Me and my people

By Emily Jones

I would love to learn more of the language
of my Deg Hit an people of the Yukon River in Alaska.
Also, there were dances that were lost.
My mom and I want to create new ones.
We like to dance like the birds.
Our people believe we are connected to the earth.
When you harm the earth, you will bring harm
to you and your family.
When we hunt the moose, we thank it
For giving us its life.
When you take a life, you must use every part of it.

I would love to learn about my Tohono O’odham side.
They call themselves the Desert People.
They love beans, squash, and watermelon, as do I.
I need to learn how to make traditional foods, traditionally,
so they don’t get lost. Like fish ice-cream and moose soup.
Me and my people.