Native American Lovers

02/03/2026

Congratulations - Lily Gladstone for being the first Native Indigenous Blackfeet/Nimíipuu Female in its eighty one year history, to win the Best Actress at the Golden Globe Awards for her role in "Killers of the Flower Moon!"
"The villains are fairly obvious in “Flower Moon,” but Scorsese asks audiences to take a wider look at systemic racism, historical injustice and the corruptive influence of power and money, intriguingly tying together our past and present." ~ Brian Truitt,
"Gladstone, in the rare Scorsese film that gives center stage to a female character, is the emotional core here, and it's her face that stays etched in our memory."
~ Jocelyn Noveck
“This is for every little Rez kid, every little urban kid, every little Native kid out there who has a dream and is seeing themselves represented in our stories told by ourselves, in our own words..." ~ Lily Gladstone
"We Are Still Here!"
Top : Mollie Kyle (Burkhart, Cobb) Osage, (1886-1937)
Bottom: Lily Gladstone, (Blackfeet-Nez Perce
Thank you for reading and liking the article
Proud to be a Native American.
Very worth reading.
.

02/03/2026

THE REAL NORTH AMERICANS WERE INDIANS AND THEIR NAMES ARE NAMED AFTER THE PLACE OF THEIR TRIBE NAME
Half of all US states, 25 to be exact, are named after Native Americans.
We will take a look at some of the 25 states and the meaning of their names. They will be listed in alphabetical order.
1. Alabama: Named after the Alabama tribe, or Alibamu, a Muskogean-speaking tribe. Sources are divided between the meanings "clearers of the thicket" or "gatherers of herbs."
2. Alaska: Named after the Aleut word “alaxsxaq,” meaning “the mainland”
3. Arizona: Named after the O'odham word “al ĭ ṣonak,” meaning “little spring”
4. Connecticut: Named after the Mohican word “quonehtacut,” meaning “place of the long tidal river”
5. Hawaii: Original Hawaiian word meaning “homeland”
6. Illinois: Named after the Illinois word “illiniwek,” meaning “men”
7. Iowa: Named after the Ioway tribe, whose name means “gray snow”
8. Kansas: Named after the Kansa tribe, whose name means “people of the south wind”
9. Kentucky: Origins unclear, may have been named after the Iroquoian word “Kentake,” meaning “in the meadow”
10. Massachusetts: Named after the Algonquin word “Massadchu-es-et,” meaning “big-hill-little-place.”
11. Michigan: From the Chippewa word “Michigama,” meaning “big lake.”
12. Minnesota: Named after the Dakota Indian word “Minisota” meaning “white water.”
13. Mississippi: Named after the river that was named by the Choctaw, meaning “big water” or “father of waters.”
14. Missouri: Named after the Missouri tribe whose name means “those who have dug canoes.”.
.

02/02/2026

02/02/2026

✨ When the Soul Begins to Speak ✨

When the noise of the world
grows too heavy to hold,
I lay my thoughts down
like tired feathers at dusk.

In the hush that follows,
the mind softens
its storms grow distant,
its shadows fade.

And in that sacred quiet,
something ancient stirs:
a voice not made of words,
but of truth
steady, tender,
alive beneath the ribs.

The soul begins to rise
like a lantern in deep water,
glowing with the wisdom
I keep forgetting I carry.

It tells me where to walk,
when to rest,
how to love
without losing myself.

All it ever needed
was a moment of silence
a breath,
a pause,
a little space to bloom.

Quiet the mind,
and the soul will speak
not loudly,
but clearly enough
to guide me home.

02/01/2026

Sitting Bull was a celebrated Native American leader who guided his people in resistance against United States government policies. He is particularly famous for his role in the Battle of Little Bighorn in 1876, where Lakota and Cheyenne forces decisively defeated Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer’s 7th Cavalry. Known for his courage and vision, Sitting Bull once sat calmly between battle lines, sharing a pipe as bullets flew around him. His legacy as a fierce protector of his people and a symbol of Native American resistance remains significant today.
Captured here in an 1881 cabinet card, Sitting Bull exudes the quiet authority and unyielding presence that made him a towering figure among the Lakota. By this time, he was already celebrated for his leadership at the Battle of Little Bighorn, where, alongside Crazy Horse, he orchestrated a decisive victory against General Custer and the U.S. Army.
The photograph reveals more than a man it reflects a symbol of resilience and resistance. His steady, commanding gaze hints at the years of struggle, negotiation, and battle that defined his life. Sitting Bull’s reputation was built not only on his combat skills but also on his ability to inspire and unify diverse tribes facing relentless pressure from encroaching settlers and military forces.
Even decades later, the image endures as a testament to his legacy. Sitting Bull’s role at Little Bighorn was only one chapter in a life defined by vision, courage, and defiance. In this moment, captured on a cabinet card, he embodies the spirit of a people determined to defend their land, culture, and freedom against overwhelming odds.

