apihtawikosisan:

Mexican authorities have banned Maya spiritual leaders from performing ceremonies at their ancestral temples, which are about to be overrun by a curious assortment of conspiracy theorists, dooms-dayers, new-agers and well-intentioned tourists who just want to be apart of the festivities.

The Ceremonies are meant to mark the end of the Maya long-count calendar, which began 13 Baktun (cycles) ago. Under the Greco-Roman Calender, that’s about 3112 BC.

Contrary to popular (mis)belief, the end of the long-count calendar is being viewed as something positive. As Mayan priest Jose Manrique Esquive recently pointed out, the current Baktun, which began around 1618, has been drenched by a continuous reign of misery that included the introduction of European disease, culture and language being erased and entire populations being extinguished.

…

However, the Maya are still going to be allowed to visit the sites along with the tourists, but they will likely have to pay to get in, just like everyone else.

I am full of rage and oh so unsurprised.

WDF? Those sites belong to them, not the government, and you are banning them and most likely will be making them pay to visit their own ancestral sites? Fuck it.

myjourneymythoughts:

thedirtygypsy:

You know what racism is? It’s oppression. It is literally people going out of their way to insult you or harm you because of a ‘race’. Which is any classification of people. Whether its religious beliefs, hair color, eye color, skin tone, native tongue, gender.

THAT is racism. 

But what pisses me off is that these gun-ho people who are so hell-bent on making themselves out to be victims, when it is no longer their plight - will turn anything into a victimization. They aren’t feeling any oppression or real racism but they are willing to make every word, every object that they see that’s ever had anything to do with their heritage into a racial reprimand. 

Words and objects, things that people do are racist because you make them that way. You feed it. You allow it to define who you are. You take everything that is said or done and twist it into negativity, hate, and offensive material. Simply because its part of your heritage. 

And I get it. Your heritage isn’t a costume. But I’m not even using it as a costume. Do you see me decked out head to toe in Navaho gear? NO. It’s a headdress. A symbol of unity, community, strength. And if anything you should be damn proud that someone sees it as such and is able to see the REAL reason for this Holiday rather than the negativity. And not just seeing one side but both. 

It is Thanksgiving. And on any other damn day I’m right there with you. The Native Americans were oppressed, yes. Were they killed from the wars and disease carried over by the pilgrims? Yes. No one is saying they weren’t. But today is a day to show thanks for all the good that DID happen, and that two groups of individuals from completely different lands, beliefs, and ‘races’ were able to join together and help one another to survive. It was the kindness and hard work of the Native Americans that kept the Pilgrims alive through the winter, and in turn the help of the pilgrims for the Native Americans to learn more, understand more, and cultivate more. That is why we feast on Thanksgiving to represent that overcoming of RACISM and working together as one. As a whole.

EQUALS.

And if you’re really going to sit here and peg people as racist for honoring this day and dressing as those who made it happen. Then you really don’t understand anything. And someone must have left out ‘common sense’ when you were created because you’ve got not even a hint of it.

You want equality. Fine. But stop treating everyone like a racist for wearing clothes that your ancestors wore. It doesn’t offend anyone. It shouldn’t because it isn’t meant to. And if it offends you. Then you should sit the fuck down before you open your mouth and really figure out why it offends you. And when you get down to it all you’re going to have is that you feel entitled to that symbolism, that it is who you are and that you are so small-minded you can’t see people for who they are rather than a race, or that you in truth are offended by your own heritage and are against any other races celebrating your heritage.

It is YOU who promotes racism.

Not me.

And yes, my birth name. By fucking law. Is Gypsy. Which can be used in a derogatory term. But I don’t even let it bother me. Because you know what. I know what it means. It means that my mother named me what she knew I would be. A wanderer a vagabond, someone who sees the world for what it is and is not afraid to fight against it. So let people say what they want. But don’t ever accuse me of being racist because it is YOU who can’t accept someone for petty shit beyond a name or skin type.

Well, for being so against racism, you’re pretty racist yourself:

http://romaniprincess.tumblr.com/post/36318642332

Fuck here comes the, “I’m wearing a headdress to honor Native Americans”, & “I’m celebrating the true meaning of Thanksgiving”, and another “I have Native American heritage!!!” bs.

Bitch you don’t know the origins of Thanksgiving where 700 Pequot men, women, & children were fuckin massacred in which Governor Winthrop of Massachusetts created Thanksgiving as an official day in 1637 as their “victory” so stop claiming like you do. Native Americans see Thanksgiving as a day of fuckin mourning, not of fuckin thanks you racist bitch and if you were fuckin Native American like you oh so claim to be you wouldn’t be speaking out this white colonialist garbage of lies saying equality this equality that bs is the true fuckin meaning and origins of Thanksgiving.

You make a whole rant about racism yet you sent that ask in romaniprincess ask. Who is the racist white bitch now.

Btw guys her blog is still here. And it all started from this post which she has deleted but hey it’s the internet, the evidence is still there.

So I just saw this on my FB from some guy who is Pagan and has told me in the past he practices with a mix of “the Native American spirituality”. That alone is bs and after I repeatedly explained to him how wrong that was he still says I’m the one wrong but that’s another issue.

