By Joseph M. (Tohono O’odham Nation)
As a Native person traveling on my own tribal nation and ancestral lands, I never thought I would be questioned about my citizenship. Our land and our Tribe existed long before borders, checkpoints, or immigration agencies. Yet these are the same concepts that are ravaging our nation and my community. Recently, I passed through a border checkpoint on my home, the Tohono O’odham Nation, where I was briefly searched and questioned about whether I am a United States citizen.
On the surface, it may seem like a routine check or interaction. But I have gone through these checkpoints countless times without being stopped, questioned, or searched. This time it felt much deeper. This stop was not about confirming my identification — it was about displaying power. It was about viewing Indigenous people as outsiders on their own homeland.
In that moment, as the agent stopped me, told me to roll down my window, leaned his head inside my vehicle an inch from my face, and asked me if I was a U.S. citizen, I experienced the worst fear I have ever felt. Everything seemed to slow down, and horrible outcomes filled my mind. All because of how I look and because my home resides close to the border, it gave him the authority to question me.
This encounter stayed vivid in my mind with me long after it ended. I reflected on how this happens to my people with Border Patrol daily — and now it was my turn.
This same behavior now extends nationwide. These experiences are no longer isolated; they have become a pattern, affecting many people of color, including students, elders, and families, placing them in vulnerable and unsettling situations.
We must embrace the National Day of Racial Healing. We must reflect honestly on the harm that is taking place today in our nation and the harm that still exists in our society to move forward.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. reminded us that progress has never come without sustained, nonviolent pressure. By sharing our experiences and stories, we can apply pressure — not through anger, but through using our voices to share the truth.
I share this experience not to instill fear or heartbreak, but to encourage understanding. Racial healing begins when our stories are heard and acknowledged. It grows when people across communities listen, learn, and hold systems accountable, working together.
