I was invited to host ChoiceMedia.tv's “Story of the Day” for Oct. 8, 2018 — yesterday. So, I did.

I chose to discuss a story from the Des Moines Register about an Iowa-based gun dealer that has donated nine AR-15 rifles to school resource officers in Bismarck, ND. The donation came in response to the Bismarck Police Department’s request for funds for the assault rifles and “other equipment” for school safety back in August.

Intentionally bringing assault rifles into schools is terrifying and ridiculous. I have three kids, and no child of mine will ever set foot in an armed school. It concerns me that I have a child even in the same nationwide system of public schools as this decision, let alone in the same school building.

This already-bad situation is made worse yet by the fact that this is the same Bismarck Police Department that was violent with water protectors in Standing Rock not long ago. So we know we can trust them to use these weapons well, right?

Woof.

Instead of dwelling on the horror of our actual current reality, I would like to encourage you to not let the idea of Indigenous Peoples Day just sit in the past until next year’s special day. One way to take something forward from here throughout the next year is to familiarize yourself with even a tiny sampling of the many brilliant Indigenous folks out there boldly doing their thing, and to add a few authentically Indigenous-led publications to your reading list.

Here are links hanging behind me in the video, to save you from the poor-but-understandable excuse of not checking them out because you would have had to pause the video and re-type them:

• Ruth H. Hopkins

• Gyasi Ross

• Daniel Buswell

• Frank Waln, a Sicangu Lakota hip-hop artist and producer, who released a song yesterday with help from a group of kids from the Pine Ridge Reservation.

• L’eau Est La Vie Camp (@NoBayouBridge Water Protectors)

• Last Real Indians

• Lakota Country Times

Who am I missing? Who else should I be following or reading?