Boozhoo, I'm Rita Karppinen.

Welcome to the 20th season of "Native Report."

- [Announcer] Production for "Native Report" is made possible by grants from the Blandin Foundation, the generous support from viewers like Jack and Sharon Kemp, and viewers like you.

(upbeat Indigenous music featuring flute and guitar) (upbeat Indigenous music continues) (upbeat Indigenous music continues) - In this episode, we explore the diverse experiences of being Indigenous in the modern world.

From navigating the complexities of cultural identity to reclaiming languages and traditions, Indigenous people today face unique challenges and opportunities.

We'll hear from food sovereignty leaders, students, and educators who are balancing the preservation of their heritage with participation in contemporary society.

Through these stories, we gain insight into the resilience, innovation, and pride that define the Indigenous experience in the 21st century.

Stay tuned for an inspiring journey.

(thoughtful Indigenous music featuring flute) (thoughtful Indigenous music continues) (thoughtful Indigenous music continues) (thoughtful Indigenous music continues) (Shelby speaking in Native language) Hello, everyone.

My Anishinaabe name is Miskwabineshikwe, but my legal name is Shelby Boggs.

I'm from Escanaba, Michigan, I am of the Eagle Clan, and I'm a tribal citizen of the Sault Ste.

Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians.

- Boozhoo!

Hi, it's Giiwedin.

I'm an Indigenous rights activist as well as environmentalist, and so, standing up for the environment and for the people is something that I'm very passionate about and that I love doing.

- My name is Derek Nicholas.

I'm also known as (speaking in Anishinaabemowin).

I'm an enrolled member of the Red Cliff Band of Ojibwe, and I'm the Traditional Foods Nutrition Program coordinator.

- My name is Kaleigh Mancha.

I hold a lot of different roles in the community here.

I'm a licensed marriage and family therapist.

I am a birth worker and co-founder of Heart and Sol Collective.

And my identity, as I would describe myself, is Latinx with Sicilian and Indigenous roots.

- So I would not say that there was no trauma or issues for Indigenous people pre-contact.

However, I think you saw some big changes at the beginning of the colonial era where you had England, France, Spain, Russia in Alaska that were trying to colonize.

And colonial violence is a very different kind of violence.

Instead of saying, "I'm gonna clunk you over the head and steal your bologna sandwich," so to speak, they were saying, "You have to worship God the way I do.

You have to speak the language that I speak, not the language you speak."

It was about erasure, and that did a much more profound kind of damage and sustained trauma for Native people.

And it escalates.

You can imagine, by the end of the 1800s, not only has there been tremendous violence visited upon the population, but the children taken away and sent to schools, where they received lots of harsh physical discipline and no nurture.

And so you see an escalation in the trauma responses in the late 1800s.

And they don't really start ending the residential boarding school system until World War II.

When you stop hitting somebody in the head with a hammer, it doesn't mean that they're not still feeling the effects of all the traumas.

So healing takes generations.

Not just time, but generations.

(somber music) (somber music continues) - I went to school at the Deer River High School, which is a border town, essentially, the town of Deer River, so it's half Native and half not-Native.

And because of that, a lot of our teachers did teach us the things that everyone should be taught in regards to American history, because Native history is American history.

So we learned about the boarding schools, smallpox and stuff and the Native population just not being immune to those diseases, and how that was 90 million that ended up losing their lives in those first early stages of colonialism.

And so, learning that in high school was very formative to that.

And also, my mom is just someone who was deep into activism and would take us along to different protests and stuff.

And my mom is just a strong Indigenous woman, and I try to follow in her footsteps.

Even though my voice is not very big in person, online, I'm able to sort of step away from that and have a big voice, which I'm very thankful for.

- Well, I'm double majoring in social work and Native American studies.

I'm involved in a federal grant program called Walking the Path Together, and I thought that it would just be a great way to get involved, get acquainted with the Native community here.

So I grew up downstate, so I grew up geographically separated from my tribal community and people, but because of the boarding schools, my family grew up so culturally disconnected.

My dad's mom, my Nokomis, died when he was seven, and so my dad kinda hopped around in the foster care system, and so my dad didn't necessarily know what it meant to be Indian growing up, and so, in return, I didn't understand what it meant to be Anishinaabe.

- Well, my family didn't really speak about being Indigenous at all.

Due to the boarding schools, a lot of that information wasn't passed down to my father and my aunts and uncles, and therefore, me as well.

My family did everything they could to take us away from that life.

