White Folks


We opened the door to the small restaurant and the waitress pointed to a booth next to the window. Besides a group of men laughing at a table on the other side of the room, we were the only customers. The expansive view of the Pacific Ocean at sunset was amazing.



Our waitress came and explained they were out of bread, milk, and eggs because a recent storm had prevented them from getting supplies, so a few of the menu items wouldn’t be available. We smiled and said there was plenty to chose from.




The small Native American reservation where we were staying reflected determination—they faced the ocean and had the rain forest in their backyard. Their homes were weather beaten, but sturdy. Staying at their small oceanside resort was a first for us. 


The restaurant and motel were bringing in financial resources for the tribe. The resort captured the rustic beauty of their region using cedar from their forests. They’d built ocean-facing rooms, used their tribal artists to decorate, and furnished them with the modern amenities we all appreciate.





As I went to wash up in the restroom I overheard the waitress give the cook our order. To distinguish us from the group of men who'd ordered food—we were the white folks. I smiled to myself—yes, we were the white folks.


It has taken me my lifetime to finally stop and think about what it might be like to put on different skin—to be like so many that I know—Native American. My European ancestors arrived here over 200 hundred years ago. But the Native Nations have been here for thousands. 


Too much of what I have read in our American history makes me ashamed of how these strong, dedicated, and resilient people were treated—forcing them to adapt to our white culture.



I wonder if we had cared for our nation’s lands, streams, and waterways like the Native cultures have done for millennia, what climate issues we would have today. Where I live, our Native tribes are leading the way in ecological restoration and healing the land. 


I can’t change my skin color, nor can I erase the past, but I can learn from some amazing Indigenous teachers. It’s the way forward and I hope more than just the land can heal.


Celebrating Indigenous Peoples Day October 11, 2021



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