Let us say Nia:wen/Thanks to the Great Natural Power for allowing us this beautiful day and to have in our presence good health and a good mind. Let us focus our minds as one – for another shining star has fallen from the sky and has taken her walk along the Milky Way back to the Land of Perfect Blue.
I had the pleasure of meeting an up and coming indigenous actress when I lived in the greater Los Angeles area a couple years ago. I ended up having a nice conversations with this bright young actress.
She seen the Mohawk unity flag on my jacket, approached me and asked if I was from New York. I said, “Kind of. The Mohawks come originally from from the Mohawk Valley which is presently called New York but I’m from big Six Nations in Canada. But that border don’t mean nadda to the Mohawks.”
She laughed. Said she was raised near the Canada/US border in Montana on a Blackfoot Reserve. Said she was an actress trying to find a place in the Hollywood scene and had a couple good opportunities on the horizon.
I met a lot of people when I was living out in California and the majority introduced themselves as actors presented me with their card for the rolodex. It’s an informal California networking thing.
Her name was Misty Upham. She had a very strong spirited charisma. The same kind of spirit eyes that could look right through you. The same strong spirit I felt when I interviewed Buffy St. Marie. I knew I was in the presence of a powerful woman kinda like the old Mohawk clan mothers.
Now this beautiful bright actress, a representative of the Blackfoot nation, was found dead at the bottom of a ravine. How does a native actress that worked with A-list stars like Julia Roberts and Juliette Lewis end up dead at the bottom of a ravine?
Her family, especially her father, suspect foul play. The spiritual evil and trauma felt by our missing and murdered sisters knows no borders. It’s like they’ve called an open season on indigenous women everywhere.
Of course the cops said there’s no indication of foul play. Probably took them about 15 mins to surmise this off the top of their head. Case closed lets go get some donuts.
Her father says it was no suicide. Why would a Native actress commit suicide just as her career was taking off? Autopsy results said it was blunt force trauma. Her father says it was no suicide. Why would a Native actress commit suicide just as her career was taking off.
Let us petition Twitter and Facebook with with the names and faces of our deceased sisters. To push for a full scale investigation and arrest by the Auburn, Washington police department. Until someone is brought to justice. Let us show the united power of our red people by using the power of social media. We got to keep pushing.
Canadian elections are coming soon and situations of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls just like this one, remaining unsolved, are a terrible stain on Prime Minister Harper.
It don’t matter if it was in Washington. The evil perpetuated against the lineage of Sky Woman knows no imaginary border lines. The hatred toward Onkwehonwe women is endemic amongst the ocean of euro-centric energies on Turtle Island. Pain knows no borders. Destabilization is everywhere. This is a spiritual battle more than anything.
Remember the Creation Story of Sky Woman from whom our blood lineage flows from. She was pregnant with twins. When they were born they fought constantly – one good and one evil. This is the duality of nature.
Their friction culminated in a final showdown and the good twin finally prevailed, winning a wrestling match by pinning the evil twin down with a deer horn. After the evil twin got up he told his brother. “Since you beat me I’m going after your beloved children fashioned from the red earth.”
As we see all too clearly today. The evil twin is fulfilling his declaration. We have our protectors – but it’s still a war between good and evil. But according to the Peacemakers promise he said don’t stop till the battles won – and we shall win. R.I.P. Misty.
