Thanks for this video. I’m Anishinaabe from Wisconsin and live down here in Phoenix. I don’t get to see much of my native relatives down here because they are different tribes and sometimes it feels like we don’t have much in common so it’s nice to hear about them and their tribe. Back home on my Rez we have murders left and right. People dying of over doses all the time. Through 2016-2018 it seemed like I lost a family member every month to murder or suicide or overdose. It’s such a huge problem in Indigenous communities. It’s one of the reasons I got sober. I been sober for 9 years. Thanks for highlighting our people!
Btw congrats on sobriety! Yeah it's rough growing up native on a rez, you don't realize how bad it is until you grow up and look at it from the outside in, I'm off the rez only 18 miles but still feels like a different world.
Ayy a fellow Anishinaabe, which tribe? Im part Odawa And really proud and happy you got sober brother. Much respect, my dad went through the same with alcohol, and many lines before. For me I had some issues with substances and sometimes alcohol, but I started asking myself “How would I live today if I cared about my life and future?” And broke the cycle.
I'm so very proud of You for getting sober. Alcohol is definitely, Bad Spirit Juice, it was responsible for taking my Sister and Brother early, both are dead. I have, 22 years sober this year. Our Tribes have to break this cycle of Alcohol and drugs taking our life source. We can't drink away the pain or History.
Bhoozoo cousin..I'm from Bay Mills rez in the upper peninsula. One of thirteen brothers and sisters and all of them gone within five years. Just me and an older brother left now but a shitload of cousins still alive and kicking on the rez! Nice to see a relative from Wisconsin here even though I don't really see you!
All these people were conquered. My great-grandfather was full-blooded. Cherokee, Indian, we were conquered too. What other countries gives their enemies that they conquered? A free ride, Once you're 18 b*******, in my opinion.And these idiots are screwing themselves right out of it.Anyways, 45 more generations of ingredients or mixed breeding bill have no war.Indian rights it is anyways
I’m a native decented, I can take you to another tribe in North Dakota. I lost my step mom, my auntie, my uncle and another uncle all in the span of a couple years
at least there is native-awareness going on in bigmedia..killers of the flower moon the new scorsese movie (its so horrible. it went on until the 20th century with horrible horrible cult tactics by english americans), the new true detective season and now tommyG. i am a european in the EU but native americans have the best voice and soul. stand up proud and proceed your beautifull culture. dont let the drugs in. it is unleashed on everybody in big cities .
@@thomashauer6804>don’t let drugs in Yeah you’re pretty late on that request. Drugs and alcohol run rampant on most rez’s. It’s a big part of the problem
@@thomashauer6804 You're german aren't you? I'm Mohawk and from my experience your comment about our voices and souls is something I've heard from many German tourists as Germany seems to have an infatuation with native American culture
Love from Upper Sioux Community! Tommy G thank you so much for speaking on boarding schools. My great grandmother was a victim and its frustrating when people act like we aren't feeling the consequences of it to this day
It's crazy how they want groups that have been victimized by them to just forgetaboutit or the later generations aren't impacted by these attrocities. #cut the check😏💪🏾
Thank you for shedding light on our natives and the struggles they go through , growing up in cali just a couple of miles from the Rez, my best friend who lived there Roma disappeared and was never found. Idc what anyone says, if you’re an American you care about ALL of our people and Tommy is truly showing all sides.
I am so glad you made this video! I am a native indigenous Plains Cree lady from Saskatchewan, Canada. We have the same issues over here…especially with our reserves. Multi-generational trauma is a huge issue for all First Nations Indigenous peoples.. i recommend a really educational movie you should watch about residential schools. It’s called “We Were Children”. It really shows the raw, real hardships that native children had to endure. When he said “I asked my grandma about it and she went quiet” it really hit hard.. that’s the case for my grandparents, as-well as thousands of others. 😢 Thank you, you have a beautiful soul. ❤
Thank you for sharing the name of this movie. I will try watching it. I tried watching another, but I could only take it for about 7 minutes. I think every single White-Eurocentric politician and their children should be forced to watch these films. I think these films should be mandatory American history curriculum.
As a Hidatsa (Three Affiliated Tribes) and Lower Brule Sioux person and Addiction counselor, I appreciate your sensitivities and for covering this issue! Much love to my brothers and sisters in Gila River!
I am Lakota Sioux and we are on the poorest reservation. We have nothing like this tribe. Our grandma’s, elders and children are in abject poverty. It is beyond sad. My favorite photo of my mother is her at maybe age 8 with thick beautiful braids. The next photo is at white man school her braids are gone and so is the light from her eyes. They killed the Indian spirit in her. I just cried. She never spoke of those days.until she was walking on (dying). The horror stories still haunt me. The black robes (priests) beat them with the Black Book (bible). . ❤️🙏🌹 I am now in PNW near Yakama Rez. I hold ceremony & sweat with them. Very friendly happy tribe. Our rez is in SD. I always make the fry bread. It’s my great-grandmother’s recipe. I use bison for my native tacos. Yummy!
Very genuine story and honest. But please quit leaving a blame all the time the white settlers that came before were pure hostile which is how every race is
I appreciate your comment. I didn’t come out and blame anyone. Just stated what my Ina (mother) experienced. So much was taken or denied her because of her culture. Reservation life is not easy. We are a very poor reservation. However we were taught to forgive but never forget. When we forget the past it can be repeated. I have spent my life overcoming the same as anyone else. She was sent to white man school and unthinkable agony inflicted on the native children. A real fact and more truth is coming out. I can’t change the facts. My Ina didn’t say….. much until she was leaving this world. However there was always a haunting sorrow within her. Truth is blame one way or the other does nothing. I just shared what I glimpsed in photos on my Ina. RIP dear Ina. ❤️🙏🌹
I understand that thank you for your humility and i do respect the Lakota people just different views I'll get Better at communicating with other people i promise
I understand that thank you for your humility and i do respect the Lakota people just different views I'll get Better at communicating with other people i promise
Wow! Congrats to the big guy that went from 800lbs to 300. That’s amazing and I’m happy he made 70 years old and still sharing his knowledge and his story!
I Am A Young 15 Year Old Native American From Warm Springs Indian Reservation In Oregon, I Like How People Like Tommy G Comes To These Places & Learn about The Natives & Community, It Would Be Cool To Get Our Reservation Out There On TH-cam
I absolutely love how you provoke thought & emotion with some of your questions, especially when you use scenarios that you know will really make people think deeply & understand things from someone else’s point of view.
I have family on the Gila Reservation. At night go and sit in the cemetery and pray and listen to all the souls crying. It is so sad what happen in the old days. My husband is laid to rest with his whole family now. God Bless and respect our family
Some of the reservations I have driven through in southeast Oklahoma and in Montana/ Wyoming are sitting on the most picturesque land I have ever seen. Why don't they embrace this and encourage tourists? Especially the land around flathead lake, these people need to get with the program
@@BobBob-cx9wm a lot of people I know don't mind outsiders and want our culture and tribe known. (Meaning the older generation). Just the issue is getting our voices out more often. No one takes the native community seriously unless someone like Tommy comes around. A lot of messed up shit happened to my family in the past and still continue today, and same with my homies and their fam. We only 1% of the population.
I randomly found you on TH-cam. Watched for the entertainment, came back for the vibes, and this video made me a subscriber. I’m Mexican and hella proud. Loved this video
I’m also Native American (Aztec) and I wanted to thank you for documenting and bringing awareness to our struggle! We all need to come together to solve our worldwide problems. Thank you again! A’ho!
Mexico he's aztec that's not mainland US aztecs we're in Mexico. Not only that if he is Aztec he's bloodline is old old need to get Spain to make reparations
Hey Tommy! There are so many things wrong with Winnipeg Manitoba rn and I feel with the right video and awareness you bring, you’d make a huge change and inspire many young children who are lost! Many people I went to highschool with have already dropped out or just given up because they have no motivation. There’s a dark cloud over Winnipeg and this type of video would be amazing to look deeper into the TRUE problems of Winnipeg! -If you read this thank you for taking the time of your day to read about my hometown! Thank you and have a wonderful year!
This is a video I was waiting for you to do. Thanks Tommy. Also I could listen to Big Mike for hours on end and not get bored. He's so good at telling that story.
I just moved to Arizona from out East. I work with a lot of Navajo and Hopi people. They are so sweet and I love talking to them and learning their culture and history. I had never worked with so many native people in my life. It’s so cool. A couple Navajo I work with actually invited me out to some native ceremonies, which I would love to see.
You’re more worried about the way he’s pronouncing your tribal name you should be more worried about your alcohol problem. It is a very serious problem.
@MrKurdkiller Whats serious too is what yall put us through for centuries and STILL now we're suffering for the consequences. Hence the alcohol and all that. Why do you think people drink?
@@anneliesejackson507 I know very well I’m married to one and I get it because they have gone through so much shit there own family abuse but it has to stop now ok no excuses
Thank you for bringing attention to us. Not a lot of people give us natives. I'm from Montana and wish more people would be aware enough to the trials we have to endure. Again, thank you, Tommy.
