Native and American: The Discrimination and Struggle of Living Two Lives

“Pueblo of Laguna Flag.” Infobase, Facts On File. American Indian History, online.infobase.com/Auth/Index?aid=18626&itemid=WE43&iid=281098. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.

( Trujillo, Anthony In front of the capital, Washington, Dc, March 2023)

Research Log #1

"How Place Names Impact the Way We See Landscape"

by B.Toastie

Oaster, B. ‘., & Oaster, B. ‘. (2024, January 24). How place names impact the way we see landscape. High Country News. https://www.hcn.org/issues/54-5/people-places-how-place-names-impact-the-way-we-see-landscape/

Summary: The article talks about mountain names that are important to the dine peoples. They criticize the white man way of the mountain names. Like Lupton, they criticize it because they don't like it and why it is named by him. A person named Cash Cash explains that, " colonizers' names keeps trauma of the depression fresh"

"Sharing One Skin"

by Jeanette Armstrong

Armstrong, Jeanette. 1996 "Sharing One Skin: The Okanagan Community." Pp. 460-470 in Jerry Mander and Edward Goldsmith (eds.), The Case Against the Global Economy , San Francisco, CA: Sierra Club Books

Summary: She Interprets one self into 4 different self. Like how they all have their own unique way of expressing one self. They are all connected to the land and the Earth. Everything about us, no matter the community, always has a strong connection between us, nice and bonded to everything that makes us who we are. She explains that this is how we "function within and experience all things."

"And Then I Went to School"

by Joe Suina

The multicultural Southwest. (n.d.). Google Books. https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=t0dQos1yL8UC&oi=fnd&pg=PA91&dq=Joe+suina+And+then+I+went+to+school&ots=BEkqFNDpeD&sig=aba1amRUio2AIXoheFta7n4H_-U#v=onepage&q=Joe%20suina%20And%20then%20I%20went%20to%20school&f=false

Summary: Joe goes through traumatic experience with going to school during the Assimilation Era. He was converted to the "white-mans way" early on when schools hit the pueblos. His teachers and the school mocked him and punished him if he brought his Indigenous ways to school. Eventually He started being ashamed of who he was, wanting a normal white life with straight walls, a pitched roof, clean white teeth, and a dog.

Chapter 2: History

"Historical Trauma in Native American Communities"

Twin Cities PBS.(2020,March 4). Historical Trauma in Native American Communities[video]. YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gppilbNiDc4.

Native American issues is multi-generational and has had survivors to tell the tale. Survivor's like Linda Eagle Speaker, who was there for 6 years, was scared about the schools actions toward the children. Instances in the boarding schools were filled with hate and mistreatment toward young native children. Were forced to assimilate into the "white-man's" way of living. They were abused if they spoke their language or acknowledge their culture at school. They were told that they were bad and dirty. After the boarding school era, the U.S. government was left untrusted among the Native Tribes across the country.

"Tayo in 'Ceremony'. The Gray Area for Preservering Native American Culture"

by Leslie Marmon

Asiri, Khalid, Mater. "Tayo in 'Ceremony': The Gray Area for Preserving Native American Culture." Theory and Practice in Language Studies, vol. 14, no 12, Dec. @024, pp. 3814+. Gale Academic OneFile, dx.doi.org.sfis.idm.oclc.org/10.17507/tpls.1412/15/ Accessed 6 Oct.2025.

Tayo in 'Ceremony' follows a kid who has to adapt to both the native world and the modern world. The elders and everyone discriminate because "He is everything the Ideal Indian is not". The ability to adapt and integrate ceremonial and traditional ways is the best way to ensure cultural survival. Embracing relations with Modern Americans preserve culture in a world of change.

"Native and Indigenous Communities"

Natives and Indigenous Communities. In.ds.https://acla.org/find.help/by.demographics/native.indigenous.communities

In Native communities, their are shared experiences of genocide, alcoholism, abuse, and depression. Some refer to depression as "ghost" sickness or heart break syndrome. Depression has big impacts on the youth from 15-19 years old who have double suicide rates than any other racial ethnic group. Also big rates of drug abuse than any other ethnic on top of living in poverty.

Current State of Issues

Prejudice Towards Native Americans in the U.S.

McBride, M. (2026, January 21). ‘Makes you sick’: Navajo man says he was detained by ICE in Peoria. https://www.azfamily.com. https://www.azfamily.com/2026/01/20/makes-you-sick-navajo-man-says-he-was-detained-by-ice-peoria/

Ice Agents illegally arresting a Navajo Man in Peoria, Az

ICE Agents illegally arresting Native Americans across Indian Country.

