Native American heritage-
ancestry, culture, and respect for traditions
I am not a tribal member and cannot become one: I do not meet the "quantum", the percentage of blood, am not Canadian, nor do I have the documents I need to prove my ancestry. But... heritage is something aligned with but not the same as ancestry.
My Great Great Grandmother wrote that she was of the "People of the Dawn"- the Webanaki. One of the elders, hearing our family story, told my Grandfather she was likely Abenaki, so we have respected his wisdom.
My grandfather shared what he was taught with me and my siblings. He brought me to Pow-wows and introduced me to tribal people who will forever influence my life.
His knowledge of the natural world was exceptional. He taught children and adults to respect wildlife, served as an advisor for New Hampshire's Fur, Fish and Game, worked with New Hampshire and National Trapper's Associations, and lived in a magical place in the middle of millions of acres of incredibly beautiful woodlands. I spent every summer (14+ weeks in the US) as well as weekends and school breaks with my grandparents, where we worked his farm, learned his lessons, hunted, trapped, fished, and lved close to the earth. It was an exceptionally rich life for a child.
I do not claim to be a Native American person, as this would dishonour those who live that life... but I do share things with those who are Native American. I do not presume to take what is not mine - but my ancestor grants me the right to sit, respectfully and in harmony, at the fireside. I owe it to my Ancestor to honour her spirit and her family.
Cultural appropriation is when you steal what you have no right to share: I am honest about my connections, and I only share what I was freely given. I want to give to others the gifts that have been given to me, as I was taught that these things are meant to share.
"Native American" is not one group of people.
There are at least 1,000 different languages spoken across more than 550 groups of indigenous people in the Americas.
There are diverse social, cultural, and religious practices, which although have some common threads (such as the use of the medicine wheel) express their individual identity of each tribal group.
The People of the Dawn, or the Wabanaki Confederacy, are the five principal Eastern Algonquin nations- the Abenaki, the Micmacs, the Maliseet, the Passamaquoddy, and the Penobscot.
Right, there is a map of what is now Canada and northern New England in the USA showing the distribution of the Wabenaki people.
Most tribal memberships are linked to blood ancestry; tribes often have a "quantum" requirement for membership, where a certain percentage is required as well as proof of the line through which the bloodline descends. Some tribes also have specific residency requirements, .
Communities are wider than just tribal membership and residency. Cultural identity as well as ancestry are important. Because there is a historical tendency to inappropriately appropriate Native American terms, images, and concepts there is sensitivity to honest and transparent communication about personal cultural identities. The term "pretendian" (a port-manteau of Pretend and Indian) is used to label those who claim to be "Native American" but are not tribal members. It is important for those with Native Heritage but who are not tribal members to make that point clear, as otherwise those who live within the culture and traditional practices are diminished.
Groups have individual cultures, languages, images, ways of life, myths, legends... they were like the modern countries of the world. Modern Europeans, for example, share a continent but are not by any means a homogenous group who all share the same way of life.
It's important to remember that just like the countries of a continent like Europe, Asia, or Africa, Native American people have diverse cultural identities.
Storytelling is an important part of most Native American cultures. In the Abenaki culture it is used both as entertainment and education. Stories are imbued with a "spirit" or animus: they are living things with self-awareness.
Stories were important in child discipline. Children, in Abenaki culture, are to be always treated with kindness, dignity, and respect. Physical punishment is not common, and is discouraged. When a child misbehaved, they would be told a story to help them learn better behaviour. Over time, children are taught how to tell stories so one day they can be good parents: because the stories are "alive" there is tremendous spiritual benefit in not only listening to them, but learning and telling them.
There are different styles- some explain creation, others are historical such as why a mountain is where it is. Although not all, most have some moral or educational meaning. Some stories are unique to the Abenaki culture, but many share elements with other cultures as stories have been shared and re-told.
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