Warrior Girl Unearthed

Doing the right thing for the right reason, with a good heart and clear intentions, matters.

It's not just about winning; it's about how you conduct yourself and represent your community.

Warriors are willing to do what others can't or won't do for their community.

Everything is connected. The past. The future. The beginning and ending.

I admire warriors,” he says with such intensity it’s like a spell. “Those who are willing to do what others can’t or won’t do for the community.” He smiles. “Any questions?

[W]hen questioned by an anthropologist on what the Indians called America before the white man came, an Indian said simply, “Ours.” —Vine Deloria, Jr., Custer Died for Your Sins: An Indian Manifesto

You're Marten Clan, like me. We protect and provide for our community. You notice things that others don't. You fight for people who can't fight for themselves. If you need to be fierce, you can get there in a heartbeat. But at heart, you are a gentle soul who wants tranquility. It's why we make the best protectors.

Cooper, how do you do this work when your heart feels so heavy?

I wonder how much more can be taken. I wonder how much is left for us to lose.

You jump, and I'll catch you. Every time. I'm your ride or die, niijiikwe.

Our Anishinaabe teachings are not abstract concepts or folklore. My ancestors had names, and they lived through good times and bad times. They dreamed of me and I dream of them. Aho.

That is still up to the federal government to investigate and prosecute. There aren’t enough resources to adequately do this for over five hundred federally recognized Indian tribes. Without consequences, we see perpetrators become predators. They prey on Indigenous women because the odds of being caught and convicted are slim to none.

Muskrat’s friends, including Otter, place the dirt on Turtle’s back, where it takes root and new plants spring to life. Turtle’s back expands to form our continent as the narrator explains why, what some call North America, we call Turtle Island.

No respect for Black and brown bodies when we're breathing. No justice for the living or the dead.

Many of the remains of the Cheyenne men, women, and children slaughtered at the Colorado Sand Creek massacre of 1864 were sent to the Army Medical Museum … Other remains from this massacre, such as scalps and women’s pubic hair, were strung across the stage of the Denver Opera House. —Kathleen S. Fine-Dare, Grave Injustice: The American Indian Repatriation Movement and NAGPRA

Everything weighs on my heart. The loss of a young black man, native women going missing, people hunted down like prey. Researchers wanted our bones, no respect for black and brown bodies when we’re breathing. No justice for the living or the dead.

Most importantly, she chooses to live a full life that honors the sacrifices of her ancestors.

Yeah. I was ‘just friends’ with someone, and now I’m squeezing milk from my boob to feed his kid.

Through a mystery/thriller pitched as Indigenous Lara Croft, I could increase awareness about ancestral remains and cultural items still held by museums despite a law requiring their return.

Perry, do you understand that working within the process, following the rules, following the laws, that it matters?” He stands. “It’s not just about winning; it’s about how you conduct yourself and represent your community.

For the 108,328 ancestors still held by institutions, and those working to bring them home

My parents own the motel,” Erik clarifies. “My mom and I are tribal members.” I correct him. “Tribal citizens. Members belong to clubs. Citizens belong to nations.” “Tribal citizens,” Erik repeats. “I like that.

Sometimes you need to protect your heart from the pain.

Writing is what I do. Loving you is who I am.

(Their's was) "a tribe even smaller than ours. But big enough to have women go missing.

Do we have to be dead and dug up from the ground to be worthy of respect? —José Ignacio Rivera (Apache/Nahuatl)

hen questioned by an anthropologist on what the Indians called America before the white man came, an Indian said simply, “Ours.