dear America we are still here you do not know this but we are still here now
not know this but we are still here now
not know this but we are still here now that is not an accusation it is not a
that is not an accusation it is not a
that is not an accusation it is not a threat nor is it a warning but it is a
threat nor is it a warning but it is a
threat nor is it a warning but it is a fact that colonization happened and we
fact that colonization happened and we
fact that colonization happened and we are still here this is your alarm in the
are still here this is your alarm in the
are still here this is your alarm in the dawn of the 21st century so why do we
dawn of the 21st century so why do we
dawn of the 21st century so why do we need a wake-up call in the middle of the
need a wake-up call in the middle of the
need a wake-up call in the middle of the American dream it’s because our nation
American dream it’s because our nation
American dream it’s because our nation is divided where I’m from
is divided where I’m from
is divided where I’m from Navajo philosophy teaches us mojo Enka
Navajo philosophy teaches us mojo Enka
Navajo philosophy teaches us mojo Enka loosely translated mojo Benkei
loosely translated mojo Benkei
loosely translated mojo Benkei they mean balance and family Hangzhou is
they mean balance and family Hangzhou is
they mean balance and family Hangzhou is the beauty way it’s when things all
the beauty way it’s when things all
the beauty way it’s when things all things in life are beautiful it’s what
things in life are beautiful it’s what
things in life are beautiful it’s what we want for ourselves it’s what we want
we want for ourselves it’s what we want
we want for ourselves it’s what we want for others yeah it is family friendship
for others yeah it is family friendship
for others yeah it is family friendship loved ones community our interactions
loved ones community our interactions
loved ones community our interactions with each other
with each other
with each other traditionally speaking the two cannot
traditionally speaking the two cannot
traditionally speaking the two cannot exist without each other they are
exist without each other they are
exist without each other they are intertwined with the responsibility and
intertwined with the responsibility and
intertwined with the responsibility and privilege of family one finds balance in
privilege of family one finds balance in
privilege of family one finds balance in life family from a pre-colonial lens
life family from a pre-colonial lens
life family from a pre-colonial lens extends itself to friends neighbors and
extends itself to friends neighbors and
extends itself to friends neighbors and community with India we finished the we
community with India we finished the we
community with India we finished the we wish the many blessings of Hojo upon
wish the many blessings of Hojo upon
wish the many blessings of Hojo upon everyone walking and beauty together
everyone walking and beauty together
everyone walking and beauty together literally in English without balance we
literally in English without balance we
literally in English without balance we fall such as with family such as in life
fall such as with family such as in life
fall such as with family such as in life without them we would fall we need them
without them we would fall we need them
without them we would fall we need them and they need us I’m here to speak about
and they need us I’m here to speak about
and they need us I’m here to speak about our world’s perceptions through an
our world’s perceptions through an
our world’s perceptions through an indigenous lens and how decolonize
indigenous lens and how decolonize
indigenous lens and how decolonize thinking can bring us back together when
thinking can bring us back together when
thinking can bring us back together when we think of a history we in America we
we think of a history we in America we
we think of a history we in America we rarely refer to a collective history
rarely refer to a collective history
rarely refer to a collective history a history that happened for you a
a history that happened for you a
a history that happened for you a history that happened for me a history
history that happened for me a history
history that happened for me a history that happened for others elders teach us
that happened for others elders teach us
that happened for others elders teach us that we all perceive time in very
that we all perceive time in very
that we all perceive time in very different ways there is a historical
different ways there is a historical
different ways there is a historical time that comes before us there is the
time that comes before us there is the
time that comes before us there is the future the meeting generations that will
future the meeting generations that will
future the meeting generations that will follow us and then there is a time that
follow us and then there is a time that
follow us and then there is a time that we spend here in on this earth however
we spend here in on this earth however
we spend here in on this earth however all of which share an equal value yet
all of which share an equal value yet
all of which share an equal value yet ironically indigenous people have been
ironically indigenous people have been
ironically indigenous people have been erased from these timelines consider the
erased from these timelines consider the
erased from these timelines consider the internet for example when we look search
internet for example when we look search
internet for example when we look search for the terms Native American these are
for the terms Native American these are
for the terms Native American these are the images that come up these are the
the images that come up these are the
the images that come up these are the images edged into our minds we are stuck
images edged into our minds we are stuck
images edged into our minds we are stuck in the past frozen in time encased in
in the past frozen in time encased in
in the past frozen in time encased in amber to remind us of a time when
amber to remind us of a time when
amber to remind us of a time when colonists and Native Americans coexisted
