Cultural connections

Don Standing Bear Forest greets the crowd at the Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum before his opening remarks discussing his book,

Don Standing Bear Forest greets the crowd at the Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum before his opening remarks discussing his book, "Warrior in Two Worlds: Healing from Broken Ways," for Indigenous Peoples' Day on Monday, October 14, 2024. His book explores living in two worlds as mixed with Native and non-Native heritage. GEOFF FORESTER—Monitor staff

Author Christine Nih’Shaw addresses the crowd at her presentation at the Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum for Indigenous Peoples' Day on Monday, October 14, 2024. Nih’Shaw has written books for both children and young adults and is a boxer.

Author Christine Nih’Shaw addresses the crowd at her presentation at the Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum for Indigenous Peoples' Day on Monday, October 14, 2024. Nih’Shaw has written books for both children and young adults and is a boxer. GEOFF FORESTER—Monitor staff

Don Standing Bear Forest signs his book,

Don Standing Bear Forest signs his book, "Warrior in Two Worlds: Healing from Broken Ways," at Indigenous Peoples' Day, celebrated at the Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum on Monday, October 14, 2024. His book explores living in two worlds as mixed Native and non-Native heritage. GEOFF FORESTER—Monitor staff

Don Standing Bear Forest shows his wrist band in both red and white representing his mixed heritage at Indigenous Peoples' Day, celebrated at the Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum on Monday, October 14, 2024. His book explores living in two worlds as mixed Native and non-Native heritage.

Don Standing Bear Forest shows his wrist band in both red and white representing his mixed heritage at Indigenous Peoples' Day, celebrated at the Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum on Monday, October 14, 2024. His book explores living in two worlds as mixed Native and non-Native heritage. GEOFF FORESTER—Monitor staff

Don Standing Bear Forest holds up a copy of the Argus-Champion newspaper at the Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum before his opening remarks discussing his book,

Don Standing Bear Forest holds up a copy of the Argus-Champion newspaper at the Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum before his opening remarks discussing his book, "Warrior in Two Worlds: Healing from Broken Ways," for Indigenous Peoples' Day on Monday, October 14, 2024. His book explores living in two worlds as mixed with Native and non-Native heritage. The paper had a front page cover of him from the past. GEOFF FORESTER—Monitor staff

Don Standing Bear Forest walks up to the podium at the Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum before his opening remarks discussing his book,

Don Standing Bear Forest walks up to the podium at the Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum before his opening remarks discussing his book, "Warrior in Two Worlds: Healing from Broken Ways," for Indigenous Peoples' Day on Monday, October 14, 2024. His book explores living in two worlds as mixed with Native and non-Native heritage. GEOFF FORESTER—Monitor staff

Author Christine Nih’Shaw shows her warrior markings on her eyes and chin after her presentation at the Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum for Indigenous Peoples' Day on Monday, October 14, 2024. Nih’Shaw has written books for both children and young adults and is a boxer.

Author Christine Nih’Shaw shows her warrior markings on her eyes and chin after her presentation at the Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum for Indigenous Peoples' Day on Monday, October 14, 2024. Nih’Shaw has written books for both children and young adults and is a boxer. GEOFF FORESTER—Monitor staff

By GEOFF FORESTERand ARIANNA MacNEILL

Monitor staff

Published: 10-14-2024 4:29 PM

Growing up with both Native American and white ancestry in the 1950s, Don Standing Bear Forest said he was made to feel that he didn’t belong in either space.

“Many of us are mixed Native and mixed Caucasian, non-native,” he said. “Growing up mixed blood, I wasn’t accepted in the white community, I wasn’t accepted in the Indian community.”

It’s an issue he explores in his book, Warrior in Two Worlds. Published in 2022, the book delves into his personal journey of healing and also becoming active in Native American communities. He also considers how to balance traditional Native American culture with the modern world.

He spoke about his book, and his life experience, during the Indigenous Peoples’ Day events at Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum on Monday. To celebrate, the museum featured five authors who talked about their books and Native culture.

Christine Nih’shaw, who writes young adult and children’s books, was also one of the authors featured at the event.  An advocate for preserving Native American languages, she spoke about the importance of keeping Native languages alive.

“When you lose a language, you lose your culture,” she said. “There are certain words that simply do not translate into English or another language. They are spiritual words. They are connected to that indigenous tongue. So it’s very important for me to keep these languages alive and therefore also preserving our culture, our heritage, and just who we are at our core, who I am at my core.”