabbits, whales. The stories help you think about the big picture and sparks curiosity. Storytelling prepares the child for adulthood.

Soctomah: Spirituality is all around you and storytelling helps this understanding. Holding nature close and protecting nature is a strong form of spirituality. It's a balance in life. In the natural cycle, everything is important.

Soctomah: Spirituality helps people to adjust and adapt to the changes in the natural world. Moon cycles are also important in traditional life. Dictated timing of activities and events. Ceremonies allow them to reach out to ancestors and spirits.

Soctomah: Petroglyphs in their area hold the old traditional stories and are important to the history and future. They tried taking away our language, land, spirituality. But we are survivors. Colonizers have done what the can for 400 years but we have survived.

Jennings: She is a grandmother and great-grandmother. She learned from her grandmothers. She was a quiet child and heard them tell the histories and the truths. Read a lot, helped her to learn to reinterpret and tell the truth: "Pioneers" were actually "invaders."

Jennings: The European colonizers came with things they didn't have: rats, roaches, disease, obesity, drugs, alcohol. Indigenous peoples lived in connection with the earth. They didn't overtake, they took care. They used only what they needed.

Jennings: Teaching her grandchildren and great grandchildren traditional knowledge and understandings.

David Weeden: Honored to have been raised in a family that honored their culture and in a community that advocated for Indian causes, taught traditional ways.

D. Weeden: Schools teach Indigenous people are savages; nothing could be further from the truth. On the contrary, respect is key. They have always lived in connection with the earth, nature. Believe we learn from everything around us.

D. Weeden: Traditions and stories heard from childhood influence decisions on a daily basis. This is another key to perpetuating the culture and ways of life. Still here against all odds, through colonialism and gentrification.

D. Weeden: The knowledge belongs to the community, it is not *ours*. We just hold and keep it, pass it along. Ancestors were much more well-rounded and engaged with family than the colonizers. The natural way of learning is to be hands-on and actively involved.

D. Weeden: It costs nothing to spend time with young ones and teach them traditional ways. Capitalism isn't our way. Our way is compassion, looking out for others, selflessness, not chasing wealth or materialism. The sign of a good person is not what they have, it's what they do.

D. Weeden: We are on the verge of disaster, losing a livable planet. Who was uncivilized? Colonial mentality is accumulating wealth, living off the backs of others. Indigenous way of life was/is much more humane, balanced. Everyone had their place and had representation.

D. Weeden: Indigenous societies were/are complex, interactive. Need to get back to that way of life. Spend more time with young people. Being part of a tribe means looking out for whole community, not just self. Must preserve things for seven generations to come.

D. Weeden: Society needs to acknowledge wrongs in order to move forward. His father has said: "Indians are roadkill on the pilgrim's path to progress, from sea to shining sea." Europeans must face this and atone to move forward.

D. Weeden: But we are not things of the past, we are still here. We haven't gone anywhere. Teachings of the ancestors light a fire within you and you keep going. You want to make a difference because of this.

D. Weeden: Must capture knowledge before it's gone, through oral histories and ethnographies. Must invest in communities so they can do this and provide educational programming for youth to be culturally grounded. They need this to be future leaders.

D. Weeden: Also need to educate the outside community. But on the fence about how much to share. This is a constant moral conflict. Been burned before, so how much to share? Do things internally first so that we can tell our own stories in our own ways.

Jennings: Start with the easy info for kids: Many of the names of cities and states in this nation are derived from our languages. That's only one of the things we've given you. We've given our land, medicines, language, etc. and it's only been taken away from us.

Jennings: "We've always been here. We've been here for over 35,000 years. We were here. We didn't come from some other place."

"It's Turtle Island to me; always has been, always will be."

Gkisedtanamoogk: This society (US and Canada) is fear-based. People don't know anything authentic about Indigenous cultures, languages, histories. They are afraid. They haven't honored treaties. We need to address this fear.

Gkisedtanamoogk: If we can get past this, we might be able to work together. We aren't going anywhere, this is our home. We will continue to honor it as the Creator intended. Need to build an economy of care. Should be no poverty. But society is designed this way.

A. Weeden: Take ownership of where you live, preserve the land and interact with it as intended. Hasn't put his knowledge down on paper because it's oral and meant to be that way. Won't copyright it or make money off it.

Jennings: No one goes hungry. We share. Father was a war chief, but not a war chief as Europeans think of it. He was a warrior, but he fought for equality, for elders, for land.

Jennings: "It's not about how much you acquire; no. We lived with nature and Mother Earth and all the gifts she gave us."

Soctomah: When treaties aren't followed and words aren't followed through on, we are usually the ones who suffer. But we know what's right. The survival of our communities are so important, which is why we share and help one another.

D. Weeden: The Creator provided us with an abundance on our ancestral lands. The Creator gave us everything we need. It was Eden to the colonists. Indigenous peoples are stewards of the land and the Earth, "living on borrowed time".

D. Weeden: The effects of industry and overdevelopment are harsh. The wildlife don't have places to go, the waters don't produce as they used to. Europeans are wasteful, living outside of their means.

D. Weeden: Didn't have equitable representation in treaties. Living off the land is essential to Indigenous cultures and their survival. Is it still healthy to do so? Those things must be addressed.

Jennings: Getting involved with town's governmental and electoral processes is important. Let officials know what the issues are. "Original inhabitants still have rights *and* responsibilities." When you use their language, then they may begin to hear your voice.

Soctomah: Contact your senators and reps and ask them what they are doing to protect Native rights. Over the last 40 years, things are changing. This can be seen in the university systems, they are including Native representation.

A. Weeden: Get involved in community and activist groups that are doing the work to get rid of Columbus Day, work for Indigenous rights, etc. Many opportunities to be more active in our communities.

Gkisedtanamoogk: We must cease being occupiers of Indian country. We need to go beyond allyship to become relatives. Be responsible to/for land. We need social transformation in these ways and more.

Thanks to all for this amazing panel! The conference will continue tomorrow morning at 10am EST.

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