This is a mailing list for those who are interested in reading more of Deedee's stories in the "Growing Up Heathen" series.

Now before you get all upset over the title, please understand that these are stories about my youth, growing up in the late fifties and sixties on a Native American Indian Reservation. When one is a member of a minority, folks who aren't members of that particular minority make a lot of judgements and may have some pretty strange ideas about any ethnic group that is different than the dominant majority.

Native Americans have had many myths and misconceptions put out there about them since first contact here on what we call Turtle Island. One of these is that most are 'Heathens', which is wrong. Each Tribal group had their own Spiritual Belief system, Ceremonies, ways of praying and of living on Our Mother the Earth. The fact this was different from the incoming peoples didn't make their ways wrong or non spiritual.

Much of racism and prejuidice is about having unspoken and unchallenged myths by one group about another group. When those remain unchallenged, they remain unchanged.

These stories, even though they are told with humor, are also about challenging unspoken ideas and thoughts, from a generation ago, in the hope and with the intent that we will discover some truths in ourselves that might bear looking at, talking about, and maybe, just maybe, changing a little bit in the present.

So, you are invited to settle in, find a comfy spot, and let's take a trip back in time, to a place where things were simpler, everyone knew their neighbors, most folks new the difference between right and wrong, and I was having a great time, 'Growing Up Heathan'.

respectfully
Deedee


More stories can be found at www.mormonmohawk.com and www.GrowingUpHeathen.org

Deedee