Copper
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They Weren’t Freed—They Were Reclassified: How Freedmen Lost Their Land Through Paperwork
The article discusses the historical and ongoing dispossession of dark-skinned Indigenous nations in Oklahoma, primarily through the Dawes Rolls, which redefined racial categories and erased complex ancestries. It details how these mechanisms fragmented Indigenous identities, denied land rights, and continue to influence contemporary sovereignty struggles among the Freedmen, Washitaw, Muur, and Creole nations.
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The Guardianship That Never Ended: How Colonial Reclassification Trapped the Osage Nation
In 1920, the Osage Nation were among the wealthiest people per capita in the world. By 1925, they were being systematically murdered for their oil money while the federal government watched. This wasn’t a failure of the system—it was the system. And it’s still operating today. What happened to the Osage demonstrates the machinery of Colonial Reclassification…
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Population Y: The Melanesian Ancestors Who Cross the Ocean in Our Blood
These were the original navigators. The star readers. The ocean whisperers. Black and brown tribes who built civilizations before colonization tried to erase us from history. Read more at Livity.Blog
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They Made Indigenous Peoples “Black” to Steal the Land
Before colonizers arrived, North America had sophisticated civilizations that built structures rivaling Egypt’s pyramids. Cahokia, near present-day St. Louis, had 20,000 people—larger than London at the time… Historical accounts describe diverse Indigenous populations, including dark-skinned peoples who built these civilizations. The Kaw people of Kansas were described as having skin “as black as Negros.” Various…
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Unveiling the Original Mound Builders
There is evidence, oral tradition, and suppressed history that women played a central role in the Mound Builder civilizations, particularly within the Washitaw (Ouachita) Nation and other ancient matrilineal cultures across Turtle Island (North America). “Before patriarchy, there was the Earth Mother. And her daughters built the mounds.” — Livity.Blog | Hidden Histories. Ancestral Intelligence.
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Bougainville: Bamboo Music and Blood-Stained Soil
Bougainville, an island in the Solomon Sea, holds rich ancestral histories amidst struggles for Indigenous sovereignty and cultural preservation. Despite the devastation from colonial exploitation and mining, Bougainvilleans have maintained their identity through traditional music and oral traditions, emphasizing resilience against erasure and advocating for environmental justice. Their story parallels global Indigenous struggles.
Livity Blog 