Jan 12, 2026 Ice Illegally detained a Navajo Man in Peoria, Az. He states that he is working for his family who live in Chinle, Az. He was profiled even with the right documentation other than his ID not matching his mother’s registration. After 2 to 3 hours in holding, he was given his documentation back but they also left him shaken.

“People from our tribe never believed that we would ever experience something like that just because of who we are and where we come from. But the reality is that we’re not exempt from it. This won’t be the last time,” Yazzie said.

New Mexico bill that would have allowed Native American designation on IDs dies

V\Findling, M. G., Casey, L. S., Fryberg, S. A., Hafner, S., Blendon, R. J., Benson, J. M., Sayde, J. M., & Miller, C. (2019). Discrimination in the United States: Experiences of Native Americans. Health Services Research, 54(S2), 1431–1441. https://doi.org/10.1111/1475-6773.13224

Thursday, Feb, 19, the star on state Ids that make Native Americans citizens of the U.S. failed to clear during the legislative process. The bill would’ve allowed tribal citizens to more easily that they’re are also U.S. citizens if ever confronted by Ice agents.

Personal Connection

I’m interested in this topic because most Native Americans have to live two lives and sometimes it is hard to balance the two. For example, when I was younger, most of my family members would often participate in ceremony where they would need days off. Some would get days off and others wouldn’t, either based on the days or their job wouldn’t understand. So therefore, there is that constant battle between the two. As Native peoples, another circumstance can be school such as college and jobs that can take them away from home to find greater purpose.

Action Plan

Global connections

Putumayo, Columbia

Home to the Yunguillo Indian Reserve
Invaded by outsiders who want to use the raw materials and expand on market capitalization
Long history of Infringed laws
Lack of trust between the Government and Indigenous Peoples
Large infrastructure projects imposing on the land such as electric hydrodam and mega road projects.

Kenya, Africa

Kauma, a branch of the Mijikenda tribe, who faces threats of urban development
Post-colonial urbanization led to deforestation, causing drought and floods.
Traditional Africans’ living in rural areas where they wallow in poverty.
Rivers being contaminated with Human waste exposing community to waterborne diseases.

Sami, Finland

Facing Green transitions, windmills and mining.
Finland give right and permission to impose on lands with the communities FPIC(free, prior, and informed consent).
Youth recognizing that this will become generational and advocate for the generation to come.

Citations

Dawes Act (1887). (2022, February 8). National Archives. https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/dawes-act

Native American Urban Relocation. (2025, September 24). National Archives. https://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/indian-relocation.html

The Sun Dagger | High Altitude Observatory. (n.d.). NCAR. https://www2.hao.ucar.edu/education/prehistoric-southwest/sun-dagger

Estes, N., & Estes, N. (2025, October 24). The U.S. stole generations of Indigenous children to open the West. High Country News. https://www.hcn.org/issues/51-17/indigenous-affairs-the-us-stole-generations-of-indigenous-children-to-open-the-west/

The Indian Relocation Act of 1956 - Intercultural Leadership Institute. (1956b, April 25). Intercultural Leadership Institute. https://weareili.org/timeline/the-indian-relocation-act-of-1956/

The Dawes Act of 1887 diminished tribal ownership. (2020, July 15). SDPB. https://www.sdpb.org/news/2020-06-23/the-dawes-act-of-1887-diminished-tribal-ownership

Confronting the tragic legacy of forced boarding. (n.d.-b). ACLU of Northern CA. https://www.aclunc.org/blog/confronting-tragic-legacy-forced-boarding

European exploration and colonization of North America | Research Starters | EBSCO Research. (n.d.). EBSCO. https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/history/european-exploration-and-colonization-north-america

Columbus 525: An exploration of Christopher Columbus’s impact on the Atlantic world. (n.d.). Embassy of Haiti. https://www.haiti.org/columbus-525-an-exploration-of-christopher-columbuss-impact-on-the-atlantic-world/

History & Culture - Chaco Culture National Historical Park (U.S. National Park Service). (n.d.-b). https://www.nps.gov/chcu/learn/historyculture/index.htm

Urban Indian Health Institute. (2025, January 28). Urban Indian Health – Urban Indian Health Institute. https://www.uihi.org/urban-indian-health/

O’Leary, D. D. (2019, February 21). Film Interview: Riding to Recognition in Indian Horse | Weekly Alibi. Weekly Alibi. https://alibi.com/film/film-interview-riding-to-recognition-in-indian-horse/

