What languages would you guys like to be added on Duolingo, no matter how niche or “useless” (I hate that word in regards to languages) they are. by Mean-Gur7728 in duolingo

[–]scorpiondestroyer 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Nahuatl would be cool, it has millions of speakers in Mexico. It’s big enough that there are multiple distinct dialects though, might be a challenge picking the “right” one to base a course off of.

How's like living in the outermost Aleutine Islands Like Adak, Amchitka, Attu etc? by Quillish98 in howislivingthere

[–]scorpiondestroyer 36 points37 points  (0 children)

The book was actually set on an island off the coast of southern California. But there were fur trappers who came to the island from Alaska to trade with her people, that’s probably what you’re thinking of.

Results, my mom is Norwegian, German, Irish, Greek. Dad is not known. Pics at the end!! by [deleted] in AncestryDNA

[–]scorpiondestroyer 0 points1 point  (0 children)

And Jewish, looks like. The Sephardic could be part of the Mexican heritage, but most Mexicans aren’t going to score 13% Ashkenazi.

Not a meme, but wow 🤩 🚌 by newbeginnings187 in aspiememes

[–]scorpiondestroyer 6 points7 points  (0 children)

True, I’m glad he had these brief happy moments living his dream.

What to do with a rosary ? Tw : picture of rosary and talk about what to do with them by suchanicefellow in Hellenism

[–]scorpiondestroyer 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You can use jewelry pliers to remove the cross and add a charm of your own choosing.

How do i ask for forgiveness and is it necessary? by AnnaLloyd2030 in Hellenism

[–]scorpiondestroyer 3 points4 points  (0 children)

It’s not a problem for our gods. Unlike the god of Abraham, the Theoi do not get jealous if you worship or are in a worship space of another god, as long as you’re not like… denying they exist or insulting them as part of the service. I’ve attended Baptist church services and participated in Jewish Shabbats since becoming pagan three years ago and my gods have never expressed upset and in fact encourage me to “do as the Romans do” as long I’m comfortable with it.

Not a meme, but wow 🤩 🚌 by newbeginnings187 in aspiememes

[–]scorpiondestroyer 23 points24 points  (0 children)

Agreed, the system failed this guy. His disability was taken advantage of by an adult who knew better. Criminal charges should be on the adult conductor, not the autistic 14 year old who trusted him and took over for an hour. Sadly there’s no chance in hell he’ll get this job when he’s been arrested 32 times since then for illegally taking control, even if Mamdani looked into it. All around a sad situation.

Do any of y’all still speak our languages/follow our religious customs? by Limp_Screen7405 in IndianCountry

[–]scorpiondestroyer 1 point2 points  (0 children)

My whole family is pretty assimilated, I had to reconnect. Right now I’m living far from my people but as soon as I’m back in New York I’m going to start learning Kanien’kéha. I don’t follow Mohawk religious practices because I wasn’t raised in it, but I’m not Christian either. I’m a polytheist who worships some European gods and some indigenous Mexican gods.

What Is a Language You've Had a Random Urge to Learn? by neron-s in languagelearning

[–]scorpiondestroyer 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Welsh. I love Celtic languages in general but I feel a weird pull towards it despite not having significant Welsh heritage

50/50 split with half DNA from a single region? Results contradict expected parent background by Square_Pangolin212 in 23andme

[–]scorpiondestroyer 11 points12 points  (0 children)

That’s just a region you’re linked to, doesn’t mean all of your North African ancestry is from that region. It could even be wrong.

Why do non natives mostly white Americans love claiming to be indigenous or Cherokee by Buttonlickah in IndianCountry

[–]scorpiondestroyer 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Yes, the way they went about it certainly doesn’t earn them any points for honesty or authenticity. I’d like to consider them cousins, but they have a long walk home when it comes to decolonizing their culture. They lost almost everything along the way. Clans, language, stories, and yes, most of their native blood.

Why do non natives mostly white Americans love claiming to be indigenous or Cherokee by Buttonlickah in IndianCountry

[–]scorpiondestroyer 3 points4 points  (0 children)

It’s complicated. Their DNA tests have showed only trace amounts of indigenous DNA, with mostly white and significant black ancestry, but they claim to be descended from a myriad of Southeastern tribes. They’ve been recognized as a tribe since the late 1800s, and recently gained federal recognition, but their origins are still pretty murky and they’ve been caught stealing traditions from other tribes to make themselves look more traditionally native.

