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Hello relatives, I’m 22 years old about to turn another page. Lately I’ve been feeling depressed and anxious about everything. I’m struggling to find my purpose or what I want to do. I think work and school is taking a toll, I’m full time in both and still don’t know what I want to go to school for. How did you decide this? What helped you? Any advice?

Hey there! I’m so glad you wrote in. First, I want to give you big props for reaching out for some support and encouragement. That’s what true bravery is, listening to the truth of what’s in your heart and taking action. Go you! There are a few things I want…
Answered by Auntie Manda
Topics: Education, Life Tips, Mental Health

Hi, I have a difficulty with one of my teachers at school. She often puts down my religion by comparing it to other Abrahamic religions and talks about in in an unflattering light. In my country, my religion is the majority but in my opinion, faces a lot of bigotry, more so than the minorities. We don’t have control over our religious sites, we can’t endorse schools based on our religion, and we are often portrayed as fascist when I can guarantee that we are the furthest from that label. I want to confront my teacher and tell her how her misinformed and one sided statements are offensive, not only to me but to other students of my religion as well. However I don’t want to be seen as a bigot, or rigid in my beliefs. This is difficult since majority of my peer group are exposed to media that deliberately manipulates information to distort my religion, which is indigenous to my country and has survived both the Mughal Invasion as well as the British Empire. Can I have some advice on how to make my stance and concerns clear without being labelled as a bigot?

Hey there! Thank you for writing in and I hope you were able to find a caring adult who could help you specifically  with that question. I’ve been thinking about your question and I feel like we can break this down into two fundamental issues: first, how to deal when…
Answered by Auntie Jane
Topics: Education, Intolerance, Spirituality

Hi Auntie Manda and Uncle Paige, both my husband and I are Native and work in the helping field with Indigenous communities. We wanted to create a presentation piece that can be presented to our volunteers for going above and beyond. I know the teachings of the ribbon skirt but I’m not familiar with teachings of the ribbon shirt. Can you share a teaching that we can offer to go with our presentation piece? Miigwetch, Niawen, Marsii and Thank you. Sharon

Hi Sharon! Thanks for writing in! I love this idea! What a beautiful representation of your appreciation. I had to check with a couple of my friends who make ribbon skirts and shirts. My friend Ryan shared this really cool article from the Milwaukee Public Museum, which talks more about…
Answered by Auntie Manda
Topics: Activism, Culture and Language, Education, Life Tips

How can I graduate early?

Hey there! Thank you for writing in. So, you want to graduate early? There’re a few things you’ll need to do beforehand. Graduating early takes some special planning and, in most states, you’ll need parent/guardian consent in addition to support from a school administrator, like the principal or vice principal.…
Answered by Auntie Manda
Topics: Education, Life Tips

Hi I’m not Native but I want to start an ecovillage and I want to learn the ways natives have lived with nature. The farming, the building, the hunting, the cooking, everything lifestyle so I can live the best way possible

Hey there! There are some good writings on Traditional Ecological Knowledge, I particularly like the works of Raymond Pierotti and Daniel Wildcat, especially Red Alert!.. There is another Indigenous Devon Pena, who works around Indigenous food sovereignty. I would suggest you reach out respectfully to the Indigenous people in is…
Answered by Auntie Manda
Topics: Education, Identity, Non-Native Allies

Hi Auntie! I recently have been using crystals but am curious about Native American religion since I am Native American myself, I don’t want to betray any religion, but I just want to know if I can believe in both!

Hey there! Thanks for writing in. Spiritual well-being is best defined by each person. Each person has a right to experiment and discover what makes most sense for them and their life goals. This ‘well-being’ will look different from person to person but does have similar themes which may include:…
Answered by Auntie Manda
Topics: Education, Identity, Non-Native Allies, Spirituality
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