The Comment Section with Drew Afualo - THEIR CULTURE IS A CASSEROLE Ft. Quannah Chasinghorse | Drew Afualo | THE COMMENT SECTION EP 80

Episode Date: August 23, 2023

[video available on Spotify] This week, Quannah Chasinghorse joins Drew to talk about indigenous representation across media and the importance of defining cultural appropriation vs. appreciaton. They talk about sports mascots, how Quannah and her mother became indigenous tattoo artists to keep the practice alive, people who appropriate indigenous culture without doing any research, giving back to their communities, and so much more! Drew: https://linktr.ee/drewafualo Quannah: IG Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You don't have a culture, and that's why you feel like it's not that big of a deal. Right. You don't have one. Like, whatever yours is, what is it? Casserol, I don't fucking know. What do you guys celebrate? Colonizing other races? I don't know.

That's why I'm like, it's one of those things. Yeah, well, I mean, it doesn't bother you because it's not you. America, Fourth of July. Like, that's their culture, their heritage. Yeah. Hey, everyone, and welcome back to another episode of the comment section show starring me, your favorite, Who Cares About Me? Who Cares about me?

On to the guest. Today, we have the amazing. the iconic, the legendary Quana chasing horse. Welcome. Thank you. I'm so excited to be here. I'm honored to have you.

My indigenous queen. How are you? I'm good. I'm good. Just happy to be here. I love watching all your podcasts. It's super fun. Especially in the morning.

I wake up and I'm like, it gives me that rush. Got to get out of bed. That makes me happy to hear. I'm glad to hear it. Yeah, I love it. I'm so happy to have you as a guest, an icon and I've been following your career for a very long time. I was just talking to

Kwona about how busy you are all the time. You're gone 24-7. Yeah. You get two weeks of sleep and then you're back on the road. Yeah, which is really nice considering I feel like a lot of people also have a very busy schedule like mine. Yeah. But it's really nice to be here and, you know, because now I'm based out of L.A., so it's nice to be home. Yeah. Because, man, I haven't been home for like a month. I have a dog and we were just talking about how it's hard leaving our animals. I know, you know, our family, but it's worth it at the end of the day. I mean, I always think about no matter how tired or how frustrated things can be, you know, and having, you can have like the best experiences in the industry or like some really

shitty ones. And so you just got to navigate it, but I've just been really thankful, you know, and reaching the levels that I've reached and meeting the people I've been able to meet. Absolutely. Really a roller coaster, but it's been the best. I know you've been in the modeling industry for a while now. Like what was that journey like when you first got like discovered versus now? Like has there been like a huge shift, a huge change?

Do you see any differences at all? Are you more seasoned now? I feel like there's a little seasoning in there, you know? I'm on like marinating a little bit. Yeah. But I'm still considered new. You know, I've only been doing this for like two years. Yeah.

And it all, I was like thrown into. it so it all happened really fast. Yeah. Like I was completely thrown into the industry, but in a really great way, you know, it wasn't like I didn't want to do it and I was just kind of like forced to do a lot of things. It was more of like my team, my family, my mom, everyone made my dreams come true. And it was truly like the best way I feel like anyone could have walked into the industry, you know, full pride.

Yeah. And, you know, I feel like it is, it comes with a lot of. like finding liberation, you know, and like being proud of who you are and where you come from. And there's not a lot of people coming out of Alaska, pursuing things like this. And yeah, it definitely has changed. It's definitely been a lot faster now. But in the beginning, it's those things where you're kind of like just trying to get booked for a job, you know. And so you're just like taking jobs left and right.

But now I'm at the point where I can sit down and really talk with, you know, brands and designers and whoever I'm collaborating with on, you know, my principles and my values. Because a lot of things that I do now, you know, I'm at that point where I can ask those questions. I can make those demands because I, you know, being one of the first indigenous people, you know, in those spaces, having a voice. Yeah, absolutely. You got to utilize that. Yeah, absolutely. And I've been an advocate before modeling, before I've been in this industry. So I can't just like stop doing that and just, you know, be a part of it.

Exactly. There's a lot more going on in the world. And I just want to be someone that can use my platform in a good way. And so that's what I've been trying to do a lot is just use my platform, but also try to stay authentic to who I am. But also show my work. And I never talk about the things that I do for community as much. I just kind of do them and then. Same.

You know, exactly. You just do it behind the scenes. You don't got to like boast or brag about it. Like I don't have to post about it for it to be real. Exactly. Exactly. And I had this really interesting altercation with someone. Really?

Where they were like challenging me into like basically trying to get me to say that I only do this for myself, trying to like... Yeah, like your form of representation is like self-serving. Yeah, exactly. It doesn't do anything for anyone. Yeah, and it was really weird to hear that because I was like, man, how do I tell them that I,

like, you know, how do I explain all my work? Yeah. And they finally were like, well, tell me one thing that you've done for the community. And I was like, all right, one simple, small thing. And I consider this very small. Yeah. is now that I am the world ambassador for Paul Mitchell Hare,

they've been doing amazing job. And they've been trying to go completely sustainable and do really great things. They have great initiatives. And when I went back home, I hadn't screened my film yet. And I was really excited to screen it back home to show my community. And we reached out to the North Face because they have been supporting my film. They funded my film everything. And we got a few other brands to send products and different things for me to have this raffle.

But no one had to pay for anything. It was just like for free, you know. To give back to your credit. Exactly. And I asked for only like 200 products. And I thought that was a lot. You know, I was like, that's a lot. Maybe I'm pushing, you know.

They sent 1,200 products. Damn. And I was like, what do I even do? All this and stuff, yeah. So after the raffle, after all of that, we would. were just donating them, giving them way to, you know, the youth homeless shelters, women's homeless shelters, just, you know, different people within the community that don't have those kind of resources or have access to nice things or, like, products, you know, that they need.

It's a lot of these things are essential to, like, hygiene and care. And, like, for me, that's, like, the smallest thing that you can do for your community. For me, like, I just felt like that was nothing compared to, some of the other things but having that just knowing that I can do a little bit you know like it makes me feel a lot better with what I do as a model yeah absolutely I think that's beautiful and I also think I relate to that a lot too because obviously our communities are very underrepresented in media which is our topic for today by the way but I think too it for me I feel like it undermines

the gift of it, like the ability to donate or help or a platform or whatever you can do. If I feel the need to post about it and get kudos for it all the time. Posting about it every once in a while, sure, right? Or if it's like part of the deal, right? Sure. But there's lots of things that I do too for my own community that I don't talk about publicly because I feel like it makes it disingenuous. Like if I'm doing it for likes or views or whatever. If I do happen to take pictures and I want to share them at some point, I think,

that's nice, but like, that's not the point. That's not why we're doing it. Exactly. And I think it, you would honestly get the same, you would get like the inverse of that reaction if you posted it. That's exactly what I told. Oh, you're just doing this for likes and stuff. So you're like, if I, I'm damned if I do.