Unfortunately out here we’re having issues with the cartel running drugs and trafficking people on our reservations. That’s why I moved off the Rez lol
It’s not that we don’t care about natives but most of us are just working our way through our lives and don’t have contact with natives through anything but casinos. I’ve never felt there was an open invitation to visit or participate in the community. In Michigan all I hear about is tribal in-fighting about casino money distribution and how members are being kicked out due to not having pure genealogy.
HBO did a good movie on it. The guys who played Sitting Bull and the guy who played Nelson Miles where top notch. Have no seen it in a long time but it's on TH-cam
I read that book at the Stewart Indian Boarding School near Carson City, NV. It was hard, it made me feel really sad for the ppl. From the first time I began practicing our traditional spirituality, I've always prayed for our past generations of families of all our Indigenous tribes. I'm Shoshone-Paiute from NV/ID.
I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again, what you’re doing is truly amazing. Keep up the great work man, this stuff is gonna make a difference sooner than later
Check out “Through Indian Eyes” that one will really open up your eyes how insane the true history is of America! It's from Readers Digest it has a ton of pictures in it as well but it's so informative! It will bring tears to your eyes on what was truthfully done to all the Native people.
Hi. If you are interested here are some books that could help you understand deeper. Bury my Heart at Wounded Knee is the best start. All of the facts are sited and almost entirely from documents in the Library of Congress recorded by the US government themselves. Others to read: Ceremony by Leslie Marmon Silko, Where White Men Fear to Tread by Russel Means (RIP), and works by Ward Churchill his essays and books. Ward is a bit controversial because he speaks against actions of US government politics both on US soil and abroad and because his genetic link to native family line is hard to trace. I have been in a kitchen more than once hearing Elders say "he has always been good to us and we are good to him" and calling him Brother even after critisms against him. His writings are solid and well sited. That mattered to me.
So glad this is being shown with someone with a following. This is one of my passions. Learning the languages , culture, history, and also all the problems and atrocities that happened and are still happening with all the tribes. It takes more than a Google search.
Wowww. Props to you @TommyGMcGee for taking a trip to a reservation. I'm a white kid, born and raised in utah but i have half brothers and sisters that are half navajo. Their birth families are on a reservation and it's a totally different life. For starters, it's sad to see the life on the rez sometimes, but its enlightening at the same time. I appreciate you casting a light on the missing people. It's a fact that a majority of native missing cases go unnoticed to the rest of the country. Also, alcoholism runs in the genome, so our native brothers and sisters are more prone to addiction. I have dealt with this at a personal level, and appreciate the work that you do! Again, thank you for casting a light on the rez life, much love and much thanks!
yup. lost my dad to his addiction, it plagues so many native people. every native family member i have has either died to their addiction or they still struggle with it. also if you ask any native person if they know someone who has gone missing, the answer is always mostly yes. it's so sad and even sadder that nothing seems to be done about it. thanks tommy for making this video
@@Frostedflakes23434 No concrete source other than first person account. Ive read several studies on this topic, but they all seem inconclusive or somewhat vague. But theres a reason that alcohol is banned on reservations. I've seen people drink hairspray, or even hand sanitizer because they couldn't get ahold of alcohol. There was an old native american legend about "firewater" refering to alcohol, attempting to deter their loved ones away from alcohol use. I've heard others refer to being more prone to addiction of alcohol, one of whom was my own brother, a Navajo by blood, who battled addiction for many years. He's now 7 years sober and would agree, even though there is no concrete evidence that I'm aware of. It has to do with alcohol dehydrogenase. I was able to find this wikipedia article refering to this exact thing, however: (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcohol_tolerance#:~:text=Alcohol%20tolerance%20in%20different%20ethnic%20groups,-See%20also%3A%20Race&text=Genetics%20of%20alcohol%20dehydrogenase%20indicate,compared%20to%20Europeans%20and%20Asians.)
@@ARich1819-enlightened born and raised Oklahoma grew up with Comanches, married a full blood Navajo. I just find it hard to believe it affects natives specifically more than any other. I honestly believe it’s a choice but I’ve seen both sides so we will just wait for science.
Exactly what I thought. He has massive potential to deep dive into some areas in society and history itself that can really enlighten us. A lot better than the Kia boys sort of stuff in my opinion anyway.
Watching from Oxfordshire England Thank you for this wonderful video xx The man (who turned 70 is amazing !! ) A big Happy Birthday to him xx keep on doing what you’re doing ❤️❤️
Hey Tommy, my first time seeing this video and I’m like woah. You did a great job. I live on the reservation with my mom and dad(Stepdad) Big Mike and we all watched it he listened. We all enjoyed this video and felt it definitely represented a lot that not many knows about it. This tribe (Gila River) has been through so much and had been damaged a lot. This is because of many things that the US Government has done. I remember driving my dad to the meetings for the battle against Loop 202. I remember the arguments it was a long process. There is so much. I would love to see the Navajo (Denea) I may of spelled that wrong. A lot happened due to COVID then there’s the pipe line problem that happen where Natives all over came to protest peacefully and were met with brutality. I have subscribed and I look forward to watching your videos.
Tommy i got denied my request for time off from work otherwise id be out there supporting at the documentary screening! I hope you host other events so i can hopefully get a chance to meet ya. Love the work you do big dawg
It’s crazy how alcoholism not only affects the native peoples of the US and Canada but also all native descendants of the entire American continent. It’s become part of the culture of the indigenous peoples.
alcohol is only a problem when you have nothing else to do, no hobbies or other things in life. like going to a party and not talking to people, just drinking and drinking, walking around not eating and drinking on an empty stomach, drinking instead of going out and doing other things is destructive for any one with a broken soul and no properly socialized by parents with their own personality traits. poverty is universal and thats why herb and alc are promoted, so people dont get revolutionary ideas or question the distrobution of wealth. these people shouldnt be impoverished as the us strip mines their hills for gold and uranium, but again the same problems go on in the inner city and rural communities from ireland, to hong kong and africa.
I’m Navajo and I agree. Unfortunately. Colonization, poverty and generational trauma is at the root of most of our problems including alcoholism. I just a family members from alcohol abuse who was sober for more than 30 years but they spiraled into addiction when they lost their wife to COVID.
@@SlumCut6661 my family is from El Salvador with Pipil and Lenca roots. That country has been through hell, from colonization, civil war, gang violence. A lot of trauma affected my family and to this day many relatives are dealing with alcoholism. One of them, my cousin just had to get a liver transplant due to cirrhosis of the liver from years of heavy drinking and he’s only 35.
I love how you relate everything to our lives nowdays. It's important to bring these issues to the forefront. I'm not much for history, but when you relate history to our current lives it creates empathy. Nothing but good can come from that, understanding another person, or another group of ppl. God bless your work.
@@SlumCut6661 the last I remember anything mentioned was Gangland and the Wildboyz haha. I’m registered through my mother with Pine Ridge but raised in Rapid City. She and her family participated back in the Wounded Knee protests back in the ‘70s.
Tommy, you’re such a great story teller, but an even greater listener. Thank you for taking the time to let those you interview speak freely and respecting them. Thank you also for preserving these stories and sharing a new perspective.
this is one of my fave episodes you have done, and ive been here since before u even did videos like this. grandma and last guy should have their own hour+ long interviews
THANK YOU!!!! I'm part Native as well and descended from some in the mid-west, and even if I wasn't part Native, I'd still appreciate you helping shed more light on a dark situation. I have friends from the 4-Corners area, missing / found passed on over the years. These situations were nearly all due to foul play. It has been tough, but more so for their families and those that had / have been closer to them. Haven't figured out why certain tribes have been targeted more so, as far as kidnappings and worse go. Bless you and others for helping in so many ways, with so many things, also!! Prayers, blessings, hope, comfort, peaceful minds and healing, for everyone, always!! ❤️🌈🌈❇️❇️❇️❇️❇️
I’m native from siksika nation Alberta Canada can I’ve been watching Tommy g fir a minute and I appreciate this one fir reels things that are not talked about enough so shout out to you and your family 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽
I lived adjacent to the Gila River Reservation in Scottsdale for 13 years. I didn’t know missing indigenous members of the reserve were missing or killed. It’s troubling that so many people don’t hear about them, not even from local tv stations. Troubling.
Please come to the Rosebud Sioux Tribe. Several families here with stories!! TOO MANY! thank you for your look into this epidemic among indigenous ppl!
I have not been there since 2004. Much of my family has walked on. I used to stay in touch with a few people and give money for elders for winter heat & food. There is a road named after my family on rez. I am in PNW 23 yrs now. I hold ceremony & sweat with Yakama. I am near their rez. They are a happy friendly tribe. ❤️🙏🌹 We have found success teaching about Red Road and inviting people in recovery or released from prison to join sweat lodge. We offer support and mentor them.
Hey Tom. I have 4 years of sobriety. I think you ask really great questions, hard questions but still in a positive polite way; Keep bringing light to these sensitive issues.
