Reflection.
The so-called “United States” is celebrating the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence on July 4th, 2026. We, the first people of this land, do not have to look far to spot the hypocrisy of celebrating a document that calls our ancestors “Merciless Indian Savages.” Today, we witness a country that proclaims “freedom” while kidnapping our immigrant neighbors without due process, passing laws that encourage harassment and discrimination against our LGBTQ and two-spirit relatives, and pulling out every political, legal, and military strategy to suppress any form of dissent against the state. At the start of this nation, the government ratified over 350 treaties with Native Nations – and then proceeded to break every single one of them. Just as it was clear to our ancestors, it remains clear to us now: this colonial experiment has failed at building anything resembling a true democracy.
The Haudenosaunee Confederacy has the oldest continuous participatory democracy in the world, known as the Gayanesshagowa, the Great Law of Peace. Many of the structures lauded for creating checks and balances in the U.S. government are borrowed directly from the Gayanesshagowa – but were twisted to serve the interests of the “Founding Fathers,” who were responsible for the genocide and enslavement of our Black ancestors. The original laws of this land resulted in a system built to favor white, wealthy men – by the attempted extermination of Indigenous Peoples and bison, the stealing of our lands, the kidnapping of our children, and the abduction and enslavement of Black people. We reject the myth that the engineers of America are deserving of celebration.
Instead, we look for the dreams of our true Founding Mothers – the Indigenous women who led our communities before settlers ever set foot here. The matriarchs who have guided our people through over 500 years of genocide, forced removal, and attempts to erase our culture and languages. We honor the dreams of those who stewarded this land into abundance long before the arrival of colonists. We seek shared healing and liberation with our Black kin, whose forced labor then enriched the pocketbooks of the wealthy white men. If America continues to refuse to reckon with its own story – a country built on genocide, land theft, and slavery – it is doomed to repeat itself.
Resistance.
150 years ago, the Oceti Sakowin united at the Battle of Greasy Grass (also known as the Battle of the Little Bighorn). On June 25-26, 1876, warriors of the Lakota, Dakota, Northern Cheyenne, and Arapaho Nations fought and won against the 7th Cavalry after U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel Custer attacked their village. Indigenous matriarchs fought alongside the men to defend their children, communities, and way of life. The victory at Greasy Grass reminds us of our power when we unite together against this genocidal government.
As Indigenous Peoples, we have never stopped fighting to protect our lands, ecosystems, and waters; to practice our culture, songs, and languages; and to exercise our Treaty rights and sovereignty.
Resurgence.
Indigenous resistance has always been about more than countering white supremacy; it is about building a future where our culture, knowledge, and lifeways are practiced, respected, and honored. The world needs Indigenous knowledge to ensure our grandchildren have safe waters, clean air, and a livable climate.
We know we can win – because we have been doing just that. We drove a drilling company out of sacred Pe’ Sla because we united in a prayerful way. Then, not long after, we witnessed a historic moment when all nine Tribes in South Dakota passed resolutions to begin developing legislation to return all federal lands in the Black Hills to Tribal ownership.
The future is LANDBACK and Black Reparations. Our liberation is bound together, and the more we have built power together across and within movements, the clearer that has become. Today, we carry powerful lessons from the American Indian Movement and the Black Panther Party. The necessary transformation of this land into something life-giving and regenerative will require the courage to reject these imposed systems – to build networks of care so we can boycott and force the U.S. economy to grind to a halt.
Today, we encourage all our relatives to reflect on the reality of the past 250 years and see how the true terrorists on this land have always been the architects, drivers, and beneficiaries of this colonial project, not we, the people. We invite you to commit to fighting for a future where all humans and Mother Earth are respected. Ask yourself: What is my role in this resurgence? How long am I going to let other people decide the future for my children? Are we not warriors?
