Maya America: Journal of Essays, Commentary, and Analysis Volume 3 Issue 2 Article 2 6-11-2021 Indigenous Youth Storywork: A Spiritual Awakening of a Maya Adoptee living in KKKanada Ana Celeste MacLeod Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/mayaamerica Part of the Anthropology Commons, Indigenous Studies Commons, Latin American History Commons, Latina/o Studies Commons, and the United States History Commons Recommended Citation MacLeod, Ana Celeste (2021) "Indigenous Youth Storywork: A Spiritual Awakening of a Maya Adoptee living in KKKanada," Maya America: Journal of Essays, Commentary, and Analysis: Vol. 3 : Iss. 2 , Article 2. Available at: https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/mayaamerica/vol3/iss2/2 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by DigitalCommons@Kennesaw State University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Maya America: Journal of Essays, Commentary, and Analysis by an authorized editor of DigitalCommons@Kennesaw State University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Indigenous Youth Storywork: A Spiritual Awakening of a Maya Adoptee living in KKKanada by Ana Celeste MacLeod Abstract Indigenous adoptee scholars understand their identity through community connection, culture, education and practice. In this story (essay) through engagement with current literature and ten research questions, I explored what it meant to be an adoptee in West Coast (KKKanadian) Indigenous communities. An Indigenous Youth Storywork methodology was applied to bring meaning to relationships I have with diverse Indigenous Old Ones, mentors and Knowledge Keepers and their influence on my journey as a Maya adoptee returning to my culture. My personal story was developed and analyzed using an Indigenous decolonial framework and Indigenous Arts- based methods. The intention of this Youth Storywork research work is to create space for Indigenous, Interracial, Transracial and Maya adoptees in Child and Youth Care, Social Work and Counselling Psychology education, policy and practice. Throughout this essay I am going to capitalize Indigenous Youth Storywork, Storywork and Youth Storywork to highlight the transformative process of coming to know and create my own methodology. I will use Indigenous Youth Storywork, Storywork and Youth Storywork interchangeably throughout this document. 1 Table of Contents LIST OF PICTURES ........................................................................................................................................... 4 TERMINOLOGY ................................................................................................................................................. 6 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .................................................................................................................................. 8 DEDICATION ...................................................................................................................................................... 9 THIS IS ME; THIS IS WHO I AM.................................................................................................................... 10 THE START OF MY JOURNEY ...................................................................................................................... 11 MY HEART MOTHER AND I ................................................................................................................................... 13 MY GEM MOTHER AND I ....................................................................................................................................... 14 MY INDIGENOUS ROOTS ........................................................................................................................................ 15 UNDERSTANDING MY INDIGENOUS IDENTITY THROUGH LITERATURE ........................................ 19 DEFINING INTERRACIAL AND TRANSNATIONAL ADOPTION ................................................................................. 19 THE HISTORY OF INTERRACIAL AND TRANSNATIONAL ADOPTION ..................................................................... 20 THE CIVIL WAR AND ADOPTION ........................................................................................................................... 21 THE KIDNAP NARRATIVE ...................................................................................................................................... 22 THE HAGUE CONVENTION AND ADOPTION........................................................................................................... 25 Considerations for Further Research ............................................................................................................... 25 RECLAIMING AND RECONNECTING TO OUR INDIGENOUS IDENTITIES ................................................................ 25 WHITENESS AND COLONIZATION .......................................................................................................................... 27 CREATOR AND LAND .............................................................................................................................................. 29 BEING AN INDIGENOUS WARRIOR WOMXN .......................................................................................................... 30 Further Research Needed ................................................................................................................................. 31 TEACHINGS, CULTURAL GEMS AND PROTOCOLS ................................................................................................. 32 THE LAND ............................................................................................................................................................... 34 THE FOUR R’S+ ...................................................................................................................................................... 34 THE SEVEN SECRETS ............................................................................................................................................. 35 ANA’S TREE OF LIFE .............................................................................................................................................. 35 FROM AUTOETHNOGRAPHY TO INDIGENOUS YOUTH STORYWORK RESEARCH ................................................. 36 INDIGENOUS AUTOETHNOGRAPHY ........................................................................................................................ 36 INDIGENOUS YOUTH STORYWORK ........................................................................................................................ 37 HOW I CAME TO DEFINE INDIGENOUS YOUTH STORYWORK .............................................................................. 38 Further Areas of Research ............................................................................................................................... 39 INDIGENOUS ARTS-BASED METHODS ....................................................................................................... 40 WHAT FURTHER RESEARCH IS NEEDED? ............................................................................................................. 42 THE STORY BLANKET ............................................................................................................................................ 43 The Process ....................................................................................................................................................... 45 Being Wrapped Up ............................................................................................................................................ 45 The Meaning ..................................................................................................................................................... 46 A SPIRITUAL AWAKENING ..................................................................................................................................... 48 THE CEDAR HAT .................................................................................................................................................... 49 WHAT THE CEDAR TAUGHT ME ........................................................................................................................... 50 THE COMING OF AGE CEREMONY ........................................................................................................................ 51 THE “ORAL DEFENCE” IN CEREMONY ................................................................................................................. 57 WEAVING IN THE QUESTIONS .................................................................................................................... 58 THE LAWYER ......................................................................................................................................................... 69 SHARING STORIES .................................................................................................................................................. 70 2 MEDIA + ................................................................................................................................................................. 71 FURTHER RESEARCH WORK ................................................................................................................................. 73 IMPLICATIONS FOR CHILD AND YOUTH CARE (CYC) PRACTICE