Dec 26, 2017 - kkkolonizer holidays by nahaan

i thought you was only supposed to get gifts if you were good? otherwise you get coal? either way you get some object that was likely stolen from Indigenous people or foreign country. or they were paid nothing for a tremendous amount of work to make that gift of yours.

the senseless death of trees, the mis appropriation of other cultures, the capitalism, and every purchase made sends tax money to keep that very system going. who says we are supposed to celebrate at this time? we tell each other to.

somehow these holidays have become a tradition. but how and when and why? if the answers to those questions don’t matter than why should the other parts of our culture and the practicing of doing what we do and being who we are?

we can potlatch now. some folks never stopped. its wild to think that some families can spend more money on kkkristmas gifts, wrapping paper and bow ties than give aways to honor their deceased at a potlatch. or the fact that a lot of Natives know more kkkristmas songs than their own clan and family songs.

if we are to all agree that, somehow, change must be made and we march around talking about dekkkolonization, should we not critically consider why we celebrate the kkkolonizer holidays as well? why do we celebrate when they tell us to? and cry when the airplanes hit the buildings, or blame a president?

i look forward to the day when the youth of tomorow will not tell us what they want for kkkristmas and their parents will not ask them what they want, to where we express our love and generosity to each other without having a day on a kkkalander telling us when to. to where we can celebrate an Indigenous victory over a united snake government kkkalvary instead.

big ups to the Seminole Nation for doing so on December 25th 1837. they defeated 1000 soldiers with 400 warriors.

Nahaan is of Łingít, Iñupiaq, and Paiute ancestry. His work reflects his teachings and cultural background. He has been a natural artist all his life. As a tattoo artist of 5 years and running he focuses exclusively on working within the spirit of the traditional tattoos of his ancestors. As a carver, painter and designer he emulates the visual storytelling crafts so dear to his people of South East Alaska. He teaches the Tlingit language and song, and is the spokesperson for Náakw Dancers a group which he started in Seattle, Washington in order to perpetuate the rich expressions of the Pacific North West’s indigenous population. He focuses on aspects of community empowerment and self mastery through elements of decolonization and activism.