From Indigenous New England
https://indigenous.boston |
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ADDISON, Texas — From small-town Oklahoma native to internationally acclaimed actor and musician, Wes Studi forever changed a stereotype with his unforgettable performances in Dances with Wolves, The Last of the Mohicans, Heat and Avatar.
Now, he’s working on another mission.
Yesterday, the Cherokee citizen and legendary film star released a public service announcement (PSA) to raise awareness of the serious effects of COVID-19 in Indian Country and request widespread support for Partnership With Native Americans (PWNA) to ensure Native Americans are not left behind during the pandemic.
What sparked the PSA is a series of vital health issues happening in the wake of COVID-19, even with many stay-at-home orders in place. The risk of contracting the virus is higher among Native Americans due to overcrowded housing and high rates of diabetes, kidney disease and asthma. And despite more than 7,100 confirmed cases of COVID-19 within the Navajo Nation and other tribal communities, federal aid has been slow to arrive.
In his new PSA, the Oscar winner reminds the public of the need for immediate attention and charitable donations to PWNA, which has secured tribal clearances and follows CDC and tribal guidelines to continue delivering critical items, such as food, water, sanitizer and personal protective equipment (PPE).
For more information on the PSA, and to learn how to donate, visit NativePartnership.org/
“Every day, remote reservation communities face shortages of food, water and healthcare, and COVID-19 has magnified that reality,” said Joshua Arce, PWNA president and CEO. “Donations are critical now as we bring relief to under-resourced communities.”
Studi notes PWNA is a nonprofit he trusts. In 2019, they collaborated in a five-part Realities Video Series with Wes Studi that aimed to give an accurate portrayal of reservation life and dispels long-held myths that continue to impact Native communities.
The post Legendary Actor Wes Studi Urges the Public to Assist Indian Country Amid Pandemic appeared first on Native News Online.
Thursday, May 28, 2020 | 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM PDT
An Anishinaabe Prophecies, this time is known as the 7th Fire. The prophecy says that to move to the 8th Fire, we face a choice between two paths. One path is well-worn, scorched, and leads to our destruct.ion. The other path is new, green, and leads to Mino-Bimaadiziwin (the good life)
Join us as internationally-renowned activist and author Winona LaDuke – an Anishinaabekwe (Ojibwe) member of the White Earth Nation – discusses how the pandemic provides us with an opportunity to walk a new path, taking care of each other, and our Mother Earth.
Crisis can bring out the best or the worst in communities. Winona will discuss what it’s going to take to herald in a restorative, regenerative, and just society, one where we appreciate each other, localize our economy, get cleaner, and healthier.
Let us put our minds and hearts together to make a good future for our children!
Winona LaDuke is one of the world’s most tireless and charismatic leaders on issues related to climate change, Indigenous rights, human rights, green and rural economies, food justice, alternative sources of energy, and the priceless value of clean water over a career spanning nearly 40 years of activism. She is Program Director of Honor the Earth, the founder of the White Earth Land Recovery Project, and Winona’s Hemp and Heritage Farm. A graduate of Harvard and Antioch Universities, she is the author of five books, including Recovering the Sacred, All our Relations and a novel, Last Standing Woman.
TICKETS ARE SLIDING SCALE $5 – $25 to benefit speakers and artists impacted by the cancellation of events due to the pandemic. All who register will receive a link to watch live or later at their own convenience.
Closed caption version will be available 3-4 days after the live event.
https://www.facebook.com/pg/cityrepair/events/ for more info
VBC Starts This Friday, May 29th! |
Our annual Village Building Convergence is just about here! This newsletter includes info about the online events, workshops, and yes – DISTANCE DANCING! Feel free to browse the website https:// Registration is required to receive zoom links. All events (except the design course) are sliding scale donation, no one turned away for lack of funds, and Queer, Trans, Black, Indigenous, and People of Color encouraged to hop on in!
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Message from Omyene Grandmother Bernadette Rebienot, Owansango:
The period we are going through, like every ordeal that life brings us to endure, invites us to question our way of living and to see things in a new light. What message is hidden behind everything that happens to us?
Today, most of the world’s population is confined and Nature can reclaim her rights. In this regard, a break in human activity is more than welcome. Pollution is declining, animal species are repopulating. The whole world is at rest. What could be more natural after so many years of excess?
The real question to ask ourselves is how did we get here, reaching such a level of imbalance without any respect for natural laws, without harmony or restraint? Never in human history have we reached such levels.
We were all surprised by this crisis, generating doubt among some, acceptance among others. Everyone analyzes it in their own way. Can’t we see in it a form of natural justice which comes to impose itself and enlighten us on our condition?
This virus affects the entire population, no one is spared. Isn’t this a sign that nothing separates us, whatever our origin or our social rank? It is up to us to realize that the future of the human being is written together. We all come from diverse communities, with values and traditions that define our reality and determine where we recognize ourselves as an individual, but this richness must be lived with an opening towards our neighbor, whoever it may be.
Again, justice is expressed. It is social but also spiritual, because it shatters the illusion of separation in which we live. It shows us that humanity is One being and its survival depends on this achievement.
It is precisely this call that we, the Grandmothers of the whole world, must heed. If we are among those most at risk, it may be because we have a crucial role to play. It is we who transmit knowledge to new generations, remembering where we come from and who we are.
It’s time to get back to basics. Through prayer and the invocation of our ancestors, it is up to us to hear this global warning properly, and to share the message with as many people as possible.
Human beings are endowed with intelligence but, despite their desire to dominate nature, the latter will always triumph.
Let us remember that the central element is Life. It’s up to us to keep the flame alive.
Grandmother Bernadette
International Council of Thirteen Indigenous Grandmothers
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