The greatest enemy to an Indian is our past. We had to turn our back on that past if we had any chance of surviving. I felt I needed to escape my Indian-ness in order to survive, to have a future. After all the effort to get away, I just ended up missing home and a part of myself. I want to remember traditions in the way that feels right to me. Our elders say that ceremonies are the way we ‘remember to remember.’ Growing up I’ve had a distant relationship with my people and culture, it’s easy to lose yourself to assimilation. My lack of participation in my community resulted in a lack of cultural knowledge. Researching “traditional” Indigenous materials and melding various parts into my practice is a way I can feel reconnected to my culture. It feels like a ceremony. I’m making my way back home through materials.