KIMBERLY MORALES JOHNSON (SHE/HER)
(Gabrieleno/Tongva San Gabriel Band of Mission Indians)
Educator, tribal secretary, co-founder of Tongva Taraxat Paxaavxa Conservancy
Los Angeles, California
Speaking your truth is difficult. In grad school, my cohort and I were known as the “combative cohort.” Recently, I had a situation where someone mentioned that I responded in a combative way. Sometimes, as Native American women, our passion — our saying “no” — is seen as hostile or combative. Why can’t we view someone saying “no” as a boundary? Why can’t people honor our passion? When I shared my recent experience with a friend who was in my cohort, she quickly replied, “I would rather be combative than complicit.”
I believe, as Native women, when we’re wearing earrings or a scarf or regalia, it is in a way a shield — a shield to protect us against harm. I chose to wear this because it makes me feel protected and reminds me that my ancestors are first and foremost in my thoughts and work.
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This article appeared in the October 2024 print edition of the magazine with the headline “#IAMTHEWEST.”
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