Kalehia was warmly embraced by family when she stepped off boat at Kumalo, Moloka’i, onto her one hānau, the sands of her birthplace. Mom prattled on about her timing being perfect because, with Melenahe getting married and moving to Oʻahu, Kalehia could be a new apprentice to her growing lāʻau lapaʻau...
In the three plus years of working beside her, Kalehia had managed to successfully suppress her feelings for Tanisha Begay. After graduation, she couldn’t manage it for another minute. Fortunately, she didn’t have to. It was Begay who made the first move. They became lovers. It happened quickly. As they...
Six months later Kalehia returned home, exhausted after a long day of at the lab, topped off by an evening staff meeting. It wasn’t the job that tired her, or the hours. It was the ongoing challenge of working next to Begay, day after day, week after week, while keeping her feelings in check. Straddling...
Kanaka Maoli Cultural and Language Advisor: Bryan Kuwada As it turned out, events happened in the order Hiko had described. The job offer she least wanted came first. Kalehia’s anxiety rose to record heights when she declined it, but she realized the stress of working a job she didn’t like could trigger...
As she stepped out of the shower, she sensed a presence. Someone was in her casita. This was her worst nightmare: trapped in the bathroom, naked, without her cell. Where did she leave it? The desk? The nightstand? She didn’t remember. She hurriedly slipped on a sundress, uncaring that it clung uncomfort...
Black/Indigenous author Zainab Amadahy (Cherokee/Seminole/Pacific Islander) is an author of screenplays, nonfiction, and futurist fiction. Her opinion pieces, editorial and creative work has been featured in MUSKRAT Magazine in the past. MUSKRAT Magazine is excited to feature Zainab’s latest futuristic...
Bridget George wrote and illustrated her first book, It’s a Mitig published in 2020. It’s a Mitig is available now in stores and online to purchase. George created It’s a Mitig for her son to help connect him to his culture and language and by writing this book it allowed many other readers, young and ....
MUSKRAT Magazine’s Akeesha Footman interviewed esteemed researcher, teacher, artist and author Dr. Jenny Kay Dupuis, about her new book, I Am Not A Number. Dr. Dupuis along with co-author Kathy Kacer, crafted a powerful book based on the life of Dupuis’ grandmother. The story brings to light a terrible...
Between the years 1915 and 1918, several members of the Rama First Nation worked with George E. Laidlaw, a retired army colonel and semi-professional archaeologist in an ethnographic project aimed at the preservation of Anishinabek stories. Together, the team was able to collect and recount over 100 sto...
Colonization Road Premiere’s at imagineNATIVE film + Media Arts Festival October 23rd, 2016 MUSKRAT Magazine’s Akeesha Footman caught up with actor, producer, singer and director Michelle St. John to learn more about her new documentary Colonization Road. The powerful documentary follows hilarious...
