Colonization has always led to illness, disability, & death.

One of, if not the most, influential factors in the rapid and continued colonization of Turtle Island (today known as, North America) has been the communal transmission of disease. Without regard for acquired immunity, rates of transmission, and health disparities, European colonizers devastated Native populations before even drawing a weapon (Native-Americans.org, 2025). Not only were the lives of countless Indigenous peoples lost to these illnesses, but so were their languages, traditions, and cultures, as their colonizers grew hungrier for dominance (Native-Americans.org, 2025).

Modern day repeats these patterns on a massive scale.

Many of us who are clean-air and health conscious have to grapple, daily, with the reality that those around us are not. Whether our co-workers, family members, friends, lovers, or passers-by on the street, we are inundated by not-so-friendly reminders that they’ve ‘moved-on’ (from the most recent pandemic). But the stories of Turtle Island’s Native communities have already shown us this story. Our communities are currently being devastated, at alarming rates, due to the lack of widespread regard for vaccination rates, access to mitigation tools, rates of transmission, health disparities, rapid disease evolution, and more. This will continue to be true in perpetuity, without a drastic shift in public health thinking, outreach, and interventions.

Will we allow our languages, traditions, and cultures to be lost? What can we do, if we do not have the community care needed to survive?

Preserving our own lives.

It may seem silly to think about the idea of preserving our own lives, as we are desperately trying to live them. However, it is thanks to Native peoples around the world that we know the importance of cultural preservation (Center for World Indigenous Studies [CWIS], N.D.). There are everyday things that, once lost, cannot be retained. How do you assure that those things don’t get lost in your everyday living?

Last week, I spent a day writing down the digitized photos of my wife’s grandmother’s recipes. It’s funny to think about de-digitizing something that was probably a relief to have on a usb-drive somewhere, for our parents. However, this act, of writing out some 70-odd recipe cards, despite the carpal tunnel flare afterwards, connected me to my wife’s familial ancestors and preserved their wisdom, another day. Of course, the digital copies are tucked away for safe keeping, as well. But the hand-written cards sit right on the kitchen counter, where we look at, appreciate, and think of our ancestors everyday.

Are you finding moments like these to preserve your ancestors’, and even your own, wisdom? I’d love to hear how!

If you find yourself new to this concept, or otherwise having trouble preserving your own life, reach out to book a FREE 15 MINUTE COACHING SESSION or purchase a coaching package today by emailing TaylorLifeCoaching@Proton.Me!