We had properties over in Bad River and Red Cliff, and they sold them all and just did everything they could to separate us from the culture, because back then, it wasn't good to be Native.

We weren't allowed to practice our spirituality or our culture.

So it was kinda just best to be assimilated with today's society.

- First video that I filmed that went viral was paying homage to my ancestors and just a lot of Indigenous folks who have Indigenous features.

Growing up, I've always wanted a nose job, and that's just because of the hook in my nose.

But now, I'm completely not of that mindset, because the hook in my nose is a homage to my ancestors.

And there's lots of historical photos of Native people with their side profiles, and it's highlighting their noses.

And it is something that is representative of my people, even though, phenotypically, there's not one way to look Native.

And that's also another big discussion that that video opened up for the Native TikTok community, which is very important to have.

(upbeat, percussive music) - You know, I have really struggled with identity and how to identify.

As a queer person, it's like, am I Latinx, Latina, I once was Hispanic?

So language evolves, which means as language evolves, our communities evolve, and understanding that I might not know my family's history because of white supremacy and colonialism... My dad's family is Mexican American, and I was one of the first grandchildren to reclaim the language of Spanish, because of racism that was experienced in my dad's family, and where "American, not Mexican" was a sentiment of his upbringing.

And so, for me, it's about learning who I am and not centering whiteness as how I define myself, or not relying on quantum blood count to feel valid in my identity.

And you know, I say "Indigenous roots," because I know where my family comes from, they're desert peoples, but because of the ways in which they were taken from land, I don't know exactly the Indigenous group that my people come from.

But that doesn't mean that I can't honor Indigeneity, that I can't sit in that.

And I think sometimes we're so focused on gatekeeping that we don't allow people to reclaim.

- Blood quantum requirements, that's a very controversial topic.

The reason why it's so controversial, 'cause it's pretty easy to argue both sides.

The idea of reservations and blood quantum, this doesn't come from Indigenous people, it comes from the Westernized world.

So it didn't really belong here.

But I can understand where people come from.

I think I've heard people say that if your tribe has blood quantum requirements, then you put an expiration date on your reservation, 'cause that blood quantum is gonna keep causing people to be pushed out of the tribe, and eventually maybe the government could take the land back.

- For me, it's about restarting what was taken from us.

Regardless of what community we're talking about, whether that's Indigenous, Black Americans, et cetera, we have had practices that allowed our cultures and societies to thrive for a really, really long time.

But when we're thinking about reclaiming these practices, it's about knowing you're not alone.

- I really reconnected with my culture in college.

I went to University of Minnesota Morris, and I got to take language classes there, so I got to learn my native language, Anishinaabemowin.

And I got to care for the Native American gardens, so working closely with those Native seeds and learning the songs and stories behind that.

And then just my passion to learn more and reconnect continued to blossom.

And after graduating, I found myself here in Minneapolis, and I've just been so grateful to have a lot of elders just take me under their wings and take me out in the woods and teach me things and stuff like that.

So it's been a really exciting journey, and I'm really grateful for all the ones that teach me things and continue to learn and to give back.

- [Shelby] Sometimes reconnecting can be scary, because there's so much invalidation that comes with it, and not knowing where to start.

But I would also say it's never too late to reconnect, and to also just trust in the spirits that are guiding and protecting you, and knowing that the culture is yours to seek out and to reclaim.

And that you should seek out your elders, offer them tobacco, and have them tell you their stories, and listen.

I've learned the value of listening and just hearing what other people have to say.

'Cause I think sometimes people think that when you're reconnecting, there's gonna be a book or an online resource that you can read, and it's gonna tell you everything you need to know about your culture.

But we're such an oral tradition people that to truly reconnect, you have to go out there, and you have to talk with people, socialize with people, create kinship bonds.

And through those relationships is how you truly learn the culture, and what it means to be Indigenous.

- You know, people come to me because things like decolonizing mental health are new (indistinct), and so people come to me looking for how to integrate culture into their work, how to understand the ways that their own identities show up in these spaces.

And really, it's giving people permission to do things differently than maybe we've been taught to do.

I take that position of humility, because I learned so much from the people that I support and hold space for, maybe more than they learned from me.

So I think something I would like the audience watching this today to know is that decolonizing, it takes time.

It's a series of unlearning.

And so, how do we unlearn what we know to be normal?

How do we destigmatize seeking support, building support?

You know, ultimately, I believe that community aid and mutual aid are the answers to a lot of our societal challenges, and finding people that are willing to do that work with you.

So it's a journey.

Be patient and gentle with yourself on that journey.

