Blog #7: Every Day is Indigenous People’s Day

As I sit here to write this blog post, I gratefully acknowledge that I live and work on the traditional lands of the Tongva, Tataviam, Chumash and other Indigenous peoples who made their homes in and around the area we now call Los Angeles.

Yesterday was Indigenous People’s Day, a day to honor and recognize Native Americans and Indigenous peoples worldwide for their utmost resilience in the face of colonization, assimilation, discrimination and genocide. Throughout history, Indigenous peoples have not been treated with the respect they deserve. Their culture and traditions are deeply rooted in the beautiful and natural ways of Mother Earth. Their wisdom about properly tending to the environment is abundant. Their relationship to nature is symbiotic, mutually beneficial. Their contributions to planet Earth are truly invaluable. 

From my environmental studies curriculum, I’ve learned that when European settlers first came to California, they thought they were witnessing “untouched wilderness” because it was so pristine. They compared the landscape to a garden or a park. They didn’t realize that the rich California landscape was largely shaped and maintained by centuries of land management practices employed by the native people. 

I look to Indigenous peoples as the original caretakers of the land and sea, the OG environmentalists. I recognize that indigenous knowledge will be essential to solve our climate crisis and I am committed to centering their voices in my advocacy efforts. 

I started reading this book called Think Indigenous to connect with the ancestral and spiritual wisdom that exists within me, and all of us. This beautiful narrative about reclaiming spiritual power is written by Doug Good Feather, a spiritual leader and Native American Lakota, born and raised on the indigenous teachings of his people from the Standing Rock Indian Reservation.

Doug Good Feather introduces this concept of a “Star Seed” very early in the book. Star Seeds are “people from many nations and races who will recognize these ancient indigenous teachings and be a part of the healing and help humanity cross the threshold into this new era of deeper spiritual connection with Mother Earth and with each other…Star seeds [are] people who have been planted here with an inherent sense of knowing of earthly and celestial flow.”

I got chills as I read each line because I strongly believe I am a Star Seed, sent here to heal this planet alongside Indigenous peoples and other Star Seeds. So you can probably imagine the stomach drop I experienced when I read the following lines…

“We are talking directly to you. This book is not in your hands by accident; you called these teachings to yourself.”

I couldn’t have felt more aligned with my purpose than at that moment. I manifested access to this knowledge.

The more I learn from this book, the more I realize how intertwined my own spiritual path is with Indigenous spirituality, a “nature-based way of living in alignment with Mother Earth and the spiritual laws of the universe.” This is the philosophy I adopted when I combined my passions for spirituality and environmentalism to create the Ethereal Environmentalist. I am forever indebted to my ancestors and my strong intuition for leading me down this divine path.

Similar to indigenous teachings, I believe that God is nature, and everything is made of nature, so God is everywhere and is in everything. We must respect nature in order to respect God. I personally refer to this God as “Universe.” Indigenous peoples generally refer to this higher being as “The Creator.”

We all come from the same materials as the environment, the earth, the Universe. I mean, we are even made up of the same elements as the stars in our galaxy. How wild is that? We are living in the Universe while the Universe lives within us. 

This sentiment of “the Universe living within us” is what I refer to as spirit, or soul. Our soul is what makes us unique, gives us personality, allows us to feel all the emotions. Our spirit is how we meaningfully connect with the rest of the Universe.

As an environmentalist, I think it’s helpful to explore our connection with the Universe because it grounds us and offers a new perspective. It allows us to understand how every action has consequences in the natural world. It reveals how we all play an important role in the system of life on Earth. Indigenous peoples know this better than anyone. Their relationship to Mother Earth is symbiotic and in balance, both entities equally dependent on each other.

When you see yourself as part of a whole, you start to care more about the wellbeing of your environment. You learn empathy and compassion. You desire better for your community because it fulfills you. You think about the security and health of future generations. You express a lot of gratitude.

One of the most important lessons I’ve learned so far from Think Indigenous is the fact that we’re all indigenous to some place — that place is Mother Earth. In order to create peace on Earth, people must come from a place of empathy. We must understand that at the core, we are all the same. 

Native peoples are undoubtedly the most qualified to teach these lessons, and I feel honored to expand my mind and share my learnings as I progress through this spiritual journey.

With that, I wish you a Happy Indigenous People’s Day (which is every day so long as we reside on stolen land). <3