“Awakening the Horse People” provides writings and resources for people of European descent interested in decolonization. These are about “healing whiteness,” but not about white supremacy, white nationalism, or fascism – but about decolonization, connecting with past ways of life, and redeveloping a place-based identity.
“People of European heritage are often called
hungry ghosts
because we don’t know ourselves. This trauma of disconnection is profound, causing us to constantly grab for anything of spiritual meaning – even if it does not belong to us. This taking leads to cultural theft and appropriation, spiritual materialism, and the silencing of authentic native voices. Worse, we spread this dysfunction to others, including People of Color of various origins, through the dominance of Western cultural values.
Indigenous people are asking us to heal ourselves, so we can redevelop a deeply rooted cultural identity that brings about respect for ourselves and our relatives on Mother Earth. This healing also builds the understanding necessary for us to listen with compassion and speak with integrity to Indigenous people as we begin the painful conversations necessary to grow healing between people. We must take responsibility for our past, so we can create a healthy future for all people.
In summary, decolonization is a powerful process that allows us to:
- Re-connnect with the places we come from, and the ways of life that shaped our ancestors’ experience and continue to live hidden within ourselves;
- Reawaken the identity of who we are in a line of people from ancient ancestors to future generations;
- Restore a sacred way of life through relationships with the animals, plants, and other living relatives who made our lives possible;
- Transform from allies to true relatives in anti-racist action, solidarity work, and resistance struggles of Indigenous people and other people of color;
- Make healing of historic traumas possible for ourselves, and for Indigenous people who suffer from colonization and genocide.”