I'm damned if I don't. That's literally what I told that person. I was like, either way, if I did post it, you literally still be coming at me. You'd say the same thing. Exactly. And it's also, too, I think a testament to like us being women to. It's just never enough. Like everything we do, it's just never enough, no matter what we do.

Because men can do the bare fucking minimum and they get an award. A key to the city. They're like, give that man a presidency. He deserves it. But we'll do all that and then some and just not post about it. And then we're to a completely different standard in that sense. Yeah. And I feel like same thing with like, you know, activists or advocates or water protectors.

like land protectors, anybody that's showing up and that do, that is what they do. Yeah. And they're known for it. So they use social media. Exactly. That also, like, I feel like people just like think that we're just supposed to be perfect, you know, and especially indigenous women, you know. Like we're just supposed to be that picture perfect, like, you know, warrior and like, you know, like we can't do no wrong. And I just, I hate that because we're all human.

And like, we do human things. And, you know, and there's nothing wrong with that. Yeah, absolutely not. And so anytime, I don't know, I respond to comments, which is never all the time. It's just like those ones where you have to just like. You're like, I can't not say something to that. Exactly. But also it's like you kind of use that comment as like, you know, like if anyone has that same question or you know what I mean?

You use that as an example and just being like, all right, the only reason why I'm responding to you is for this reason. Because I know other people think of something. Are going to ask the same thing. Exactly. Or it's going to turn into like a dog pile. Exactly. Exactly. So you got to like nip it in the bud.

I feel that. Me, I respond to hate all the time. I love it. I love it. It gives me life. I'm constantly responding to hate all the time. It's the best. It's the best.

That's my whole platform is hate and what's been hate like hate directed towards me personally. Yeah. And also other people. And that's what. What you said too about like when some people are activist first and that's how they build their platform versus people who build it another way and activism is something they weave into their platform. It's like the standards are very different in that sense because obviously when you're an activist first, you have to post about it because that's like your whole platform. When you do all kinds of other things too, like for example, you, you're a model and then you also weave activism into your platform. They like hold you to a different standard than they would someone who's just purely activism.

And I just don't think there's any one right way to do it. I think as long as you're doing it and you're doing something and you're actually trying to platform your community and fight for them and fight for representation where you can. I think that's super important, especially when you're saying like now you have the ability to like talk with brands and have these conversations about representation and like have those kinds of conversations that you wouldn't normally have if you were just getting started. Especially sustainability. Like those ones are like the hardest conversation to have. Because there's always excuses, or there's always something that puts them, you know, it's like a wall. They like hit a wall and they don't know what to do. And it's like, it's possible, yo.

There's so many brands. There's so many people out there that are making it possible. And it's still cute, cool, and trendy. Like, you can do it all. Well, considering indigenous people lived off sustainability for thousands of years before being colonized and it is very possible. Yeah. And they did it without technology. So like, can you imagine our own technology.

That's what I mean. Yeah, like we had our own system way of doing things. We didn't need all the extra stuff. Didn't. It didn't. I think too, like when you said that about having those conversations, I've had those conversations to, especially when I first built my platform. Because for AAPI month, I was like, I know for a fact they're going to come to me

because I'm like the only PI they can think of that has like a creator background. Yeah. And it was true. Like I had lots of people reach out to me and want to work with me during the month of May, which is wonderful. But the first questions I had for them were like, do you have any other Pacific Island or representation or is it just me? And then a lot of times they'll say like, well, I, you know, like we haven't really,

you know, gone that far. And I'm like, well, you seem to have fulfilled all the other requirements. I'm the only other, I'm the only PI. Like, it's just me. It's like checking off the... Yeah, it's checking a quota. And then you get stuck in this kind of like rock and hard place because you're like, if I don't do this, then there is no representation.

But if I do do it and it's just me, then I'm like, I'm a checked box. So it's like, it's kind of that balancing act. So a lot of times I just bring it to the, I bring the conversation forward so we can have it. And I give them suggestions. I'm like, I follow other Pacific Undercreators. I'd love to pitch you guys if you guys are willing to platform them. A lot of times they don't because their platforms are not as big and they're not like what they're looking for, which basically is just numbers.

And that's fine if that's the case. But then I just like don't want everyone to pretend that they did all this research and just I was the only one they could find. Because that's not true. If you look hard enough, you can find plenty. Just like there are plenty of indigenous creators that I follow on all different platforms. They span all different types of indigenity. Like it's not just Native Americans. It's not just Pacific Islanders.

There's like indigenous Mexican people too. There's indigenous people all over the world. And I follow a lot of different creators. I'm like, I find it hard to believe that you couldn't find any when I could. Literally. With all your resources, I could find them and you guys can't. It's not that hard. It's really not that hard.

And talking about this actually, it's kind of funny. Today I think is like world indigenous people's day. So that's really cool that we're just having this conversation. It's timely. Love that for us. But yeah, I mean, being in this industry just for as long as I've been, which isn't even that long at all. Like if you really think about it, I'm still brand new. I'm still learning, you know. It's been such a roller coaster because, like, I've had some of the best experiences. And then I've had, you know, those experiences where you feel completely tokenized.

And then it doesn't feel authentic or genuine. And it's just like, like you said, checking the quota. And it just feels kind of like, like, do they even care that I'm here? Yeah, yeah. You know? Or do they just not want to get in trouble for not having someone like me here? Exactly. I feel like.

And the hardest thing about being a native models are not a lot of us. There's really not. Like, there's very few indigenous models that are like recognized for it, you know? Yeah. And I'm friends with basically all of them. It's all of you together. Literally. Literally.

And there has been a few shows where we all got to, like, walk together or work together. But usually, you know, sometimes people within the industry, some people, you know, on different teams or whatever, always trying to say, you know, mostly to them that I'm, like, the competitor. Like, I am like. They're trying to turn you guys against each other kind of thing. And it's just not fun because they're my friends. And as indigenous people, we're supposed to uplift each other. and support each other, you know? And there should be room for everyone.

Right. That's exactly what I'm saying. And it gets so frustrating when you're sitting there, like, talking with all your friends and it's like, oh, I just booked this job. Then they're like, oh, what job is it? And we're, like, trying to be happy for each other. And then the more we talk about it, we're like, oh, first they went to you and then you couldn't do it or for some reason.

You know what I mean? They kind of trickled down the line of like. Because they needed one. Yeah. And I'm like, you could have at least hired both of us. Yeah. You know, like, well, considering they have multiples of every other ethnicity represented, but they can only have one of you. That's exactly, yeah.

Is the frustrating part. And that's why I said, then you run into the issue of like, well, if I don't go, there's no one. And like, I need to represent. I want my community to be represented. But I don't want to be the only person there. Like the only one they cared enough to employ or hire. And it gets really frustrating. Even like for me, I mean other than The Rock, who I do personal PR for at this point.

