Shining A Bright Light

The U.S. Poet Laureate Joy Harjo brightened our kitchen yesterday to help us celebrate Earth Day. As you can see it was a virtual visit, from the Oklahoma Historical Society in Tulsa Oklahoma, my home state. Her virtual background was a brightly beaded Muscogee (Creek) blanket. My take-a-way from the poetry she read and her comments is: (for healing to happen)

“All the stories need to be brought to the surface.”  

A tall order for individuals, as well as our country. Here’s an example of a story just now being told from the Shellmound Monument near me in Alameda County, CA. It reads

“1853 Alameda County created 18 treaties negotiated with the U.S. Indian agents, never ratified by U.S. Senate.”

Interestingly this monument is very hard to read. 

For Bright Squares April 2021 More about Joy Harjo Here