Hello Meltingpot Readers,
I admit, after recording my first podcast episode where we considered Thanksgiving from a Native American perspective, I realized how little I actually know about Native Americans. It’s rather embarrassing for someone who considers herself a “diversity diva” to know so little about the people who have legitimate claim on this land we’ve stolen. I’m ignorant about the past, present and future of Native culture and history, but ignorance isn’t a permanent state.
I’m looking at my lack of knowledge as an opportunity to educate myself. I’m excited to dive into a world I know very little about, a world that is literally right in front of me, just waiting to be explored. And how am I getting started? By reading.
The Answer is in a Book
A blog post appeared on my Facebook page recently with the title, 25 Books by Indigenous Authors You Should Be Reading. And I was like, “Are you talking to me Facebook? How did you know I was looking for some guidance on this matter?” And then I remembered, Facebook knows everything. (creepy) Still, this list is great, as is Kaitlin Curtice, the woman who wrote the post (I literally fell in love with her words after spending time on her blog.). She’s an Indigenous author herself and she explains why she compiled this list with these words:
“I’m constantly asked for resources on how people can move forward learning about Indigenous culture, and I’m often repeating the same thing: read books…
First and foremost, this supports Indigenous peoples who are writers and creators. It directly gives back to Indigenous communities and reminds the reader that Indigenous peoples are still here, creating new content for the world.”
So, go on over to Kaitlin’s website. Browse through her her suggested list of books. Pick one. Read it and repeat. That’s what I’m going to do too. You might also want to check out Kaitlin’s book, it’s called Glory Happening: Finding the Divine in Everyday Places and it sounds like the perfect read for right now.
Be good to yourselves, dear readers.
Peace!
