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The amount of damage done to indigenous peoples by colonization cannot be overstated. In the words of Qwo-Li Driskill, “We were stolen from our bodies. We were stolen from our homes” (Driskill 50).
The amount of damage done to indigenous peoples by colonization cannot be overstated. In the words of Qwo-Li Driskill, “We were stolen from our bodies. We were stolen from our homes” (Driskill 50).
So, what exactly did Qwo-Li Driskill mean when they wrote that indigenous people were stolen from their homes and their bodies? Driskill is a Cherokee writer and activist, who wrote the above quote as part of a song relating to their struggles. The most obvious way in which indigenous people were taken from their homes can be seen when European settlers first arrived in the Americas. Many indigenous people were lured from their lands to Spanish Missions with the promise of sanctuary and were forbidden from leaving. Once there, they were “civilized” through conversion and forced labor.
Kinglear55. “Ysleta Mission Church in El Paso Texas.” Flickr.com, 31 Dec. 2018, www.flickr.com/photos/kinglear55/44725797430/in/photolist-2b9gpms-2jFQpmi-77RDvj-77RDpy-2jphewV-2dt8xwd-i1mU1m-c8WRPb-i1LP2z-hQCTqn-i1Aa3t-bUGrMs-2jFrxh4-bYEAwb-hLUZj9-hVDKrU-23j2R78-hXL9bh-icbzh5-i1WfTM-ie8jH6-hS7Kn4-hMxRL6-i1B5Ry-2jzNDX2-i8TdAB-2jFncJW-idugj9-hMPNoq-FbnKTA-ie8eGq-hXebU5-jiayMJ-ie7kbn-i7Dn5d-h8HviR-hNe9wU-ie6QMR-hU51nR-hRTBAR-icsev7-hUi6yV-hVVVEY-i1PbkV-c8LmE3-RpMVv5-i62wQ3-hMuyTL-hU9fZr-ie5yhC.
But what Driskill specifically focuses on is how women and Two-Spirit people have been affected. When the European settlers came in, they forced their system of patriarchy onto the indigenous people. Before this, the women had generally equal status to the men, but as part of their mission to “civilize”, the Spanish embedded the idea that women should be completely submissive to their male counterparts. Two-Spirit people were considered sinners, and were thusly punished at the missions. They were made to “act like men”, forcing them into the European view of binary genders.
Dombres, Christopher. “SIN FREE.” Flickr.com, 11 Sept. 2014, www.flickr.com/photos/christopherdombres/15186086816/in/photolist-p8WEx3-2hDK8ty-2hDLfkZ-24QgxoD-GBnCaT-2hDLexg-22nPx3y-2hCH6JS-2hDK9B5-2hCH6jy-LKmrb8-9T6KSS-2hDGnnd-2hCEfxb-2hDLaHx-2hDLcMT-2hDLdJ2-9T6Abw-9T6Gvm-2hDLcmx-rZqpfD-2hDKa3F-2hCJ69h-VwbAc6-pKx2te-QW49dr-2hDKbHV-mUWzMn-2hDLgbm-9T6usw-9T3JdV-9T3Hb4-9T6vnw-9T6xSU-2hDKdjL-zrVwY5-9T6yS9-9T3R1P-9T3HDZ-9T6Ejo-9T3MYV-9T6Kmq-9T6yiE-9T3PPF-2hDLfRU-2hDLoje-9T3UwH-9T6Bkd-9T3Qhi-7UinfD/.
This is what Driskill meant by being stolen from their homes and bodies. In their essay they equate their body as being their first homeland. The changing of social status, countless sexual assaults, and being forced into Western gender roles separated the women and Two-Spirit people from their traditions and identities, as in their bodies, and therefore their homes.
The history of colonization is something that continues to impact indigenous people to this day. “Of the thousands of cultures that live and continue to live here in the United States, only a fraction of those are tribes that have federal recognition status” (NaturalHeroesTV, 7:59-8:09).
The history of colonization is something that continues to impact indigenous people to this day. “Of the thousands of cultures that live and continue to live here in the United States, only a fraction of those are tribes that have federal recognition status” (NaturalHeroesTV, 7:59-8:09).
What this means is that groups of indigenous people that are not federally recognized do not have protections for their ancestral lands, access to education or healthcare enjoyed by those with federal recognition. The reason for this is that the process of being federally recognized can take over 30 years, with the indigenous groups being required to provide documentation on their history, culture, and authenticity. For many groups this is almost impossible because a lot of that documentation was destroyed during the period of colonization. Without federal recognition, most of the indigenous groups in the U.S. lack sovereignty and are still suffering the loss of their culture.