And then like Jason Momoa, it's like just the three of us. There's like a few other women too, like that are also representative of different Pacific Ander communities. Like Periscopal is one. Like she's someone and she's huge. But like some of them you don't even know that there's someone or you don't they don't pay attention to it, which is fine. but I feel like there are some other like people in the industry that because it's become like a new thing

to be indigenous in some space they're like oh yeah same like me too and I was like you've been in the industry for how long and you're just now talking about it which is crazy to me because I'm like you never wanted to talk about being someone prior to it becoming cool right like the rock has always talked about it because he can't hide it.

Like, it's literally very obvious. And even with someone like him, like, I know, I talk about him all the time, but even he gets typecast a lot. Yeah. As like big and strong. Like, that's his thing. It's like, I'm big, big, strong man.

And some people are like, oh, I'm so sick of him playing those roles. And I'm like, that's the only role he can play. Like, they'll let him play because they're like, well, big man, big man strong. Cast him. Like, that's not really his fault. It's kind of like he's playing the hand that he was dealt. Exactly.

Because they're not going to, I mean, they're not going to put him in like a roll where he has to be like frail and fragile. And like, you know, they're not going to do that because of what he looks like. And that's the whole, that's like my whole point. So he can't hide it. So of course he talks about it. But then there are other people in the industry that never talk about it until it becomes a trend. Yeah. And then they're like, oh my gosh, me too.

Oh my gosh, same. I'm also indigenous. Which is so, I'm like, all of a sudden, huh? Make Mother's Day even more special at whole. Food's Market. Kick off brunch or dinner with quality cheese and charcutory with no synthetic nitrates. Then go seafood. There's an abundance on sale at Whole Foods Market, where it's all sustainable while caught or responsibly farmed. At the bakery, grab seasonal treats like their strawberry pretzel cream pie, and you can't go wrong with a ready-to-heatheich Lorain,

deviled eggs, and fresh-cut fruits to go. Celebrate Mom with Whole Foods Market. Yeah. And what's crazy is like the one thing that I actually was talking about, to my friend about yesterday, because it's been coming up a lot recently, is, you know, people also, you know, seeing that it's becoming trendy and cool, they, like, maybe heard, you know, oh, down the line somewhere, they have indigenous ancestry, you know. Like Native American ancestry. Yeah. And then I'm like, oh, cool.

What tribe? They're like, oh, I'm Cherokee. My grandma's Cherokee. Like, I'm Cherokee princess. Like, you know, all of those stereotypical things. It's always the same one. It's the same thing. And then it's just like I'm not trying to invalidate people, you know, either.

So I'm just like, I get it, you know, good for you. Yeah. But, man, there was this one time me and my mom were driving to some event or something. And she was really excited. And we were in our car. And she rolled down the window. And, you know, it's like those big black SUVs. Yeah.

She rolls down the window and she's looking at the window. She's just super cute and cheesy. Yeah, he's so cute. And she's like looking out the window. And as we're like coming to this stop sign or like a red light, some woman looks over at my mom and she's like, oh my gosh, are you Native American? My mom was like, yeah. And the woman was in the other car? Damn.

No, actually she was just walking on this street. Oh, she was just on the sidewalk. Okay. It was really funny. And then my mom just continues to kind of ignore her. And then she goes, oh my gosh, me too. I'm Cherokee. And my mom looks at her and goes, cool.

So are a lot of people. and like slowly rolls up the window. She's like, you ruined it. So I'm not going to look off the window anymore. See, this is why I don't roll down my window. Literally. We can't even roll down the window. Yeah.

Oh, man. If she literally looked at me and was like, I shouldn't have rolled down that. She's like, my days run. That's so funny. Oh, my gosh. The way that my family is like that too, because, like, my boyfriend,

my boyfriend is visibly someone and he is. and he's got tattoos and everything and long hair and my dad is huge my dad's a big dude and has tattoos all over him too and he looks peaceful someone so he looks someone and everywhere we go if there's like they see him like people see him or my boyfriend or even just us

because my mom has tribal tattoos too they're like oh like are you are you guys like Hawaiian or something no in fact no we always go no and then they're like oh so what are you guys? And we're like, oh, we're someone.

And they're like, oh, cool. And then they tell me about their trip to Hawaii. Congrats. Congrats, babe. I'm so happy for you. That has nothing to do with me or my culture, but love, peace and love. Love that for you. And it's just one of those things you have to get used to.

Yeah. The way they just tell you they're, oh, well, one time I went, one time I went to Fiji and it was awesome. Like, they want to relate so bad. They do. And I want to, I can't, like, I don't have it in me to be, unless they're being outright, racist, which that is a microaggression, which is racism. But unless they're like being antagonistic and racist, I'm not going to be mean to. I'm just going to be like, what your mom did.

Great. Congrats. Yeah. Love that for you. She was like, so are a lot of people. And I was like, your mom's like, yeah, aren't we all? Yeah. Girls up one enough.

Literally. Damn. That's so. One time I went to this event. And it was like a creator event. And I took my whole family because if I get a plus eight, I'm taking everybody. Literally. And so I take my whole family.

We're all like hanging out in this like kind of lounge area. And there's lots of creators in their families. And these two kids come up to my dad. And they're like 19, 20, like super young. And they're white, for lack of a better word, they're white. They come up to my dad and they say, the first thing they say to my dad is, Aloha. Red flag.

Big red flag, in fact. And my dad's like, hey. And then they're like, hey, like, we wanted to, like, ask you, like, are you Samoan? Which, by the way, like, in proper someone language, it's pronounced Samoan. It's not pronounced Samoan. So they said Samoan strike two. And then my dad goes, yeah, I am. And then they're like, oh, my gosh, same.

Are you? I love that. I love it for you. They're like, yeah, we are. in fact, like, they're telling me, like, they start telling my dad how they're like, they're half someone and like, okay, cool, great, awesome. I've met many half someone people in my life, many, many, many, my boyfriend's one of them. Not all half someone, people look the same, but these people were blonde with blue eyes

and they had really fair skin. So, like, sure, right? Like, I'm inclined to believe you because I can't run an ancestry.com on you, but I'm inclined to believe it. leave you. And they just start trying to relate, like, to my dad. And it feels inappropriate because if you looked at what these men looked like and what my dad looks like who's a full-sum one man, like, there's just no way. Like, there's, there's a huge disconnect in there. And there's, like, an indigenous experience. There is. And that's, and that's kind of how it felt. And it, it was one thing

to be like, you know, I'm not, and they said, like, I'm not in touch with my culture, which, okay, cool. clearly because you said aloha like i just that's not even sam one that's why i'm like i don't want to call you a liar but you're speaking hawaiian like that's that's completely different indigenous culture so they they did this whole charade of like yeah like i just like when i get so close to my culture my dad was like i wish that happens i hope that happens for you i'm happy for you they're like yeah and then when they leave they go like okay shoots and they do this with like this like a shaka, right? Which is again,

Hawaiian. Like, that is not someone at all. So I was like, I don't want to call you a liar, bro, but like, you're not even, it's, you're so far away. You don't know the basics. Yeah, you don't even, the foundation. You don't even have that.

