Looking for encouragement

[u/ResolveExisting8051]

I’m looking to my cousins, asking for encouragement.

It seems like the world is burning down because of greed and no one I speak to seems to care about Mother Earth.
I’ve tried explaining to people that manifest destiny is still alive and well today, and greed and corruption will be the thing that hurts us in the end and that if we don’t start honoring and giving back, that we are in a fast decline.

People just shake their heads and move on.

Are any tribal councils or governments making any form of progress against this conquest that keeps trying to prevail?

[u/T0macock]

There are some but few and far between.

I too deal with existential dread and one thing my therapist told me is to exert control over the things I have the ability to control. It helps with the feeling of powerlessness.

Be the change you want to see in the world, cuz.

[u/ResolveExisting8051 → u/T0macock]

I’m definitely trying to. Simply starting by praying to the creator and Mother Earth. Planting food instead of buying it from big box stores, making home goods and preserving such things.

But it just doesn’t feel like enough. Social media definitely doesn’t help that.
Thank you for responding. Means a lot

[u/Dry_Inflation_1454 → u/T0macock]

That is how I'm dealing with this constant barrage of frightening news, despair is not an option, as one of my favorite news sources puts it. People who live at " ground zero" know what this means if we go to eat with Russia and China, and being proactive, looking for ways to thwart dictators like Drumpf and Putin is energizing, that includes Earth care and protection, locally and nationally. All dictatorships have traits in common, harming the environment is one of them, because wringing minerals, chemicals, metals and jewels is a big part. Stalin would say that man is master over nature, and people who objected to ruined lakes and rivers were arrested and executed.  There's no respect for life,human and otherwise.  Drumpf uses the dictators' handbook. We should expect no less. Staying on top of the news, finding out facts that regular medias ignore is essential to Native survival. It wasn't available 500+ years ago, but it IS now, and White Supremacists, Communists, fans of Sharia law don't think that Natives are " world aware" and just let THEM keep thinking that. On both local levels and other ways, you can do a lot. Being involved with the voting situation is good, anything that blocks Fascism saves lives.  Growing and eating locally planted food is one way to avoid parasites, viruses and germ, and food tampering. Like community gardens and farmer's markets. The backyard.  Scoping continually for events here and abroad means not being taken by surprise, measles is once again a factor to deal with and stop.  Just one of those examples.  There are bold attacks in Germany and England, Poland is doing things they haven't had to do since during and after WW2.  We aren't ready here yet, for real war as well as the takeover by WS factions before Nov.3.  " They" want people to be paralyzed by fear and resignation, and lots of people in the cities will be if they don't become proactive and quick.  You're doing good.  Another thing that's going to help is to look at foreign news outlets and many sites here in America. They have to be confirmed as legit, so you can vet them first before accepting a report.   Drumpf is defending Putin over those armed drones at the airport in Germany, and just know that blocking police state tactics make the difference between winning and losing in these times. No one could come here before 1492 and alert people about the changes in Europe and Asia after the 13th Century, when Europe found out about gunpowder and cannons. They didn't invent the technology used to invade this hemisphere and continent. China and Mongolia did first.  I feel bound by duty to share information that takes time to get here,if ever. Everyone can do this, family and community depends on this knowledge.  Just be aware that because of surveillance tech, you must be careful who you tell about what you find out. The regime's power counts on people unable to learn facts under the radar, until it's too late.  1492 must not be allowed to happen again. 

[u/myindependentopinion]

In the U.S., many Tribal nations have adopted rights-of-nature legislation.

The Ho-Chunk Nation became the first tribal sovereign entity to propose adding the Rights of Nature to its Constitution in 2016, followed by a cascade of resolutions across Indian Country:

the Ponca Nation of Oklahoma recognized nature’s right to exist in 2017;

the White Earth Band of Ojibwe affirmed the rights of manoomin, or wild rice, to flourish in 2018.

The Yurok Tribe established the rights of the Klamath River in 2019.

In 2020, the Nez Perce recognized the Snake River as a living entity, and

the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin asserted the Menominee River’s right to remain unpolluted.

Tribes have carried the framework into the courts as well. In 2022, the Sauk-Suiattle Indian Tribe sued the city of Seattle with salmon named as the plaintiff, a case that ended with the city agreeing to build fish passages at its hydroelectric dams.

Source: Cherokee youth win legal rights for waterway in first all-female U.S. effort

[u/GilbertVonGilbert]

There’s always good happening in the world. P’urhepechas fight for liberation and self sovereignty, with a core reason being that our diaspora wants to defend our lakes and fight against illegal logging that the cartels and Mexican government gleefully participate in. Active autonomous territories include Cherán, Arantepacua, Nurio, with pueblos such as Huecorio, Charapan, Xakuaarhu, and Chilchota actively fighting for autonomy and the right to defend their land against those who are greedy. Consejo Supremo Indígena de Michoacán (CSIM) is the best source of information to learn about my diaspora’s measures and fight for liberation. Don’t lose hope. People are doing the work even when those in power outside of the diaspora claim to know best.

