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It is uniquely American that we cannot process one mass shooting before another one is already happening. The most recent mass shooting at a Chesapeake Bay Walmart is the 31st in November alone. Our outrage and grief gets eclipsed so quickly by the next awful thing that it becomes difficult to remember what happened or when or why.
But remember we must. Because these acts of hatred and violence are not isolated but part of a long legacy of forgetting in this country.
“Fear is born of forgetting” says Taj James. The costs of this forgetting is high in this young country - land stolen, cultures erased, lives exploited and ongoing violence and genocide.
But not everyone has forgotten. Indigenous people carry with them the truth of their generational struggle and survival and the wisdom of our intrinsic relationship to all of life.
Penobscot activist and Indigenous rights attorney Sherri Mitchell writes that “a wound cannot be healed by pretending that it doesn’t exist. It must be examined, cleansed, and tended. In order to create a healthy path forward, we must deal with the spiritual illness that plagues our past and present reality.”
As we go into this season of community and gathering, let us remember who we are and how we got here. And may we do the healing and justice work necessary to repair the past so that we can build the future.
Kerri (she/her)
Art by @berniceking
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One after another, four of our best-known billionaires laid waste to the image of benevolent saviors carefully cultivated by their class. How billionaires made a strong case for abolishing themselves this week.
“The treaties are not just a concern for Indigenous people. They were entered into by the U.S. government, and as citizens, we have a responsibility to ensure our government honors that law.” Settlers have an obligation to defend treaty rights, too.
Today's social and political life is influenced by generations of racial and gender (dis)order. Why it’s our responsibility to challenge bigoted relatives over the holidays.
“When politicians and pundits keep perpetuating tropes, insults, and misinformation about the trans and LGBTQ+ community, this is a result.” How the Club Q shooting follows year of bomb threats, drag protests, anti-trans bills.
Sixteen years after her death, the writer Octavia Butler is experiencing a renaissance. The story of how she came to see a future that is now our present.
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By saying and celebrating “thanksgiving” we are ignoring the truth of how this holiday came to be and we contribute to the false narrative, continued genocide and erasure of indigenous peoples. As you gather and break bread with loved ones, take time to consider what has been lost to the history of colonization and what needs to be mourned. And then take action in support of Native peoples:
The Indian Child Welfare Act is under attack, which threatens Native families, Native sovereignty and much more. @NativeChildren helps to protect Native children and keep them connected to their families, community and culture. Support their work.
@IWRising initiatives include financial and practical support for Indigenous abortion seekers in the US & Canada, midwifery support & advocacy surrounding repro justice related issues. Donate to their abortion fund.
@4directionsvote throws down hard to register Native people to vote, to get Native people to the polls, and to fight voter suppression. They’re on the ground in GA right now. Support Native organizers on the ground fighting for voting rights.
Indigenous Justice does a lot of beautiful work supporting the families of MMIW & MMIR, using mutual aid, protest and traditional life ways as modes of healing.
Resources by @kellyhayes, Art by @xixi.tepa
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The recent shooting at Club Q is a result of violent rhetoric going unchecked. The (re)mainstreaming and normalization of anti-LGBTQ, anti-semetic and racist rhetoric have created the conditions not just for violence against marginalized people, but for our own desensitization in the face of horrific acts. We are being called not just to speak out and act, but to FEEL - to feel the pain and grief of toxic culture rooted in separation, supremacy and scarcity and transmute our fear and rage into collective action. Here’s how you can get started:
Make your politics values visible. Speak up and act out in support of trans lives, follow their lead and support their work.
Challenge your bigoted relatives this holiday. Getting political at the dinner table can be hard, but it is a gateway to transformative conversations. Here are some guidelines to help you get started. And this too.
Donate to the Colorado Healing Fund or any other vetted organization that supports victims of mass violence and hate crimes.
Advocate for trans rights. Some of the most rabidly anti-trans politicians just won reelection which means the upcoming legislative sessions are going to be terrifying. Now is the time to get organized. Follow Legally Trans for the latest calls to action.
Art. by @cozcon
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Use this time to slow down and listen for the next right action.
Art by @medicine.mami
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CTZNWELL is community powered and crowd-sourced. That’s how we keep it real. Please consider joining us on Patreon for as little as $2/month so that we can keep doing the work of creating content that matters for CTZNs who care.
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