Members

Candid but somewhat reserved at first. Eastern Cherokee and African American descent. Devoted to indigenous peoples of the Americas. Urban but retaining strong ties to indigenous background. Love swimming and outdoors. Strongly developed sense of Baha'i Faith within the context of indigenous spirituality and my own culture. I attend Feast and other Baha'i events when possible but this is generally too difficult because of my work schedule and my children are still young enough to need to go to bed earlier than a lot of Feasts allow. We regularly have culturally-relevant and age-appropriate Baha'i School in our home at least once a week and have done so for years. As we are rather isolated Baha'is, we most often celebrate Feast at home but sometimes we are able to get to the Baha'i Center, which is quite far away from where we live. We often attend Baha'i summer school as well. We do not "teach the Faith" in the way that seems current among the majority of Baha'is in the U.S. as it seems to be kind of a fundamentalist Christian approach to the Faith and that is not our background or interest. I might be considered an activist Baha'i in some circles. I believe that there is a difference between politics and partisan politics. I am looking for someone who understands the difference. I come from a Catholic family where certain members also adhered to native beliefs. For example, my mother, a life-long Catholic, never had me baptized and exposed us as children to stories about the importance of the mounds among our people. My family was not hostile at all to me joining the Faith, which I did in 1989. Have traveled to several Indian reservations and lived adjacent to one for several years. Am working off and on with Baha'i prayers that were translated into Cherokee years ago in Qualla Boundary. Have also traveled to parts of Europe (London, Cambridge, Geneva, Paris), New York, California, Canada (British Columbia and Saskatchewan).