Dear hidden girl…

To the girls that see their culture worn as costume for holiday, to the girls that have seen “Native Princess” up for display on the shelves for Halloween, to the girls that are told they aren’t enough because they don’t fit into someone else’s narrative of how they should be.

To the girls that have their identities stripped and simplified, to the girls that are seen as some type of exotica, to the girls that see people convince themselves they are Indigenous by a one percent ancestry test result, to the girls that see the media portray Indigenous Peoples with white faces, to the girls that have seen Indigenous peoples month be invalidated and overlooked, shadowed by Black Friday. To the girls who are Indigenous.

I see you..I can hear you,  you are loud.

You are not invisible. You are not invalid.

Your experiences are real and worthy of support and recognition. You are vivid and your voice and story has incredible power. You are outstanding. Don’t allow anyone to tell you different…not even yourself. 

Don’t let this dislocate your pride, don’t let this  break your stride, don’t let this tear you down. You are resilient. The experiences of you and your people have the birthright to be acknowledged and listened to. 

You have the right to be celebrated to feel pride in your identity, no matter how much or little you know about your identity, You are multidimensional. You don’t need to fit into anyones narrative. You are enough just as you are. You are beautiful just as you are.

It’s not your life’s duty to try to educate those who have a refusal to learn.

Your life matters, every little thing about you matters. You are not invisible, we are not invisible, far from it. Keep going.

Share your strength. Seize your potential.

And Happy Indigenous Peoples Month.

Oh and P.S. Remember to take care of yourself to the best of your ability and never discredit how far you’ve come.

Happy Indigenous Peoples Month, we will not be silenced.