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Indigenous Peoples’ Day

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I wanted to begin by acknowledging that I write this (and most of my writing) from the traditional, unceded land of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, primarily the Kanien’keha:ka or Mohawk people.

I have always been a student of history with a deep interest in New York and Native Iroquois since childhood and have a deeper appreciation and understanding through my research for my book about St. Kateri. It is with that basis and love that I share some resources, for reading, for music, for traveling for some of the indigenous spaces in upstate New York and southern Canada.

Haudenosaunee Flag.
(c)2025

Picture heavy below the cut.

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Robert Redford (1936-2025)

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When I was in high school, I went through periods of binge-watching different movies with the same actor to see their filmography, although I didn’t call it that at the time.

  • Errol Flynn
  • Katharine Hepburn
  • Claudette Colbert
  • Harrison Ford
  • Alan Rickman
  • Robert Redford

Of course.

Three Days on the Condor, Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid, The Sting,  All the Presidents’ Men, many others. Not just his acting but his directing, his exposure of issues. Ordinary People and Thunderheart come to mind as well as narrating the documentary, Incident at Oglala. Those last two changed my life and were major contributions to my activism.

Looking at him onscreen and in still images was like staring into the sun, or a shining star – too bright to look at too long or too intently, but not able to look away either. He was more than handsome. He was magnificent. As California Governor Gavin Newsom said, he was a son of California, and it was obvious from his full head of blond hair, deep tan, active, outdoorsy lifestyle. He was wholesome. His whole face showed what was on the inside, and it made you want to move closer, not away.

As people online said, I think we all thought Robert Redford was here forever, not quite immortal, but not mortal either. I recently re-watched All the Presidents’ Men, and I plan to watch it again this weekend. I’ll also watch Sneakers for the first time as that was recommended today as well.

As someone said earlier, we all hope that when we pass, we’ll be talked about and remembered as we are remembering Robert Redford today.

Obituary

Mental Health Monday – A Day Late or Just When It’s Needed?

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Last week, I mentioned in my list to put together your mental health toolbox. Each tool will be different for each person. We may use the same techniques sometimes, but we may not use them for the same reasons. One of the reasons I like to share how I cope is to show how much it changes from when the tool is needed.

First, here is the link to a previous post about Coping Skills and a Toolbox: Coping Skills Toolbox. I found this on Tumblr many years ago, and have found it to be a great resource on its own as well as foundational  for my own added tools.

Second, this is a graphic from my friend’s facebook:

(c)2025

There are so many ways we can rest, and so many different ways we need to rest that it’s important to have that reminder. I know I often think I’m tired, but my rest isn’t helpful. Perhaps, I’m focusing on the wrong rest.

Third, my old standby is watching Supernatural. Supernatural came into my life at a time of heavy crisis, and it is a comfort show for me. What is your one comfort that you can always return to?

Share any tools that work for you, so we can help each other through the big and little events that turn us upside down and around.

Inspired, and More

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The last few weeks have been nothing short of active, and I hope I’ve gotten through it with less scathing than would be normal for this kind of busyness. This post will be part mental health check-in, part inspired, part goal-setting.

Mental Health Check-in for Week 3 of July

I went back to my original post to see what the goals were that I thought I needed to focus on, and this was less than helpful. Goals and goalposts are constantly being adjusted. Looking at the biggest priorities, it’s still been iffy. Although to be fair to myself, I’ve been busy and not wasting time and opportunities, so while it’s been slow-going, it has still been going.

This is very much a positive.

Where are we this week?

  1. I was working on my presentation until about 7pm the night before. I realized there comes a point when it just needs to be done. I laid everything out on index cards, and did my thing. It was fantastic. I think everyone liked it and learned something new about St. Kateri Tekakwitha. I was able to constructively see things that I would change. I did a little improvisation and even though I finished later than planned, I was able to end on a decent note, and skipped a few slides at the end, and no one was the wiser. All in all, a good experience. I’m willing to do another powerpoint, although I’m hoping someone else presents it.
  2. Work. July 8th, I began working full-time. I haven’t worked full-time (outside the house) since my now-twenty-eight year old was two. It is a big adjustment for everyone, but my family is being supportive and picking up some tasks, and my co-workers and colleagues are amazing.
  3. Cursillo needs attention.
  4. I mentioned that I was going to avoid snoozing my alarms. I’ve still snoozed, but not as much and it’s made me more aware of what I need to do in the mornings to get out the door more efficiently.
  5. I’m disappointed in how our government is being run. I’m disgusted and repulsed by the Republican party, their hypocrisy, and their hatred. I don’t know how we come back from this precipice or how we survive.

Mental health check-in = EH.

And now for some inspiration!

I’m looking forward to taking my presentation and using it to push my book in the right direction. Below the cut are some of my inspiring and inspired photos from St. Kateri Tekakwitha’s feast day weekend.

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St. Julian of Norwich

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Today is the Feast Day of Julian of Norwich. I first became familiar with her when my new-to-me parish priest quoted her, and I found that it was eerily similar to my own mantra, “It’ll be okay.”

All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing be well.

She was an anchoress and mystic, locked in a cell for prayer and contemplation. Her writings are the earliest surviving works in English and attributed to a woman.

Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication

Two years before I learned of her, Pope Benedict XVI spoke of her in his General Audience in Paul VI Hall on the 1st of December, 2010. It can be read here.

You can also visit her shrine in Norwich, England.