I live in north Casa Grande right on the edge of Gila River. I can literally walk onto the res from my house ( it’s pronounced “hila” btw) I drive through the res everyday to go to work in chandler. That reservation is dangerous. Sacaton is a town on the res right next to my house is similar to what you’d see in a third world country. As a white dude I would never go there at night. I’ve had to drive through sacaton to avoid traffic and it’s sketchy. I always have my pistol out. My wife is a nurse in CG and has had natives as her patients. They have a severe problem with alcohol and drugs.
“Had to drive through to avoid traffic” so you didn’t have to drive through? You keep your gun out? It almost seems as if you’re looking for a problem to have your hero moment or some shit.
@@fredbelanger2995 just didn’t want to sit for hours on a road blocked off by police for a car crash that was 10 miles from my house. I know a tribal member that’s a patient of mine from work and he told me to stay armed if I’m ever on the rez at night. I was just doing what he told me to because there are a lot gangs that get active at night. These reservations have their own police and me being white means that I’m not safe there. You don’t know the situation Freddy. Last thing I wanted was to have to use my weapon. I just wanted to get home so I could cook my wife food after her 12 hour shift working at the hospital bro. Stop with your nonsense
I felt it when she said were all related. My wife an i watch you videos every week. We prefer vidoes like this over the hood lifestyle but All of them are great.
My great-grandmother was full-blooded Cherokee from Tennessee, and I love having Native American blood running through my veins. I followed their ways. Collect my own medicine and a lot of my food as my people did. Learned how to survive off the land with nothing. This is how I can pay the most respect to my people! God bless brothers and sisters! Keep it alive! The time of purification is near! Edit: I quit drinking 7 years ago. I'm thinking because of the Native American blood, but my body could never handle it. I'd get drunk quick. Get hives sometimes like I was allergic. Remember any Native Americans out there. Alcohol was used against us. Quit drinking!
I must agree with you. I leave the Devil’s Brew alone too. Native blood takes little and drunk quickly. Leave alone! I am in PNW at present. We gather herbs & roots too. Know which weeds to eat. Many very nutrient dense. Watch others kill them and shake my head. One day…..they may regret it. Our native prophecies are here. Buckle up!
Being Aboriginal in Australia it’s astonishing how well the native-Americans are treated comparatively to us from the governments. In regards to benefits given it’s amazing to see good things in place to help future generations. Australia let the whole population vote on whether us as indigenous people should be recognised in our constitution & the country voted NO given that we’re only 3-4% of the population. We aren’t even recognised as HUMANS, so I can only pray we get to a point where us Aboriginals in Australia are treated as well as native Americans (COMPARATIVELY)
One native (I’m Navajo) to another, my heart weeps for how badly Australian Aboriginals are treated to this day. I have an aboriginal friend and we’ve been online friends since 2014. We native Americans weren’t even given American citizenship or recognized as humans, much like your people until 1924. We also didn’t get the right to vote until 1948, but it is still a struggle to this day for us since a lot of us live far from voting polls and don’t have physical addresses. I just wanted to say that native people in America are treated very poorly and most tribe’s government and leadership are made up of awful, greedy monsters who alienate all of us. And when you said you wish your people could get the same treatment as us American native peoples, it reminded me of when I said recently, that I wish people gave us natives as much sympathy and treated us as good as they treat black Americans. We don’t get half the press coverage, recognition in the media and the idea of any reparations for us is nonsense or nonexistent to most. A lot of black people have been hostile to us natives over the past few years, calling themselves “the real native Americans” and us actual indigenous American people “fake Indians and liars”. These delusional beliefs mostly came from black Israelite beliefs, which are super racist and borderline insane. All we ask for is land back, our sacred sites be protected from destruction and for our greedy tribal leaders to use some of their resources and funding to give our people living in poverty basic electricity and water. I got a lot of slack for saying that because a lot of people think all natives are rich and own casinos and get paid by the tribe (most of us don’t get money or any benefits from our tribes and a lot of us who decide to stay on the reservation and not move to the city live in 3rd world poverty) I am 23 years old and grew up in that kind of poverty with no electricity or running water. A lot of my family still to this day don’t have running water or electricity. So yeah, just wanted to say I have a huge heart/fascination for your people and that us natives over here don’t have it very well here, either. A lot of us understand your struggle and frustrations. ❤✌🏽
@@r3dd3_2 vote was not even 6 months ago sadly. We still have children being taken from families, faced genocide & ‘native HUNTS’ Up till the 60s & still do this day aren’t even recognised as HUMANS in & on our own land.
😂 I'm part indigenous Australian/ Bundjalung & you're full of it. I've received housing, private school scholarships (St Joseph's), food,clothing, etc. More than I needed to set a good life for myself. FYI.. Under the Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1983, if land owned by an Aboriginal Land Council falls within a certain category, it is automatically exempt from rates and charges that may be levied by a Local Government Area or Water Authority. Taking into account the $300 million allocated for Indigenous housing and the $177 million underspend in 2021-22, the October 2022-23 Budget provides $1.1 billion more than the March 2022-23 Budget for Indigenous Australians-related matters, averaging $4.2 billion per year over the forward estimates. * I'm so glad Australia voted NO. That was not the way forward for us. Dont fall for the lefty nonsense, they've lost the plot. Jacinta Price, the only VOICE i heard making sense. 🦘
The fact that they’re on a reserve is so weird. Like they basically put them on an isolated piece of shit ass land and building these crappy ass houses.
These people who were treated so badly had to battle for Water Rights from the government? I guess this is an absolute concrete example of where trusting the government and politicians gets you! God bless and give nurture to these wonderful people ❤.
Most reservations are dirt poor especially in California smh Why? They deserve every single penny America has for what was done to them! This reservation is the best I’ve seen so far. Mot reservations are poor and almost abandoned which is sad. America should be ashamed! Smh
00:00 🕵 Unsolved Murders and Police Shootings 00:25 🛡 Understanding Native Reservations and History 01:43 🤝 Gila River Reservation Community Introduction 02:04 🏠 Visiting Grandma Sandra's Home 02:52 📘 Recommended Reading: Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee 03:45 💰 Tribal Casino Income and Community Benefits 04:29 🏡 Free Housing and Quarterly Stipends 05:00 🍽 Thanksgiving and Family Reunions 05:52 🌀 Mountain Spirit Legends 06:26 👵 Sharing Traditional Recipes 06:43 💡 Local Challenges and Crime 07:36 🚫 Alcohol Issues and Sobriety Achievements 08:10 🍖 Traditional Cooking and Recipes 08:58 🌪 Dust Storms and Environmental Challenges 10:02 🚩 Zone 6 Gang Affiliations 10:23 🔫 Historical Gang Presence 10:47 👮 Relationship with Police 11:17 🌜 Night Caution in the Circles 11:21 🏫 History of Boarding Schools 11:48 😢 Indian Boarding School Horrors 13:03 ⛪ Personal Views on Religion 13:18 🏒 Opinion on Sports Team Logos 13:35 🌀 Man in the Maze Symbolism 13:58 🚗 Stolen Cars and Bodies in the Mountains 15:00 🔍 High Murder Rates on Reservations 16:55 ⛰ Sacred Mountains and Interstate Dispute 17:09 🍫 High Diabetes Rates Among Natives 17:28 💔 Resentment Towards Europeans/White Culture 18:02 🗻 K Dak Mountain and Sobriety Journey 19:13 🌿 Drug Overdose and Recovery 20:00 🌌 Near-death experience and life change 20:25 💔 Discussing PTSD and cultural loss 20:55 🗣 Importance of language and traditions 21:14 🇪🇺 Impact of European colonization 22:10 🌍 Spiritual beliefs and social structures 22:25 🎰 Casino revenue and community benefits 23:06 🏡 Housing provided by tribal earnings 23:09 🏋 Staying active and combating diabetes 23:38 🎶 Going home song and episode wrap-up Key Moments by Agent Gold AI
I'm part native American. Creek Indian. These stories just make me so sad. Women disappearing and everything. I pray for them everyday. I wish everyone on the reservation was safe. This breaks my heart everytime. I can't ignore what happened to my people.😢😢😢😢
0:48 this idea that all of the native tribes welcomed europeans with open arms is completely false. sure they broke bread a few times but nothing like how theyre portraying. you really believe proud warrior/hunters who couldnt even stop fighing amongst their own people wouldnt attack a foreign threat>??? you really think they just gave the pilgrims turkeys and taught them how to farm? do you people not understand that europeans already understood how to navigate and farm better than the natives at that time...... lmao they were never having some kumbaya dinner with pumpkin pies by the campfire. they immediately went to war with one another . not thanksgiving dinner
You missed the point and some context. Native were traditionally healthy from eating wild game and growing whole foods like corn, squash, and beans. When natives were forced to be moved to reservations, often the New land that they lived on did not have access to water to grow food and did not have good soil to grow food either. This resulted in natives relying on government foods or cheap grocery store foods both of which tend to be very unhealthy like spam.
The American Indian Museum in Washington D.C. is operated and ran by Native Americans. "Cynthia Chavez Lamar is the director of the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian."
