This Columbus Day, it’s important that we continue to fight against colonialism and defend Native people and the land that belongs to us. Here are 4 ways you can do just that! 1. Understand the actual history of Christopher Columbus. The story goes that Columbus discovered America, like we all were taught in our middle-school...
Tag: native americans
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How Environmental Racism Affects Indigenous Communities in the USA
Environmental racism in the case of Indigenous Americans must be acknowledged as an insidious form of genocide. Environmental racism is a term that first began its use in the environmental justice movements of the 1970s and 1980s, primarily to address concerns about black communities being negatively affected by the US government’s social policies. As the...
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An Open Letter to ‘The Slants’: Racial Slurs Aren’t Inherently Progressive
Reclaiming racist stereotypes for yourself isn’t political or edgy when it harms the very people to whom you owe your basic political rights. When it comes to “freedom of speech,” white, cis, able-bodied Americans have a long history of valuing their right to say whatever they want over the bodily safety of everyone else – even and...
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10 Things Every Intersectional Feminist Should Ask On a First Date
If you’re going to date someone, you want to make sure they’re anti-oppression. Here are 10 things you should ask on a first date. As a queer femme of color, I keep close relationships with people who go beyond allyship; they’re true accomplices in the fight against white supremacy, queerphobia and misogyny. If you’re not...
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Why Standing Rock Will Always be About Natives
by Rafaella Gunz The Dakota Access Pipeline protests at Standing Rock have been going on for months, but are only just starting to get mainstream media attention. Unfortunately, that’s partly because a white woman — not the Native tribes who started the protests — recently became a martyr for the cause. The weekend before Thanksgiving (a holiday that...
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Where are all the South Asians in Dystopian Films and TV?
A few months ago, a Facebook friend recommended the dystopian show The 100 because of a supposed woman-power narrative. Being the feminist I am — particularly one who is interested in the intersection between feminism and popular culture — I was excited to check it out. The premise of the show is that a horrendous...
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White Americans: If You Truly Believe in Thanksgiving Values, Stand with Standing Rock
Traditionally we have been taught that Thanksgiving is a holiday about sharing, gratitude and cross-cultural communion. That’s the story of the Pilgrims and Native Americans, right? In 1621, the Wampanoag Indians, like Squanto, helped the Pilgrims learn how to survive and farm in the “New World.” In celebration of their first bountiful harvest, Thanksgiving was...
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Black and Native Lives Must Matter Together
The past, present, and future stories of Native and Black Americans are interconnected and intersectional. Only two weeks ago, we witnessed the unsettling images of private cops pepper-spraying and siccing dogs on Native activists and their children, who were peacefully protesting the construction of the Dakota Pipeline. These activists unified across nations and tribes to...