Elyssa, you are an inspiration to all-Indigenous and non-Indigenous alike. While your story was difficult to share, I was so impressed that you spoke with such passion, clarity, courage, and strength. You are not those statistics. You are not the things that you fought through. Instead, you are a true reminder of the resiliency of Oceti Sakowin people. With the fire in your heart to make a difference, you and other young leaders like you, will bring about massive positive changes in your communities. And through that change, you will not lose, but strengthen the already wonderful heritage of your people. Thank you for your powerful message.
Miss Concha I came across this video while looking for something else and I just wanted to tell you that your story brought me to tears. Your incredible bravery in telling it in public in front of cameras is truly awe-inspiring. I am not Native American and I am old enough to be your father and while I have two sons I do not have a daughter but if I did I would want her to be you. Not like you, but you. You are beautiful and strong and wise and the things that you have overcome mean that you can do anything. Thank you for letting me see your wonderful spirit. I have renewed hope for this planet!
I applause you for your strength of overcoming hard phases you never should had to gone through. And I applause your for surpassing those expectations. Thank you for sharing your story❣️
First of all, thank you for sharing your stories with the rest of the world, you are one of the very few native women that are brave, beautiful from the inside and out, please do not let anyone or anything tell you differently. I hear your pain, and I see your struggle and at the same time, I can see that you already made a difference in your life and our future generation, so please don't stop what you're doing. I told by my loved ones in the past that, as long as there's air in my lungs, there's always hope. I'm working with our youths here in CA as a Wellness Case Manager, the biggest reservation in California, and I live in the reservation. I see their struggles, I see their pain, I see their sadness, and I see that some of them are dabbling with drugs and alcohol as young as 8 years old, we have a very tough job to do, and I get up in the morning knowing that I need to fight for them, knowing that people they love keeps letting them down, knowing that the people that they trust always lets them down, but every day I'm fighting for them, and they know that they can come to me without judgment, without stigma and with caring in my heart. thank you.
Thank you for sharing your story Elyssa. I know that what you shared was not easy by any means to share, but I know that your story will bring hope to many Native Americans who are struggling. Thank you once again. I am not Native American, but I stand with you all. I am always thinking about you.
Wopila Tonka Wankan Wiya, I looked at the elders and seen them smile. I thought to myself. If they can make it to this old age and still smile and laugh, despite all the hardships they endured I to could endure what colonialism has forced upon us. This one of the ways that help me fight wanting to commit suicide. “As long as you love the people you will be fine” This is what my Lala told me. Difficulties we have, but if it’s met with love and compassion, forgiveness for each other’s mistakes and pray for each other’s lives we will continue to heal. We are living in the aftermath of the war our ancestors fought for us to live. This all is not our fault. I love you and give thanks for those and Tunkasila for help with your healing journey. We all share this common road now. Bleh heechee apo!! Be kind too your mind and heart. Thank you for wanting to return home. I was told I should be happy I made it “out” Those of us who have a heart like you, never make it “out” we are always there in heart and look for ways to return home to our people and do as our ancestors did, and that is love and help one another. I will see you again, next time will be in the hochoka, and if I may, hug you and say wopila in person. I will tell you my three Indian names and you will know it is me. Aka. I love you.
Elyssa you have taken your strengths and weaknesses and balanced them out. You have walked through lots of hurdles, in your young life, you have taken control of where your life is going to lead next. As such your are the master of your own destiny. My respect and admiration for accepting the challenge, that life is and making the most out of it. Hard work and dedication are the basic building blocks of success in any thing we decide to do in life. You have so much to offer to your community, especially when you have chosen the honorable profession of teaching therefore having the possibility of making a huge difference in the generation behind your own generation. Though I will love to see you reach even higher by continuing your education, after you become a teacher, perhaps going into politics and become a legislator where you may have an even greater impact on what happens to your community and all of America. God bless you for ever and ever.
You are very brave for sharing your story! What an inspiration you are :) Thank you for working hard to change the wave of your generation and the generations behind you. Lila wopila thanka!! Lililililililililili
Thank you, Elyssa Sierra Concha, for your brave honesty. I cried hearing your story, and came face-to-face with some of my own prejudices while listening to you speak.
You are beautiful and incredibly well-spoken. Thank you for your vulnerability. I grew up in SD and now live in Hawai’i where many of the same hardships exist for the indigenous peoples here. Thank you for helping me to understand more and begin to see through your eyes.
You go girl, I really wish I knew what native American tribes I could I guess culturally relate too, it's so prevalent in my family but my great grandparents are dead and my grandparent don't know and it makes me sad honestly, lol I'm going on a journey through all the cultures that are intertwined within me 23...and me here I go this was beautiful and wellspoken I hope you can become whole again dear...I understand most of what you went through
I relate to this so, Im Oglala Lakota and moved from Minneapolis after attending Heart of the Earth Survival School to Mankato Minnesota. The only "sioux," in the territory where 38 Dakota were hung. In my teen years I also lost my best friend to suicide and my 12 year old sister when I was 20. This has to have been hard to share... You gifted me strength. Wopila tanka.