And now you are really wondering what went wrong? Like seriously?

nativeamericannews:

Yale Returns All Machu Picchu Artifacts to Peru

November 12 marked the end of a years-long dispute when Yale University returned the last of thousands of Machu Picchu artifacts to Peru. This final and third shipment arrived in 127 boxes. The first batch was shipped in March 2011 and the second last December.

nativeamericannews:

Native Cry Continues its Push for 5,000 Signatures for Suicide Prevention

Native Cry Outreach Alliance, an organization that seeks to prevent Native youth from making life-ending decisions and treat depression, is pushing for more signatures for its online campaign that urges Congress to pass the Native American Suicide Prevention Act.

nativeamericannews:

Newest Face of Gerber Is Native

The newest face of Gerber, 8-month-old Mary Jane Montoya from Fresno, California, is of mixed heritage. Her mother, Sara Montoya, has Mexican heritage and her father, Billy Montoya, is a descendant of the Yokut Mono Tribe.

nock-knock:

      For the most part I have been staying out of the ‘native’ tags on Tumblr because they give me a migraine, but I ventured there and it was a dark pit of racist despair.  Then I thought to myself, “why in hell is there such an influx of dumb ass people?” then I remembered, “oh yeah, Halloween.”  That special time of year where NDNs everywhere grit their teeth and close the blinds, because it’s just a matter of time before you see some person with a chicken feather headdress and acrylic war paint smeared across their rosy cheeks.  Now, dear, Moniyaw, I want to veer away from the usual “wow that’s really racist and disrespectful you really shouldn’t put on that faux buckskin bustier and buy that plastic tomahawk” and I really want you to look at the picture of this woman:

Take a good, long look into her eyes.  

Now I want you to look at these women:

The first image of a murdered Saulteux woman named Pamela George, she was dispossessed of her land in Saskatchewan and moved into Regina where she worked as a sex worker to provide for her children.  She was brutally sexually asaulted and murdered by two white college aged males.  Those other women?  Those are some of the missing and murdered Indigenous women who have been assaulted  and murdered on the streets of Vancouver.  Not pictured here, is a Cree woman who the news papers called ‘A Squaw named Rosalie’.  She is another Native woman who was murdered by a white guy.  

Now, what do the tragic murders of these women have to do with your Halloween costume?

Every thing. 

You see, when you dress up as this:

this:

or even this:

You are not only being disrespectful and racist, you are aiding in the sexualization and devaluing of Native women’s bodies.  This is a stereotype Indigenous women have been battling since contact.  The bodies of Indigenous women have been Settler men’s playgrounds for centuries, not because Indigenous women wanted it, but because of the power they exerted/exert over us.  Historically, governments would withhold rations for reserves until they obtained access to the bodies of Native women, the Northwest Mounted Police (pre:RCMP police force in Canada) would turn their backs when Indigenous women would tell them what was happening, sometimes even exploiting starving families for their own access.  You see, the sexualization and devaluing of Indigenous women has been a ploy for dispossession and domination by the Settler-Colonial state in order to gain access to our lands, our resources and destroy our communities.  The branding of Indigenous women as ‘whores’, ‘licentious’, ‘squalid’ aided in the formation of the stigma and stereotypes that still haunt and influence the everyday lives of Native women.  These costumes are a continuation of this.  These costumes are a product of this ideology: the same ideology that allowed white men to have their way with Native girls since the 19th Century.  When you put your body into the costume, the identity, of a ‘sexy Indian princess’ you are perpetuating the same idea, you are aiding in the continued sexualization of Indigenous women, the same devaluing.  This devaluing of the bodies of Native women is what allowed the murderers of Pamela George to be given a minimum sentence, because they were young white men with a future, and she was nothing but a ‘Native prostitute’.  This perpetuation of this ‘squalid squaw’ stereotype, is the reason that those missing and murdered women go unrecognised and unoticed by the general public and the cops that were supposed to protect them.  When you wear these costumes, there are real life consequences that effect the lives of Indigenous women everywhere.  When you put on those costumes, you are allowing the continued dispossession  domination, assault, sexualization, disrespect, racialization, and colonization of Indigenous women and Indigenous communities.

All I am asking you, dear fellow Halloween-goer, is to think critically before you wear your costume.  And if you choose to wear your racist costume, when someone calls you out on it, listen.  Even if you think it is ruining your night to sit there and listen to a person tell you why you are hurting them.  Because I can guarantee that they only ruined your night, but you ruined so much more.

babascupboard:

wiccanink:

For starters those words are interchangeable. Though the words “Totem Animal” is of Native American origin Totemistic beliefs are not limited to Native Americans. Similar totem-like beliefs have been historically present in societies throughout much of the world, including Africa, Arabia, Asia, Australia, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, and the Arctic polar region.

Though spirit animal or spiritual animal does apply to more people totem animal can still be used correctly. A totem animal is an animal you are inside. It’s the animal you can call on if you need guidance or help. 