Most of the Elders I know , and have known, still refer to themselves as "Indian". You should watch an interview with Russell Means before he passed on, he felt the same way.
Prolly resentment and so much messed up things done in the past that when you get the “benefits” it actually do worse since drugs are easier to get and there’s no much coping mechanism that is put in place to help them. Look at it, when someone win a lottery, because of that “benefit” they can easily spend it all and messed up their lives too
Generational trauma ? 😂. I grew up poor AF, and generations of my family are poor AF. I am not.... and I didn't have any of those benefits, just no heat in the winter.
I am a conservative, and I have been watching your videos all day on my day off I like how you cover things without a political lens. And with such compassion, you’re a very smart dude and your personality is what allows you to do such a good job and your education.. thanks for doing this. This is what we need to bring community back together.
This video hit so close to home. I went to high school in Estrella. I remember my friends who lived in the new communities, were all assured that the mountains wouldn’t be blown up after the initial development, and of course they never followed their word. I remember when they were building the 202 and how long the construction was pushed back. I would drive through the rez without even realizing it as a young teenage girl. I remember people getting murdered in high school by the cartel. And I know of at least one man who murdered a girl on the rez back in 2018
As a mexican with native roots, I hate the victimhood and sympathy. We should've fought both harder, and more importantly smarter. It is what it is. We live in the best place on earth
Its funny you say "victim mentality" when school boarding happened recently in US history. "This is victim mentality, you lost your language by white people, loser ☝️🤓"
WRONG...! once you turn 18 you DO NOT get a House.. you have to have land..!!! GET YOUR INFORMATION RIGHT.. I was born raised here.. OMG I wish you people who come to Our Rez find or speak to REAL elders to tell you REAL truth..
Exactly. I also made a comment about Big Mike taking advantage of women in the sweat lodge. He trained me for a year and I trusted him but there are many times where I felt extremely uncomfortable and he would make me do things that I found out later we’re not traditional. Mind you I was naked in the sweat lodge.
@@mariajohnson9084 dog chill. You getting all upset when he was talking about that he said “from my understanding.” You’re the type of person that’s probably really hard to talk to because you miss the things like that small little things that make the context 😂
Thank you so much for making this documentary sharing how this beautiful people live, I have always felt identified with native Americans, sending you a big hug from Oxford, UK
The Ak Chin reservations are insane. They keep saying “casino” as if there’s just one.. it’s a chain of like 4 casinos and these reservations are basically IN Phoenix. Like these casinos are in the city. This video doesn’t do justice to it. You gotta understand they have land that cuts into the city. It’s prime real estate. The other tribes in Arizona are way worse off.
Thanks for this video. I’m Anishinaabe from Wisconsin and live down here in Phoenix. I don’t get to see much of my native relatives down here because they are different tribes and sometimes it feels like we don’t have much in common so it’s nice to hear about them and their tribe. Back home on my Rez we have murders left and right. People dying of over doses all the time. Through 2016-2018 it seemed like I lost a family member every month to murder or suicide or overdose. It’s such a huge problem in Indigenous communities. It’s one of the reasons I got sober. I been sober for 9 years. Thanks for highlighting our people!
Aaneen, ojib from Minnesota and a former resident of Phoenix
Btw congrats on sobriety! Yeah it's rough growing up native on a rez, you don't realize how bad it is until you grow up and look at it from the outside in, I'm off the rez only 18 miles but still feels like a different world.
Ayy a fellow Anishinaabe, which tribe? Im part Odawa
And really proud and happy you got sober brother. Much respect, my dad went through the same with alcohol, and many lines before. For me I had some issues with substances and sometimes alcohol, but I started asking myself “How would I live today if I cared about my life and future?” And broke the cycle.
I'm so very proud of You for getting sober. Alcohol is definitely, Bad Spirit Juice, it was responsible for taking my Sister and Brother early, both are dead. I have, 22 years sober this year. Our Tribes have to break this cycle of Alcohol and drugs taking our life source. We can't drink away the pain or History.
Bhoozoo cousin..I'm from Bay Mills rez in the upper peninsula. One of thirteen brothers and sisters and all of them gone within five years. Just me and an older brother left now but a shitload of cousins still alive and kicking on the rez! Nice to see a relative from Wisconsin here even though I don't really see you!
With how many different stories from so many different backgrounds I don’t think Tommy will ever run out of videos
Exactly lol 😂
He's got that A1 charisma.
All these people were conquered. My great-grandfather was full-blooded. Cherokee, Indian, we were conquered too.
What other countries gives their enemies that they conquered?
A free ride, Once you're 18 b*******, in my opinion.And these idiots are screwing themselves right out of it.Anyways, 45 more generations of ingredients or mixed breeding bill have no war.Indian rights it is anyways
I’m a native decented, I can take you to another tribe in North Dakota. I lost my step mom, my auntie, my uncle and another uncle all in the span of a couple years
Worked in North Dakota for 7 years a lot of our work was done in Mandaree pretty small place but met a lot of cool people there
Man that is wild. I am sorry this happened especially in such a short span of time.
@@anthonyn1157taco johns
@@anthonyn1157taco johns???
Prayers bro same shit in MN had 5 in the just in the last year n a half. Just from my little village on the rez n that’s only my family plenty more.
shout out to grandma sandra and her positive outlook, as well as her hospitality
the last guy was very genuine and i wish we had more people who spoke like him, much love tommy thank you for sharing this experience.
at least there is native-awareness going on in bigmedia..killers of the flower moon the new scorsese movie (its so horrible. it went on until the 20th century with horrible horrible cult tactics by english americans), the new true detective season and now tommyG.
i am a european in the EU but native americans have the best voice and soul. stand up proud and proceed your beautifull culture. dont let the drugs in. it is unleashed on everybody in big cities .
he's such a great singer too
They gave him chemo for having ptsd?! Sounds like malpractice by the doctors. Wtf
@@thomashauer6804>don’t let drugs in
Yeah you’re pretty late on that request. Drugs and alcohol run rampant on most rez’s. It’s a big part of the problem
@@thomashauer6804 You're german aren't you? I'm Mohawk and from my experience your comment about our voices and souls is something I've heard from many German tourists as Germany seems to have an infatuation with native American culture
Love from Upper Sioux Community! Tommy G thank you so much for speaking on boarding schools. My great grandmother was a victim and its frustrating when people act like we aren't feeling the consequences of it to this day
It's crazy how they want groups that have been victimized by them to just forgetaboutit or the later generations aren't impacted by these attrocities. #cut the check😏💪🏾
My shashony friend told me that Navajo pee on there food for seasoning lol idk if it's true
@@Sean-MacGuire leave them boys alone fee fee👨🏻🌾
@@Sean-MacGuireThat is not true. I am Dine and can tell you that that is just a mean lie.
🙏🏽🤍
@@goldeneagle2976 lol I thought so but they were really serious
Thank you for shedding light on our natives and the struggles they go through , growing up in cali just a couple of miles from the Rez, my best friend who lived there Roma disappeared and was never found. Idc what anyone says, if you’re an American you care about ALL of our people and Tommy is truly showing all sides.
issue is they want to portray it like white men are kidnapping these girls and its their own
It's their own people doing it. 86 percent
@@LordOfSweden so that makes it okay to not give justice to the families seeking it?
@@bhtezzo3638 nah but they are a bunch of spoiled brats, it's their own problem, yet they try to blame it some "muh colonization" or something
im also from that are. RIP max. There is no justice on reservations..
I am so glad you made this video! I am a native indigenous Plains Cree lady from Saskatchewan, Canada.
We have the same issues over here…especially with our reserves.
Multi-generational trauma is a huge issue for all First Nations Indigenous peoples.. i recommend a really educational movie you should watch about residential schools. It’s called “We Were Children”.
It really shows the raw, real hardships that native children had to endure.
When he said “I asked my grandma about it and she went quiet” it really hit hard.. that’s the case for my grandparents, as-well as thousands of others. 😢
Thank you, you have a beautiful soul. ❤
Thanks for posting I’m looking into that now!
God bless you.
Hey, I'm from Saskatchewan as well, from the northern area in the bush. But yeah, totally agree with you.
Thank you for sharing the name of this movie. I will try watching it. I tried watching another, but I could only take it for about 7 minutes. I think every single White-Eurocentric politician and their children should be forced to watch these films. I think these films should be mandatory American history curriculum.
I'm from nova scotia and i know how fucked up they were!
As a Hidatsa (Three Affiliated Tribes) and Lower Brule Sioux person and Addiction counselor, I appreciate your sensitivities and for covering this issue! Much love to my brothers and sisters in Gila River!
Sending love from Upper Sioux community
I lost my dad recently and him talking about his experience made me cry thank you for posting this keep up what your doing everyone enjoys it
I’m from Canada Saskatchewan and I’m native thank you for doing A video on us natives!! Love your videos Tommy
Sask represent !
