One of the most damaging pieces of colonization is that it mistakes relationships for ownership and vice versa.

They often spread the myth that Native Cultures have no real concept of ownership, but I would suggest that it is simply that European cultures have no real concept of relationship.

When we talk about certain stories having a relationship with certain families, they scream, "you can't own stories."

As if a relationship is ownership.

Look at their entitlement towards spouses, children, land, nonhuman people, and the words, attitudes, expectations they use in/towards those "relationships."

They are claiming a title not protecting a bond/connection.

The culture is obsessed with having and taking ownership of all kinds of things.

It would be fascinating to see a culture so devoid of even the concept of relationship without ownership, if they weren't in the middle of trying to own us all.

Relationships take
work,
acceptance,
up keep,
listening,
collaboration,
consent.

All things their society struggles to teach.

But maybe I'm just tired, tired of everyone I meet trying to find ways to own the parts of me they feel entitled to.