01/31/2026

American Horse – A Shrewd Sioux Chief
One of the wittiest and shrewdest of the Sioux chiefs was American Horse, who succeeded to the name and position of an uncle, killed in the battle of Slim Buttes in 1876. The younger American Horse was born a little before the encroachments of the whites upon the Sioux country became serious and their methods aggressive, and his early manhood brought him into that most trying and critical period of our history. He had been tutored by his uncle since his own father was killed in battle while he was still very young. The American Horse band was closely attached to a trading post, and its members, in consequence, were inclined to be friendly with the whites, a policy closely adhered to by their leader.
When he was born, his old grandfather said: “Put him out in the sun! Let him ask his great-grandfather, the Sun, for the warm blood of a warrior!” And he had warm blood. He was a genial man, liking notoriety and excitement. He always seized an opportunity to leap into the center of the arena.
In early life, he was a clownish sort of boy among the boys —an expert mimic and impersonator. This talent made him popular and in his way a leader. He was a natural actor, and early showed marked ability as a speaker.
American Horse was about ten years old when he was attacked by three Crow warriors while driving a herd of ponies to water. Here he displayed native cunning and initiative. It seemed he had scarcely a chance to escape, for the enemy was near. He yelled frantically at the ponies to start them toward home, while he dropped off into a thicket of willows and hid there.
A part of the herd was caught in sight of the camp and there was a counter chase, but the Crows got away with the ponies. Of course, his mother was frantic, believing her boy had been killed or captured; but after the excitement was over, he appeared in camp unhurt. When questioned about his escape, he remarked: “I knew they would not take the time to hunt for small game when there was so much bigger close by.”

01/31/2026

Cherokee Women: Equal Partners in Society Cherokee women enjoyed equal status with men in their society. They were eligible for the title of War Women and participated in councils as equals. This led Adair, an Irishman who traded with the Cherokee from 1736-1743, to accuse the Cherokee of having a "petticoat government". The Cherokee people followed a matrilineal system, where children grew up in their mother's house. An uncle from the mother's side taught boys essential skills like hunting and fishing. Women owned the houses and furnishings. Marriages were carefully negotiated, but women could initiate divorce by placing their spouse's belongings outside. Cherokee women worked hard, caring for children, cooking, tending to the house, tanning skins, weaving baskets, and cultivating fields. Men assisted with some household chores like sewing but focused primarily on hunting. Cherokee girls learned various skills, including warfare, healing, basket weaving, storytelling, trade, and dance. They became mothers, wives, and custodians of their heritage. The Cherokee people's ability to adapt was largely attributed to the women, who formed the core of their society.

01/30/2026

We need a big Aho! 💜🪶

01/30/2026

✦ The Trail of Tears:
The Forced Removal America Must Never Forget
In the winter of 1838, under orders approved by the U.S. government, thousands of Cherokee men, women, and children were forced from their homeland in the southeastern United States. This forced removal — known as the Trail of Tears — was part of a larger policy called the Indian Removal Act of 1830, signed by President Andrew Jackson.
The Cherokee were not the only Nation affected. The Muscogee (Creek), Choctaw, Chickasaw, and Seminole were also forced to relocate. These Nations are often referred to as the Five Civilized Tribes, not because they became more “civilized,” but because they had adopted many Western institutions:
Written languages and newspapers
Schools and formal education
Farms, businesses, legal systems, and constitution
They were thriving.
And yet, they were removed — because settlers wanted their land.
✦ A March of Death
More than 16,000 Cherokee were rounded up and marched over 1,200 miles to “Indian Territory,” now known as Oklahoma. They walked through snow, starvation, and disease. The government promised food, wagons, and supplies.
Those promises were never kept.
Many walked barefoot.
Children froze to death in the snow.
Bodies were buried in shallow, unmarked graves along the route.
Historical records estimate that over 4,000 Cherokee died — from cold, hunger, disease, and exhaustion.
The Cherokee have another name for this journey:
“The Trail Where They Cried.”
✦ Why Should This Be Taught in Schools?
Because history is not only about what happened —
it is about who was affected and why it matters today.
Teaching the truth means acknowledging that:
Native Nations were not “nomads”; they had thriving societies.
The removal was not voluntary — it was forced at gunpoint.
It was not simply relocation — it was ethnic cleansing.
Students deserve to know that the United States was not built on empty land,
but on the displacement of Indigenous peoples.
✦ Memory Is Resistance
The Trail of Tears is not just history —
it lives in the stories, prayers, and descendants of those who survived.
Remembering this truth honors them.
Teaching it ensures it never happens again.

01/29/2026

Walk gently, the land remembers every step
Beneath your feet sleep stories and songs
Bones of the ancestors hold the circle of time
The earth is not silent, she is listening
Every footprint is a promise to return
Wisdom grows where respect is planted
The old ones speak through soil and wind
Honor is measured by how lightly we walk
The past breathes beneath the present
To walk with care is to walk with spirit

01/29/2026

The land is not owned, it is remembered
It speaks in wind, stone, and flowing water
Native wisdom stands firm across generations
Symbols carved in silence outlast gold
The sun bears witness to every promise made
Fire may pass, but the earth endures
Children learn truth by walking the land
Animals and people share one breath
Life is given, not taken, by the ground below
As long as waters flow, the spirit remains