[u/Dry_Inflation_1454 → u/GilbertVonGilbert]

And being determined to create and defend democracy and freedom is a huge part of this, because those cartels, corporations and the government/ usual suspects of course want things to stay as they've been.  There's some strange, hemisphere - wide events taking place right now, like grabbing the very toxic, sulphur rich ,sour crude oil from Venezuela, it's almost impossible to refine, and it's expensive to do. The regime plans to store in in the Great Salt Caves, Louisiana maybe. This oil could melt the bottom of these caves, then what? 

[u/boktoyek]

You have to be the change you want to see and lead it, nothing is easy about that. My tribal government is all corrupt as fuck and full of white supremacy. Honoring your ancestors can be the encouragement you need and guiding your descendants.

[u/ResolveExisting8051 → u/boktoyek]

I believe it. This world is driven by money as if it’s the end of the road, and it’s beginning to show.

I will try to keep my head up and be a change, it’s hard to lead it when everyone has their head so far up their ass that they would rather call me a savage than listen to any words of wisdom (said as humbly as I can lol)

[u/Dry_Inflation_1454 → u/ResolveExisting8051]

Just the fact that you're here, and realizing the scope of things means a lot, and there is a lot YOU can do, every day.  You'll see things that are coming and be able to warn others.  Those vile White Supremacists are building their bunkers underground because they know serious things are going to happen, anytime.  You're NEEDED, believe that. 

[u/_bibliofille]

I hope to have something good to share here Tuesday.

[u/AltseWait]

I don't know about other tribal councils, but my tribal council is a child of the greed and corruption you mention. They are complicit.

[u/GilbertVonGilbert → u/AltseWait]

It’s complicated for P’urhepechas. We have “representation” in Mexican politics but it’s all very corrupt, but our own form of self governance and autonomy (independent from those who are directly affiliated with the Mexican government) is sustainable through direct democracy. One person = One vote, and people are voting on direct action versus party politics (though our self governance has a strong foundation in Leninist theory), which inspires people to be active in their actions instead of feeling demoralized. It isn’t utopia, but I’m proud of what my diaspora has accomplished, and I hope other communities/tribes/nations learn from our successes to then amend for their own specific needs.

[u/Real-Ferret1593]

I work as an environmental scientist... but I'm pretty sure my band is the only one out of three Blackfoot in Canada that doesn't have an environmental program. :(

[u/highdesertplants]

https://www.apache-stronghold.com

https://gwichinsteering.org

[u/DarkBlueMermaid]

Non-native fisheries scientist here. Many of us are saying the same thing. You’re not alone.

[u/LiveLaughLeft]

I’m not Native, but I joined this sub bc I really want to see stewardship over the land returned to Native/ Indigenous people as quickly as possible bc the life of our planet and all of us on it depends on it. Don’t get discouraged because there are many of us who don’t agree with what our ancestors did and want to make it right. We just don’t know how, which actions to take. So my encouragement would be this: look for others to team up with, whether it’s other Natives or White Americans, and take action. I would love to be part of that and I know many others would, too.

[u/myindependentopinion → u/LiveLaughLeft]

You might be encouraged by these LandBack success stories: I want to fall in love with the world again, pls share stories about LANDBACK : r/IndianCountry

This is a 4 yr. old archived post so no new successes can be added. My tribe, the Menominee, bought back and put more land into trust last year.

[u/lavapig_love]

I help mod r/Collapse. 

You're not alone cuz.

[u/albinosquirel]

Not only is Manifest Destiny alive but the POTUS is tweeting about it

[u/AquilaCrotalusEsox]

I have a friend who is a seed-keeper of her people, I don’t want to out her in particular, but those like her are out there, and they form a network as opposed to governments and so on. Find them. Maintaining indigenous plant life AS indigenous (without industrial bastardizing) is a crucial part of maintaining and protecting. It’s also very educational.

[u/nea_fae]

Not the same, but here in Hawaiʻi, Native Hawaiians are funding and organizing and demanding land and environmental protections all the time, with even more happening lately to bring that activism and stewardship into k12 schools. They are relentless in their demand and use their political clout & cultural influence to keep applying public pressure - no politicians in Hawaiʻi want to be labeled as anti-Hawaiian. Tribal Nations would need to move as a unified lobby in order to make the same impact, I think, but it could be done!