Author's Note: I was asked to join others for a day on the topic of trauma. What it is and healing from it for Native Americans and people of color, and LGBTQ+ populations. Should be fun.
There is a panel and a breakout with people from each of these groups. A co-trainer and I will handle both a panel presentation and a breakout presentation.
Missing
Murdered
Who cares
It is obvious
No search
Weak investigation
Found dead
Who cares
~
It only happens to women
No, it doesn't
There are missing boys
Young men
Runaways?
No return
No, they couldn't be found
Who cares
~
Boarding school
Do not speak the language
You will be punished
Cut your hair
fit in
You will never fit in
brown skin color
trauma passed down
Who cares
~
Religious freedom in '78
Christian family members
culture ways
slow to return
conflicted
Go back to where you came from
Who cares
~
Trauma
Microaggressions
microinsults
microassaults
microinvalidations
big words
I don't do this
Who cares
~
That was the past
get over it
forced or coerced sterilization
in the early 70s
when my brother
and my babies were born
Who cares
~
Grandbabies
called names on the bus
a bus they looked forward to riding
They were just babies
their strong mother
She is looked at as crazy
when she complains
She can afford to drive
her children
She drives them
Who cares
~
She doesn't look Native
She lives with the comments
the insults
the slams
the treatment of her people
Or she fights it
everyday
Who cares
~
When doing our own grief work
We can help others to heal
We can help our future generations
We can help our ancestors
Knowing the past and present
It is important for our future
It is not to go back and blame
not to stay there
but to learn from the past
to have a better future
for our people
our children
and future generations
I care
About the Creator
Denise E Lindquist
I am married with 7 children, 28 grands, and 13 great-grandchildren. I am a culture consultant part-time. I write A Poem a Day in February for 8 years now. I wrote 4 - 50,000 word stories in NaNoWriMo. I write on Vocal/Medium daily.
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Comments (4)
Great
But how does doing grief work help our ancestors? Sorry, I'm just curious 😅😅
I love how your ending turns it into something hopeful and determined.
I love this!!! Your <<Trauma, Microaggressions, microinsults, microassaults, microinvalidations>> are so cool! And what resonates most with me is << That was the past. Get over it.>> Ooo! I totally love that!! I've heard sentiments like that before-- like, um, we have the capacity to use an eraser on our memory? Good stuff, sweet lady. I hope all is right in your world, my friend! ⚡ 💙 ⚡