By Amy Durr, Alliance Communications Coordinator
As we commemorate Native American Heritage Month, many of us are absorbing what a second Trump presidency portends. For many Native American activists, the prospects for this incoming administration are profoundly disturbing and they are taking action now.
“Through disappointment, voter suppression, and fear of potential future outcomes, Indigenous people throughout the country are sharing the ways they’re doubling down on ancestral knowledge and community” in the face of the stark reality of another Trump presidency, says Teen Vogue.
We wanted to share 3 of the young, provocative voices speaking out about how to be resilient, protect the sacred, find inspiration and continue to build community, as highlighted by Teen Vogue.
3 Young Indigenous Activists Speak Their Truth
Allie Redhorse Young, Diné activist, organizer and founder of Protect the Sacred:
“My advice to our Indigenous young people is to keep standing up, to keep fighting…We come from a legacy of survival and resilience. And I encourage our young people to continue… standing up to protect our culture, our languages, our traditional way of life, our land. We’ve always fought to protect the sacred and we’re going to continue to fight to protect the sacred.”
Dr. Twyla Baker, Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish college President:
“In the repeated crises we are living through in recent years, (and honestly, throughout my own youth and young adulthood), I’ve encouraged our young people to turn to their traditional teachings and lifeways for the wisdom, guidance, inspiration, and peace they seek to make it through.
“Road maps were crafted by the ones who came before us, and were brought forward and protected — at enormous cost to those who carried them — to be handed down to us in preparation for uncertain times. The impacts of colonization have caused enormous damage and harm, but we still return to those practices as we need, to find the peace and belonging we seek.”
Allen Salway, Diné, Tohono O’odham, Oglala Lakota writer and content creator
“The risks are high, and the urgency to act and build community as well as align our values is needed more than ever — especially outside of the two party system that is only benefiting billionaires and corporations.
“Our people have survived through resistance, not despair. While it’s normal to feel the weight, remember we deserve more than what these leaders and country can offer. Our ancestors fought and dreamed for us to have true freedom, and though it may not come in my lifetime, I find purpose in working to give the next seven generations a better world. When you’re ready, this is our time to build community.”