A Day Of Dinner And Decolonization: 9 Indigenous Activists, Educators And Healers To Follow

Thanksgiving Day is just as complex and layered as the casseroles consumed at dinners taking place across the nation in observance of the holiday. As millions of Americans celebrate family, friends, and unwavering gratitude, Indigenous Peoples are tasked with refocusing the narrative to center the genocide of their ancestors. Society’s refusal to acknowledge and account for intergenerational harm contributes to the ongoing socio-economic disparities plaguing their communities, today.  

As many as 15 million Native American people are estimated to have been living in North America when Christopher Columbus arrived in 1492. Toward the end of the 19th century, a mere 238,000 remained. As thousands of Indigenous women and children continue going missing, and activists face incarceration for protecting the environment—solidarity to Indigenous communities is more critical now, than ever.

Throughout American history, they have survived over 1500 wars, ambushes, raids and seizures all sanctioned by the United States government. Yet their bold love, indomitable resilience, ancestral connection and steady pursuit of healing are disrupting the colonial norms shaping the current social ecology. 

These 9 Indigenous activists, educators, and healers are shattering common misconceptions about the origins of Thanksgiving and Indigenous history.

Soni Lopez-Chavez

For Soni Lopez-Chavez, the pursuit of passion and beauty has called to her, her entire life. Born in the vibrant city of Guanajuato, Mexico at an early age, Lopez-Chavez moved to San Diego where she has resided ever-since, ever-inspired by the gorgeous scenery and diverse cultures. Currently favoring digital illustration as her medium of choice, her work embodies pulsating color schemes and themes of heritage as based off her own Indigenous background and childhood.

“My parents gave up so much and worked endlessly to give me better opportunities. For them and for myself I create images to raise awareness, to help heal and inspire. I encourage you to support the healing process and self-determination of Indigenous communities. Learn more about Indigenous rights by helping those who have already been working on these issues for a long time like Indigenous artists, business owners, journalists, and community organizers.” —Soni Lopez-Chavez

Corrine Grey Cloud

Corinne Grey Cloud is Lakota and Mohawk and lives in Mission SD. She is the CEO of Rice Consulting LLC, a Diversity Equity and Inclusion company that works on Native Specific DEI trainings for Fortune 500 companies. Grey Cloud’s articles and work have been featured in Huffington Post, Al Jazeera, and Google. She currently is on staff for Powwows.com and serves on numerous boards including for Feminist on Instagram. 

“Thanksgiving is a complicated holiday for many people, but especially for Native folks. We have for centuries been presented a narrative that eludes to Natives having given the land they steward over to colonizers when in fact that interaction was bloody and traumatic with lasting effect today. I encourage the non-native population to embrace Thanksgiving as a day to be thankful for your relatives, and to drop the legend of an imaginary peaceful dinner between “Pilgrims and Indians.” Its ok to embrace what is the truth of our history, while working toward making our nation a better and more inclusive one.” — Corrine Grey Cloud

Pınar Sinopoulos-Lloyd

Pınar Sinopoulos-Lloyd (they/them) is an award-winning Indigenous multi-species futurist, Quechua gender technologist, wildlife tracker and trans eco-philosopher. They along with their spouse are the co-founders of Queer Nature, a transdisciplinary “organism” stewarding, earth-based queer community through survival skills, multi-species kinship and rites of passage. Sinopoulos-Lloyd’s relationship with transness, hybridity, neurodivergence, Indigeneity and belonging guided their work in developing Queer Ecopsychology through a decolonial and autistic lens. As a survival skills mentor, one of their core missions is to uplift and amplify the brilliant “survival skills” that BIPOC, 2SLGBTQ+ and other systematically targeted populations already have in their resilient bodies of survivance.

“An integral way to support Indigenous folks is honoring Indigenous cosmological technologies — this includes our prismatic genders. Gender liminality is Indigenous cosmological technology. This includes disrupting cisheteropatriarchy which is a tool of settler colonialism. In my Andean lineage, our gender expansiveness is specifically a technique for world-making during collapse and apocalypse (Pachacuti). This original instruction of futurist is embedded in our origin story as Qariwarmis, our Andean Two-Spirit (2S) role. Center and amplify 2S and Trans Native leadership and brilliance.” — Pınar Sinopoulos-Lloyd

