Reflections by the SEIU 503 Indigenous People’s Caucus:

We have been bringing awareness to many issues in our community. Some of these things are Water is Life: As Indigenous people, we know, respect, and recognize the sacredness of our water. The interconnectedness of all life and the importance of protecting our water from pollution, drought, and water. Water is the giver of all life and without clean water, all life will perish. 

It has only been 98 years (officially) since Native Americans were allowed to be counted as Americans and started to be able to vote. Utah was the last state to allow us to vote in 1964. Again, Native Americans have only been allowed to leave the reservation legally for 98 years. Native Americans have only been able to practice our religions since 1978 – 44 years. Native American children have only been protected since 1978 from being stolen and ripped away from their homes – again, for only 44 years. Native Americans have only been allowed to practice their language(s) in school for 32 years. The Supreme Court seems poised to undo all of this. If this isn’t a form of modern-day genocide, then we don’t know what is.   

We will leave you with this: To be able to meet the “anti-racist” mindset, how are we as a union going to begin to decolonize our way of thinking to help bring healing? How willing are we to ask the questions that make us uncomfortable to help grow and be more in solidarity as humans?