Email him would love to see Canadian natives
same here! love to see it
Yo same here, from James Smith Cree Nation, Sask
My great grandfather was someone and I pretend I am too
I am Lakota Sioux and we are on the poorest reservation. We have nothing like this tribe. Our grandma’s, elders and children are in abject poverty. It is beyond sad. My favorite photo of my mother is her at maybe age 8 with thick beautiful braids. The next photo is at white man school her braids are gone and so is the light from her eyes. They killed the Indian spirit in her. I just cried. She never spoke of those days.until she was walking on (dying). The horror stories still haunt me. The black robes (priests) beat them with the Black Book (bible). . ❤️🙏🌹
I am now in PNW near Yakama Rez. I hold ceremony & sweat with them. Very friendly happy tribe. Our rez is in SD. I always make the fry bread. It’s my great-grandmother’s recipe. I use bison for my native tacos. Yummy!
Why not just be homeless out of reservation. Cause hell with that shit man
Very genuine story and honest. But please quit leaving a blame all the time the white settlers that came before were pure hostile which is how every race is
I appreciate your comment. I didn’t come out and blame anyone. Just stated what my Ina (mother) experienced. So much was taken or denied her because of her culture. Reservation life is not easy. We are a very poor reservation. However we were taught to forgive but never forget. When we forget the past it can be repeated. I have spent my life overcoming the same as anyone else. She was sent to white man school and unthinkable agony inflicted on the native children. A real fact and more truth is coming out. I can’t change the facts. My Ina didn’t say….. much until she was leaving this world. However there was always a haunting sorrow within her. Truth is blame one way or the other does nothing. I just shared what I glimpsed in photos on my Ina. RIP dear Ina. ❤️🙏🌹
I understand that thank you for your humility and i do respect the Lakota people just different views I'll get Better at communicating with other people i promise
I understand that thank you for your humility and i do respect the Lakota people just different views I'll get Better at communicating with other people i promise
Wow! Congrats to the big guy that went from 800lbs to 300. That’s amazing and I’m happy he made 70 years old and still sharing his knowledge and his story!
So true; The power of perseverance and staying in there!
That man is closer to the 450 500 pound range
Must have a very strong heart
Iam Native American and I have been waiting for you to drop one of these videos much love bro
More to come!
@@TommyGMcGeecome to the Navajo nation next!!
Same as well g
Me too!
@@TommyGMcGeecome to alaska! alaskan native shit can get crazy
long time viewer here- probably my favorite Tommy G video, felt deeper, more substance in it. Great stuff
I Am A Young 15 Year Old Native American From Warm Springs Indian Reservation In Oregon, I Like How People Like Tommy G Comes To These Places & Learn about The Natives & Community, It Would Be Cool To Get Our Reservation Out There On TH-cam
Hey! I have family there! Shout out
Such kind people ♥️
do you also get a free ride in life and still complain must be nice getting a free house and weekly pay check
Before my mother walked on we visited your rez and spent a couple days. Everyone we met was kind and we had a good time. ❤️🙏🌹
@@MDK808 your ignorance is showing.
Just stumbled upon your channel in my recommended. I think Tommy is the very different from other TH-camrs in a good way. ❤
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Tlooppo😊q😊ppppppp😊ppppppppp😊pppppput popooqpppp ooppppppppopoppppppppppprdrrrppppplppottrtttppppoolpopppe
P😊pppoppppopppppppppppp😊plan ppppoopppppppppopppppppprrrrttrytpppppppppppqpppppppoppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppoppppppppppppppppppppoposrrrrtpopo😊pppppppppppppppppopoppppppppppppppppppopppoopppp😊pprrrepoppp😊oooppppppppppppppppopppolpppopppppppppppppppppppppppppppppopppppopppplppppppppppp😊pppppppppppppppppopopppppppppppppppppppopppppoppppppppppppppopppppppppppppppopppppppryppppppppppppopppoppppp😊ppppppppppppppppppppopppoppppoppppppppppppppppppprdt
Hop off brodies 🍆
@@IWantToDieInNewOrleans Jesus loves you ❤❤❤
Grandma and Mike are the best !! So sweet love the hospitality
This is such an under covered issue! Thanks for shedding some light Tommy and Crew!
I absolutely love how you provoke thought & emotion with some of your questions, especially when you use scenarios that you know will really make people think deeply & understand things from someone else’s point of view.
Asking all the right questions! Tommy g keeps it real.
I have family on the Gila Reservation. At night go and sit in the cemetery and pray and listen to all the souls crying. It is so sad what happen in the old days. My husband is laid to rest with his whole family now. God Bless and respect our family
Prayers for protection and hope.
I'm a wounded knee descendant so I really appreciate you doing this video brother! You for sure a real one, much love ❤
I used to be a young adventurer like you
@@StephenGaySmithsome people know the truth for others they are on a KNEE’d to know basis!!
Is your leg a close descendant to your wounded knee? Because mine is! 😂😂😂
Some of the reservations I have driven through in southeast Oklahoma and in Montana/ Wyoming are sitting on the most picturesque land I have ever seen. Why don't they embrace this and encourage tourists? Especially the land around flathead lake, these people need to get with the program
@@BobBob-cx9wm a lot of people I know don't mind outsiders and want our culture and tribe known. (Meaning the older generation). Just the issue is getting our voices out more often. No one takes the native community seriously unless someone like Tommy comes around. A lot of messed up shit happened to my family in the past and still continue today, and same with my homies and their fam. We only 1% of the population.
Awww! I just came across your channel just now!!!! I love listening to my Elder's from every Nation! Thank You 🙏🏻!!!! ❤️🤍💛🖤
I randomly found you on TH-cam. Watched for the entertainment, came back for the vibes, and this video made me a subscriber. I’m Mexican and hella proud. Loved this video
I’m also Native American (Aztec) and I wanted to thank you for documenting and bringing awareness to our struggle! We all need to come together to solve our worldwide problems. Thank you again! A’ho!
I hope you don't mind me asking but where is your family from?
Mexico he's aztec that's not mainland US aztecs we're in Mexico. Not only that if he is Aztec he's bloodline is old old need to get Spain to make reparations
Did you take a DNA test to back your claim?
Government handing out freebies to you, some struggle.
@@jamie6387 ignorant
Hey Tommy! There are so many things wrong with Winnipeg Manitoba rn and I feel with the right video and awareness you bring, you’d make a huge change and inspire many young children who are lost! Many people I went to highschool with have already dropped out or just given up because they have no motivation. There’s a dark cloud over Winnipeg and this type of video would be amazing to look deeper into the TRUE problems of Winnipeg!
-If you read this thank you for taking the time of your day to read about my hometown! Thank you and have a wonderful year!
This is a video I was waiting for you to do. Thanks Tommy. Also I could listen to Big Mike for hours on end and not get bored. He's so good at telling that story.
I just moved to Arizona from out East. I work with a lot of Navajo and Hopi people. They are so sweet and I love talking to them and learning their culture and history. I had never worked with so many native people in my life. It’s so cool. A couple Navajo I work with actually invited me out to some native ceremonies, which I would love to see.
My German parents taught me to treat other people like I want to be treated. I followed their advice and found many good friends! 😊😊😊❤
As an Arizona native, I wanted to climb into my phone and yell at him calling Gila with a G and not an H sound like it should be.
lol same! Great video regardless of the gringo “G” sound
You’re more worried about the way he’s pronouncing your tribal name you should be more worried about your alcohol problem. It is a very serious problem.
@MrKurdkiller Whats serious too is what yall put us through for centuries and STILL now we're suffering for the consequences. Hence the alcohol and all that. Why do you think people drink?
@@anneliesejackson507 I know very well I’m married to one and I get it because they have gone through so much shit there own family abuse but it has to stop now ok no excuses
Alcohol issues or not bch…respect and pronounce my name properly
Thank you for bringing attention to us. Not a lot of people give us natives. I'm from Montana and wish more people would be aware enough to the trials we have to endure. Again, thank you, Tommy.
Unfortunately out here we’re having issues with the cartel running drugs and trafficking people on our reservations. That’s why I moved off the Rez lol
It’s not that we don’t care about natives but most of us are just working our way through our lives and don’t have contact with natives through anything but casinos. I’ve never felt there was an open invitation to visit or participate in the community. In Michigan all I hear about is tribal in-fighting about casino money distribution and how members are being kicked out due to not having pure genealogy.
It’s annoying because you didn’t go thru shit. It was your ancestors
Governments don't look at DNA for genealogy, they look at descendants. Cherokee say, " There's no part native , if you are your blood. "
*My god these Natives are given free money from multiple sources and still complain and drink or drug their money away...such a tough existence.*
Native tapping in from the Oneida Nation by way East Oakland, ca. Good lookin for this one man's. You a real one Tommy!
ayyyye im oneida from ontario just north of london 🔥
Oneida/poto . In wissscansin ..
@@grocker5382 i used to live in green bay fr
@@SakilaceDtm ayyyeeee was hatnin thoo mane.
@grocker5382 was good Playa lol
“Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee” is one of the saddest books I’ve ever read. It can also be infuriating.