Luis and Trini Rodríguez

Luis Rodríguez (Mixcoatl Itztlacuiloh) and Trini Rodríguez (Tlazohteotl) are Indigenous spiritual practitioners and activists for some 30 years, based in the San Fernando Valley (SFV) section of Los Angeles. Luis is Mexica/Raramuri and Trini is Mexica/Wixarika. Their teachers have been among the Dine (Navajo), Lakota, Akimel O’oldham, Mexica (in Mexico and US), Maya (in Mexico and Guatemala), Pibil of El Salvador, and Quechua in Peru, among others. Luis is part of the SFV’s Turtle Lodge. Trini facilitates the Hummingbird Women’s Lodge. They are cofounders of Tia Chucha’s Centro Cultural & Bookstore of Sylmar CA, an Indigenous-based arts & literacy center. They also run the podcast “The Hummingbird Cricket Hour,” which addresses personal and social issues with an Indigenous lens.

“Clarity is also Medicine.” — Luis & Trini Rodríguez 

Fidel Rodriguez

Fidel Rodriguez works as a producer, educator, mentor, and organizer. For over 20 years, He has produced several award-winning radio programs for Clear Channel and Pacifica Radio. Rodriquez has developed educational conferences, concerts, and has facilitated wellness and leadership trainings for numerous companies, government agencies, and non-profit organizations. The educator has been an international keynote speaker on topics ranging from culture, history, shamanism, spirituality, consciousness, wellness, violence, decolonization, and creating paradigm shifts in thinking. For over a decade, Rodriquez has worked for the Los Angeles County Human Relations Commission where he facilitates adult leadership trainings and creates youth development and wellness workshops for youth affected by childhood trauma and the juvenile justice system. These workshops focus on practical wellness tools, history, trauma, poverty, racism, leadership, and healing. Rodriquez graduated from the University of Southern California as a McNair Scholar with degrees in Chicano/Latino and African American studies and is a certified trainer for Franklin Covey. He is an initiated Awo, which describes one who possesses specialized, esoteric knowledge and wisdom, in the ancient wisdom known as Ifa.

“The transformation of human consciousness is upon us, we all feel it.  It is now time to let go of the painful experiences you’ve endured on your journey that now live in your mind. Let go of them, they no longer serve you. Connect at every moment with Mother Earth and your ancestors.  Love yourself, share loving-kindness with all beings you encounter, and may your character not spoil your destiny. We our the ancestors of those yet unborn. With deep gratitude to all who read these words. You are loved.”  — Fidel Rodríguez

Allen Salway

Allen Salway is a 23-year-old Diné, Oglala Lakota, Tohono O’odham Writer, Influencer, and Cultural Curator from the Navajo Nation. The climate justice activist’s work has been featured on MTV News, Washington Post, New York Times, Paper Magazine and several other publications. Salway, an ambassador for DigDeep’s Navajo Water Project, is committed to bringing water and electricity to Navajo families living without.

“To me, Thanksgiving is a reminder of our resistance as Indigenous People navigating this settler society that continuously tries to erase and destroy us. Yet, we are still here.” — Allen Salway

Charlie Amáyá Scott

A Diné scholar born and raised within the Navajo Nation, Charlie Amáyá Scott (they/her) reflects, analyzes, and critiques what it means to be a Diné in the 21st century on her personal blog, dineaesthetics.com, while inspiring joy and justice to thousands on Instagram and TikTok at @dineaesthetics.

“My ancestors, and the ancestors of so many Indigenous communities have survived displacement, removal, and genocide. No matter what this colonizing world attempts to do, we will continue to be here reminding people of our strength, our beauty, and our voice. Today, and every day, I celebrate the brilliance of Indigenous Peoples, and hope others join me. Learn and grow a little more, and challenge the colonial narratives we are told and support Indigenous Peoples, our issues and our causes.” —Charlie Amáyá Scott

Xiuhtezcatl

Xiuhtezcatl, Mexica and Xochimilca, bridges many worlds through his music and his voice. As an Indigenous creative, his vision comes to life at the intersection of art, storytelling and community organizing. A multifaceted performer and Hip Hop artist, Xiuhtezcatl’s music serves as a vehicle to reclaim space, build community and engage his generation in reimagining our future.

“Indigenous people are reclaiming space and shifting culture everywhere we look, from the climate movement, to the fashion and entertainment industry and beyond. As we continue to tear down physical and symbolic monuments to enslavement and genocide, I encourage y’all to tap into the wave of Indigenous creatives, artists, storytellers, organizers and leaders. Get familiar with the complexity and diversity of Indigenous peoples and voices. That is where our strength lies. Before you know it, we will be impossible to ignore.” — Xiuhtezcatl