An Unforgettable Lesson in Reciprocity from Nature
Aiyanna in her cradle board
The most powerful gift of my life was being raised in a community grounded in Native traditions.
This week, I have been reflecting on how grateful I am for being born into a family that was in love with nature and integrated with Native culture. I was fortunate to be my mother's second child.
My mom left urban life in Seattle and found a community in Southern Oregon, one with strong ties to the Northern Cheyenne tribe. My sister, Aiyanna, is Cheyenne. We share the same mother but have different fathers. As far as I know, my paternal lineage is predominantly Irish, and my mother's is Western European. As young adults, both were drawn to a deep relationship with nature and felt at home in a blended community of Native and non-Native people they discovered after high school.
I felt my older sister's fierce love from my earliest memories.
I learned from her generous relationship with the rest of the world. She had a silent language with our horses, with deer, with all animals who came into her presence. Although I never achieved the same ability to attract any animal towards me, I am forever grateful for her example, which has always inspired me to keep trying.
Being born as her sister also meant I had the opportunity to be part of Native culture. My first mentor was my auntie Dawn. She wasn't my biological aunt, yet I always felt I belonged to her and to the rich traditions of her Native ancestors, from sweat lodges to pow wows.
Reciprocity with nature was embedded in everything I experienced.
These early years of my life shaped who I am and continue to inspire me to live into what I was taught and what I witnessed in my sister’s boundless generosity.
Thank you, Aiyanna, for being my older sister, so I can follow in your footsteps.
With Love,
— Briea
Born into a love for nature & animals
Aiyanna ready to lead the horses.
An awe of the natural world has been a part of my life from the beginning. I followed my sister as she interacted with plants and animals, treating them like extended family. This gift, which can never be taken away from me, has instilled a sense of home in the wildnerness.
Briea foraging for wild blueberries.
Blackberry, a sheep, was Aiyanna’s unplanned pet and would follow her everywhere.
My sister spearheaded our most memorable childhood adventures. Her leadership skills were evident from a young age. She has been managing other people in her various roles since she was 19. She’s among the many Native women paving the way toward positive change for everyone around them, both seen and unseen.