In Our Time – Julian of Norwich from the BBC:

Election Connection – Breaking News: Librarian of Congress Fired

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Carla Hayden, who was set to complete her term next year has been fired by the President as part of his rampage against “DEI” and “woke ideology”. [Those terms are in quotations because I feel the White House and many Republicans in Congress do not understand what those words mean, nor do they understand the function of the LIbrary of Congress.] The White House Press Secretary claimed it was for putting inappropriate books on the shelves for children. Anyone who understands how the Library of Congress operates (clearly not the Press Secretary or the President), understands that the LIbrary of Congress is not a circulating library. Research is done there, books do not leave the building, and children do not use the library other than to visit and see how the library operates.

The Library of Congress is responsible for receiving two of every book published. Every. Book. This is a function of its role in administering copyright law. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country, and has been known to be apolitical to the point that Ms. Hayden is only the fourteenth librarian since 1802.

Library of Congress Carla Hayden fired.

Library of Congress, official

Library of Congress: Ask a Librarian

Library of Congress, wikipedia

World Health Day

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Yesterday was World Health Day, and it’s more important than ever to pay attention to our health and the health of those we care about, not just on World Health Day, but everyday.

The United States is losing a lot of standing in the world as we gut the CDC and the FDA, the NIH and HHS, and it will take time for someone else to take up the mantle of research, development, and whatever else we are quickly dismantling. The alphabet soup of our departments are more than initials, acronyms, and governmental “overreach.” They are what keeps our food from poisoning us. They are what checks on the viability of vaccines; that prevents the next pandemic; that cures cancer.

Visit my new page: Election Connection – Resistance and visit the first table where there are resources for knowing what health issues are going on in the world. Follow Canada Health Watch and get their weekly emails – at least it’s something. As for the title, for anyone who thinks that health isn’t political hasn’t been paying attention.

Please add your own reliable links in the comments. We are a village, and we are responsible for one another even if one quarter of the country doesn’t believe that.

End of Year Wrap Up

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In some ways, saying goodbye to 2024 is bittersweet. It is both a relief and a sadness. I’m still wearing my Harns/Walz bracelets and yearn for what might have been. Nothing was going to be perfect, but I have no doubt that it would have been better.

I spent yesterday looking back at this website, traveling from December all the way back to January to find which posts stood out to me. some were great; Some were not so great, but they all propelled my writing forward. A few of my favorites are linked below for you to also look back on. Tomorrow, I’ll begin with my intentions and actual resolutions for the New Year.

After 25 or so years home with my kids, I now have a job outside the house that I truly love. I never expected this to happen, and I’m so glad that the time was right, both for me and the place.

I have a good path forward for my book. I’m organizing the research and the photos, and I will also be presenting a program in the summer on St. Kateri’s Journey and her life.

A Look Back:

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Native American Heritage Month Can Be All Year Long If You Know Where to Go

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I think when it comes to marginalized groups in this country, it is important to remember that even though we attempt to celebrate them and honor them, we can still do that on the other 364 days of the year, and not just on “their” day.

Native American Heritage Month officially ended on November 30th, and Native American Heritage Day was commemorated on November 29th.

In addition to the post last week with links to the American Indian Museum in Washington, DC, I’d like to share the following links and travel recommendations for you to consider over the next 361 days.

The Akwesasne Cultural Center is located on State Route 37 in Akwesasne, New York, near the Canadian Border. They are a museum, library, and cultural center focusing on the history and culture of the Mohawk people as well as protecting Mohawk culture and artifacts. The museum and gift shop are open T – F, 10-6, and Sat, 10-2. The library is open additionally on Monday, 9-5.

The Kanien’keha’:ka Onkwawen:na Raotitiohkwa Language and Cultural Center was established in 1978. Its mission is to preserve and enrich the language and culture of the Kanien’keha:ka (Mohawk) of Kahnawa:ke. They are located in the Mohawk Territory of Kahanwa:ke, south of Montreal, Canada.

You can also find the Welcome Center, the Kateri Interpretive Center, and the St. Francis-Xavier Mission Church (on this site since 1716) in the Mohawk Territory of Kahnawa:ke. I have toured all three of these sites and it is well worth the visit.

From The National Museum of the American Indian at the Smithsonian: The “First Thanksgiving”: How Can We Tell a Better Story?

Bluesky Handle, Puff the Magic Hater has a thread of ways to support Native people, for everything from abortion care, defending voting rights, keeping Native families together, and more. Visit the thread here.

I’d like to close this post with the words of someone smarter than me. On Nov 29, 2024, historian Heather Cox Richardson wrote on Facebook:

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Hildegard of Bingen – Music

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This past Tuesday was the feast day of Hildegard of Bingen and below I share two links to her music on Spotify. The first is her music sung from her abbey in Bingen, and the second is her music as arranged by Richard Souther. They are both unique in how they sound, but convey the depth of Hildegard’s mysticism and faith journey.

Hildegard of Bingen was a Benedictine Abbess in Germany in the Middle Ages, living from 1098 to 1179. In addition to her role as abbess, she was a polymath, writer, composer, visionary, medical practitioner, and is considered the founder of scientific natural history in Germany. Her writings include theology, botanicals, and medical works as well as letters, hymns, antiphons, and poems.

She has more chants surviving the Middle Ages than any other composer in the Middle Ages. She is also the writer of both the lyrics and the music of her works.