The idea that a basic right you hold could disappear overnight is unfathomable. Many in shock now. But for Native people, especially for Native women, it has been our reality that court cases and policies take and take, as that is the way of settler colonialism. #RoeVWade Native women held power prior to colonization within in their tribal nations, it was settler colonialism that stole that away. The women’s rights movement lifted ideas from Native women, because our bodies, minds, and spirits were always ours.

Living on a reservation, about half the time I order things that come UPS/FedEx, they drop it off at the USPS post office to our box. We got street signs pretty recently, but addresses not recognized by many online sites. Also, only place to get a money order here. I have been thinking about the fact that you need money orders to pay for glasses at Optometry at our tribal hospital. Not everybody banks, so wouldn’t have anywhere to go for money orders without the USPS.

Honestly, at this point the “authentication” process for being Native could be if one of a few Native Elite gatekeepers has come to try to discredit you by labeling you a Pretendian. That’s just me being facetious, of course. It’s disheartening to see Native people doing good work for the people, only for other Natives to try to destroy them. More disheartening that they use colonizer’s own tools like blood quantum to do it.

I hope @KamalaHarris remembers.

https://twitter.com/EmmyNawjoopinga/status/1147518902571810816

When I say I hope Kamala Harris remembers, I mean I hope she remembers the valid critiques of her tribal sovereignty record and works to do right by Native people.

My Winnebago Reservation has a mask policy for all businesses, and I have seen white people walk into the gas station convenience store, ignoring signs AND workers telling them they need a mask. It’s more than disrespectful, it’s absolutely malicious during these times.

https://twitter.com/davenewworld_2/status/1285373022040465413

I realize these encounters over masks are everywhere, but I have no doubt that the Midwest anti-Native sentiment also provokes this reaction at tribal businesses.

Thank you Black Lives Matter!

All you Native mascot activists better knock it off with the anti-Blackness now and forever. I don’t want to see any comparisons to the N-word or Blackface from Non-Black Natives. No “Native Lives Matter” either. Create your own saying. This thread:

https://twitter.com/emmynawjoopinga/status/999951196331872256?s=21

https://t.co/TAYAvPQIv2

The Ponca Tribe of Nebraska just released a statement condemning usage of Native mascots. There is a K-12 school in Nebraska that’s known as “Ponca Indians” with headdress mascot. Their district office number is 402-755-5700. Tell them, Ponca Tribe of NE said retire it. My Ponca uncle, Native way, told me as we went to look for sage that he tried to talk to the Ponca High School about the “Indians” mascot, but they didn’t want to hear it. So, make them hear it now.

Prediction: the Washington Redskins will choose the Washington Warriors as new name and say it’s in honor of the military keeping some of the Native appropriative elements. Never forget they weaponized Navajo Codetalkers under guise of honoring. I always said Washington Redskins took notes from UND’s “keep mascot” handbook (formerly Fighting Sioux). UND invited Native Veterans to honor them at Ralph Engelstad arena, but didn’t inform American Indian Center or students. But they sure publicized the hell out of it after.

“In Nebraska, coronavirus outbreaks have occurred at a number of meatpacking plants, where many workers are immigrants or refugees from Central America, sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia.”

Tyson & other meat plants are responsible for this.
omaha.com/news/state_and… “Roughly 5% of Nebraska residents are Black, but Black people accounted for 7.7% of confirmed coronavirus cases and 7.8% of deaths in cases in which race was known.”

What’s funny to me that whenever another article goes up of a brand rebranding like Aunt Jemima or Uncle Ben, the angry comments are like: what’s next ________(insert racist brand)? Almost like, everybody easily recognizes these as racist, and yet they survived this long. Even Indian sports mascots easily come to the forefront of people’s minds when discussing racist branding in foods. After this, not sure I buy that anybody legitimately doesn’t know Indian mascots are racist. They are complacent or more often, revel in its racism.

When COVID19 numbers rise and they blame protesters, remember that law enforcement seized masks on their way to protestors.

Remember that NYPD took masks when they arrested people and held them as long as 50 hours with no way to socially distance.

Remember this was designed. Remember that nobody cared about COVID19 risks when states were reopening because it was mostly killing Black people, but now that they need a scapegoat, it’s all they want to talk about.

