The story of my birthday taco and the story of this week..
A long time ago I was asked by my mom what I wanted for my birthday and back then I really didn't want or need anything in particular from Mom. Because of course I had just started smoking weed and I'm big tough guy so generally mom presents were carefully thought about...
So I bust out with I want a pow wow for my birthday. And of course mom laughs with a response to the effect of that's not going to happen can we pick something more realistic. At which point I start arguing the merits of the local college as well as native American History month and then I decide I'm going to up the ante by saying of course it's completely doable.
However I want free Indian tacos
I got a snort and a grump that it isn't possible.
Well I wasn't going to accept anything else for my birthday. I got some cool little presents that year however... Absolutely the next year this entire idea exploded and now there is a huge pow wow..
And I got to go with my mom!
And I got to hang out with the aunties.
I'm actually missed a big huge pile of the pow wow because I was busy running fresh frybread back and forth and also helping make Indian tacos.
Helping out with the aunties is really important thing to do especially ones that take amazingly good care of me.
It is pretty awesome getting to have your own birthday pow wow and getting to serve the entire community free Indian tacos year after year. On top of it we've also got the amazing scholarship for the native American community so that even more individuals get to access higher learning that are financially challenged for tribes because really there is no perks benefits or support system for being in native American in college. So that makes this so much more personal for me is watching amazing people get involved to support individuals that are trying to better their lives and communities.
We have had Aztec dancers before and this year there was a bunch of extremely beautiful women Hawaiian dancers. As well as a phenomenal amount of different tribes being represented!
And I actually got to sit with the should have tried Chief and have dinner! I totally didn't realize that he came and sat down right next to me. The Chinook drive happens to be fighting for federal recognition and not being a fully federally recognized tribe puts their entire heritage in danger with no federal acknowledgment or assistance tribes like his are being wiped out.
It is not easy being me as I am one of the very few unpapered months of the family so it sounds like they are going to be putting into enroll me and some other unpapered family members.
So we will see I might actually end up getting enrolled into our tribe after all! I have been pursuing enrollment for 30 years or so as well as the continued connection with my elders.
Well I'm tired and this is I've written during my recovery phase after this amazing powwow.
