Here's her Wikipedia page. She's a remarkable woman and my dad's baby sister.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Louise_Defender_Wilson

Siyo Nigada,

We hope this message finds you all well. This week the Blue Star Coalition, The Missing and Murdered Indigenous People of Central Oklahoma Chapter, The American Indian Movement Indian Territory Oklahoma and 4Next7 are partnering to launch a social media campaign calling for accountability and justice for Tony Martinez and his family.

Our organizations are encouraging individuals to copy and paste the below message as a status update and to sign off using their own name at the bottom of the post. If you have any questions about this campaign you can contact one of us directly or email us at: info@4Next7.org.

--

To Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr.

At the root of indigenous suffering, you will find more traitors, than colonizers.

We never want to think our own people would work against us. I wanted to believe that our shared history and experiences, would keep us strong together. This year I have learned how naive I was to believe that the Cherokee Nation tribal government would protect it's people.

Skyler Sellers shot Tony Martinez in the back of the head. Skylar Sellers committed this act as an officer of the Adair County Sherriff's office sworn to protect all people of Adair County. It was never properly investigated by any law enforcement entity involved.

Skyler used the cross-deputization agreement to hide behind Cherokee Tribal sovereignty. A loophole in the agreement was going to be exploited in court. We made Cherokee Nation officials aware of this in an in-person meeting at the Tribal Complex. Nothing was done.

Cherokee Nation was aware of this shooting and did nothing.

SKYLER SELLERS HAS BEEN HIRED AS A CHEROKEE NATION MARSHAL.

Badge Number Nation 71.

Between failing to provide Justice for Anthony Martinez and his family, using the bullying power of the Cherokee Nation Housing Authority to cancel a community event planned for the elder residents at Wisdom Keepers in Stilwell, a seeming on-going lack of accountability surrounding the recent actions of the daughter of a Tribal Councilor: Daryl Legg, use of political power to cancel Derrick Ross's appearance on a regional radio station, and an overall ringing silence regarding the proposed aluminum smelter in Inola I've come to realize, we will not be safe on the reservation, until drastic change occurs. We can not trust our elected officials to save us or protect us.

To the community:

We have to keep each other safe.

The elections are coming up and to our Indigenous citizens, this will be the bullet or the ballot.

Voting won't fix everything or correct corruption that has been allowed to fester at the heart of the tribal government for decades. No, none of that. What it does, is assert our power. It's a baseline protest to the current conditions and putting it on the record, where we stand as a people.

The vote is the bare minimum. Action beyond that, will carry us further. We have to organize.

We as Indigenous people have to become politically mature. Conscious of how the rules and policies set in place by these elected officials affect our lives. An educated population is hard to control. Hard to manipulate.

Apathy has worked against our people for too long. Listen to the beat of your heart. Feel the connection to our ancestors. Walk and talk like you are an ancestor, because you are.

Speak out and resist.

Every generation to come, is counting on us today.

Wado

Is there reason to enroll even if you live out of State and far from where your family/tribe is located?

Thomas McKenney and James Hall. History of the Indian Tribes of North America, with Biographical Sketches and Anecdotes of the Principal Chiefs. Embellished with One Hundred and Twenty Portraits, from the Indian Gallery in the Department of War, at Washington. Philadelphia: Edward C. Biddle, 1836; Frederick W. Greenough, 1838; Daniel Rice & James G. Clark, 1844. 3 volumes, folio. Complete with 120 hand-colored engraved plates, tissue guards, one page of engraved maps, and 17 pages of subscribers' signatures in facsimile.

Near matching contemporary half brown and red morocco gilt, marbled endpapers (save for vol. III). First edition of one of the great color plate books of the 19th century. Originally issued in 20 parts (in 19), based on the original paintings, which were destroyed in the 1865 Smithsonian fire.

Title pages for all volumes in State A, with an additional State B title page for vol. 2 bound in the third volume; State A of "War Dance" and state C of "Red Jacket"; second printing vol. 1, p. 3, with footnote present alluding to previous error. Condition: Boards rubbed with a few tears to the spine, minor loss to spine ends and corners; front hinge vol. 3 slightly tender. Some offsetting to plates from text; light intermittent foxing, mainly marginal to text pages.

References: BAL 3934; Howes M-129; Sabin 43410a. Provenance: Samuel Appleton, subscriber (bookplate).

Considered controversial by modern scholars for multiple reasons including paternalistic text and romanticized views.

This is not a new game, but if you see it and are inspired to do one for your own language, that would great! Be sure to share as well.

Maarsii to Elders and Language Keepers Maureen Belanger and Rita Ducharme for the assistance in developing this episode. Their assistance - as always - was invaluable.

Hi! I’m a south asian/desi (Indian) person.