So far looks like most states are going forward with a July bar exam. If I had put in for it, it would only be because I was betting on it being postponed. That is gambling with my immunocompromised mother’s life. COVID19 deaths are projected to double by June from reopens. I am planning on taking a recently announced September bar, but application and info isn’t up yet. Then if July exam does end up being postponed later, would applicants be rolled over to Sept. and no new accepted? Point is, we shouldn’t be put in this position at all.

Winnebago Tribe has first case of COVID19. It’s here. Prayers for our community, especially our elders. As I expected, coronavirus came to our little reservation because of people traveling off the reservation out of necessity for survival: for a job! (Not at all uncommon)

https://twitter.com/emmynawjoopinga/status/1242553528410951682?s=21

Learned my Arikara grandmother, Mary Everett-Bateman, passed away yesterday. She was the granddaughter of Chief Sitting Bear. She was 101. This photo is by Hidatsa photographer, Shane Balkowitsch. July 2019.

Sad I won’t be able to grieve with relatives, many I have never met. My paternal grandmother, Mary, was somebody who shared many Arikara songs and stories to be recorded for future generations and this photo is archived at the North Dakota State Historical Society and featured in one of Shane Balkowitsch’s books, with her permission.

My mom is immunocompromised & still worried about everybody else. She asked my brother and I to donate blood, because there are huge shortages. It pisses me off that U.S. government doesn’t care about us, giving Native Tribes less than half of what we need in coronavirus aid. My mom is a retired Registered Nurse that spent her life caring for our people on our reservation. She deserves better than this. Native people all deserve better than this.

Looking at that data from cellphones grading states and counties on how much they are social distancing (by reduction in travel). Nebraska got a B, but Thurston County, my county that contains two reservations gets a D. Thinking about all the factors of why... Even with good food sovereignty initiatives, before the growing season, our reservations remain food deserts. That means if we want fresh food like lettuce or bananas or even apples we have to travel 20 miles to get it.

My brother just found out he is expected to haul all his stuff back from Haskell by Wed. 18! They are telling students if they can go home, go home. He’s been stressed out. If anybody can give a little gas $, he would be so relieved. #settlersaturday paypal.me/EmmyNawjoopinga Wonder if people look at my bio & assume I am all boujee? Me, living at home with my parents on the Rez, sleeping in the living room. But I am grateful I am here during this time, as can help out my mom who is immune compromised, & my dad who just had ankle surgery.

I don’t think people without anxiety realize that much of not keeping in touch, even with ppl we care about, is we don’t want to seem annoying or bothersome. We also drop off, isolate often when anxiety/depression is at its worse. Now I am paying the price for seeming uncaring. It makes sense the main friends I do keep in touch with, are people who also have anxiety, because they get it and are just as liable to drop off at any time. We just start in where we left off like nothing happened, because that understanding is there.

Whether I pass or don’t pass the bar exam, first thing I am gonna do is be on here tweeting it, because it has absolutely nothing to do with what you know or actual ability, and everything to do with being another barrier. It’s foremost a resources & endurance test, period. People probably thinking, oh yeah she’s just making excuses beforehand because she probably did bad, but nah I know my study mistakes already, (like relying too much on that overpriced prep course when I know better how I learn & my strengths/weaknesses.)

Remember when Bernie came to the defense of Warren over her Cherokee claims stating criticism was manufactured and in bad faith? (Specifically citing an article by a Cherokee woman) We need to remain vigilant & active about our rights as Indigenous people. Nobody gets free passes because white supremacy isn’t just hoods & MAGA hats. It’s upheld daily by U.S. in a multitude of ways. Some of the worst federal Indian policies were passed with good intentions.

So that law professor who wrote the article Pam Anderson is using to defend her Native headdress costume, is a contributor to The Federalist Society. They have a student org at every law school. I am in a law meme group & about 50% of memes are about how Fed Soc are bigots. All I am saying is that time I went a Federalist Society event, the judge they had come speak was fine talking about textualism, but then he started talking about Thomas Jefferson and how he spoiled Sally Hemings by given her bonbons. Friend & I left!