Kristin Talks About Being An Indigenous Person

Hey y'all I know it's two personal videos back to back for ol' kitchen and I appreciate your being respectful while I am being vulnerable. Thank you, Nay:weh! EDIT, PLEASE READ BEFORE COMMENTING: I adore most of you, but for my own mental health, I'm going to start deleting comments that are people not getting that this is me talking about a journey of healing tremendous trauma and not a light fun space for you to talk about how your great great great great great whoever was Cherokee or to ask if you should also take a DNA test. If you are commenting these things you are fully missing the point. Please stop. Thank you! --Kristin

when Kristin said Jen told them "I think whoever put together this family tree is looking for you" I cried. Kristen's mom and Kristen had a whole other family out there missing them all these years, wondering where they were and nobody knew. Kristin doesn't have to explain their Nativeness but sharing this journey with us is beautiful and painful and I'm very glad they have.

"I am all of my identities. Simultaneously." When I tell y'all I got chills

Hi, I’m indigenous Maori from New Zealand and the part of the video where you said someone sent you a plant and they said “you might find that they know you and you know them” make my eyes water. Ah. I feel like that’s a very indigenous experience. I feel that about water & the ocean. It’s very beautiful and healing.

As a patrilineal Jewish person I totally understand the quiet, personal disappointment of learning where you're from only to swiftly discover that you still don't technically belong. Congrats on your journey 💙

As a metis person, who is the only one in her family that presents heavily as white. I sympathize not wanting to talk about it because of outside criticism and blood quantum. Best of luck on your journey Kristin!!

As a child of an adopted person who has never wanted to find his bio family, I totally get the wanting someone that looks like you around. I’m the spitting image of my dad, but I have no female relatives around that look like me, elder or otherwise. My moms side is all very petit and teeny tiny, while I’m this like tall giant curvy woman. I never thought about it, but one night when I was particularly insecure my fiancé said “I bet you look like your dads bio mom.” And it changed my whole world. Thanks for helping me realize this is an experience others feel too.

So sad that so many people are made to feel shame in reconnecting with their non-colonialism heritage and history. Languages stomped out, cultures stomped out, hidden/lost paper trails, family connections lost. It has happened to my family on all sides except the English/French side. There should never be shame in being who you are.

"I think whoever put together this family tree is looking for you. I think they know you're missing and they want to find you." Okay, now I'm fucking sobbing. Goosebumps. FUCK.

I love how Jen was like "I don't feel like working today. Let me uncover your entire family history! "

For anyone who isn't aware of the history, in the 60's many indigenous children were forcibly removed from their birth families and placed in homes with white families. It's a pretty dark chapter, and I can fully understand Kristin not wanting to talk about it. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sixties_Scoop?wprov=sfla1 Please delete if this crosses boundaries of what should be shared.

I love how Jen is looking at Kirstin this whole video. She's so proud of her friend for going through the journey and for sharing it. <3 I love seeing their friendship, they're so supportive of each other.

Hello! I’m part of your younger crowed and I’m Indigenous! The white side of my family removed me from our culture and stopped my grandma from sharing our culture with me. Now at 14 I’m reconnecting with her and the family I haven’t seen in years. It means a lot to me to see someone I look up to like you talking about things Iv been told to shut up about my whole life. Now I’m working on learning our language and teaching my siblings our stories. I cried happy tears watching this video, thank you.

Kristin talking about finding people that looked like them really warmed my heart - I don’t look like any of my family members, but a few years ago we found a portrait of my great grandmother and I cried the minute I saw her because she looked just like me. Seeing yourself in your family and in your culture is so important.

I love that you're recognizing that while you may be white passing, you definitely have Indigenous features. I've always thought "Kristin looks a lot more Indigenous than they do Italian." Embrace and celebrate it baby!!!

Fellow Haudenosaunee here who is also trying to reconnect; I'm Oneida on my dad's side. I felt similar to you in that it didn't seem to be my place, so THANK YOU for sharing what your native friend said about it belonging to you. It made me cry! It was total encouragement to claim my ancestral history and own it proudly despite not being raised in the culture. Thanks for being open!

“I am all my identities simultaneously” is such a gorgeous phrase!! 😭

I love how this channel is becoming more and more personal, and we get to experience that journey with you 💖

Jenn is such a great friend and business partner! The way they can find humor in sincerity and consistently show you she cares is so fantastic! I especially love "I don't wanna work today, let's do research on your family!"

"someone is looking for you" had me sobbing. I am so happy for you and honored you're sharing this with us.