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How to feel about my Native heritage?
I had an uncle once tell me that being Native is hard
and that our traditions are hard.
Our rituals are hard.
We go through really tough, endurance-building rituals
so that we can find ourselves.
And I don't think we should be ashamed to be Native.
We've been taught in school or in our books
or in other people's stories that being Native,
we're really stoic.
We're really cut, dry people.
But that's not how we are at all.
We're a happy people.
We're a spiritual people.
We know where we are and where we've come from.
We know our ancestors.
We know our traditions.
We know our heritage, and just not
being scared to be that Native person, right?
We don't all walk around with feathers.
And we don't all walk around with this,
because they're sacred.
When we get an eagle feather, it's
something that's sacred to us.
And we're a very sacred, spiritual people.
And so not being afraid to be that sacred, spiritual person
with our friends and with our family and with our peers,
not being afraid of rejection or that,
but being proud to be Native.
We always have that Native pride.
And we talk about that Native pride.
But I think sometimes we get so wrapped up
in what we're supposed to be.
And we kind of distort our view.
But being Native is a happy thing.
It's a good thing, and so just being
proud to be Native and a spiritual, sacred people.
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