Growing up in my mother's Pueblo household, I never imagined a world in which I would be represented by someone who looked like me.
Interpretation
The quote reflects on the lack of representation and the hope that comes with progress in society.
In this reflection, Deb Haaland shares her personal experience growing up in a household that lacked representation. She emphasizes the significance of seeing someone who resembles her in positions of power, highlighting the broader impact of representation on diversity and inclusivity in society, and the profound effect it has on those who feel unseen and unheard.
In practice
This quote can be shared during a discussion on representation and diversity in leadership roles.
In spite of our agonizing history, Native American people find much to celebrate. The songs, the dances, the culture and traditions surrounding planting and harvests, the prayers that are sent upward for healing and peace, and the welcoming of children into our families, are all reasons for us to keep moving forward with optimism.
I want every young Indigenous girl to think about getting involved in their communities. You're never too young to help with community efforts.
Racism and bigotry should never fuel any administration's policies. Calls to send anyone 'back' contradict who we should be as a country and the ideals for which we stand.
Native American activists have been present as long as the Europeans have been working to colonize us.
I spent my 20s earning minimum wage decorating cakes for a living. But one day, I looked in the mirror and realized I wanted more, for me and my people. I saw too many Native Americans struggling, and I realized we should have a voice in who our elected officials are.
The tenets of my cultural teachings are rooted in our commitment to lift up every community member so that no one is left behind. Work and food were shared equally. Through our commitment to community, we care about children, even when they aren't ours, and we want our old folks, and yours, to live their last days in dignity and comfort.
I wasn't entitled to dream so big. The idea of me being a writer wasn't even possible in my mind. Even when I began to write and first published, I couldn't call myself a writer.
All is well. Everything is working out for my highest good. Out of this situation only good will come. I am safe!
We need to encourage black women to know that they are authors of their own destiny, that they have important stories to tell, and that they are capable, so magically capable, of writing them and creating important pieces of work that will live forever in history.
You have a gift that only you can give the world - that's the whole reason you're on the planet. Use your precious energy to build a magnificent life that really is attainable. The miracle of your existence calls for celebration every day.
I come from a long line of below-stairs maids and gardeners. Good ol' peasant stock. My mother and her sister made a quantum leap out of that life. Then I made another quantum leap.
The person who sends out positive thoughts activates the world around him positively and draws back to himself positive results.
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