Indian Giver
During WWII, my family spent 4 years in the re-reclaimed desert of the Gila River Reservation.
Something about the US Government taking back the land they forced the Native Americans onto after annihilating their entire civilization and stuffing it with "Enemy Aliens" always made me laugh through the tears.
I rarely dig into this directly with my art, but a history of displacement and denial of identity is a huge part of who I am.
So when you ask me where I come from, I have to take a moment and remember that each of us are more than merely what we can carry on our backs or the stories in our faces. You can strip me down and define me, but you still won't see me. You can force me into the wasteland, but I will not break.
And when I see the Stars and Stripes, I salute because there is barbed wire in my blood.
Gaman— We endure.
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