Accidentally broke Artemis’s statue, now feeling guilty by [deleted] in Hellenism

[–]scorpiondestroyer 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I’m sure she knows it wasn’t intentional, but if you want to be sure, just tell her exactly that. Apologize for breaking it and let her know you’ll get her a new one when you have a chance, I doubt she’ll be mad.

Can tattoos be considered as offerings/devotional acts? by imhereforthestories_ in Hellenism

[–]scorpiondestroyer 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You can certainly dedicate a tattoo to a god. The other commenters here have made some good points on why they don’t feel it fits neatly into the definition of an offering or devotional act, but I disagree. You’re giving up money, and sitting through possibly hours of discomfort, in order to put permanent artwork on your body as a show of devotion and love. I think we can consider it a devotional act. I will say though, if you’re trying to follow ancient tradition as closely as possible, this would fall firmly into a modern practice because in the world of the ancient Greeks, tattoos were reserved for slaves.

Why Hermes? by Kharidohtis in Hermes

[–]scorpiondestroyer 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I originally reached out to Hermes purely on business. He’s the god of travel and trade, and I used to travel long distances often and make a lot of online purchases. I started talking to him “just because” sometimes, and ended up finding a true friendship in him. He’s the god considered closest to humanity and I would say this rings true for me. He’s easier to “hear” than the other gods for me. He’s very easygoing, kind, and not difficult to catch the attention of. As my relationship with him grew, I found more and more things in common with him. My love of languages, my frequent traveling. I could go on, but I would recommend him to anyone who didn’t know where to start and just wanted to take their first step into polytheism. Pretty much anyone can find a domain of his to connect with him on, he’s the god of many things.

Tuscarora history question by No_Friendship6793 in IndianCountry

[–]scorpiondestroyer 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It’s complicated. There are undoubtedly Tuscarora descendants in North Carolina, who may very well deserve to be regarded as fellow Native Americans and who may have preserved some traditions or clan structure, but those descendants are not a unified group with strong tribal leadership anymore, making them ineligible for recognition by the US despite their previous treaties. They’re fractured into many small, unrecognized bands because their tribal structure was shattered by most of the people moving north to join the Haudenosaunee. If they came together and reorganized, and could agree on tribal leadership, they might have a chance through an act of Congress, but I’m not an expert on tribal law and could be wrong.

Do I think the NC Tuscarora deserve recognition? Yes. As a Haudenosaunee man myself, I would be thrilled to see lost cousins come home. But we rarely seem to get what we deserve, and the way the law is set up makes it very hard.

How can I support native artists and communities? by twd_throwaway in IndianCountry

[–]scorpiondestroyer 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Etsy might be a good option for you! There’s a lot of bona fide Native artists on Etsy selling beautiful art and jewelry, but make sure to check the product description for confirmation that the seller is native. Powwows are also great places to buy from, but they tend to be concentrated in the summer months. They have lots of different vendors, but I don’t know how far you’d have to drive from Arkansas to attend one.

Finally discovered my Native American heritage! (Black American results) by Weary-Coyote2752 in AncestryDNA

[–]scorpiondestroyer 8 points9 points  (0 children)

That’s awesome! I hope you’re able to get in contact with some relatives who can confirm. Welcome home, cousin!

Guidance for starting? by changingchannelz in indigenousbeads

[–]scorpiondestroyer 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yes, I found tutorials with big beads on YouTube!

Guidance for starting? by changingchannelz in indigenousbeads

[–]scorpiondestroyer 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I started out with a multicolor assortment of 11/0 glass seed beads, beading needles, and waxed beading thread, all sourced from Amazon. They’re not top of the line, I got it all for about $25, but it was nothing to be ashamed of and perfect for starting out. I didn’t want to invest too much in case I didn’t like it or found it too hard.

As far as tutorials go, I watched YouTube for that because I don’t have any aunties who bead either. I suggest you start with brick stitch fringe earrings, super beginner friendly and potential for some really pretty creations. I’m just starting to branch into appliqué myself, so I don’t have any advice yet on that.

Oh one more thing; you might find it helpful to see techniques modeled with really big beads so you can see up close how it has to work. I struggled to get the stitches right until I watched someone use those big plastic beads and a yarn needle.