colonists and Native Americans coexisted
colonists and Native Americans coexisted we are the Forgotten ethnicity in
we are the Forgotten ethnicity in
we are the Forgotten ethnicity in America imprisoned within several pages
America imprisoned within several pages
America imprisoned within several pages of textbooks within our nation schools
excised from today and adhered only to
excised from today and adhered only to the side of football helmets in the sake
the side of football helmets in the sake
the side of football helmets in the sake of honor
of honor
of honor the majority that you see here is not
the majority that you see here is not
the majority that you see here is not authentic to the indigenous experience
authentic to the indigenous experience
authentic to the indigenous experience America despite colonization we are
America despite colonization we are
America despite colonization we are still here in fact we are all still here
still here in fact we are all still here
still here in fact we are all still here we are tethered to our past in an order
we are tethered to our past in an order
we are tethered to our past in an order to shine light towards our next days we
to shine light towards our next days we
to shine light towards our next days we must reconnect to that past why is all
must reconnect to that past why is all
must reconnect to that past why is all this important three words
this important three words
this important three words context for content much like the
context for content much like the
context for content much like the internet words we use them every day to
internet words we use them every day to
internet words we use them every day to connect to others our stories our
connect to others our stories our
connect to others our stories our narratives our words provide context the
narratives our words provide context the
narratives our words provide context the context is everything context is the
context is everything context is the
context is everything context is the conduit that brings the content of our
conduit that brings the content of our
conduit that brings the content of our lives closer together so that what I say
lives closer together so that what I say
lives closer together so that what I say can change you and what you say can
can change you and what you say can
can change you and what you say can change me I Arizona State University I
change me I Arizona State University I
change me I Arizona State University I teach indigenous rhetoric which provides
teach indigenous rhetoric which provides
teach indigenous rhetoric which provides this context and complete history of
this context and complete history of
this context and complete history of indigenous people it’s a gathering of
indigenous people it’s a gathering of
indigenous people it’s a gathering of words that offsets 500 years of
words that offsets 500 years of
words that offsets 500 years of colonization that’s 20 generations but
colonization that’s 20 generations but
colonization that’s 20 generations but also words that gather us all in that
also words that gather us all in that
also words that gather us all in that communal effort words that decolonize
communal effort words that decolonize
communal effort words that decolonize words that heal words that breathe life
words that heal words that breathe life
words that heal words that breathe life into this world we hope to empower each
into this world we hope to empower each
into this world we hope to empower each other with our language and how do we do
other with our language and how do we do
other with our language and how do we do that with our stories with our
that with our stories with our
that with our stories with our narratives with our words but again
narratives with our words but again
narratives with our words but again sharing an equal value where one’s
sharing an equal value where one’s
sharing an equal value where one’s mythology is another’s Genesis an actual
mythology is another’s Genesis an actual
mythology is another’s Genesis an actual moment within the timeline having
moment within the timeline having
moment within the timeline having cognizance of this collective aspect of
cognizance of this collective aspect of
cognizance of this collective aspect of time is crucial in order to know our way
time is crucial in order to know our way
time is crucial in order to know our way in the world context is something that
in the world context is something that
in the world context is something that this nation has lost for example in our
this nation has lost for example in our
this nation has lost for example in our timeline Native American elders are
timeline Native American elders are
timeline Native American elders are products of the boarding school era
products of the boarding school era
products of the boarding school era meaning that these institutions became
meaning that these institutions became
meaning that these institutions became their parents most children suffered
their parents most children suffered
their parents most children suffered with a great deal of abuse within these
with a great deal of abuse within these
with a great deal of abuse within these schools students graduated with a high
schools students graduated with a high
schools students graduated with a high degree of displacement resulting in
degree of displacement resulting in
degree of displacement resulting in poverty substance abuse and the
poverty substance abuse and the
poverty substance abuse and the inability to properly care for their own
inability to properly care for their own
inability to properly care for their own children
children
children then their children passed on the same
then their children passed on the same
then their children passed on the same traits to their children assuring in
traits to their children assuring in
traits to their children assuring in what is known as transgenerational PTSD
what is known as transgenerational PTSD
what is known as transgenerational PTSD colonization brought about many of these
colonization brought about many of these
colonization brought about many of these things indigenous people being
things indigenous people being