I would have rather you just spoke to us normally and told us that. And then been like, okay, see ya. Goodbye. Yeah. Nice to meet you. And then laughed. But it was like these little sprinkles of like, I'm just like you.

Like, yeah, trying to be relatable or trying to like act like they know. Yeah, they're trying to really like, that's not at all close. Nowhere near, in fact. And it feels, it feels like disingenuous. It feels inauthentic. It makes me feel icky. Like I feel like, and that makes me feel weird. I don't like that.

Like, you don't have to lie to kick it first of all. But second of all, if you really aren't close to it, that's fine. Like, you know, no one can take your culture from you. But when people are reconnecting. or people that aren't in touch, you know, take up space as if they know and try to, like, act like that. Like, they know or try to, you know, do dumb things. And it's just like, if you don't know, then don't act like you know. Exactly. And that's okay.

You're going to make your, it's literally fine. Like, you know, I grew up with my culture. I grew up knowing everything I need to know about my own culture. And, of course, I'm still learning because colonization, you know. Yeah. It wipes out a lot of it. Yeah. So we're all still learning and still reconnecting. But, you know, when reconnecting natives talk to me as if I don't know some stuff, I'm like, that's the part that bothers me too.

Yeah, I'm just like, you know what, I'm going to just let you talk. Yeah, same. I'm not even going to, you know, because it's not worth the headache of fighting about it really. But it's also just like, I can see your effort. I can see your trying. I can see that you're intrigued and you want to learn. So I'm not even going to try to like, you know what I mean. Tell you what's right and what's wrong.

I'm like, I get your learning because same. Yeah, it's like the process of it all. And I even like like someone language like I'm I still I speak a little bit of someone not a lot. I'm like conversational at best. My dad speaks it fluently. But like I really want to learn fluently and my boyfriend doesn't really speak it at all. So we want to learn together. So we've been like taking classes together. And it's because like our language is a dying language. So it's only ever passed on now through, you know, oratory like through tales, through telling story like talking. Like talk you. story or passing it down. That's the only way it's passed on now because it's not my brother is so sweet because he's 19 and he was like, I want to learn too. Like, do you think they have it on like duolingo? And I was like, they don't. In fact, I actually checked if they did. I was curious to know. But it's not their fault. They don't have it because there's not enough people in the world who know it. So it's not, it doesn't exist on a platform like that. I wish it did. That would be

awesome. But even in college, like I got to learn someone as a language course they offer it at the University of Hawaii because that's where I went to school. So I took it and it's a four credit course because it's such a hard language to learn and write too. So my boyfriend and I have been trying to learn together because we both want to learn so we can keep culture alive. Right. And that's a great way to connect is through language. Right. I feel like that's actually, you know, I've been told through elders too that language is the foundation of our culture. Yeah. And it's so essential and like same with my tribe. Yeah. We have like, I think three elders, four elders left that know the language.

Really? And thankfully we were able to like record a lot of it and document a lot of it. So we have that and I'm learning it too. Yeah. Yeah. But it that is something like when you are learning it makes you so proud too. You know, it makes you so proud. Yeah. It makes you so proud. Yeah. You feel so good. But one thing that like, you know, I can really relate to you when it comes to, you know, like people just, assuming you're from Hawaii. You know, people assume that I'm Inuit. Oh. And I'm not. I wonder, well, is it because you're from Alaska? Tattoos, yeah. Oh, is it tattoos?

Yeah. So a lot of people, you know, a lot of different tribes practice. Yeah. Cultural, traditional tattooing. Yeah. But a lot, you know, when I say I'm from Alaska and then they see my tattoos, they automatically think I'm Inuit. Yeah.

Which is fine, you know, that's like, again, facial tattoos like mine, you know, traditional markings and, um, come. from Alaska, I can see a lot of people assuming that I mean you it. But I'm Han Gwichin, which is also considered Athabaskan, but it's very much, you know, how colonizers came and it kind of generalized us, you know, so we have like specific tribes within Athabaskan, you know, people. And then we have different dialects and different like peoples within that. So it's just like a whole thing. And so my specific people. or Hanguich Inn and I come from Eagle Village which is like on the upper Yukon River and it's very like

very different from Inuit culture and Inuit people but yet we were like neighboring tribes so we had very similar you know like traditions and very similar ways and like how we were all raised and whatnot but you know we have our own culture and we have our own language and everything so it is different Yeah. And so that is something that I, you know, you know, every time I'm out, because like, I love this girl so much. Everyone knows her. I think her name is Shina. You know, she's amazing. She's gorgeous. I love her and her mom. And I was just so happy when I seen her get her traditional markings. Like it literally made me so happy for her because that is such a beautiful thing. It truly gives you like this insane amount of like liberation and pride and like where you come from and who. you are and you know I'm being honest like when I've got my first tattoo was when I was 14 and that was the one single line down the chin is the first time our people you know well I was one of the first generation to bring back that yeah you know practice and it was so powerful to me that I was so like full of like you know like this this your cup full's full like you're cut full like full

Yes, like it's just like this crazy amount of like love. Yeah. And care that you have for your culture and your community. And, you know, that's when advocacy kind of came in. And my mom even talks about how she saw a change in me after that. Like I was more confident. Yeah. And it, you know, it completely changes you.

And, you know, watching her and, you know, seeing her on TikTok just completely blow up and, you know, sharing her culture. Like, it was so fun to see someone similar to me. we're different cultures. So now every time I go out though, a lot of people assume that I'm her. When we're like, have completely different facial markings. And you also don't look alike. Look alike at all. And she's

absolutely gorgeous. So anytime people say that, well, thank you. Yeah. But no, we're not related. Yeah. Wrong girl. Yeah. Wrong native girl. But I'm, that's not me. But you know, it's always like a I take it as a compliment. Yeah, absolutely. Gorgeous and I love what she does. But yeah, it's always funny.

just to see people just like they just associate yeah just assume that I'm her I don't know yeah if there were more people like me I might have that problem but they're not there not many especially in the line of work that I'm in but yeah I think even to like like with my with my culture too it's like it's the same thing as far as like all of Polynesia there's there's many different cultures within Polynesia, but like the most popular ones, or the ones that people know the most are probably like Hawaiians, right? Like native Hawaiians, Kanaka. We always say like Kanaka is like indigenous. Like that's the word for it. And then there's Samoan people, which is my culture. And then there's Tongan people, those are typically the ones people know the most. But Tongans and Samoans are very different.

But there's a lot of overlap. Like what you said, like we're neighboring islands in that sense. And also like our languages, there are some words that are similar. Same thing. with Hawaiian too, because I'm also learning Hawaiian at the same time. And so, like, a lot of the, there's a lot of overlap in some of the words, but they mean different things. And there's, that still doesn't mean the cultures are the same thing.

