November is Native American Heritage Month! This year, we’d like to feature a new staff member, Olivia Larson-Locke. Olivia was born in Utah and was adopted shortly after her birth by a non-Native couple. Olivia’s birth mother, Leonna, was born to the Shoshone Tribe and was herself adopted by a non-Native family. As the adopted daughter of an adopted daughter, someone twice removed from her tribe and its land, Olivia still managed to find a connection to her roots...it just took some time. But then again, according to Olivia, "everything happens for a reason."
“Before I graduated from high school, I had been enrolled in 13 different schools...that’s one per year! At one point I was getting in so much trouble that I was sent to a wilderness program for troubled young women and eventually to a therapeutic boarding school for long-term placement. The conditions at both were tough, but one of the things I loved about them was how grounded they were in nature and in indigenous traditions. We would sit in circle, spend evenings in sweat lodges, and take long hikes in the woods each day. We shared Native American sayings, and learned about indigenous spiritual practices. I’m not a religious person, but these experiences put me become in touch with my spiritual side, helping me to overcome some trouble and trauma as a teenager. That spirituality is also something I'm fortunate enough to share with my adopted mother, too.”
For Olivia, nature has been an important way for her to feel connected to her birth mother’s heritage. “I’ve always felt a strong connection to animals (especially horses!) and to nature more generally. I know myself well enough to know that I couldn’t live in a city full time - I need to have space and fresh air. When the weather is nice enough, I’m always walking barefoot, so that I can feel connected to the earth. It’s something you can’t see, but can definitely feel.”
“Being Native American is something that has brought me so much comfort, and a sense of belonging in a world where I didn’t always feel that. I’ve been in a lot of positions in my life where things have been taken away from me, including my physical freedom. But my Native American heritage is something which can never be taken away from me, and that has kept me going.”
#provingitspossible #edthataddsup #nativeamericanheritagemonth
Retired educator, still committed to ensuring access to excellence for all children. Looking for volunteer opportunities to make a difference. Sending best wishes to all educators during these difficult times.
10moCongratulations!!