So sometimes we hear words like "decolonizing," and it feels like a buzzword.

And I think so many times, people assume it's an action, like, "If I do this one intervention, or if I embody this look, then I'm decolonizing.

If I say the right things."

But ultimately, decolonizing our lives looks like an intentional practice of being.

It's saying, I'm gonna intentionally center and seek out, particularly for me, BIPOC experiences, wisdom, understandings of the world.

I'm gonna shift my lens so that I understand the gravity of the work I'm doing.

That it's not about cause, not about resolving a problem or addressing a symptom, but it's about creating new systems.

And so, decolonizing work is long-term work, it's generational work.

- Our motto at the Center is, "The gift is in the journey," and I feel like that's what I've truly learned through reconnecting and reclaiming my identity, is that to just slow down and know that life is not a race, and that it's okay to take your time.

And life is about balance, so you're not always going to be triumphant.

Sometimes life is going to have defeats, and that is inevitable.

But learning how to react to that, how to be resilient, and how to keep going, and to just trust in the spirits guiding and protecting you that you will get to where you're meant to be somehow.

- I highly advocate for all youth to really try to reconnect with their culture.

It brings a lot of value within one's life.

A big thing about being Indigenous is to be of value to the community, to be as helpful as you can.

And I strongly believe that everyone has their place within the culture, and that we need to revitalize certain knowledge in certain areas to become successful.

So whenever I'm teaching young ones, I'm like, "Hey, we all have a gift here on earth.

Every plant, every animal has a gift, and so do you."

And maybe your gift is that you're really connected with the water.

We need Native voices that do marine biology and that can understand the relationships that we have with wild rice, know those stories, how the environment's affecting the wild rice.

We need young ones that are passionate about learning about the animals and understanding their migration patterns, and ones that work with the trees, or the stars, or food.

So we all have a place in this world.

I think nowadays, a lot of our problems that our community's facing is identity confusion, because we don't know where we fit in, and we can get depressed or anxious or face anxiety when we just don't feel like we belong in this world, that we don't have a purpose.

So when we get to reconnect with our culture, kind of figure out, "Oh, this is what I'm supposed to do."

I've been really fortunate to have elders take me in and to teach me different things.

And it told me it was my responsibility to be a hollow reed, to be a clear bone, to be as pure as possible, so that that spirit of knowledge can flow through me real easily.

Because the stuff that I'm teaching isn't coming from me.

It's coming from my elders, which they received from their elders, and on and on and on.

So that's one of my responsibilities, is to teach the young ones the stuff that the elders are teaching me.

(inspiring music) - Thank you for joining us on "Native Report" as we explore the diverse and dynamic experiences of being Indigenous in today's world.

Throughout the episode, we've seen how Indigenous communities navigate the complexities of modernity while preserving their unique traditions and identities.

The stories we've shared reflect a tapestry of experiences, each contributing to a broader understanding of what it means to be Indigenous in a rapidly changing world.

(upbeat rock music with tribal flute) - A cornerstone treatment for a number of mental illnesses is psychotherapy.

Cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, is one of the most common types of these treatments.

Talk therapy is another name for CBT.

It allows you to focus on talking about your problems to help you frame your thoughts differently.

All too often, negative thoughts take over, and this hinders coping with life stressors.

CBT can help you be in control of your thoughts, instead of allowing your thoughts to control you.

Therapists who use CBT generally use several guiding principles.

These include teaching us that our thoughts influence our feelings, so changing the way we think about situations will help us feel better.

CBT is generally limited to a period of time to allow patients to apply CBT strategies under their own to gain independence.

If mood or behavior problems persist, individuals might need a different type of therapy.

CBT encourages patients to apply logic and reason to help direct how they respond to situations, instead of letting emotions guide decisions.

The therapist uses the patient's goals to figure out which CBT concepts will be best for them.

Not all mental illnesses respond to CBT in the same way.

CBT has been shown to be very effective for treating depression.

CBT has also been proven beneficial for treating anxiety, as it gives the patient control over the recovery.

For the same reasons, CBT has been shown to help with obsessive-compulsive disorder, phobias, panic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and sleep problems.

CBT allows you to focus on reasoning and rationale.

It allows people to see their problems from a more logical point of view.

Those who struggle with feelings of failure and inadequacy are directed to look at their past accomplishments.

There are different subtypes of CBT, and a good relationship between therapist and patient is important, and doesn't always happen on the first try.

Seeing another therapist if you don't connect is a very reasonable approach.

You need to put some work into CBT, and the therapist is not going to do the work for you.