And if you saw the cultural practice, like the way that we dance and the food that we eat and the language that we speak, like, it all is very different. What we look like is very different all from each other. So I feel like that is very obvious to me because I was raised in a Sam 1 culture. but when you know you meet a random person and they're like oh like you're like Hawaiian no you say no

like I'm someone and they're like oh well same thing it's not actually it's not in fact it's actually not but thank you appreciate it's like I hate when people do that too because it's a low key disrespectful because it's like they're like lazy to even like understand like a people like a person yeah a person like where someone comes from literally and that's like one thing that like Indian country talks about a lot like native the native community and you know it's like one of those things where we like say Indian and we call

each other Indians as like a joke and it's just kind of something we turned into like a funny thing for us because that was like something that was used as a derogatory term against us. Yeah and was like against you yeah for a long time and you know I feel like a lot of communities find a way to like reclaim it

and make it funny instead of derogatory you know absolutely And so, like, you know, there's like little things, you know, within the native community that, you know, it's so funny and so interesting to see how we like, we can easily just be really upset about specific things, which rightfully so, you know, a lot of these things. But then we always find a way to bring humor into it. And, like, that's the thing that, you know, I feel like a lot of people, you know, and I hate when people also say, like, oh, your natives are so sensitive about this and that. I'm like honestly, considering what we go through, like, rightfully, we can be angry. We can be sensitive. We can cry.

Like, literally. Rightfully so. But the fact is, like, we turned it into a joke. Like, when CNN called us something else. Yeah. And, like, had all of, like, the races, like, listed. And then, like, there was something else as, like, Native Americans. We literally, like, literally they wrote something else.

Yeah. You can look it up and it's on CNN. And it was, like, a whole thing. Like, yeah. So we turned into a joke. And now, like, it's, yeah, it's like an inside joke in Native community. It's like we're something else. It's also too, like when certain things are changed because they were derogatory and racist in their very nature, when they say like, oh, you guys are so sensitive, it's like, well, or maybe it's just that bad.

Maybe it is that racist and maybe it should be changed. Like, maybe it is that bad. Like, it doesn't bother you because you are not native. So, of course it doesn't. Are you the person to ask if this is offensive? if it's not your culture. Literally. And so it's the same thing with like the Washington football team, right?

When they changed the name and they change it to just Washington. The uproar, the outrage. And I'm like, they're still playing football. Like they have the same colors. Like not much was changed. Like it's maybe it was that bad. Maybe that never should have been the name of that team for however many years. For a long time.

Well into the 21st century did it have that name? so maybe it is that bad like maybe it's okay if we correct like over time and we get better and we evolve I don't think that that's a crime and then like when people say that like mascots or like you know like native costumes or all kinds of weird appropriative stuff

is like appreciation that's like the most annoying thing you can hear in the entire world literally like how do you not recognize the difference between appropriation and appreciation. Yeah. You know? I don't know.

I truly I don't understand why that's such a hard concept. And I also think like your your culture, whatever it is, like when it comes to white people who want to do that shit regardless of how nicely you ask them to stop or meanly ask, either way they don't listen. No. But like no matter how many times you ask and whatever way you ask, they're going to ignore you. And it's like you don't have a culture and that's why you feel like it's not that big of a deal.

Right. You don't have one. Like, whatever yours is, what is it? Cass rule? I don't fucking know. Like, what do you guys celebrate?

Colonizing other races? I don't know. That's what I'm like, it's one of those things where it's like, it doesn't bother you because it's not you. America, Fourth of July.

Like, that's their culture, their heritage. Yeah, the old Navy sales they have around Fourth of July, that's their culture. Celebrate that. That's a great thing. Celebrate it.

Yeah, good for you. We won't be celebrating the Fourth of July, but like, go off if you want to. Papa Literally I know the The appropriation thing too

Like I've seen Something I get a lot Since we were talking about tattoos earlier Like obviously I have I have tribal too And this is like Samuan tribal And this is what's called Amalu which is only given to

Women of Chiefly descent typically But normally it's tattooed on the legs I just decided to put it in my tribal Because it's important to me Plus my mom's bloodlines are chiefly anyway So I was like period Let's do it and I put it on my hand because I wanted it to be visible, like, at all times.

And so whenever I get men who fucking hate me and they see my tattoo, I had a guy talk about how it looks like the map to Treasure Island, which is like not even really that funny for being honest. Like, there's many other, like you could have said the goonies. That would have been funnier. But like I said, it's funny because racism's always funny to white people. They laugh so hard at that stuff. They love to laugh at that.

But this is like chiefly bloodline shit bitch. Like this means I'm royal bitch. That's what that means. So it's funny to laugh at it because it's not their culture. But then in the same, at the same time, people like that will be really racist about, you know, indigenous tattoos or like this is also like a cultural practice too. Tattooing is a huge cultural practice. And our culture too. And at the same time, I'll get random questions about like,

I'm not someone at all, but can I get a someone tribal? No. No. No. I've said that many times. These are closed practices. They are closed for a reason. You want to appreciate, appreciate from the outside, grow, like, look from outside and look and admire. And there's, like, other ways to appreciate and admire a culture without, like, getting the tattoo or without, like, doing those things. Like, that's just extra. You're doing it on purpose at that point. Like, it's an active, conscious choice you're making at that point. I'm like, if you respect and love and care about the culture so much, then you would have known that that was offensive. You would have known that, like, maybe, you know, maybe I shouldn't do that.

I can maybe have, like, an art piece in my home. Yeah, exactly. Like, buy from a local artist. Exactly. Buy from an indigenous artist, which of whom the art piece comes from, you know, like, it's that simple. But you don't got to, like, try to act like you're part of, like, the community. You know, because that's how, you know, that's another thing, how we identified ourselves is, A lot of our tattoos have different symbols or different meanings or even different tattoos in general.

So like, you knew what people got all kinds of tattoos all over the face. But our tribe got specific ones on our chins, on our cheeks, around our eyes, and one line down the forehead. And that was how you knew you were from my tribe, as if the woman, like, and usually an elder would get these. But the one line down the forehead to the tip of the nose, like that was how a lot of people could. be like, oh, that's, you're from like Hongwitchin or you're from that specific tribe. Because a lot of Inuit people have like, I think it's called the Siknik tattoo. Yeah. I don't want to like, you know, but that's, it's a beautiful, beautiful practice.

And like that's very similar, but also very different. Yeah. You know? And that's how we differentiate each other too. So it's like when you get a traditional tattoo and natives that know, people that know, where that originate from, you know, they're going to expect you to be from that community. And if you're not, you're just like, you're kind of sitting there

and you're just like, okay. And then, you know, I've had friends, a lot of Native friends, including myself that, you know, will be, it's like kinship, you know, you're almost like taken into another native tribe, you know, or like you have a family member or a friend that's like a part of another tribe. And they like, you know, love you so much.

They like, it's like kinship, you know, they take you in. You're a part of the family now. You're a part of this culture now. And so I've, you know, been fortunate enough to be connected to many different cultures and to be, you know, and kinship with them. And, you know, I've had people offer. Exactly. You know, but it has to come through, like, you can't just expect that from us either.