I need to read that ❤❤
HBO did a good movie on it. The guys who played Sitting Bull and the guy who played Nelson Miles where top notch. Have no seen it in a long time but it's on TH-cam
I read that book at the Stewart Indian Boarding School near Carson City, NV. It was hard, it made me feel really sad for the ppl. From the first time I began practicing our traditional spirituality, I've always prayed for our past generations of families of all our Indigenous tribes. I'm Shoshone-Paiute from NV/ID.
I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again, what you’re doing is truly amazing. Keep up the great work man, this stuff is gonna make a difference sooner than later
it might make a difference . The military controls the internet, we have to be sure to share information in person as much as we are on the internet.
@@Portion2131 homie what
I am a Sicangu Lakota and i appreciate the love you're showing my fellow Natives.
my ex gf was sicangu lakota from rosebud and i’m paiute
@@thaevildoer that's cool AF bro
Just ordered a copy of "Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee"- thanks for the recommendation Tommy!
Check out “Through Indian Eyes” that one will really open up your eyes how insane the true history is of America! It's from Readers Digest it has a ton of pictures in it as well but it's so informative! It will bring tears to your eyes on what was truthfully done to all the Native people.
Hi. If you are interested here are some books that could help you understand deeper. Bury my Heart at Wounded Knee is the best start. All of the facts are sited and almost entirely from documents in the Library of Congress recorded by the US government themselves.
Others to read: Ceremony by Leslie Marmon Silko,
Where White Men Fear to Tread by Russel Means (RIP), and works by Ward Churchill his essays and books. Ward is a bit controversial because he speaks against actions of US government politics both on US soil and abroad and because his genetic link to native family line is hard to trace. I have been in a kitchen more than once hearing Elders say "he has always been good to us and we are good to him" and calling him Brother even after critisms against him. His writings are solid and well sited. That mattered to me.
"Custer Died for your Sins" is another good book.
So glad this is being shown with someone with a following. This is one of my passions. Learning the languages , culture, history, and also all the problems and atrocities that happened and are still happening with all the tribes. It takes more than a Google search.
Wowww. Props to you @TommyGMcGee for taking a trip to a reservation. I'm a white kid, born and raised in utah but i have half brothers and sisters that are half navajo. Their birth families are on a reservation and it's a totally different life. For starters, it's sad to see the life on the rez sometimes, but its enlightening at the same time. I appreciate you casting a light on the missing people. It's a fact that a majority of native missing cases go unnoticed to the rest of the country. Also, alcoholism runs in the genome, so our native brothers and sisters are more prone to addiction. I have dealt with this at a personal level, and appreciate the work that you do! Again, thank you for casting a light on the rez life, much love and much thanks!
yup. lost my dad to his addiction, it plagues so many native people. every native family member i have has either died to their addiction or they still struggle with it. also if you ask any native person if they know someone who has gone missing, the answer is always mostly yes. it's so sad and even sadder that nothing seems to be done about it. thanks tommy for making this video
The Dineh people are a very proud group tryin to keep their culture alive.
Source for alcoholism being in the genome???
@@Frostedflakes23434 No concrete source other than first person account. Ive read several studies on this topic, but they all seem inconclusive or somewhat vague. But theres a reason that alcohol is banned on reservations. I've seen people drink hairspray, or even hand sanitizer because they couldn't get ahold of alcohol. There was an old native american legend about "firewater" refering to alcohol, attempting to deter their loved ones away from alcohol use. I've heard others refer to being more prone to addiction of alcohol, one of whom was my own brother, a Navajo by blood, who battled addiction for many years. He's now 7 years sober and would agree, even though there is no concrete evidence that I'm aware of. It has to do with alcohol dehydrogenase.
I was able to find this wikipedia article refering to this exact thing, however: (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcohol_tolerance#:~:text=Alcohol%20tolerance%20in%20different%20ethnic%20groups,-See%20also%3A%20Race&text=Genetics%20of%20alcohol%20dehydrogenase%20indicate,compared%20to%20Europeans%20and%20Asians.)
@@ARich1819-enlightened born and raised Oklahoma grew up with Comanches, married a full blood Navajo. I just find it hard to believe it affects natives specifically more than any other. I honestly believe it’s a choice but I’ve seen both sides so we will just wait for science.
THANKS TOMMY FOR GIVING EVERYBODY THEIR OPPORTUNITY TO SHOW THEIR LIFESTYLES AND TELL THEIR PERSONAL STORIES.
Native here..appreciate you shedding light on these issues 🪶✊🏽
Thank you for this video Tommy! shedding some light on alot of the things that go on in indian country. miigwech from a Michigan Anishinaabe
I haven’t seen every single one of your videos; but this one is hands down my favorite thus far. Wishing you and your young family all the best.
Exactly what I thought. He has massive potential to deep dive into some areas in society and history itself that can really enlighten us. A lot better than the Kia boys sort of stuff in my opinion anyway.
Tommy, your respect, curiosity and thoughtful commentary are refreshing. Keep doing you brotha!
Navajo from Arizona here,keep shedding light homie. Awesome stuff.
Do u know any people from Chinle
What's your real name? Something like 2 dogs having incest huh..😅
@@MunnaHandLuke075lotta aunties there for sure
@@j.osh.4261 Milton Staley or LA Quinta YellowMan
Watching from Oxfordshire England Thank you for this wonderful video xx The man (who turned 70 is amazing !! ) A big Happy Birthday to him xx keep on doing what you’re doing ❤️❤️
I respect you even more after this video tommy! learning from history so similar mistakes don’t happen IS SO IMPORTANT!
Good to see you grow into what you’re doing now.. always unique topics, great coverage, & bringing gold to TH-cam. Keep on bro. Solid 💪🏼
i have a lot of respect for tommy and his team who go to areas where the peoples stories aren’t told and allowing them to speak for themselves
Thank you Grandma. You are a pleasure to visit. Best wishes and lots of luck and love to you and yours. Alberta Canada 🇨🇦
Hey Tommy, my first time seeing this video and I’m like woah. You did a great job. I live on the reservation with my mom and dad(Stepdad) Big Mike and we all watched it he listened. We all enjoyed this video and felt it definitely represented a lot that not many knows about it. This tribe (Gila River) has been through so much and had been damaged a lot. This is because of many things that the US Government has done. I remember driving my dad to the meetings for the battle against Loop 202. I remember the arguments it was a long process. There is so much. I would love to see the Navajo (Denea) I may of spelled that wrong. A lot happened due to COVID then there’s the pipe line problem that happen where Natives all over came to protest peacefully and were met with brutality. I have subscribed and I look forward to watching your videos.
I'm from Flagstaff, currently living in Phoenix, this is my new Favorite channel for sure!!! ❤❤❤
Tommy i got denied my request for time off from work otherwise id be out there supporting at the documentary screening! I hope you host other events so i can hopefully get a chance to meet ya. Love the work you do big dawg
Been on a marathon of watching your videos, love the content man. Keep doing what you do!
This is one of your best videos yet. Please keep it up and keep telling the history of why and how ppl are and end up in the situations they're in. 👏
It’s crazy how alcoholism not only affects the native peoples of the US and Canada but also all native descendants of the entire American continent. It’s become part of the culture of the indigenous peoples.
alcohol is only a problem when you have nothing else to do, no hobbies or other things in life. like going to a party and not talking to people, just drinking and drinking, walking around not eating and drinking on an empty stomach, drinking instead of going out and doing other things is destructive for any one with a broken soul and no properly socialized by parents with their own personality traits. poverty is universal and thats why herb and alc are promoted, so people dont get revolutionary ideas or question the distrobution of wealth. these people shouldnt be impoverished as the us strip mines their hills for gold and uranium, but again the same problems go on in the inner city and rural communities from ireland, to hong kong and africa.
I’m Navajo and I agree. Unfortunately.
Colonization, poverty and generational trauma is at the root of most of our problems including alcoholism. I just a family members from alcohol abuse who was sober for more than 30 years but they spiraled into addiction when they lost their wife to COVID.
I'm African and we also suffer from drinking malt is our fav 🤤💦
Let's be real it's every culture alcoholism is huge problem in men in general
@@SlumCut6661 my family is from El Salvador with Pipil and Lenca roots. That country has been through hell, from colonization, civil war, gang violence. A lot of trauma affected my family and to this day many relatives are dealing with alcoholism. One of them, my cousin just had to get a liver transplant due to cirrhosis of the liver from years of heavy drinking and he’s only 35.
I love how you relate everything to our lives nowdays. It's important to bring these issues to the forefront. I'm not much for history, but when you relate history to our current lives it creates empathy. Nothing but good can come from that, understanding another person, or another group of ppl. God bless your work.
great insight in this one. Really like how much research you did on topics before coming here. Keep up the good work man fr
Love grandma Sandra and love every person in this , I send you all a big hug ❤
Bro this is sick. You NEED to visit Pine Ridge, SD. The Black Hills alone. Crazy Horse, the history etc.
Already booked amigo! I’m excited!
@@TommyGMcGee that’s what’s up! Pine Ridge never gets the exposure it deserves. Stoked to see what you make!