things indigenous people being marginalized remaining within the
marginalized remaining within the
marginalized remaining within the periphery perpetuates them how can we
periphery perpetuates them how can we
periphery perpetuates them how can we make everything better where do we start
make everything better where do we start
make everything better where do we start to measure how our words affect those of
to measure how our words affect those of
to measure how our words affect those of tomorrow is a powerful thing we change
tomorrow is a powerful thing we change
tomorrow is a powerful thing we change no we expand our narrative deconstruct
no we expand our narrative deconstruct
no we expand our narrative deconstruct our language unearth a past and replant
our language unearth a past and replant
our language unearth a past and replant seeds of stories with words of a more
seeds of stories with words of a more
seeds of stories with words of a more inclusive nature it begins with
inclusive nature it begins with
inclusive nature it begins with awareness and its most active engagement
awareness and its most active engagement
awareness and its most active engagement of the word awareness of who we speak to
of the word awareness of who we speak to
of the word awareness of who we speak to awareness of what we say imagine if
awareness of what we say imagine if
awareness of what we say imagine if we’re to see through different lenses
we’re to see through different lenses
we’re to see through different lenses each providing a context u.s. conquests
each providing a context u.s. conquests
each providing a context u.s. conquests in a history of victory spanning four
in a history of victory spanning four
in a history of victory spanning four centuries that’s one timeline that’s one
centuries that’s one timeline that’s one
centuries that’s one timeline that’s one context imagine victimization through
context imagine victimization through
context imagine victimization through that colonization indigenous people
that colonization indigenous people
that colonization indigenous people what narrative would they say what
what narrative would they say what
what narrative would they say what stories would they speak however however
stories would they speak however however
stories would they speak however however if these two different contexts these
if these two different contexts these
if these two different contexts these two different timelines are merged we
two different timelines are merged we
two different timelines are merged we see a larger world from a rhetorician
see a larger world from a rhetorician
see a larger world from a rhetorician standpoint that’s what’s called critical
standpoint that’s what’s called critical
standpoint that’s what’s called critical thinking from an indigenous standpoint
thinking from an indigenous standpoint
thinking from an indigenous standpoint that is the decolonize mind colonization
that is the decolonize mind colonization
that is the decolonize mind colonization happened there’s no doubt about it it’s
happened there’s no doubt about it it’s
happened there’s no doubt about it it’s a reason why we are here United as a
a reason why we are here United as a
a reason why we are here United as a strongest nation just as indigenous
strongest nation just as indigenous
strongest nation just as indigenous families suffer from intergenerational
families suffer from intergenerational
families suffer from intergenerational PTSD our nation’s families suffer from
PTSD our nation’s families suffer from
PTSD our nation’s families suffer from intergenerational amnesia
intergenerational amnesia
intergenerational amnesia of how this country was built my call to
of how this country was built my call to
of how this country was built my call to you is for us to see the larger picture
you is for us to see the larger picture
you is for us to see the larger picture of things let us together revise the
of things let us together revise the
of things let us together revise the American dream with words that shine
American dream with words that shine
American dream with words that shine light beyond the periphery let us accept
light beyond the periphery let us accept
light beyond the periphery let us accept everyone within our communities a change
everyone within our communities a change
everyone within our communities a change in our language is needed a change in
in our language is needed a change in
in our language is needed a change in our ways is necessary our words that we
our ways is necessary our words that we
our ways is necessary our words that we breathe into this world can make lives
breathe into this world can make lives
breathe into this world can make lives matter let’s encourage our daughters to
matter let’s encourage our daughters to
matter let’s encourage our daughters to be vocal and actually listen to what
be vocal and actually listen to what
be vocal and actually listen to what they say cultivate and foster their
they say cultivate and foster their
they say cultivate and foster their leadership let’s listen to our sons when
leadership let’s listen to our sons when
leadership let’s listen to our sons when they speak their emotions when they feel
they speak their emotions when they feel
they speak their emotions when they feel a decolonized mine knows the cumulative
a decolonized mine knows the cumulative
a decolonized mine knows the cumulative and collective consciousness you know
and collective consciousness you know
and collective consciousness you know that way we’re what we do today affects
that way we’re what we do today affects
that way we’re what we do today affects those of tomorrow we are still here we
those of tomorrow we are still here we
those of tomorrow we are still here we are all still here together the world
are all still here together the world
are all still here together the world needs your words the good ones my dear
needs your words the good ones my dear
needs your words the good ones my dear America good morning ahead
America good morning ahead
America good morning ahead [Applause]
[Applause]
[Applause] [Music]
”
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