During the last 10 minutes of the Historical Trauma break-out session of the 5th Annual Arizona ACEs Summit, Elder Prosper Waukon reiterated a magnificent story from the elders. It was the 2nd time I heard it and I was equally impacted by it on Tuesday. Today, I called him to hear it one last time so that I could accurately share it with all of you: Our essence is tied to our land of origin. In the Americas, after 500 years of blood from foreign lands mixing in the soil, all ethnic...

After attending the amazing and informative Calling Upon the Warrior Spirit to Heal Historical Trauma Conference and Ceremony in the Gila River Indian Community, I was introduced to the Roundtable on Native American Trauma Informed Initiatives. This organization is a great collaboration of elders, educators, attorneys, clinicians and advocates working to heal Historical Trauma and improve the lives of people in Indian Country. Elder Prosper Waukon connected our organization with Renee...

A year and a half ago, I lost my father. As an indigenous person, my spirit knows that relationships are never lost, they only transform. As a newborn, you enter into the world with a total dependency on your mother. With each month, neurological development and newly acquired skill, the relationship transforms over the course of your lifetime. When we finally transcend the physical world to join the ancestors, the relationship transforms once again. In my great love and connection to my...