In the darkness of a boarding school night, my mother said she could hear the other kids weeping for their parents. The children were forbidden to speak Lakota by the missionaries. So they spoke the language in their prayers. A thousand prayers from a thousand lonely little… twitter.com/i/web/status/1… My mother ran away from her boarding school three times. On her third and final attempt my grandmother hid her in the basement. Mom said she could hear the bloodhound’s barking as they searched for her. She always slept with the light on. The darkness simply carried too much… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

If these children were strong enough to survive boarding schools (many didn’t) — then their children are strong enough to learn about it. My father, a survivor/victim of the Draconian boarding school system, suffered unmentionable trauma and physical abuse at the hands of clergy staff. A priest once knocked him across the room for speaking Lakota in “class.” I remember him, at night — crying in his sleep.

In an effort to return the care of buffalo to Native people, several were recently gifted to the Lipan Apache of Texas, fulfilling a prophecy that says — the reemergence of the buffalo will usher in an era of strength and healing. This story is incredibly heartwarming.

texasstandard.org/stories/return…

I saw a homeless man walking on scorching hot pavement with no shoes. A driver in front of me rolled down his window and gave the homeless man his shoes. Such random acts of kindness — helps restore my faith in humans. Selflessness, altruism, compassion for others less fortunate than ourselves — these are the attributes we need to normalize — now more than ever.

They were abducted from their families. Had their hair cut off. Were forbidden to speak their language, and then were expected to smile for a photo op? Boarding school Indigenous angels had absolutely nothing to smile about—my heart is heavy today. I desperately search for a myriad of different ways to assuage my grief. It’s an impossible endeavor. As my tears for these poor children continue to flow, unabatedly so. If there is a god out there, among the stars—today would be a good day to make his presence known…

Women of the Sauk and Fox Nations disguised themselves in battle dress attire to fool adversarial tribes. To make their male warrior army appear more numerous.

Artist credit: Daniel Ramirez (Saginaw-Chippewa) You recall our last discussion vis-a-vis Indigenous women warriors? It would not surprise me if Sauk and Fox women fought along side their men. With the same exquisite ferociousness as Pretty Nose (Arapaho) and Buffalo Calf Road Woman (Cheyenne)—heroes of Little Bighorn slayed.

Let’s get one thing straight—Natives were never conquered. Our land was stolen through 500 years of cheating, swindling, lying and bamboozling by greedy, predatory, unscrupulous non-Native colonizers—this is an historical fact. I was taught settler propaganda in school. I was indoctrinated to believe the Columbus “discovery” fallacy. Then one day I went to my local library—and saw the light.

The U.S. illegally rescinded every single treaty it signed with its Indigenous populations. Every. Single. One.

The dumbest thing anyone’s ever said to me was, “go back to your country.”’ So I pitched my tipi up in his backyard and was like,—“I’m home bitch, what’s for dinner?”

June 25th 1876, two Indigenous warrior women, Buffalo Calf Road Woman (Cheyenne) and Pretty Nose (Arapaho) participated in the Battle of Little Bighorn. Buffalo Calf Road Woman (left) killed George Custer, clubbing him on the head, while on horseback—ending his reign of terror. George Armstrong Custer’s Crow and Arikara scouts repeatedly warned him not to take the 7th Cavalry down into the Little Bighorn Valley. When Custer arrogantly refused to do so, they began to sing their death songs. Custer’s entire command was wiped out that day. June 25th, 1876.

Ancient Indigenous cultures throughout North America have the same stone etchings of giant winged beings—reportedly visiting them—long ago. Then abruptly leaving, without a trace. Hopi Holy Ghost pictographs, some dating back 10,000 years, depict the same giant anthropomorphic entities found in a myriad of Neolithic civilizations across the globe. I believe their origins hold extraterrestrial significance.

The U.S. slaughtered 150 million buffalo—and then had the nerve to call Natives savages. “Why couldn’t they just leave us alone? We never killed more than our fill. And less than our share. Can they ever say the same?”

My great-unci (grandmother) was a midwife back in the day, delivering Native babies on the rez, and a few white babies in town. On her 83rd birthday she brought one last new born into the world, the Creator journeyed her home in her sleep. I honor her by keeping her story alive. When my mother was a girl, she accompanied great-unci Rose as her helper, birthing babies on the reservation. It was great-unci Rose who hid my mother in her basement when the Jesuits from the boarding school came to take her away. Such acts of heroism were commonplace back then.

Texas loses power—Declare a national emergency.

1 in 3 Navajo have no running water. Navajo Nation water contaminated by uranium mining—‘crickets.’ Indian reservations sit atop land teeming with untapped natural resources. When corporate interests exploit these lands, Natives receive next to nothing in financial compensation. It’s a 500 year long narrative of settlers taking from Native communities—without giving back.

Red Dawn Foster, Oglala Lakota/Navajo (D) South Dakota swearing into the state senate. I agree, her regalia is immaculate. She wears it incredibly well. She represents the Lakota Nation flawlessly.

A letter to my brother. Who had a run in with a non-compliant, anti-masker;

Dear Joe,

When they intubate a COVID patient it’s like a scene from the movie alien. A face hugger like myriad of tubes and breathing apparatus’ covers their faces. They’re hooked up to a shit load... of modules and pumps. The only recourse doctors here have are to infuse the infected with massive amounts of antibiotics and hope and pray their immune systems are able to do the rest. Sometimes it works and the patient lives. But most of the time, death prevails....

You’re Native Nation. Or the tribe you’re most interested in. And why?

Go. Typo: Your Native Nation. Sorry about that. ☺️

Her name’s Faith. She’s 1 in 10 million. This is an incredibly good sign. Rebirth, regeneration, a deeply profound renewal of the soul.

#NativeAmericanHeritageMonth montanarightnow.com/missoula/rare-… Faith’s arrival into this chaotic world was timed perfectly. White buffalo calf’s are heavy medicine. She will help bring a pervasive measure of cleansing to a planet in the grips of a global pandemic, political turmoil and ecological devastation. Hanhepi was’te, good evening.

My grandson wears a mask for crying out loud. What’s your excuse? Cupcake. 😷 #MaskUp So easy a baby can do it. 😷#MaskUp

My mother would have been 84 today. She made the journey in 2007. Love you, miss you mom, with all my heart.

Your son,
John 🤍🎂✨ Both my parents were orphaned at an early age. After their boarding school internment they met and fell in love in Rapid City, South Dakota. My mother lived in her unci’s (grandmother’s) house by herself when she was only 14. My dad was 14 too. All they had were each other.

Not my first option. But hey bro, I’m down for saving this country like the rest of y’all.

https://twitter.com/rexchapman/status/1293328466939650048

B/c the criminal Trump has proven time and again that he is, in fact, a menace to the Native community.

Excerpts from the book “Lakota Noon.”

A collection of oral history from the Lakota/Cheyenne/Arapaho perspective.

“Crazy Horse rode up to Short Bull after the first Reno fight, Short Bull said, "niȟ’aŋ hí yeló. Kičhízap kiŋ hí nayašna yeló"
“Too late, you've missed the fight.” “Crazy Horse laughed,
"emíčiktuŋža yo, nawášna eyáš okíčhize tȟáŋka waŋ pahá akȟótahaŋ u weló. ho hél okíčhize tȟáŋka kte hé šni yeló."

“Sorry to miss the fight, but there's a good fight coming over the hill, that's where the big fight is going to be, we won't miss that one.”