Like, it's like that you earn it, you know, through like serving your people in good ways. Yeah. And showing up in a good way. Yeah. And I feel like a lot of people just, you know, get these tattoos because they're aesthetic or they're cute and they're cute and they're cool. cool and they're trendy and they're pretty and all of the little things but it's like you know if you see me out here with any kind of like Polynesian tattoo for one if you're not comfortable I understand but for two like I would never ever ever do that unless like the community gave me the right

you know unless someone was like you know I really want to honor this with you because I've worked with many different indigenous tattoo artists me and my mom are indigenous tattoo artists bringing it back to our tribe yeah and so we've met so many, you know, traditional tattoo artists and we've traded tattoos, you know, you know, through kinship. And so like that's the beauty of our culture and our people as well is that we are welcoming and we are kind and we do adopt people into our ways. But you earn it. You can't just think it's beautiful and get it. Yeah. You earn those things. Yeah. Well, and if they say no, the answer is no. No, literally. Yeah. You don't need a reason other than no. And I feel like

for me to like especially there we have a traditional like the malo is the the female version of of the shorts that's in english the shorts but it's called a pe on for men and so it's a very it's a cultural practice it's been passed down for thousands of years but it's a very arduous process like it's a it's a whole like experience it's not something that you just like go into a shop and get it's like you go back to the motherland you go back to som you find a traditional Samoan tattoo artist that does a pea like they only do bea so they don't do

guns or anything it's a it's a tapping tattoo and it's a whole cultural practice it's it's a ceremony yeah it's a ceremony it's like becoming a man it's it's walking in in your culture it's honoring your ancestors it's honoring the chiefs of your tribes

and you have to be like given the like gift of getting the tattoo exactly and there's a whole process to it like you have to spend so much money because you have to get fine mats made and you have to honor him with gifts the tattoo artist like he has to come stay at your house for two weeks while you honor him you feed him you give him gifts and you earn it yeah you earn it and then he gives you the tattoo and the tattoo is painful and you're not allowed to take any sort of sedative or any sort of painkiller and you have to sit through it because that's the

process of the process yeah of the journey right and so it's like they do the whole thing girl like if you look up a bell like it's like shorts it's it's so detailed it goes up the stomach up the back in the belly button the belly button is actually the last part they do um and they tap it in there and it's dark they do like a black square in there and they they it's hurts so bad and then they also do your butt hole that's just a fun fact but they like spread your cheeks and they do it in their girl i'm not kidding and so like they and you have everyone sits and watches you like your family your loved ones the chief of your tribe like the obviously the tattoo artist, his helpers, and then if you like pass out, which happens a lot because it hurts, if you pass out, they wait until you wake up and then they start again.

Because the point is to, you have to be a conscious during the whole thing. And so that's like a whole, it's like a huge honor to get that kind of tattoo. And so when I see people are like, oh, that looks cool. I'm going to get it. It pisses me off because I get angry. Yeah. Because I'm like, you don't even know what that means or where it comes. from or the whole point of getting it in the first place and it's disrespectful to the culture,

especially when you're not even someone on top of that. Like you take all of that out. On top of that, you're not, you've never lived our culture. You've never lived our life. You weren't raised someone. You don't speak someone. It's just all of it is just so upsetting to me. So that's why I tell people like, the answer is no.

Yeah, it's an ignorance. The answer is no. Are there exceptions? Sure. There are ways for you to honor and get Polynesian inspired tattoos that aren't. tribal like specifically. There's many different forms of that. You could absolutely get one of those

and you can go in any tattoo shop and get it. But I suggest you go to someone once if you want to get someone tribal. I have a Samoan tattoo artist that's been tattooing for years. He's tattooed my parents and all of my family and my boyfriend. He's tattooed all of us because I wanted to go to a someone

person if I was going to get it. And so he did my tattoo and I'm really thankful for it. He also freehanded it. He didn't he literally just like drew it with Sharpie and I was like, I think I'm going to do it like that. And I said, send it. Let's do it. And it came out beautiful. It's gorgeous. Yeah. I think too, sometimes people are like, well, if I go to someone tattoo artist and he gives it to me, like, you can't like be mad at me. And I'm like, well, they also have to make a living. So yeah, they're going to take your money. Literally. But sometimes someone

tattoo artist will not give it to. Like if you're not, they're going to be like, no. And some of them, they never repeat the same tribal. Yeah. So my tattoo artist actually told me, like, after my platform grew, there were women who were taking pictures of my hand and bringing it to him and telling him, I want you to do this exact same one. And he told them, I can't do that. I don't repeat the same tribal. Like, that's her, because it's supposed to be your journey through life. Exactly. That's her journey. I can't give you hers. Yeah. I'll give you something similar, but I can't give you the same one. Yeah. And so I'm like, period. Exactly. That's how like, that's how you're supposed to do it. I think so. Yeah. And like,

that's how I was taught and I was told, you know, by, other traditional tattoo artists too, like, you just don't like copy and paste someone's traditional marking. Like that's for them for a reason. Yeah. And it's just also interesting to see like, you know, I've seen people within the native community, you know, from a tribe that doesn't practice traditional tattooing, receive a traditional tattoo from another tribe. And that was like a thing that I saw that actually came up on my TikTok today. Yeah. Yeah. This, um, this creator, she's really cool. She makes a lot of like informational videos, but she calls out a lot of people that, you know, like non-indigenous people that get traditional markings. And I remember one time I posted this one girl, she had my exact facial markings. Really? My exact facial markings. And then, um, you actually responded because she had a Polynesian mark. That's right. Remember that? Yes, I do remember that. And I was like, how is she going to disrespect to? Two indigenous people?

Two birds, one stone. Literally. Yeah, she got both of us. She hit both of us. That's true, you did send it to me. And I was like, I've actually been sent this video before. And is a white girl, a British girl. Yeah, and she blocked me on everything.

She blocked me too. That's so funny. Love that for us. She had tribal on her face. On her face right here. And it was Samoan tribal. Yeah, and we don't do. My face.

Yeah, she literally, I swear to God, I think she took a picture of you and was like, give these to me. Yeah. Huh? Yeah. That's great. I forgot about her. Yeah. That's so funny too because this shows how fucking dumb you are because someone people don't get face tattoos.

Like that's not part. Like I'm sure some someone people have tribal on their face, but that is not a cultural practice. That's actually Māori people who are from New Zealand. That's different. They're also indigenous. And they do, I think they're called Mukus, if I remember correctly. Yeah. And they do, the women do like the mouth and the chin.

And men do the whole face. And it's like that's, those are faces. markings for their tribe. So like you're picked the wrong one too. You're being racist and you racist to the wrong people. What is your problem girl? That is crazy. It's embarrassing as hell. Like how she walking around like you know. It's embarrassing. Because imagine someone asks her like, oh, are you Polynesian? No. Are you like Inuit or are you like Native American with the face markings and like no like how are you going to answer those questions, hon? And like also like people ask me all the time, what do they mean?

mean, you know? And so like, I'll give them the general, you know, kind of explanation, but I'm not going to tell them the whole ceremony, you know, but like, what are they going to say? Like, what does it mean to them? I just thought it was cute. That's her, that's the way she says. I just thought it was cute. There you go. It's also, too, with Samoan tribal, it's all pretty genderless, most Samoan tribal, but there are certain markings that are reserved for women or for men or chiefly women or chiefly men. There's like a distinction. And she wouldn't know that, but her facial markings are for a man, which is even worse. I'm like, girl, you're so fucking dumb, bitch.

