My Indigenous Life

I’ve had the My Indigenous Life logo for a while now, and I realized I’ve never really shared what it means to me. I chose it intentionally – because this blog isn’t just a place to post thoughts. It’s a space where identity, memory, and everyday life can sit side by side.

When I look at the logo, I see a person standing in their own presence. Not posed. Not performing. Just rooted. For me, that figure holds a lot at once: Indigenous women, yes – but also our families, our relatives, and the many ways we move through the world. I think about the people who raised us, the people we come from, and the people we’re becoming. I think about strength and softness living in the same body. I think about how we carry responsibility, love, grief, humor, and hope – often all at the same time.

Above the figure is a feather, curved like a shelter and also like motion. A feather can represent so much that it’s hard to pin it down to one definition – and I don’t want to. For me, the feather holds a few truths at once: protection, spirit, honor, and connection. It reminds me that we’re not walking alone. It also reminds me that identity isn’t something we “arrive at” once and for all – it moves, it shifts, it returns, it deepens. Sometimes it’s light. Sometimes it carries weight. Sometimes it’s both.

Around the figure are stars. I think of them as ancestors, guidance, and the quiet reminders that we’re part of something bigger than the moment we’re in. Stars can be hope. They can be memories. They can be the things we reach for and look to when life feels heavy. They can also be a way of saying: even when we don’t have all the answers, we still have direction. We still have teachings. We still have each other.

The words underneath matter just as much to me: Embracing identity, empowering voices. That’s the heart of what I’m trying to do here. Not in a loud way. Not in a perfect way. In a real way.

I don’t think of this logo as “mine.” I think of it as ours.

If you see yourself in this image, then it’s yours.

If you see your mom, your dad, your grandma, your grandpa, your daughter, your son – then it’s yours.

If you see your aunties and uncles, your cousins, your nieces and nephews – then it’s yours.

If you see your Two-Spirit relatives, your chosen family, the people who held you up when life got heavy – then it’s yours.

I know this blog will connect strongly with women, and I honor that. Women carry a lot, and our voices deserve space. But I also want men and Two-Spirit people to feel welcome here, because Indigenous life isn’t lived in separate lanes. Most of what we carry isn’t only a “women’s issue” or a “men’s issue.” It’s community. It’s relationships. It’s identity. It’s healing. It’s responsibility. It’s love.

All of that is the spirit behind My Indigenous Life. And because this space holds more than one kind of story, I’ve organized the blog into three parts:

• Our Shared Path is where I write about broader Indigenous stories and issues – challenges, triumphs, and the things we’re navigating collectively.
• Being Kwakiutl is more personal and rooted in my own identity, family lines, and the lived experience of carrying culture in everyday life.
• My Daily Drums is where I share the day-to-day reflections – the human side of it all – because Indigenous identity isn’t only history or politics. It’s also ordinary life, relationships, seasons, and the work of coming back to ourselves.

I don’t expect everyone to see the exact same meaning in this logo – and I actually like that. Symbols are living things. They meet people where they are. They hold different meanings at different times. That’s part of what makes them powerful.

If you’ve ever wondered what the logo meant, I hope this gives you a clearer sense of the spirit behind it. And if you’re new here, I’m glad you found your way in.

I’d love to hear from you: when you look at the logo, what do you see? Who do you see?