I’m Navajo and I agree! Pine ridge deserves way more recognition and representation.
@@SlumCut6661 the last I remember anything mentioned was Gangland and the Wildboyz haha. I’m registered through my mother with Pine Ridge but raised in Rapid City. She and her family participated back in the Wounded Knee protests back in the ‘70s.
Sko to rapit cuzzin
Tommy, you’re such a great story teller, but an even greater listener. Thank you for taking the time to let those you interview speak freely and respecting them. Thank you also for preserving these stories and sharing a new perspective.
I respect your honesty about the good, the bad... all of it. Respect TommyG.
this is one of my fave episodes you have done, and ive been here since before u even did videos like this. grandma and last guy should have their own hour+ long interviews
Thank you for bringing this to everyone’s attention this needs more attention to what’s going.
all the attention and resources are going to illegal immigrants and black thugs
Found your channel a month or two ago, this was one of my favorite videos of yours. Informative, and respectful, hats off to you sir.
Don’t think all Native Americans get “free money” or “free housing” just don’t have to pay medical bills im native never got any money from them
The Rez I’m on average median income is 8,000$ a year
depends on the tribe and if your actually part of the "civilized tribes"
Seminoles here get 10k a month
@@rhicheythey are us citizens they can get Medicaid
@@jackdannyels5059 they? I'm cheyenne and arapaho
Love the book recommendations. It’s great to read and always be learning
Well done as ALWAYS. You have a wonderful kind spirit. 🔥💯✌️🫶
I'm a native from Zuni New Mexico. Love to see you go document the alcoholism and how the tribe has changed
THANK YOU!!!! I'm part Native as well and descended from some in the mid-west, and even if I wasn't part Native, I'd still appreciate you helping shed more light on a dark situation. I have friends from the 4-Corners area, missing / found passed on over the years. These situations were nearly all due to foul play. It has been tough, but more so for their families and those that had / have been closer to them. Haven't figured out why certain tribes have been targeted more so, as far as kidnappings and worse go.
Bless you and others for helping in so many ways, with so many things, also!! Prayers, blessings, hope, comfort, peaceful minds and healing, for everyone, always!! ❤️🌈🌈❇️❇️❇️❇️❇️
Thank you for going over this I am a native it doesn’t matter to be but to a lot of natives it does
I got you big dawg
@@TommyGMcGeecome to Winnipeg look it up on Google it's the most dangerous city of Canada I'm from Northside buddy
I’m native from siksika nation Alberta Canada can I’ve been watching Tommy g fir a minute and I appreciate this one fir reels things that are not talked about enough so shout out to you and your family 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽
I lived adjacent to the Gila River Reservation in Scottsdale for 13 years. I didn’t know missing indigenous members of the reserve were missing or killed.
It’s troubling that so many people don’t hear about them, not even from local tv stations. Troubling.
SRPMIC is adjacent to Scottsdale, not the GRIC.
@@JoeBat95 yes yes! Salt River Pima is there. Thanks!
@@stonechops of course. I'm in Tempe 👌
Please come to the Rosebud Sioux Tribe. Several families here with stories!! TOO MANY! thank you for your look into this epidemic among indigenous ppl!
I have not been there since 2004. Much of my family has walked on. I used to stay in touch with a few people and give money for elders for winter heat & food. There is a road named after my family on rez. I am in PNW 23 yrs now. I hold ceremony & sweat with Yakama. I am near their rez. They are a happy friendly tribe. ❤️🙏🌹
We have found success teaching about Red Road and inviting people in recovery or released from prison to join sweat lodge. We offer support and mentor them.
Hey Tom. I have 4 years of sobriety. I think you ask really great questions, hard questions but still in a positive polite way; Keep bringing light to these sensitive issues.
I live in north Casa Grande right on the edge of Gila River. I can literally walk onto the res from my house ( it’s pronounced “hila” btw) I drive through the res everyday to go to work in chandler. That reservation is dangerous. Sacaton is a town on the res right next to my house is similar to what you’d see in a third world country. As a white dude I would never go there at night. I’ve had to drive through sacaton to avoid traffic and it’s sketchy. I always have my pistol out. My wife is a nurse in CG and has had natives as her patients. They have a severe problem with alcohol and drugs.
“Had to drive through to avoid traffic” so you didn’t have to drive through? You keep your gun out? It almost seems as if you’re looking for a problem to have your hero moment or some shit.
@@fredbelanger2995 just didn’t want to sit for hours on a road blocked off by police for a car crash that was 10 miles from my house. I know a tribal member that’s a patient of mine from work and he told me to stay armed if I’m ever on the rez at night. I was just doing what he told me to because there are a lot gangs that get active at night. These reservations have their own police and me being white means that I’m not safe there. You don’t know the situation Freddy. Last thing I wanted was to have to use my weapon. I just wanted to get home so I could cook my wife food after her 12 hour shift working at the hospital bro. Stop with your nonsense
@@JÓfloinn victim mentality
Thank you for this. Hopefully you can do more tribes and Rez videos. Us indigenous people need to get this out there. ❤
I felt it when she said were all related. My wife an i watch you videos every week. We prefer vidoes like this over the hood lifestyle but All of them are great.
My great-grandmother was full-blooded Cherokee from Tennessee, and I love having Native American blood running through my veins. I followed their ways. Collect my own medicine and a lot of my food as my people did. Learned how to survive off the land with nothing. This is how I can pay the most respect to my people! God bless brothers and sisters! Keep it alive! The time of purification is near!
Edit: I quit drinking 7 years ago. I'm thinking because of the Native American blood, but my body could never handle it. I'd get drunk quick. Get hives sometimes like I was allergic. Remember any Native Americans out there. Alcohol was used against us. Quit drinking!
I must agree with you. I leave the Devil’s Brew alone too. Native blood takes little and drunk quickly. Leave alone!
I am in PNW at present. We gather herbs & roots too. Know which weeds to eat. Many very nutrient dense. Watch others kill them and shake my head. One day…..they may regret it. Our native prophecies are here. Buckle up!
Being Aboriginal in Australia it’s astonishing how well the native-Americans are treated comparatively to us from the governments. In regards to benefits given it’s amazing to see good things in place to help future generations.
Australia let the whole population vote on whether us as indigenous people should be recognised in our constitution & the country voted NO given that we’re only 3-4% of the population. We aren’t even recognised as HUMANS, so I can only pray we get to a point where us Aboriginals in Australia are treated as well as native Americans (COMPARATIVELY)
holy fuck, thats insane. and that still stands today? like thats recent? im alaskan native, so idk
One native (I’m Navajo) to another, my heart weeps for how badly Australian Aboriginals are treated to this day. I have an aboriginal friend and we’ve been online friends since 2014.
We native Americans weren’t even given American citizenship or recognized as humans, much like your people until 1924. We also didn’t get the right to vote until 1948, but it is still a struggle to this day for us since a lot of us live far from voting polls and don’t have physical addresses.
I just wanted to say that native people in America are treated very poorly and most tribe’s government and leadership are made up of awful, greedy monsters who alienate all of us.
And when you said you wish your people could get the same treatment as us American native peoples, it reminded me of when I said recently, that I wish people gave us natives as much sympathy and treated us as good as they treat black Americans. We don’t get half the press coverage, recognition in the media and the idea of any reparations for us is nonsense or nonexistent to most. A lot of black people have been hostile to us natives over the past few years, calling themselves “the real native Americans” and us actual indigenous American people “fake Indians and liars”. These delusional beliefs mostly came from black Israelite beliefs, which are super racist and borderline insane.
All we ask for is land back, our sacred sites be protected from destruction and for our greedy tribal leaders to use some of their resources and funding to give our people living in poverty basic electricity and water.
I got a lot of slack for saying that because a lot of people think all natives are rich and own casinos and get paid by the tribe (most of us don’t get money or any benefits from our tribes and a lot of us who decide to stay on the reservation and not move to the city live in 3rd world poverty)
I am 23 years old and grew up in that kind of poverty with no electricity or running water. A lot of my family still to this day don’t have running water or electricity.
So yeah, just wanted to say I have a huge heart/fascination for your people and that us natives over here don’t have it very well here, either. A lot of us understand your struggle and frustrations. ❤✌🏽
I live in Australia 🇦🇺 and I totally agree with everything u said.. and I voted YES
@@r3dd3_2 vote was not even 6 months ago sadly. We still have children being taken from families, faced genocide & ‘native HUNTS’ Up till the 60s & still do this day aren’t even recognised as HUMANS in & on our own land.
😂 I'm part indigenous Australian/ Bundjalung & you're full of it. I've received housing, private school scholarships (St Joseph's), food,clothing, etc. More than I needed to set a good life for myself.
FYI..
Under the Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1983, if land owned by an Aboriginal Land Council falls within a certain category, it is automatically exempt from rates and charges that may be levied by a Local Government Area or Water Authority.
Taking into account the $300 million allocated for Indigenous housing and the $177 million underspend in 2021-22, the October 2022-23 Budget provides $1.1 billion more than the March 2022-23 Budget for Indigenous Australians-related matters, averaging $4.2 billion per year over the forward estimates.