Like, I can't believe that you did that. Like, you didn't even consult someone. Like, if you're going to, like, do that appropriative shit, like, at least go to, like, an indigenous person. At the very least, I bet a white person tattooed that on her, too, which is why it was bad. It's bad tribal. Sorry. You know what you see markings, you're like, you know for a fact that wasn't tattooed by a. Yeah.

by an indigenous person. Like, I know for a fact it wasn't. Yeah. And there was like this other girl, too, that got an Inuit trace tattoo on her forehead. And she doesn't even know if she belongs to that community, but she claims it. But anyway, it's a whole thing.

And she did it herself. And I was like, I tried to be supportive. And I tried to be like, you know what? Like, I get it. You know, you're reconnecting and stuff. And I'm like, you're like, but that's like, that's not what you're supposed to do. Like, if you're reconnecting,

the right way to go about it is to truly just sit and listen, talk to elders. is like you have no stay, no say right now, you know, you have no say. To learn is like the very baseline. And if you don't like something, I'm sorry, you're just going to have to deal with it. It's not like meant for you if you don't like, you know what I mean? Yeah, literally. It's not meant for you to like it. Exactly. It's the way it is for specific reasons and we have specific protocols for a reason. And it's just, it was just interesting to see that or I was just like, wow. So your way of reconnecting was to just instantly

get a tattoo. not even learn or educate yourself kind of thing or even learn language that's like a baseline or like she did it herself and I'm just like that's also weird yeah I'm like I would probably right that'd be a really hard attitude to do on yourself right right so like really really hard and actually it doesn't like horrible but it definitely like you say you can tell yeah you can tell you can tell when it's done by someone who knows what they're doing yes versus someone who learned it for a hobby. Exactly. Like, just because they're just like, yeah, I'm just going to do that.

Like, there's a famous tattoo artist in Samoa, his name is Sulawpe, and he's, like, one of the original, like, tattoo artists. And he came to speak to my class once, and he talked to us a lot about, like, the different processes

that people go through in order to get their pal. Because it used to be strictly for chiefly people. Now they've kind of opened it a little bit, where if you're, like, chiefly bloodlines. And now, it's kind of like because of modern technology and the fact that people can do it with a gun now he's like well some people are just getting it just to get it and that's fine like if you're just okay sure if you're someone that's fine but there is a whole process to it and I feel like that's the whole point of it is not so you can look cool the whole point of it is to pass down culture and in story and legend and all like what's important and what's important to remember and because his eyes are going and his hands are going he's been teaching his kids how to do it too, to pass it on. And typically it was mostly men who did who did Pa'Uz, but he has a daughter. And so he taught his daughter how to do it, which is pretty

revolutionary in that world because most of the time it's men who do Paa's. So he taught his daughter. And so she's been like his apprentice for a long time. And now she's kind of teaching other people too, which I think is so badass because he was like, we're not in the like olden times anymore and also like salmon people are pretty matriarchal anyways so he was like i think it's it's important that all my kids learn in case one of them forgets or doesn't want to do it anymore i just want all of them to know so they can pass it too that way no one forgets how to do it which is important and that's why i'm like that's the kind of shit i think about when i see people like that with like who just appropriate who pick who cherry pick what they like what they don't like

that's the shit i think about it and that's why it makes me so mad that's why i take it first I feel the exact same way. It just irks me and I just have to sit there and I'm like, let me not be upset or I can't control. For someone I've never met and I'm probably never going to cross paths with. Let me be upset though. Just for a second. I'm going to be upset just for a little.

Let me just sit here. You know, sit with my feelings, sit with my thoughts and then I'll move on from it. But it's very frustrating. It is. It's just so and it's also such a, I just feels like such a slap in the face, especially when you like go through a whole process in order to get yours, especially with your facial markings. It's like you go through this whole reconnection

and this whole like you learn so much about your culture and you feel enveloped in it and entrenched it and you feel proud of it. And then someone just like walks into a tattoo shop on Santa Monica with their picture of your face and they're like, this is what I want. It's just crazy. It's frustrating.

Yeah. Yeah. And like you said, you're allowed to be frustrated. Yeah. I'm allowed to be frustrated about it. And I get a lot of people always like, trying to say that like I'm bitter or you know this and that like gatekeeping and I'm like yeah you obviously don't understand respect yeah like truly like and what if and so what if I am

have you not taken enough like exactly haven't you have you not taken enough from indigenous people like like can we have this far yeah can we have this one thing yeah can we just keep this one thing is that cool with y'all just hold on the one crazy too is that our people were you know told that our ways were like, you know, everything was demonized. They were like demonized. Yeah. And so like my people, you know, a lot of our women were imprisoned or like enslaved. Yeah. When they had

these markings. Yeah. So like through colonization, we were banned from practicing these things. Yeah. And so people lost lives. People, you know, went like our people really went through it trying to keep this thing alive. Yeah. But the very people that told us that it was wrong, that demonized it and all of those things,

it's now all of a sudden cute, cool and trendy. Now you want to do it? Like, bro. And it's like, you got to choose one or the other. You either hate us or you love us. Yeah. Are you. And it's okay if your culture, if you want to have closed practices, that's okay.

We're allowed to do that. Like we, you don't get to have everything. Just because you want it doesn't mean you can have it. That's like their whole, but that's so on brand, isn't it? Like it's so very on brand for them. They're like, well, what about me? What about you? Maybe I'm not thinking about you.

And I don't feel bad for saying. it either. I've said it many times the answer is no. Like if you're a white person or a non-someone person and you want someone trouble, the answer is no, bitch. Like I say all the time, if you have to ask me, you know what the answer is and it's no. And that's okay. I don't have to explain it to you. I don't have to give you a good reason. The reason is I don't want you to have it because you're not someone. That's the reason. Like there it is. It's done. That's it. I don't, you don't need anything past that. And that's okay. It's not something that is going to make or break your life if you get that tattoo if you don't. You could tattoo

like a literal hot dog on your leg. You could tattoo anything anything. You could write the word ass on your leg like you could all those little and they look cute all those little like my sister and I call them like they had the patchwork tattoos they think I think they're so cute like I love them too when they get a bunch of little random

shit I love that bitch do that that's your culture right there I love it for you love it for you you can tattoo anything you want even sometimes I have most of all of my tattoos I think all of my tattoo except for this one is all like traditional tattoos. And like I always, whenever I see patchwork, I'm always like, man, that's so cute. Maybe I should do that. And then I'm like, but I have so many ideas for traditional markings. Yeah, same. Same. That's how I

feel too, because all my, I want all my tattoos to be someone. So like, I'm like, well, I think whenever I see a little cute one, I'm like, oh, maybe I'll get that. And then I think, I always think to myself, I'm going to add an element of like someone tribal probably so it matches the rest of my body. That's probably what I'm going to do. But I, I think that's, I think it's something that you're allowed to, like, close. Yeah. That's for me. Yeah.

