Sacred Honor for Members of Turtle Island Hand Talk
A Consensual Agreement and Gratitude of Elders and Members of TIHT
Our primary focus is on the priorities of TIHT as a whole and all other issues are secondary. No one is above the other and we strive toward harmony as togetherness. All of us come with different backgrounds and we have our own journey. Each of us is significant and we shall come together as one family.
We are inclusive of Indigenous people in all walks of life. We do not discriminate on the basis of one’s skin color, disability, communicative abilities, two-spirits, and/or hearing abilities. We do not discriminate
based on tribes, ages, genders, and all identities are welcomed.
We encourage outside non-members to abide by our sacred honors to ensure TIHT members and its community are protected.
We focus on building positive public awareness that is the responsibility of all and we refrain from all
negativity that might harm us as members of TIHT.
We recognize our respectful roles in neutrality and unbiased listening of healing conservations with each other, our elders, and/or with our working members of TIHT. We respectfully reserve the rights to summon a signing circle when needed throughout the year.
We strive to help bridge the gap between our self-interests, our individual work, and what belongs to
the TIHT community. Any individual work we do on behalf of TIHT belongs to its members and the community as whole.
We encourage others to abide, follow, and support our Indigenous ways with the right to be included
without harm, discrimination, hardships, and/or hostility toward one’s indifferences, tribal culture, and/or
with other outside memberships.
We do not speak for TIHT instead we refer back to our members as a collective whole. Any member may wish to remain silent without due harm, harassment, and/or recuperations. No one shall be forced to speak/sign up or to speak/sign out.
We must learn from each other’s mistakes and help each other grow without undue criticism, shaming,
or scorning one’s weaknesses.
We agree to abide by the request TIHT of any member to leave our TIHT community until further healing can be developed and we respect any member returning without re-accusations of past mistakes or healings.
We abide by the use of ASL and English languages for any communications to the best of our abilities. We shall strive to use pictures, video descriptions, and texts for Deaf and hearing low vision and blind members.
Stoodis
TIHT 