I'm glad you did this instead. I hope there's relief & recovery soon.

🧡

I distinctly remember her saying, "But she came home. We were lucky." & I distinctly remember I did not at all understand what she meant. Not even a little bit. I realize now that she couldn't find any ways to say more or be more clear.

She was a skin sewer

These ones hit home a LOT—& not just because they're Iñupiat / Inuit. These are right there in the gut.

It wasn't until adulthood that I realized the indigeneity of all this. A lot of Indigenous people are seeing a generation of curse breakers. Sometimes I don't feel like my reconnection journey is quite enough to count as a curse breaker. Other times it's painfully obvious. It continues.

🫂

Trivia: I (Neurodivergent & Indigenous) was raised by white Lutherans, earnestly pursued that faith, believed those who told me I got to choose whether to be confirmed, & became the 1st—as yet only—kid not to be confirmed in the church where my great grandma was in the 1st ever confirmation class.

My struggle with reconnection is the direct impact of what happened to them. & it was on purpose. 🧡

She has been Christian my whole life, & all my aunt's & uncle's lives, & raised all her children that way. I don't know how to describe it, but I've always sensed fear in her faith. & the faith of many of her kids is also warped &/hollow. & it's... I can see it (the genocide 🧡) all on display.