Every single Native culture is distinct and unique, though many share similarities, and lumping them together is ridiculous. And while some practices are pan-Indian, the vast majority are not.
Stop homogenizing our cultures. Every Native culture is beautiful and unique and deserves to be treated that way.
Don’t fall into the trope of “pan Indian”. Fucking teepees and totem poles never existed together. Totem poles are permanent structures, teepees are fucking tents for nomadic peoples. First Nations and indigenous cultures are all deep and uniquely complex, it would be like confusing England with Russia.
We need to push to have this taught!
I grew up in Washington State, where the native Salish peoples’ formline art is a part of everyone’s regional identity. The Seattle Seahawks logo is in formline. Story* poles and carved canoes are a motif everywhere, summer canoe journeys are potlatch-esque public events, and most of the biggest resorts are casinos owned by the tribes. And our school curriculum is very progressive. I leaned in school about the Trail of Tears, about smallpox blankets, about the broken treaties that led to the “Indian Wars”… I learned that warbonnets and teepees are from the plains tribes, that Southwest tribes both before and after the Anasazi civilization built cities, that the Iroquois were the largest government on the continent before the American revolution…
I grew up knowing very well that “totem poles” were never found in the same culture as teepees.
And yet, it’s only just now, reading this, that I leaned dreamcatchers are specifically Ojibwe.
I think i learned more about Navaho and Hopi cultures from reading Tony Hillerman mysteries than from textbooks.
We need to step up.
*(they aren’t actually totemic, if you want poles that are totems you’re better off looking in some African cultures)
For a second I thought this was a themed restaurant
Humans will literally adapt to anything
Actually, this is a frequently occurring, well-known, and well-recorded phenomenon called acqua alta. It’s not flood caused by heavy rainfall, but is actually the effect of exceptionally high tide peaks in Northern Adriatic Sea. Likewise any other tide peaks occurring elsewhere around the world, acqua alta happens periodically, mainly between autumn and spring, and predictable.
Normally, acqua alta rises no higher than 120 cm (resulting in less than 30% of Venice covered by water), than The citizens of Venice are so used to acqua alta that the government has installed elevated gangways to be used by pedestrians during the tides and constantly monitor and study acqua altas.
Sometimes however, when all the responsible factors come together, acqua alta can be worse than simply ‘water up to the ankle’ – fortunately this happens rarely, although global warming, constant worsening climate change, and rising sea level can bring negative impact to more frequent and more exceptional acqua alta. This video, for example, is very likely taken from the most recent acqua alta happening on 29 October 2018, with an alarmingly high water level of 156 cm (the highest recorded is 194 cm), equal to waist-deep water in several lowest part of Venice.
also, Venice is slowly sinking (for real, it’s LITERALLY built on a fucking lagoon and the whole city sits on wooden pillars), so acqua altas will get worse in time
Since it’s sadly relevant, a PSA for anyone attending a Jewish funeral or visiting a home where they are sitting shiva: no flowers, please. We understand that’s your tradition and won’t be offended, but respecting our traditions is a better gift of care.
Here’s something spooky for today! The skeleton of an American toad [Anaxyrus americanus] articulated and on display at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History in DC. The bony projections along the chest are not actually ribs, and in fact, most frogs lack ribs or a diaphragm at all. The shape and weight of ribs against the chest can be a dangerous trait for animals that move by hopping. If they fail to land on their front feet they could easily break their ribs. Therefore most frogs have evolved to not have ribs, while simultaneously improving the mechanisms that allow them to land safely on their front feet after a jump. Image by Flickr user
Me: I don’t know if I ever want to be pregnant, I’d rather adopt a kid or two that are a bit older
Someone: Are you SURE? Older adoptees present UNIQUE CHALLENGES
Me: We are discussing human beings not digital pets
Literally every child every born and/or parented presents unique challenges. It’s like people are unique individuals…..or something………….
An amazing and revolutionary concept
When people ask me, “Why do you want to adopt teenagers?” I always answer, “Because you asked like that.”
I’m real over it.If I become a foster mom to a 17 year old kid and I get the privilege of the option to adopt them? You better believe I am legally making that kid mine.
“They’ll be a legal adult in no time, why spend the money to adopt? They’ll be aged out of the system.”
There’s no aging out of family, Marvin.
“They might be rebellious or smoke or do drugs or steal things! What if they won’t listen to you?”
Then I guess I’ll have to step up and do some fruxking parenting, Stanley.
“You want to adopt problem children then?”
All. Children. Are. Problem. Children. If you’re not prepared to deal with the fact that at some point, any child ever, whether you birthed them yourself or adopted them at any age, could become a problem? Then you are NOT ready to have children, and should really just step off and let the people who actually want to be parents live in peace with their kids.
Hey I’m so glad this post is picking up
“Older children are so difficult why would adopt them??” ALL CHILDREN ARE DIFFICULT GUESS WE SHOULDN’T HAVE ANY GODDAMN
I love this post so, so much.
TBH I’ve always passed over adding on to this post but like. Not today fuckers. Lemme address the ‘aging out of the system’ part and why that is EXACTLY WHY YOU SHOULD FUCKING FOSTER/ADOPT TEENAGERS AND OLDER FOSTER YOUTH.
Legally I’m not allowed to get into why I have weird extensive knowledge of the foster care system but….I do have a weird relationship with the foster care system and some first hand experience with older foster youth and how the foster system caters more towards younger foster youth.
The foster system is not meant to provide life skills or homes for anyone over the age of 18. Once a kid turns 18 they’ve aged out of the foster system and from then on can no longer reap any benefits that are provided to foster youth (not that there are many but housing is one of them). Now while shelters are an option sometimes for adult foster youth this doesn’t necessarily mean that foster youth are educated about this or any other options regarding what they need to do when they turn 18. Some foster youth prepare for turning 18 and some don’t. Either way upon turning 18 the government kinda says fuck you, you’re on your own we don’t have to take care of you anymore. So. Foster older children in the system. Fostering doesn’t automatically mean that you’ll adopt these kids although of course there is a possibility of that. Foster youth are foster youth for a variety of reasons and removal from family is ultimately difficult for all involved, particularly the children, but, although often rare, a parent can prove the social workers that they’ve improved their own quality of life and can now take care of their children they may be able to take back their own children. Or sometimes foster youth are fostered until living family can be found/arrangements are made.
TL;DR: The foster system is a messed up place and when someone in the system turns 18 they’re on their own. So yeah foster/adopt the young kids because they need families too but don’t look passed the older foster youth because they need and are deserving of stable families just as everyone else is. Oh and also because I rarely see it but if you find out that the child you are preparing to foster has a sibling somewhere please please please foster them as well. Siblings are often split up after removal from homes and most of the time are sent to different facilities. If there’s any way to keep a family together I urge you to do so.
Urocyon's Jaunts 2.0 
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