I have heard about the label of Indian being a controversial thing within native communities, but that basically that some ppl feel upset toward a certain term and some feel inclined towards those same terms

However, as an Indian (south asian) person, I have always wondered why native people would prefer an inaccurate (geographical) and therefore confusing descriptor of their heritage, that was given by colonizers.

South Asian people are fine, we don’t need the term only for us, we are completely fine sharing a terminology. I’m definetly not trying to paint us as victims in this situation period. Because we are not. However, it does make for a convoluted conversation sometimes when defining ethnicity and being like, “no I am south asian” and then ppl being like “what’s south asian?” And then finding a new descriptor to describe what I am. And the uncomfortable thing is that a lot of ppl will ask me what kind of Indian I am in kinda an offensive way.

People have asked “are u a dot on the forehead Indian, or a feather Indian”
“Are you a insert offensive accent dingadingading Indian or a insert offensive gesture Indian”
And that has happened more than a few times actually.

That being said, this is obviously minor aggressions compared to what native communities face generally. And I want to emphasize that I’m certainly not blaming native who utilize “Indian” for those interactions.

However, those moments do make me wonder why use a term that is confusing and given by colonizers. And I’m sure yall are having similar interactions too.

I’m sorry if I chose any words wrong, I’m just genuinely curious about how you guys feel and tryna understand the conversation a bit more.

Thank you! 🙏🏽

EDIT: Thank you all for sharing your different experiences with the word and what it means to you in different contexts. I have a much more nuanced understanding now! I really appreciate sharing all the stories you guys did, it was incredibly interesting to read through and learn. This came up for me because I had a conversation that went “dot or feather” recently, and it just made me think, so I asked my family- and they are all south asian and kinda just shared my same confused sentiment. Im glad I asked! Thank you guys so much!

Exotic items clearly imported from Central America have been repeatedly uncovered in the archaeological records within the traditional territory of the northerners collectively known aptly as the ‘Pueblo’, or town peoples.

Such items include, but are not necessarily limited to, copper bells and macaw-parrots (the Hopi people of U.S. northern Arizona do indeed have a parrot clan — pic 3); utensils such as corn-grinding mano-metates; architectural features such as platform mounds, ball-courts (pic 4) and residences; and particularly their cultivated plants that originated in Mexico, especially the ‘Three Sisters’, maize-corn, beans and squashes.

This influence is also seen in pottery styles and artistic iconography, the latter exemplified by the mysterious and ubiquitous T-shape symbol (as found in Pueblo doorways and tablita headdress, plus Meso-American funerary masks).

Nanabah Grace just checked off a milestone most models only dream about. The Diné model and actress walked the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show for the first time on Sunday night, October 18, when the brand brought its famous runway to Los Angeles.

The Alaska Purchase of 1867: What about the Indigenous nations who already lived there?
On October 18, 1867, the United States formally took possession of Alaska following its purchase from Russia for $7.2 million.
History often presents this as a straightforward transaction between two governments. But there’s a much bigger story.
Alaska was already home to numerous Indigenous peoples, including the Tlingit, Haida, Unangax̂, Yup’ik, Iñupiat, and others, whose histories and relationships with their lands long predated Russian colonization.
These nations weren’t parties to the negotiations between Russia and the United States.
And Russia’s claim to sovereignty over Alaska didn’t mean it had actually controlled every Indigenous territory it purported to sell.
It’s a fascinating example of how historical events can look completely different depending on whose perspective is being told.
How much of this history were you taught in school? And what other supposedly straightforward historical events deserve a closer examination?

Sources and further reading:
William L. Iggiagruk Hensley — Smithsonian Magazine: An Iñupiaq author’s perspective on the Alaska Purchase and its consequences for Alaska Native peoples.
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/why-russia-gave-alaska-americas-gateway-arctic-180962714/
National Library of Medicine — Native Voices: Confirms that Alaska Native peoples were not consulted during the 1867 transaction.
https://www.nlm.nih.gov/nativevoices/timeline/340.html
National Park Service — Voices of Change: Examines perspectives often marginalized in accounts of the transfer.
https://www.nps.gov/sitk/learn/historyculture/voices_of_change.htm

I'm a teen who is wanting to start fancy shawldancing and entering powwows, but I can't for the life of me find classes, and I don't know where to find a mentor. I don't know where to find someone to make my regalia, and I'm unsure if I should just teach myself and hope for the best when I enter, and pray I don't need mentorship. Is someone able to guide me on what to do?

I am writing as a concerned community member and tribal citizen. The concerns raised publicly by the Crow Dog family regarding Thomas Lopez Jr., also known as landbackbaddie, deserve serious attention from the organizations that have helped promote his work.

I want to be clear that my concerns are not limited to TOKALA. I am asking your organization to look at the broader body of work, partnerships, publications, events, fundraising, and other projects associated with his public profile, particularly where Lakota identity and cultural traditions are being represented or used commercially. Thomas has major power and influence in the indigenous spaces of New York (and beyond) and many who have spoken out as of late have fear of being ‘blacklisted’.

