Tocobaga - Tumblr Posts
I am not a religious person but god damn there’s a lot of irony and parallels in this world that just don’t seem like coincidence. As far as God or deities go I don’t think they’re real. I don’t think there’s a higher power. I am scientific-minded. BUT, there’s something about Indigenous beliefs that never falters.
I’ve lived most of my life here in Tampa Bay. A lot of us know about the Tocobaga burial grounds. There’s a legend that they’re blessed and that blessing is what protects the Tampa Bay Area from direct hits by hurricanes.
Last year, some dumb fuck destroyed a mound to build a driveway. The four people living there before had never touched it. They respected it. Then this happens. The burial grounds have been disturbed before but unintentionally. This person intentionally disrespected a grave.
Now, there’s a Cat 5 hurricane, the fourth strongest in history, barreling towards Tampa for the first time since 1921. You cannot convince me that’s a coincidence. I am a reasonable woman and because of that I am superstitious. I have long been an advocate for Indigenous rights and the Land Back movement. I do my best to be as respectful as possible to earth and life around me. Never before have I found myself drawn to religion but, every time I find myself questioning my sanity or my beliefs, I find it has something to do with Indigenous Americans. That’s not coincidence, that’s a pattern. Patterns mean something. I think it’s time I learned more about the spiritual side of Native American history.
I kept this in drafts for after the hurricane but now there’s an update! The streak continues and the offerings worked! Tocobaga protects us yet again.
The cranes, who symbolize longevity and resilience in Native American culture, were taking their time to stay behind and warn us. I don’t care how skeptical you are about spirituality, there are some things that just can’t be explained. Personally, I like to imagine this is how the Tocobaga rub it in our faces. They deserve that satisfaction.