Emily Wu

“We don’t live in two worlds. We live in one world. We don’t have to code-switch to make it out there. We don’t have to maintain a dual consciousness. People from other cultures don’t have to sacrifice theirs to enter our world, and natives don’t have to sacrifice their cultures to navigate the modern world. We can be exactly who we are—exactly who the creator wanted us to be—and thrive.”
― Anton Treuer, The Cultural Toolbox: Traditional Ojibwe Living in the Modern World

“Connection and culture live inside of us. Having a rich cultural life is not just about looking out and looking for; it is about looking within. We can do that where ever we live. The awakening is healing and empowering.”
― Anton Treuer, The Cultural Toolbox: Traditional Ojibwe Living in the Modern World

“There has always been a fuss. The difference is that now you and others are listening.”
― Anton Treuer, Everything You Wanted to Know about Indians But Were Afraid to Ask

“Here in the United States, very little effort has been made to voice formal apologies, make reparations, or pass political mandates about education. Yet this country was founded in part by genocidal policies directed at Native Americans and the enslavement of Black people. Both of these things are morally repugnant. Still I love my country. In fact, it is because I love my country that I want to make sure the mistakes of our past do not get repeated. We cannot afford to cover over the dark chapters of our history, as we have for decades upon decades. It is time for that to stop.”
― Anton Treuer, Everything You Wanted to Know About Indians But Were Afraid to Ask: Young Readers Edition