I have attached the public statement released by Joann M. Crow Dog, Wife of the Late Chief Leonard Crow Dog Sr. This statement was released by his grandson, owner of Buffalo Jump NYC. The Crow Dog family’s public statement disputes claims about family and tribal relationships and says that the family did not authorize the use of the late Chief Leonard Crow Dog Sr.’s name or image to raise funds for the Crow Dog Sundance. Thomas had also told me Rick Two Dogs is his grandpa and that he does Sundance with him. The statement also raises concerns about the use of TOKALA, which the family identifies as the name of a traditional Lakota warrior society.

These are serious concerns coming from the family itself. They deserve more than silence or a narrow response addressing only one project. Thomas has responded claiming these accusations are over land rights and titles. This is impossible considering you can’t own land on Rosebud reservation or most reservations in general. There is no per cap in Lakota Sioux tribe or benefits where this would ever make sense. You can only have leases from the government (I pay around $20 a year for my tribal plot for example) and can be acquired extremely easily and cheaply by members or people like farmers who want to lease. Thomas owns land in Colorado that I know of and Airbnbs it out for profit. The fact this is his reason that he is not accepted is ridiculous.

This can be checked with members from Rosebud or the Lakota tribe. I have not met anyone from the community there or family who has this relation to Thomas. It has been well spoken about by most Lakota people I have encountered. The fact he is using this as an excuse is extremely offensive and something people have been using as a tool of erasure and pretnedianism for centuries. 
I will be gathering signatures from across the Lakota reservations and tribal council due to his continued attempted fraud. I hope his nonprofit is checked for it’s previous years of financial records. 

Vogue’s coverage, the exhibition at The Shed, the published TOKALA book, Nike collaborations, grants, funding, awards, positions he has gained based on these family claims (such as casting director of Indigenous New York Fashion Week), organizer of indigenous events at places all over NYC and beyond (such as House of Yes, Tv Eye, and Urban Indigenous Collective) and the wider promotion of this work have helped bring it significant public visibility. I am asking the organizations involved to consider what verification and cultural consultation took place, and whether the representations being promoted are accurate and appropriately authorized.

I am also concerned about how these issues may extend beyond a single project. When similar representations appear across publications, events, commercial partnerships, and international platforms, they can reach audiences who may have no reason to question them. That makes it especially important to examine the broader picture rather than treating each project as an isolated matter. There is a difference between representing and learning your own authentic heritage and claiming another for social and financial gain. When you google Thomas what comes up is nothing from his own Mexican heritage, you only see that he is “Lakota and grandson of Chief Leonard Crow dog”. Please look this up yourself.

For Lakota people, these questions are not simply about personal identity or differences of opinion. They concern our relatives, our cultural responsibilities, and traditions that have survived generations of attempted appropriation and misrepresentation. Our communities should not have to watch our histories and traditions become part of someone else’s public profile without being able to raise questions and receive meaningful answers.

There is also a real imbalance of power when established institutions give someone credibility through publicity, publishing opportunities, exhibitions, and professional relationships. People who question those representations may worry about losing opportunities or being excluded from the very spaces where these conversations need to happen. Institutions have a responsibility to take such concerns seriously rather than leaving individual community members to bear the consequences of speaking up.

I am not asking you to accept every claim without investigation. I am asking you to examine the available information, take the family’s objections seriously, and hopefully people to be more aware of claims like this in the future.

Lakota identity is not a marketing strategy, and our traditional societies are not branding assets. Our relatives’ names and legacies should not be used commercially without appropriate authorization. These concerns deserve a genuine review, regardless of how much publicity or institutional recognition a project has already received.

I have included the family’s public statement and relevant project materials as a starting point. I hope your organization will look at the broader context, not simply respond to the individual project most directly associated with it.

Sincerely,
A concerned member of the indigenous community from Rosebud reservation 

—

Full statement:
https://www.instagram.com/p/DemsabSoAhn/?
srtk=MTRyOTQ0em9xZzFIZw==

https://www.vogue.com/article/a-new-series-tokala-spotlights-bipoc-youth-climate-activists

https://www.ceromagazine.com/articles/thomas-lopez-jr-indigiqueer-indigenous-climate-justice-activist-interview

https://www.indigiqueer.org/tokala

I applied for Indspire last year I heard back pretty quick (I applied prior to Aug 1 deadline)

This year I applied again prior to Aug 1st and I have heard nothing. There was an issue with my transcript bc one of my classes took forever to have the final grade uploaded even tho I had completed the course well before August 1st.

My transcript was finally updated Sept 18 and I uploaded it to my application same day. I am assuming I won’t be getting anything until after the Nov 1 deadline? Do I need to resubmit an application to be considered for Nov 1 deadline?