As a Vermont native who grew up in a “small village,” I might be one of the least qualified individuals there is to speak or write about Indigenous People’s Day. Growing up, the closest to an “indigenous” resident in town was a Canadian MicMac artist named John Dedam, who everyone knew as John-John the Indian.

 

While we may not have been very “politically correct”, “woke” or enlightened, John-John was a colorful character and a person of interest in our town. All of us knew John Dedam by sight and what he painted. Most famous were an American eagle he painted on the ledges near our local American Legion, and to many of us children, his greatest work was the Slush Puppy he’d painted on the side of the building of what is now known as Union Street Grocery.

 

As put by Yvonne Daley in her book Going Up the Country, “We were defined by myths─ the myths of our religions and our race, the idea that Americans were good and pure, that we were all equal.” The history we learned as children is not the history we are aware of today.

 

Indigenous Peoples Day was first nationally recognized as a holiday in the United States only as recently as October of 2021. The holiday is meant to celebrate and honor Native American peoples and commemorate their histories and cultures. It is celebrated on the second Monday in October, the same day as the U.S. federal holiday of Columbus Day, which honors explorer Christopher Columbus. (Source: wikipedia.org)

 

How to Celebrate

When celebrating Indigenous Peoples’ Day, look for ways you can learn about and honor indigenous peoples who made—and still make—America their home. Here are some great ways to make Indigenous Peoples’ Day meaningful:

 

• Learn about the Native Americans from your area.
• Visit a museum that tells the full story of indigenous people.
• Participate in a local Indigenous Peoples’ Day event/celebration.
• Read something written by a Native American writer.
• Make a donation to an organization supporting Native Americans.
• Learn the true history of indigenous peoples in the Americas.

 

(Source: connectionsacademy.com)

 

Whom We Honor

Creative members of my church held an art show titled “Whom We Honor” at one of the local inns. The event was the brainchild of our creative group’s founding member, Virginia Creighton. The conversations and concerns we had as a group in putting this event together were focused on NOT trying to represent a culture we share no ancestral ties to, and as Virginia put it, “that we maybe all together don’t understand, as much as we would like to.”

 

Virginia stated, “If we were to get an image from the media and try to draw it, that would be taking another step away from them instead of towards them.” In that spirit, we limited our artwork to landscape and nature.

 

 

In keeping with the spirit of honoring indigenous people, and NOT trying to represent them, I read something written by a Native American writer instead of something I had written myself.

 

A Gigantic Leap

 

As opposed to my blog post, Baby Steps, when I first began blogging anonymously six month ago, I began my reading by taking a gigantic leap. I introduced myself, announced my survivorship and website publically… in my home town.

 

The introduction to my reading went as follows:

 

My name is Vicki Disorda, I am a local artist and writer. I have some photos here which I hope you have enjoyed. Today I would like to speak about an Indigenous woman named Lyla June Johnston who is a public speaker, artist, scholar and community organizer of the Diné Nation, from Taos, New Mexico. She has inspired me in my own writing and healing as a survivor of childhood sexual abuse.

 

Lyla is from the Black Charcoal Steak Division of the Red Running into Water Clan, of the Dine Nation, which is often incorrectly identified as Navajo. Lyla’s messages focus on Indigenous rights, supporting youth, traditional land stewardship practices and healing inter-generational and inter-cultural trauma. (Source: lylajune.com)

 

A writer friend of mine first introduced me to Lyla June in February this year by sharing a YouTube video with me titled “Reclaiming Indigenous Wellness and Mental Health.” Since watching this video, I too have started a website focusing on raising awareness of childhood sexual abuse, recovery and mental wellness.

 

I was so struck by Lyla’s courage and attitude about her own abuse and intergenerational trauma that I immediately adopted some of the words and language Lyla’s mentors taught her. Most specifically, her view of herself as a “veteran” survivor. And if you visit my website, you will see that I also now refer to myself as a veteran survivor. This outlook and approach have helped me tremendously in my own recovery and view of myself as having something to offer other, perhaps younger or more inexperienced, survivors.

 

It wasn’t until I discovered Lyla June that I was personally struck by how much the traditions and philosophies of indigenous people have to offer, especially in healing from and developing healthy attitudes about trauma and survival.

 

I would also just like to mention that today is the first time I am speaking publically about my abuse or my website, which seems fitting since I was so inspired by this female Indigenous survivor of abuse, and so today in honor of Indigenous People’s Day and this amazing woman, instead of sharing my own writing, I would like to share something Lyla June wrote titled: Indigenomics.    (To read it, please click on the link.)

 

Progress

As a member of the creative group, I learned how to celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day. The creative group was very happy to have shared it with our community and are hopeful that our outreach will continue to grow.  As am I with regards to my personal mission of raising awareness about childhood sexual abuse prevention, recovery and education…for all cultures because every child matters.

 

A special thanks to reporter and news editor of our local newspaper, Mat Clouser, for covering the event. Mat asked about “progressive Christianity’s role in reckoning with its previous involvement in the plight of indigenous peoples.”

 

The pastor of my church, The Reverend Sara Rossigg, responded to his question:

 

“I believe that reckoning must begin with an honest recognition and expression of regret for the cruel injustices that are part of our shared history in this country with our indigenous people. Intentional efforts to increase our awareness and to honor and support surviving indigenous persons and communities is an important first step toward healing the painful wrongdoing of our past. I am so glad to support members of our faith community as they are taking steps on this journey, and the Brandon Congregational Creatives Group as they use their shared artistic endeavors as a vehicle to share their efforts toward this end.”

 

This small local event expanded our thinking as creatives and Christians, what we know about indigenous people and honoring them, and has taken my personal journey one gigantic leap forward.

 

In the recent words and spirit of another of my local pastors, The Reverend John Hardman-Zimmerman, may we all pray and work towards “unity above all while honoring our diversity and practices.”

 

Namaste to all who are celebrating, learning about and honoring Indigenous People. And to all who are raising awareness to prevent childhood sexual abuse because every child matters.