A Conversation With Native Americans on Race | Op-Docs

This week we bring you “A Conversation With Native Americans on Race,” the latest installment in our wide-ranging “Conversation on Race” series. Directed by Michèle Stephenson and Brian Young, the film grapples with the racist contradictions of a country that, many feel, would prefer it if Native Americans didn’t exist.

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[karnokkantisutar]

Imagine being a minority in your own land.

[russetvelvet]

"My name means that my family survived." So sad yet so proud...

[AJ_real]

From Ireland I can tell you, don't stop speaking your native language, don't ever stop celebrating your culture, do get politically active and make them uphold those treaties.

[MelaninSpeakzOut]

My heart broke when my sister spoke about her grandfather. Because he looks black he feels like he isn't native enough. Let your grandfather know it's MORE of him then he knows!! Incredible video

[johnnygooch]

whenever I hear a white supremacist claim America is a white nation, I shake my head and cringe.

[ridlah]

Stand tall, I refuse to be disregarded. I’m a Maori woman and proud. Indigenous nations all over the world ✊🏼

[AtlSamuel]

I'm Cherokee and I want all of my native people to know that YOU MATTER AND YOU ARE IMPORTANT

[jeskvell]

"My family survived Catholicism."

WOW, that speaks a lot.

[billymiller]

When will a native American become president of the USA...

[carlaeyyy]

I didn't know Native people had to approve their blood amount. That's messed up

[bpe]

It really touched me when the young woman with the glasses told the story about
her grandfather. Bless his heart, he wants to protect her but his actions hurt her heart. I hope that he can come to an agreement with her and finally come out of his room.I love what the young woman said with pride about her name.🌺

[blueshinobi]

I think all of us natives should be proud because our ancestors had to fight for us to be here

[MichelleMCTran]

I’m native. I’m 50%Cherokee/50%Mohican. I’m native and I am happy . Government just want to divide and conquer people. I’m half of half. I am still proud to be Native

[jeffwisener]

The story of native Americans is basically the story of every indigenous people on every continent and every island.

Western civilization diminished tribalism as being beneath western civilization but in reality nationalism and patriotism are the same as tribalism, just rebranded to justify selfishness, hatred, and greed.

[nicolescatolini]

Thank you for sharing, this was eye opening. I always thought that proving your Native ties was to prevent non-Native people from taking Native benefits (i.e. college funds), I never before though of it as a way to track "dilution" to the point of no longer providing benefits and stealing back the land provided. I appreciate you sharing that and opening up a narrative I hadn't considered before.

[autumngalix]

I grew up being told I was native, and being told many different things about my native heritage. When I got older I found out that my family knew next to nothing about our heritage. We all grew up being told that all natives make dreamcatchers and wear feathers in their hair, in what I would later learn is called culture appropriation. The knowledge that my family had on our culture was essentially erased from generation to generation. I had a really good teacher in High School teach me and my classmates about the thousands of different tribes that I had not known before. I was able to get more specific answers from my mother on which native tribes we thought we descended from, but I want to know for sure.

It's going to be awhile before I can do that, but it absolutely breaks my heart on how little I and my family know.

[Bibianobautista]

Native American president. I really hope that we get one . God bless all native Americans

[kahealanik]

Hmmm. Hawaiian’s have to prove ‘blood quantity’ too. And yes our land, our kingdom was taken forcibly too. I see a common theme here.

[anger]

Loved hearing about their experiences first hand. Thank you.

[meganrobertson]

I grew up in Canada, and native culture was present in education, however it was very whitewashed. I and many of my peers left school with a lot of unanswered questions, racial biases, and misinformed ideas about native culture. A conversation like this one never happened. Thank you for sharing…❤