It's a frame shift to change your way of thinking to more positive thoughts and healthier behaviors.

This doesn't happen overnight, but it does happen.

The type of thoughts you have do change the way you feel, and subsequently, will change the way you function.

You deserve to feel better.

Remember to call an elder.

They've been waiting for your call.

I'm Dr. Arne Vainio, and this is Health Matters.

(upbeat rock music with tribal flute) - Throughout the seasons on "Native Report," we revisit some of the most memorable and impactful stories from the past two decades.

Join us as we pause to reflect on the past and revisit their words.

- We've been talking about enrollment for 30 years.

And you know, we can keep talking about it, but we need to start moving somewhere with it.

So let's start with the first step, and if that doesn't work, we'll move on to a next step.

But what's really upsetting to me is the fact that Native Americans, along with horses and dogs, are the only ones with blood quantum.

You can't determine someone's, if you're a full blood or whatever by the way they used to do it in the past.

Some did it by how you looked.

I had a document on my desk that was from an animal biologist from the University of Minnesota that used hair samples, the thickness of hair, to determine blood quantum.

It's something that we don't feel is is right.

That's why we're trying to do, number one, Constitution reform under the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe.

Boozhoo, aanii.

My name is Cathy Chavers.

I'm the chairwoman of the Bois Forte Band.

I am also the president of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe.

Six Minnesota Chippewa bands, or Ojibwe bands, are under the umbrella, or organizational structure, of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe.

The Minnesota Chippewa Tribe was established in 1934.

The six bands, then, are each sovereign nations, but we meet as a unit quarterly concerning the the tribal enrollment figures, which we have over 40,000 Minnesota Chippewa Tribe members total.

And each band has their own enrollment figures.

We develop ordinances, we meet with the state, we deal with different federal and and local agencies.

Changes to the Constitution are very difficult.

Constitution was developed not by Native Americans, but by the BIA and a non-Indian.

With regards to Constitution reform or changing of the Constitution, that will take the membership to vote on what they want changed in the Constitution first, which, it does require 30% of the eligible voters of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe to request a change to the Constitution.

We are undergoing what we call Constitution reform.

It's been something that's been on the radar for many years for the Minnesota Chippewa Tribal members, because we want a document that reflects what we want, not what others have made us abide by.

What it takes is, you need to inform your membership, and our membership is all over.

We've got White Earth members of 20,000-plus.

We've got Bois Forte members all over the country, and overseas, too.

So how do you inform those members of the Constitution and the changes that, you know, possibly all the membership want made?

Some tribes don't want enrollment, some tribes want lineal descent.

A lot of the tribes in Minnesota have already addressed some of the enrollment issues, because if we, as the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, continue on our road the way we are, with the enrollment the way it is now, which is one-quarter blood, that we will not be in existence for years to come, because there aren't many full bloods left.

(upbeat music) We have 10 people, at least 10 people from each of the six tribes, that have stepped up to become part of a Constitution Reform Committee.

Basically, what the Constitution Reform Committee is, is they've gone and started with the Preamble, and then they moved on to enrollment.

And Article II is regarding membership.

So that's where you talk about the 1941 base rolls, and people born between April 14th, 1941 and July 3rd, 1961, their parents have to be enrolled, and the quarter-blood quantum.

So we kinda jumped the gun, I think, and made a hop to enrollment because that is one of the hottest topics.

We didn't impose enrollment on ourselves, it was imposed on us by the federal government, and actually, a form of termination for us, that's what we look at it as.

So there's many laws that have gone through, like the Allotment Act, the Termination Era, all these other things that have happened.

There's such a long history that has not been taught.

Even myself, I know a lot of band members or tribal members that even don't know about our history and our culture because of the historical trauma from the boarding schools, and also they don't know that we have to abide by a Constitution, that the tribes don't have the authority, the Minnesota Chippewa Tribes don't have the authority to change the enrollment.

That needs to be done by the MCT, all the MCT members, not the individual bands.

So it's very complicated.

We need to educate our people.

Our children, we need to educate.

We did ask about having a referendum on the enrollment issue.

We want to know, do the tribal MCT members feel that the tribe should determine their own enrollment, each tribe should determine their own enrollment?

- If you missed a show or wanna catch up online, find us at nativereport.org.

And don't forget to follow us on Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram for behind-the-scenes updates.

Drop a comment on social media if you enjoyed the show.

Thank you for spending time with your friends and neighbors from across Indian Country.

I'm Rita Karppinen.

We'll see you next time on "Native Report."

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