Neel, J. (2017, November 14). POLL: Native Americans see far more discrimination in areas where they are a majority. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2017/11/14/563306555/poll-native-americans-see-far-more-discrimination-in-areas-where-they-are-a-majo

Grist, & Grist. (2025, November 29). UN report: Finland violated Sámi rights to land, culture. ICT. https://ictnews.org/news/un-report-finland-violated-sami-rights-to-land-culture/

Depth, N. M. I., & Depth, N. M. I. (2026, February 24). New Mexico bill that would have allowed Native American designation on IDs dies. ICT. https://ictnews.org/news/new-mexico-bill-that-would-have-allowed-native-american-designation-on-ids-dies/

Indian Affairs (IA). (n.d.-b). Federal law and Indian Policy overview. Indian Affairs. https://www.bia.gov/bia/history/IndianLawPolicy

Watts, J., Milman, O., & Noor, D. (2025, November 12). Tussles break out between protesters and security at Cop30 in Brazil. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/nov/12/tussles-break-out-between-protesters-and-security-at-cop30-in-brazil

Fig. 1 Trujillo,Anthony. Standing in front of the Capital, March 2024

Fig. 2 Trujillo, Anthony, In New York on top of the Rockefeller building, March 23 2024

Fig. 3 Trujillo Anthony, Wandering on the Big Tesuque Trail October 1 2024

Fig. 18, Riley Terri, Pumpkin patch, October 2013

Fig. 19, Riley Terri, Cooking with baba, February 2023

Fig. 20, Riley Terri, Sandia Peak, August 2020.

Fig. 21, Trujillo Marvin, Selfie, March 2015

Fig. 22, Riley Terri, the big 4, March 2020

Fig. 23, Riley Terri, Easter with Fam, April 2025

Fig. 4 History Department | SUNY Oswego. (n.d.). https://ww1.oswego.edu/history/

Fig. 5 History pictures pictures. (2023, September 1). Wallpapers.com. https://wallpapers.com/history-pictures

Fig. 6 History & Culture - Chaco Culture National Historical Park (U.S. National Park Service). (n.d.). https://www.nps.gov/chcu/learn/historyculture/index.htm

Fig. 7 Allosso, D. (n.d.). Europeans discover the Americas. US History I: Precolonial to Gilded Age. https://mlpp.pressbooks.pub/ushistory1/chapter/europeans-discover-the-americas/

Fig. 8 Trail of Tears 175th Anniversary Observed at MCLIB. (2013, August 12). WKMS. https://www.wkms .org/arts-cultu re/2013-08- 12/trail-of-t ears-175th-anniversary-observed-at-mclib

Fig. 9 Confronting the tragic legacy of forced boarding. (n.d.). ACLU of Northern CA. https://www.aclunc.org/blog/confronting-tragic-legacy-forced-boarding

Fig. 10 Nebraska Public Media, KTNE, KUON. (2021, February 15). 1875-1899 ERA | Lesson 2: The Dawes Act. PBS LearningMedia. https://nm.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/24052f99-fce9-4cc8-b710-4cace4a987b3/1875-1899-era-lesson-2-the-dawes-act-media-gallery-nebraska-studies/

Fig. 11 The Indian Relocation Act of 1956 - Intercultural Leadership Institute. (1956, April 25). Intercultural Leadership Institute. https://weareili.org/timeline/the-indian-relocation-act-of-1956/

Fig. 12 Zap. (2015, June 17). Amazonian Tribe brings struggle to international stage | Amazon Watch. Amazon Watch. https://amazonwatch.org/news/2015/0617-amazonian-tribe-brings-struggle-to-international-stage

Fig. 13 Traditions and practices associated with the Kayas in the sacred forests of the Mijikenda - UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. (n.d.). https://ich.unesco.org/en/USL/traditions-and-practices-associated-with-the-kayas-in-the-sacred-forests-of-the-mijikenda-00313

Fig. 14 Parsons, W. (2016, May 3). The Sami Peoples: A story of nature and Persecution. The Bubble. https://www.thebubble.org.uk/culture/history/the-sami-peoples-a-story-of-nature-and-persecution

Fig. 15 NCAI.org. (n.d.). https://www.ncai.org/

Fig. 16 Home. (n.d.). Association on American Indian Affairs. https://www.indian-affairs.org/

Fig. 17 Indian Affairs (IA). (n.d.). Bureau of Indian Education (BIE). Indian Affairs. https://www.bia.gov/bie

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