During May we asked you to share how you’re making a positive difference in your Tribe or community.
Hesci! Estonko? Iesha Phillips cv hocefkv tos. Vmvcvlket palen epohkaken ohritos.
Hello! How are you? My name is Lesha Phillips. I am 16 years old. I decided to run for Jr. Miss Muscogee (Creek) Nation so that I could help our native youth. My platform is Native Pride. I want all native youth, no matter their skin color, to be proud of where they came from and encouraged to learn more about their culture. My goal is to make sure our youth know that they can do anything they set their minds to as long as they don’t give up. Studies show that the dropout rate for native youth is double the national average. Studies also show that the second leading cause of death in our native youth is suicide. This is because our native youth need someone who believes that they will succeed. So I wrote this poem to be motivation for them to never give up and to know that they are capable of changing, and influencing our communities.
Master of breath, Hesaketvmese.
I am asking that you please help me.
Show them who I am and who I am suppose to be
And that being native does not diminish one thing.
Left Stressed and Oppressed.
Let’s show them how we are blessed.
It is my quest to influence the rest
to be the best that they can be.
Keep on trying, prove them wrong.
Don’t you dare let them tell you, that you don’t belong.
Red, yellow, black or green.
Your cultural knowledge means everything.
They don’t know that your clan comes from your mother
So you don’t marry your brother
If only you searched further you would see what I am trying to say
Poverty, isolation, racism, and bad education
are some of the things that you might endure.
But keep it together my friends.
This is not the end.
You were born to win!
Don’t drop out.
School, much like life, gets hard
And they might try to bombard
You with information
To get rid of your representation.
But you have to keep chasing
To get to your destination
It is important to me
To see you succeed
Because I believe
That you can do anything
Keep on trying, prove them wrong.
Don’t you dare let them tell you, that you don’t belong.
Red, yellow, black or green.
Your cultural knowledge means everything.
They don’t know that your ancestors came from Georgia and Alabama
In nothing but their pajamas
Trying to keep up their stamina
In order to survive
So don’t you kill yourself.
Your life is precious,
I can get you help.
Here is the number to our suicide hotline.
They are here for you any time.
Keep on pushing,
You are almost there!
Keep trying you won’t regret it, I swear.
For our beliefs, many have died
Our families have cried
And our faith has been tried.
We are not just strong,
but we are Mvskoke strong,
meaning that we will survive.
So I stand here today,
With my head held high
Fully embracing
My native pride.
Mvto!