*
I'm so glad Australia voted NO. That was not the way forward for us. Dont fall for the lefty nonsense, they've lost the plot. Jacinta Price, the only VOICE i heard making sense. 🦘
Thank you for sharing this I’ve hade and aunt and cousin go missing in the Estrella mountains; It feels surreal recognizing locations and the people.
Even though they are close to the city, I have heard of more deaths in the Estrellas than any of the other ranges in AZ
The fact that they’re on a reserve is so weird. Like they basically put them on an isolated piece of shit ass land and building these crappy ass houses.
What do you mean? Since when do they not have the same right as everyone else to move or to get an education?
@@HarleyRunnerwhat tribe is that then?
they ask for the land, and never developed it😂.
The tribe leaders own the gane, trible counsil
@@you_tube6733 you don’t understand what it’s like until you meet the people and go there. Pretty easy to talk shit about things you don’t understand.
These people who were treated so badly had to battle for Water Rights from the government? I guess this is an absolute concrete example of where trusting the government and politicians gets you! God bless and give nurture to these wonderful people ❤.
1 like = 5 pushups
FU
Respect, Tommy. I appreciate how you show multiple sides of serious issues that mainstream reporters doesn’t.
Most reservations are dirt poor especially in California smh Why? They deserve every single penny America has for what was done to them! This reservation is the best I’ve seen so far. Mot reservations are poor and almost abandoned which is sad. America should be ashamed! Smh
00:00 🕵 Unsolved Murders and Police Shootings
00:25 🛡 Understanding Native Reservations and History
01:43 🤝 Gila River Reservation Community Introduction
02:04 🏠 Visiting Grandma Sandra's Home
02:52 📘 Recommended Reading: Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee
03:45 💰 Tribal Casino Income and Community Benefits
04:29 🏡 Free Housing and Quarterly Stipends
05:00 🍽 Thanksgiving and Family Reunions
05:52 🌀 Mountain Spirit Legends
06:26 👵 Sharing Traditional Recipes
06:43 💡 Local Challenges and Crime
07:36 🚫 Alcohol Issues and Sobriety Achievements
08:10 🍖 Traditional Cooking and Recipes
08:58 🌪 Dust Storms and Environmental Challenges
10:02 🚩 Zone 6 Gang Affiliations
10:23 🔫 Historical Gang Presence
10:47 👮 Relationship with Police
11:17 🌜 Night Caution in the Circles
11:21 🏫 History of Boarding Schools
11:48 😢 Indian Boarding School Horrors
13:03 ⛪ Personal Views on Religion
13:18 🏒 Opinion on Sports Team Logos
13:35 🌀 Man in the Maze Symbolism
13:58 🚗 Stolen Cars and Bodies in the Mountains
15:00 🔍 High Murder Rates on Reservations
16:55 ⛰ Sacred Mountains and Interstate Dispute
17:09 🍫 High Diabetes Rates Among Natives
17:28 💔 Resentment Towards Europeans/White Culture
18:02 🗻 K Dak Mountain and Sobriety Journey
19:13 🌿 Drug Overdose and Recovery
20:00 🌌 Near-death experience and life change
20:25 💔 Discussing PTSD and cultural loss
20:55 🗣 Importance of language and traditions
21:14 🇪🇺 Impact of European colonization
22:10 🌍 Spiritual beliefs and social structures
22:25 🎰 Casino revenue and community benefits
23:06 🏡 Housing provided by tribal earnings
23:09 🏋 Staying active and combating diabetes
23:38 🎶 Going home song and episode wrap-up
Key Moments by Agent Gold AI
You the best I wish I was able to just text you and tell you what video I want you to this to lmao if only!!!!
I'm part native American. Creek Indian. These stories just make me so sad. Women disappearing and everything. I pray for them everyday. I wish everyone on the reservation was safe. This breaks my heart everytime. I can't ignore what happened to my people.😢😢😢😢
0:48 this idea that all of the native tribes welcomed europeans with open arms is completely false. sure they broke bread a few times but nothing like how theyre portraying. you really believe proud warrior/hunters who couldnt even stop fighing amongst their own people wouldnt attack a foreign threat>??? you really think they just gave the pilgrims turkeys and taught them how to farm? do you people not understand that europeans already understood how to navigate and farm better than the natives at that time...... lmao they were never having some kumbaya dinner with pumpkin pies by the campfire. they immediately went to war with one another . not thanksgiving dinner
17:07
17:13 Absolutely zero self accountability
You missed the point and some context. Native were traditionally healthy from eating wild game and growing whole foods like corn, squash, and beans. When natives were forced to be moved to reservations, often the New land that they lived on did not have access to water to grow food and did not have good soil to grow food either. This resulted in natives relying on government foods or cheap grocery store foods both of which tend to be very unhealthy like spam.
CALLING NATIVE AMERICANS INDIANS IN 2024 IS CRAZY 1:26
The American Indian Museum in Washington D.C. is operated and ran by Native Americans.
"Cynthia Chavez Lamar is the director of the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian."
We can say it… you can’t. But was say NDN not Indian
Agree. I like being called Native. That's it. Lol
Most of the Elders I know , and have known, still refer to themselves as "Indian". You should watch an interview with Russell Means before he passed on, he felt the same way.
@leonceboudreauxwolf Same, but I feel like it's ok for Natives to say it, not as much everyone else lol
Native from Ontario here, glad you could cover issues that plague us still to this day
Lol free house, no bills, free healthcare, and 50k to start you journey. How do these people fail so horribly in life
A tiny thing called generational trauma.
Trauma my ass, get you s*** together and face reality for what it is instead of making up excuses for your failure@@alliekat85
Definitely the white mans fault🙄 as always.
Prolly resentment and so much messed up things done in the past that when you get the “benefits” it actually do worse since drugs are easier to get and there’s no much coping mechanism that is put in place to help them. Look at it, when someone win a lottery, because of that “benefit” they can easily spend it all and messed up their lives too
Generational trauma ? 😂. I grew up poor AF, and generations of my family are poor AF. I am not.... and I didn't have any of those benefits, just no heat in the winter.
I am a conservative, and I have been watching your videos all day on my day off I like how you cover things without a political lens. And with such compassion, you’re a very smart dude and your personality is what allows you to do such a good job and your education.. thanks for doing this. This is what we need to bring community back together.
I cant imagine being given $50,000 to help start my adult life. That would have been amazing!
Not true we don’t get that!!!
@@Bernella Then the video is false and should be reported for spreading misinformation?
Forreal
This video hit so close to home. I went to high school in Estrella. I remember my friends who lived in the new communities, were all assured that the mountains wouldn’t be blown up after the initial development, and of course they never followed their word. I remember when they were building the 202 and how long the construction was pushed back. I would drive through the rez without even realizing it as a young teenage girl. I remember people getting murdered in high school by the cartel. And I know of at least one man who murdered a girl on the rez back in 2018
As a mexican with native roots, I hate the victimhood and sympathy. We should've fought both harder, and more importantly smarter. It is what it is. We live in the best place on earth
Bro thank you, love seeing attitudes like this. All these always me I'm a victim losers are just that.. they're losers
@Edward_USMC13 mf school boarding wasnt long ago XD Native american couldn't speak their own languages til 90s
Its funny you say "victim mentality" when school boarding happened recently in US history. "This is victim mentality, you lost your language by white people, loser ☝️🤓"
WRONG...! once you turn 18 you DO NOT get a House.. you have to have land..!!! GET YOUR INFORMATION RIGHT.. I was born raised here.. OMG I wish you people who come to Our Rez find or speak to REAL elders to tell you REAL truth..
Exactly. I also made a comment about Big Mike taking advantage of women in the sweat lodge. He trained me for a year and I trusted him but there are many times where I felt extremely uncomfortable and he would make me do things that I found out later we’re not traditional. Mind you I was naked in the sweat lodge.
Yeah. So many whites think there's no cost if you live on the rez. Hub was Northern Cheyenne. It's different every place, though.
lol 24 min video and you found something to hate 💯💯 chill bruh
@@jordantilford9301 this is my COMMUNITY being on display so NO I'M NOT CHILLING BRO 🤬🤬🤬🤬
@@mariajohnson9084 dog chill. You getting all upset when he was talking about that he said “from my understanding.”
You’re the type of person that’s probably really hard to talk to because you miss the things like that small little things that make the context 😂
Natives are some good people
Thank you so much for making this documentary sharing how this beautiful people live, I have always felt identified with native Americans, sending you a big hug from Oxford, UK
so crazy how a white boy can get views for our culture but our native youth cant even do this to help our own people... brazy to me
Cause hes already popular with his channel bruh
50-150k to start your life and you still end up doing and being nothing.
The Ak Chin reservations are insane. They keep saying “casino” as if there’s just one.. it’s a chain of like 4 casinos and these reservations are basically IN Phoenix. Like these casinos are in the city.
This video doesn’t do justice to it. You gotta understand they have land that cuts into the city. It’s prime real estate.
The other tribes in Arizona are way worse off.