Keres, Preston. “U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC) Under Secretary Northey and Other FPAC Leaders Sit with Federally Recognized Tribe Leaders at the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C., May 1, 2019, to Share Common Goals: Developing Sound Agricultural Production Practices, Enhancing Food Safety, Improving Nutrition and Health through Good Assistance and Nutrition Education and Promotion, Infrastructure/Economic Development in Rural Areas, Managing and Protecting the United States' Lands and Natural Resources, and Working Cooperatively to Ensure That American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN) Have Full Access to USDA Programs and Services.” Flickr.com, 1 May 2019, www.flickr.com/photos/usdagov/46960452344/in/photolist-2exJAps-2gRrVzu-2gRrVGi-2gRrWmu-2gRrVMd-2i39QMs-2i1f63d-2i1bPok-2i1eCQt-2gRrbhg-2jiPyjm-2jiQLuY-2i37mpg-2enbovn-2i39JzH-2i1evbR-2i3aPGF-2i37kFC-2i1gsCb-2i1eAsn-2i1exW5-2i1dVGS-2i1fFZU-TBdzrW-2i1evRJ-2i1ewFj-2eywAnw-2enboq2-2i1cXeJ-2enborV-2i1fo6m-2enbow4-2i1cbNV-2j8fTRQ-2j8g5mh-2gRrby3-2j8fSSv-2gRrbt3-2gRrVVQ-2gRrVWG-TBdzns-2gRrbAC-2i3aMh5-2gRrbJt-2i39Mty-wP38T8-YDpwoU-262TLLb-RZLirP-28MsZLa.
But just as the effects of colonization continue to linger, the indigenous people are still fighting them. Qwo-Li Driskill provides an example of how Two-Spirit people resist. They look to the stories that their people, the Cherokee, tell that celebrate the differences among people. They try to keep those stories alive in order to remind their people to embrace their differences and not to fall victim to oppressive Western ideology.
“Our stories as First Nations people keep us alive in a world that routinely destroys and discards us” (Driskill 55). Two-Spirit people continue to create new stories that express their gender and sexual identities, and in doing so they push the reversal of the harmful ideologies imposed on them centuries ago.
“Our stories as First Nations people keep us alive in a world that routinely destroys and discards us” (Driskill 55). Two-Spirit people continue to create new stories that express their gender and sexual identities, and in doing so they push the reversal of the harmful ideologies imposed on them centuries ago.
Rye, Peckham. “DECOLONIZE OR DIE.” Flickr.com, 19 Jan. 2016, www.flickr.com/photos/hogreman/26677948345/in/photolist-GDrsAD-GBnCaT-Gv9Hbp-25oaTfn-2eAR3rP-25oaS9z-2fZMudX-2fZ1JVT-2fUo5gL-2fUXHwG-25oaPhT-25oaPC2-25oaSUn-2eAR2Zr-2eA2M8g-2eAR4vT-2fUXDyb-2eMNtBh/.
This brings me to my final point which regards decolonization, the undoing of colonialism. It may seem like a long and complicated process, but Dr. Cutcha Risling Baldy of the Hoopa Valley Tribe states that it is actually quite simple: turn over all the lands that were taken from indigenous people. It is not enough to merely make a land acknowledgement, because that does not actually help any indigenous people in any meaningful way. The process of decolonization has already begun, with the Wiyot people who live near Humboldt having their island returned to them. However, that only scratches the surface of how much work there is to be done.
The healing process for indigenous people living in the U.S. will not be easy. Much was taken from them, not just physically, but spiritually. They continue to fight on despite their struggles, and one day they will be able to claim all the lands that have been stolen from them.
The land I live on does not belong to me. It was forcibly taken from the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe, who continue to struggle today, with one of their main struggles being the pushback against colonialist attitudes toward indigenous food. Their original homeland consists of what is now the San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Alameda, Contrast Costa, Napa, Solano, and San Joaquin counties.
Their current membership is represented by the Armija/Thompson, Santos-Pinos-Juarez/Colos/Armija, Guzman/Nonessa, Marine-Guzman-Peralta, Marine-Alvarez/Galvan, Marine-Sanchez, Marine-Munoz, Munoz-Guzman, Marine-Arellano, and Marine-Elston/Thompson/Ruano families.
Their current membership is represented by the Armija/Thompson, Santos-Pinos-Juarez/Colos/Armija, Guzman/Nonessa, Marine-Guzman-Peralta, Marine-Alvarez/Galvan, Marine-Sanchez, Marine-Munoz, Munoz-Guzman, Marine-Arellano, and Marine-Elston/Thompson/Ruano families.
The Muwekma Ohlone Tribe is currently in the final stages of being federally recognized, as part of a lawsuit against the Bureau of Indian Affairs that has been going on since 1999. It is my hope that this process will continue, culminating in the return of these sacred lands to their rightful owners.
For more information, visit: http://www.muwekma.org/tribalhistory.html
Bibliography:
Bibliography:
Driskill, Qwo-Li. "Stolen From Our Bodies: First Nations Two-Spirits/Queers and the Journey to a Sovereign Erotic." Studies in American Indian Literatures, vol. 16 no. 2, 2004, p. 50-64. Project MUSE, doi:10.1353/ail.2004.0020.
NaturalHeroesTV. “Natural Heroes BEYOND RECOGNITION - Episode 708.” YouTube, YouTube, 13 Nov. 2015, www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQOkiyLW1S8.
Two Feathers NAFS. “‘Resilient Histories for Resilient Futures: CA Indian History & Community Empowerment.’” YouTube, YouTube, 27 Mar. 2020, www.youtube.com/watch?v=andi7-CKN7U.
Orona, Brittani. “TENDING NATURE.” News from Native California, 2018, p. 38.
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