"You Didn't Look At Me For Thirty Seconds. I Guess I'll Just Burn Myself Now." Caramel Is The Overly

What Am I Overlooking?

Overlooked reasons for going to hell: Carrying on a conversation with someone after they have said goodbye (or other widely accepted sign-off term), as if you didn't hear them when you did. "Fixing" things about a person's appearance (bra strap, hair, etc) without asking. Answering the cellphone you didn't bother silencing in a library. Constantly putting other people's cups in the sink when they're not done using them.

I was watching An American Tale with a friend, and to my delight, he pointed out that, as a Native, I can call most people "My Little Immigrant."

Why is there not an ice cream delivery service?

I demand answers.

“Love is influenced by no consideration, recognizes no restraints of reason, and is the same nature as death, that assails alike the lofty palaces of kings and the humble cabins of shepherds; and when it takes entire possession of a heart, the first thing it does is to banish fear and shame from it.” - excerpt from Don Quixote, by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra

Some Things Are Just Wrong.

It should be illegal to be a seamstress. Like, if you just want to sew as a hobby, that's fine, but look at children who are forced to work in sweatshops all day. You know no one would be in that industry if they had any other choice. It's really a public safety issue when you think about it, because all those people in a room with all those blades and needles - that's bloodborne illness waiting to be spread. Not to mention it's just another example of demeaning and exploiting women, because it's almost always women. The people we really need to go after, though, are their employers. I don't know what's worse, that they pay the seamstresses for the "labor" they provide, or that the employer forces the seamstress to cede a portion of her payment in return for facilitating her "work." I can't believe some people seriously call it "work," like it's legitimate. Just because you provide a service and get paid for it doesn't make it work, and we all know it. -Some of the inanity that sex workers have to deal with constantly.

TW: Suicide -

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- After a boy cut his arms and told a staff member he wanted to die, the staff member allowed him to shower unsupervised for forty minutes, without reporting his wounds or suicidal thoughts to anyone else. This staffer later said they "don't like" to read patients' backgrounds, and had not done so with this boy. This is why we need to take mental health seriously. It's not about being a coward or giving up- even when we fight it and seek medical attention, our condition is brushed off.

http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2016/11/youth_psychiatric_facility_in.html

But I’m Special!

A lot of people seem to think they get a pass on problematic arguing tactics because they're a minority or an activist or what have you. You don't get a pass. It's not going to fly if you say "there are multiple bad things/reasons for a bad thing, don't try to focus on one." You don't get to say " *I* don't experience that problem" when someone says a problem exists, and not get called out on it. You don't get to badger someone who has made it clear that they don't want to talk to you about a subject, and have it be okay. I'm not buying it when your response to being called out is a tired variation of "I guess you're not capable of talking about things rationally" when someone doesn't put up with your tactics. Not only will your behavior be called out, but your hypocrisy will be called out as well.

✊ @eyesnheart #strongresilientindigenous #warriorwomen #riseup #reclaimyourpower

Workout time! Does vigorous masturbation count as a warm up?

A Reminder About Light Skin Privilege

One term can have different meanings and subtleties across different groups. The term “light skin privilege” carries a particular weight and meaning when used in reference to Native American people.

Between strict blood quantum laws and perceptions, and stereotypes about our looks (must have dark reddish brown skin, long black hair, etc), people are dying to tell us we’re not “real Indians.” We are often clearly spotted as not-white by white people, and treated as such, yet if we don’t meet preconceived notions about our race, we’re “not allowed,” to “claim to be” who we are. This is not only a matter of “acting white,” or people using our light brown skin to say we’re “not Indian enough,” it is also a matter of people frequently using our light brown/ non-white skin to somehow disagree entirely with our factual race. Yes, even some of us who are “full blooded” are told we are not who we are. When something is used to call our existence into question, in a way that is unique to Native American groups, it can be very impactful to say that that trait is a privilege.

There’s certainly common ground between various non-white communities; that said, there’s a lot of nuance to each group’s oppression, and what it means to be part of that group. As a single label can have different connotations depending on who is using it toward whom, we should think twice before using a term of privilege to describe someone from a different oppressed race than our own. In those situations where it is accurate and needs to be said, say it with some indication that you are mindful of those nuances which you do not experience and may not understand.