I understand keeping traditions pure and a person who isn’t Native American shouldn’t consider themselves Native American if they are purely Caucasian. I respect the Native American culture. It is dripping with tradition and old old rules on how to live your life. It is a beautiful culture as is every culture on this planet. 

If you prefer to call them spirit/spiritual animals or power animals feel free to do so. I will be using the terms interchangeably. The thing with religion is everyone has a different way of practicing it and viewing it. Everyone will feel offended at some point about something that someone else says.

Here at WiccanInk we try our hardest to post up strictly information and we only specify if people ask us questions. Though we will post up some biased opinions (which is a fault on our part) we mean no harm. We’d love to correct ourselves if we mess up with information. Correcting us helps us grow as Witches. People learn best from their mistakes. 

Thank you for reading and I hope in the future no one takes anything we say to offence. 

Blessed be -Alerisa

It’s really difficult to not take offense at most of the above. Especially since this same topic has been explained by a dozen or more tumblr-peeps in just the few months I’ve been watching. 

I literally want to find the mud I was made out of and dig myself into until I drown.

Ugh. Another fuckin Wiccan spitting out shit and being all “knowledgable”. This is why I can’t stand the Pagan community at times because of dipshits like this.

deluxvivens:

lightspeedsound:

gondoleia:

lightspeedsound:

Yo, white feminists

…Just because I am a woman of color

who treasures her family’s and her culture’s history

and beliefs

Doesn’t mean that I am not independent and enlightened

In fact 

I would just like to remind you

That y’all white people burned Joan of Arc for being a “witch” for being a woman warrior

And we commemorated Hua Mulan in ballad form (after offering her a government job)

not just hua mulan, either

mu guiying at nineteen led armies against the invading khitans and in her thirties after her husband’s death lead those same armies against the invading western xia with her grandmother-in-law she saijun and the rest of the yang family women

this without crossdressing btw

and we have temples and shrines built for han e

And I mean it’s not just Chinese culture, either. 

Like Hatshepsut. Cleopatra. 

I feel like we need to create a list of ancient historical feminist women of color that disprove the notion of feminism being a white western concept.

Like, let’s go.

Now. 

These “feminists” stay forgetting that early white feminists got their concept from women of the Iroquois Confederacy.

nativeamericannews:

Newly Discovered Mini-Dinosaur Had Fangs, Porcupine-Like Quills

It weighed as much as a housecat and was as fierce as a Chihuahua. Researchers have discovered, and reconstructed, a species of plant-eating mini-dinosaur with inch-long jaws and vampire-like fangs that thrived in Africa 200 million years ago.

nativeamericannews:

Lakota runners to compete in NYC Marathon on behalf of charity

For athletes who enjoy the ability to run outdoors and for the parents and friends who enjoy watching these athletes perform, there is an upcoming treat that will reach all the way back to Pine Ridge in November.

the-transfer-point:

I am half Cherokee. I have a citizenship to the Cherokee Nation as well as a blood relative who is Blackfoot.  I have lived on, worked on, and advocated for American Indian reservations (particularly those in the plains area).  As a pagan, I am grateful for the education I received from experienced spiritual individuals in my community growing up, including my blood elders.  

American Indian spirituality is just one of hundreds of cultural practices that many neo-pagan movements and eclectic individuals have taken interest in learning about and using for their own benefit, which I don’t have a problem with, as long as it is taken on in a culturally appropriate way and credit is given where credit is due.

Too often I see white pagans calling themselves “ThunderBear Two-Moon” or some ridiculous ripped of Native American name and taking on the role of shaman,  spiritual elder, or other Native specific spiritual role without the proper training or credentials.  I see white pagans profiting off of medicine wheels, Native American spiritual arts and crafts such as dream catchers and antler tools.  I am constantly bombarded with eager young white Wiccans who claim that some white author told them that because they read this book or that e-zine they are now practicing “Native American Spiritualism” and their totem animal is the “Shadow Fox” or some bullshit.

Now, there is nothing wrong with being drawn to Native spiritualism. It is a beautiful and honest way of life. It blends science, medicine, spirituality and nature all in one in many wonderful (and separate) Native belief systems.  But there is a difference between approaching the topic with reverence and respect and ripping off and mimicking our culture and spirituality to look cool or make a profit.

If you are interested in Native spirituality, get in contact with a local reservation and see if they have powwows or events you might attend.  Find community centers that hold cultural fairs, buy books by native authors, buy tools and art from native artists who are able to make a fair profit from what they create.  Don’t EVER call yourself a Native American shaman, wiseman/woman, witch doctor, bruja, etc. 

Being a Pagan, Wiccan, or witch means that you respect the earth and those with spiritual knowledge who have come before you. Don’t dilute or sully the beautiful Native cultures and spiritualities of our country by claiming you are something you are not or supporting appropriating activities by greedy “pagans”.

nativeamericannews:

The Myth That Never Leaves – Indians Don’t Pay Taxes

The myth won’t go away: Indians don’t pay taxes. The roots come from a phrase in the U.S. Constitution, “… Indians not taxed.” But that provision wasn’t even dealing with taxation, but how Americans are counted for representation in Congress.