And that's okay. It's not that serious. And I even think, too, like, it goes the same for, like, gentrifying, like, when they move to places like Hawaii and stuff. They're like, I've had that question a lot. Like, is it bad if I want to move to Hawaii? Yeah. It is. It is.

Yes, in fact. I always tell people, too, like, a lot of people, like, I want to go to Hawaii. I'm like, maybe you shouldn't. Yeah. There's a lot of other places you could go. Yeah, yeah, truly. That are beautiful. Yeah.

I mean, I know Hawaii is absolutely magical, you know. Yeah. I don't blame me. I want to go too, but like, no. And it's like, do you, like, is there a way to go in a way that's, like, sustainable and healthy for them? Because Hawaii does depend heavily on tourism, yeah. Mm-hmm.

But is there a way that you could also not go and still be supportive? Absolutely. Yeah. There's many different ways. Mm-hmm. But Hawaii's another home for me. So that's why, like, when I go, I go in a way that's very responsible. respectful and everything. So like it's so funny too because there are so many different

cultural practices that are within my culture that I share with other people when I feel like it's necessary. So like I've told people before like turtles are very sacred in my culture. Like they're also protected a protected species so they're not allowed to be touched. Like otherwise you get fined hello. But when you are visited by one like a lot of my people believe that's your ancestors coming back to see you like they're visiting you. So every time I I've been in Hawaii with my boyfriend. He always has turtles come up to him every single time they always come right to him. And that's crazy because, like, he doesn't go that far out.

And they swim right up to him and they just look at him. And then they swim way. So we always say that those are his grandparents because he grew up with his grandparents. And both of them have since passed. But every single, I'm telling you, every time we've been in Hawaii, there's always two and they always come right to him. That's so interesting. Yeah.

It's like we believe that your ancestors like are reborn and within turtles. like turtles are like a spiritual animal to us. And those are little cute things that I share with people when they're going through grief. And like one of my good friends was going through grief. And she told me that she went somewhere and a turtle came up to her. And I was telling her like,

I think that's your ancestors. I think he's coming back to visit you. And she got really emotional. But those are things that you can share. And that's like a way to share a culture in a way that's not appropriative. That's not offensive. It's a way that you can share with someone a piece of you

and they can appreciate it. keep it within their mind and heart and then it's not something that hurts anybody like that is very possible and like yeah i love that too because something that i always tell people from my cultures you know like a lot of men a lot of native men a lot of people in general like that struggle with you know allowing themselves to feel their grief or you know like go through the motions and go through the process of grief or you know whatever they're feeling you know like whenever you just need to cry just cry you know you know because it's it's like so unhealthy to hold it in.

And a lot of people say that, but it's actually been a saying within my culture for years and years and years and like there's kind of like an analogy that kind of goes with it. And it's basically talks about, you know, when you look at a swamp, it's still water. And, you know, it gets kind of mucky and collects a lot of things. And you get fungi, algae, all kinds of stuff in it, bacteria. As for a creek can be clear and you can drink from it. Yeah. And, you know, something that my elder told me was when you think about those two things, it's the same thing with your body. You hold it all of that in, all your feelings, all those emotions, that grief, it'll sit and it'll get mucky after a while.

Yeah. You know, and then you'll feel it in your body. You'll feel it in your spirit. Yeah. You need to grieve that. Yeah. And, you know, when you cry, it's like that creek flowing. It's like you're clearing yourself out, you know.

And like those are things that, like, you share. with people. Yeah, outside of your culture. Yeah. Yeah. And it helps to educate people on your culture. And then at the same time, it helps them in their own lives. And then they can hold down to that and appreciate it for what it is.

And then it's not anything that harms anybody. Like, it doesn't hurt anybody. Exactly. And also, like, it shows people that, like, how we are and how we see the world and how we, like, approach things, you know? It's always with, like, love and, like, kindness. Period. I'd like.

Fuck around and find out. Before we sign off with Quana, what is it that you want people to know about indigenous representation as a whole? Whether it's in media or just in general, what's something really important that you want people to know that are not indigenous

when it comes to you and your community? I would just say, you know, be open to learning on how to work with us because I've worked with brands that have never worked with native people or indigenous people before. And, you know, we have values, we have protocols, we have principles. Yeah.

And each one of us is different. We're not all the same. Not every tribe, not every culture is the same. Yeah. And don't generalize us. Don't, you know, don't tokenize. I mean, I know in this industry we're still moving away from that. And y'all are for some reason having a hard time with it.

But we're working on it. Yeah, absolutely. And just also, like, truly be open to, like, working with us. Because, you know, I've literally had to hire my mom as like a consultant. So, like, before every project, before anything that I do, she consults with the brand or the magazine or whoever it is, you know, to make sure that they understand certain things that they're not, so that when I'm on set, they're not going to ask me, like, arrogant or ignorant questions, you know, like my mom just kind of sets the basis. And so I don't have to do all that extra work. and she gets paid to consult. So, like, it's also, like, she gets paid for that kind of knowledge to be shared.

Yeah. And, you know, like, truly be open to working with us because then you will see, you know, like, people know when things are authentic, like, truly. So a lot of my projects, people are really, like, wow, like, this is really authentic. And I'm like, because we had to advocate for that. We had to, like, push for that. And now that I'm at that place where I don't have to try as hard and people are, willing to work with us.

Yeah. It's nice, but like, again, I'm not the only indigenous person out there. Sam, Sam. Yeah. And, you know, there's many other tribes, you know, cultures, peoples that also deserve to be heard, also deserve to be seen. And, yeah, just be open-minded when you come across a native person or an indigenous person because there's so much to us that you have no clue, you know?

Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. I love that so much and I'm so thankful to have had you on the show, you're amazing. Thank you. You're wonderful and so important representation is one of the few things

that makes me emotional. Don't tell them out. Don't tell the terrible man it ruins my street bread. They're just going to like come after me now to make you upset. It's all right, I got you. Get behind me, Kwana. That's why I always tell people.

Get behind me. I'll take it. So thank you all so much for joining us on this episode. Thank you so much to Kwanah for joining us as our amazing guest. where can everybody find you? Instagram. I'm not really on TikTok. Yeah.

But Instagram, just Quana.orgia. Love. Posting a lot of advocacy and a lot of my work. Yes. I've been trying to post more personal things just to be authentic, but. We're working there. We're working up to it. Thank you so much for joining me.

I adore you. You're amazing and a legend. And thank you all so much for tuning into this episode of the comments section show. Don't forget new episodes. drop every Wednesday exclusively on Spotify. And I'll see you next week. Bye.