A fantastic retelling of Native Indigenous history in the Americas. This book, for me, emphasized the intentional act to rid of Native Americans’ origin story/culture. Most of American history focuses on Europeans and their descendants. Blackhawk does a great job of describing the horrifying truths and actions of these so called “heroes” who “discovered” the Americas, intentionally forgetting to tell the essential part the Indians played in the evolution of modern America. This practice of ignoring the role Natives played is finally changing! Because American history is not complete without understanding the struggles of the actual natives to this land.
Calling all my fellow witches in training! A guide into the sacred power in herbs and plants, rituals, and history of the Latin folklore tied with the practice of curanderismo. The perfect book for a girl who is curious about the mysteries of the unknown, cares to learn about Mother Nature, and wants to elevate the magic the magic/wisdom she hold within her.
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Not sure if I would consider this piece a book, this is more of a research paper in my opinion. Nonetheless, I wanted to include it in this week’s pick as I am heavily invested in Indigenous history/culture/beliefs. This is a quick history lesson (in Spanish) on the Taino, name to the native of Boriken (Puerto Rico). A lot of their written history has been forever lost due to the devastating effects of colonization, but oral tradition is what has kept this part of history ALIVE and available to us today. This was a fascinating read, although there is still much mystery behind the origin of the Taino. Even their myths are half told! There is a Zemi I am particularly interested in but I cannot find an extensive origin story about her! Indigenous mythology/religion is deeply buried and lost in the past, slowly making its way into our present.
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