Anti-Racism Resources - November 2024

Nov 25

Written By NAAFA Communications Committee

[Image description: On a light orange background is an illustration of three raised fists signifying people of color. Above the main image is the text “Anti-Racism Resources November 2024” and below is the text “Indigenous Americans.”]

Each month, we feature educational resources in the NAAFA Newsletter to support our community in working to dismantle systemic racism. These resources are also shared on our social media, blog, and website. Resources vary from month to month, and may include historical information, tools for personal reflection, or information about how to get involved and make change. Many of the resources we suggest will be introductory resources, and this information is never intended to be full coverage on the complex and nuanced topics that are chosen each month. We encourage you to continue learning, and we especially hope you will seek out and support scholars, artists, creators, and activists who represent the communities most impacted by the topic of the month.

This month we invite you to join us in exploring resources about Indigenous Americans.

Two Spirit & Fat: A conversation about self-advocacy and body sovereignty - Here is a Q&A with fat Indigiqueer Shilo George who created a Body Sovereignty Guide for Indigiqueer Self Advocacy in medical Settings. George specifically addresses the intersectionality of being Two-Spirit, Indigenous, disabled, queer, and fat.

Indigeneity in the Classroom: Avenues for Native American Students to Challenge Anti-Critical Race Theory Laws - Imagine, as a child, your teacher took scissors to your hair because it was a "disruption". This is just one of the many ways that public schools systems and states are legislating policies and curricula to inhibit historical and cultural education of Native Americans and other people of color. This review looks at the history of anti-racism against Native Americans in classrooms, the effects of anti-critical race theory, and how Native Students may have constitutional grounds in fighting these proposals and laws. We should be aware of and fully support any efforts to fight anti-critical race theory.
Reservation Dogs on Hulu - Fat people know how important representation is, so we hope you will spend some time with this groundbreaking show that tries to give an accurate, yet entertaining, window into modern native life. To deepen the experience, in this interview with Reservation Dogs creator Sterlin Harjo gives some insights into why creating this show has been so meaningful for him.
9 Ways To Decolonize and Honor Native People on Thanksgiving - This reading provides quick and actionable tips for being more thoughtful around the upcoming holiday and honoring the true history of our nation and people.
Pay the Rent - First Nation tribes have never fairly been compensated for land that has been stolen from them. One way we can rectify the situation is by paying the rent (also sometimes referred to as paying land tax). Not every First Nations tribe has this program, but we encourage you to go online and contact your local communities to see if this program is available near you. Here is an example of how to pay the rent to the Duwamish whose land Seattle now sits on.
The Generational Impact of Racism on Health: Voices from American Indian Communities - Native Americans have been targeted by structural racism since colonizers began committing genocide against them in the creation of the United States. Intergenerational trauma has contributed greatly toward health crises in Indigenous communities, especially because they are consistently disenfranchised by existing medical infrastructure. This paper creates two case studies around stories from multiple Indigenous peoples and argues for policy restructuring to improve health and healthcare in their communities.