I love your courage to speak on such a highly respected platform at such a young age. Keep going you g lady. Shoot for the stars and make your people proud. You’re a great speaker.
You have 3 things going for you....youth, beauty and your confident enough to public speak....educate and move your people out of degradation and set an example ...be strong for them when they fall....raise up...lead...
she has more going for her than that. she is limitless and is brave, courageous and beautiful inside and outside. Thank you for being an inspiration to others, including me. 🦋🪻🔥🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆
Be proud. Of that difference. That you are native peoples. Overcome alcohol and drugs. And realize. That you are important no matter what society says. About native peoples. Stand strong. But bend as the oak tree does when storms come. As they will. You can with stand them. For you are worth all the gold and silver. And wealth that many search for. Hold chin up and know your own worth. And let no man tell you different. Or define who you are. , Be that bright and shining star so that all may see the love light that shines from your soul. Be. At peace with yourself my child,,,,,,
A very beautiful women and our people need people like you who went to through the darkness an survived the great spirit has a purpose for women like you.
You go girl. Natives that achieve success in life. Need to go back to the reservation and share their stories and knowledge. Especially with the youth. Explain to the younger generation that education does make a difference and success is possible.
I relate to so much of this wow.. you're truly an inspiration, I hope we can work on projects together some day. I just posted a video on what its like being adopted and Native American if anyone wants to watch that as well :) much love.
By the start of her talk, I wanted to take her hand and hold it tightly. By the end of her talk, I wanted somebody to take my hand and hold it tightly.
This will offend many who were raised by the irresponsible, but you can't be a "victim" in some thing you participate in by CHOICE. You have all the 'say-so' in the world about your choices but NO control over the consequences; We must take some responsibility too to be healed. Save, heal & deliver, Lord.
I agree. Things would be so much better now-I always try to envision the land as she was before, and even how things would be if the settlers assimilated to Native Cultures (some did). It’s horrible how many of the wetlands, and plants, and animals, etc that have been destroyed. Long term sacrifices for short term profits. BUT seeing beyond any reasonable doubt that Colonialism doesn’t work, and fortunately, wasn’t able to annihilate Native Cultures as intended…SO, if we stand with The Rebuilders, it may take millennia, but we will return the land to her full glory. I try to think of that now-what it WILL BE like in the future. These lands were unceded, and for a country that claims to promote justice, we have A LOT of work to do to honor true justice.
Blame it on the Chief's lack of successful global planning for assimilating? Japan, Korea, Philippines, Europe, Russia (still corrupt ), .... many nations all embraced western civilization. We can fight so much for a piece of land while forgetting our youth's dreams and aspirations. Land? Big deal, have you ever heard of the saying 'house poor'? Some people own very nice homes but have no skills in keeping a job and paying for all the repairs... Why the Chiefs are postponing the children's global growth. Learn from the Jewish cultures, they're the most educated people on Earth, very much westernized and opened to the sciences, art, business...
All middle eastern, western people were indigenous people before, a long time ago. We went through all that you're saying, tragic wars, slavery, serfdom (Serfdom is a legal and economic system. A serf is a worker who has to stay in a lords area. Serfs were the lowest social class of the feudal society. Serfs were different from slaves. Serfs could have property.) We've all been there, done that. Become one nation and not 2 divided with western nations. China is holding back, and will more than likely hit the wall sooner or later. Look /read what happened in Hong Kong in last year's protest. Communist China is not where indigenous people want to go and embrace, that is a dead-end, like the Borg's in Star Trek, lol.
I am native and think you are so awesome. We need you!
Thank you for being here
Elyssa, you are an inspiration to all-Indigenous and non-Indigenous alike. While your story was difficult to share, I was so impressed that you spoke with such passion, clarity, courage, and strength. You are not those statistics. You are not the things that you fought through. Instead, you are a true reminder of the resiliency of Oceti Sakowin people. With the fire in your heart to make a difference, you and other young leaders like you, will bring about massive positive changes in your communities. And through that change, you will not lose, but strengthen the already wonderful heritage of your people. Thank you for your powerful message.
With those shoes on her feet very Oce Nas Oslobod Nas. These Natives for sure look strange recently.
Miss Concha I came across this video while looking for something else and I just wanted to tell you that your story brought me to tears. Your incredible bravery in telling it in public in front of cameras is truly awe-inspiring. I am not Native American and I am old enough to be your father and while I have two sons I do not have a daughter but if I did I would want her to be you. Not like you, but you. You are beautiful and strong and wise and the things that you have overcome mean that you can do anything. Thank you for letting me see your wonderful spirit. I have renewed hope for this planet!
I applause you for your strength of overcoming hard phases you never should had to gone through. And I applause your for surpassing those expectations. Thank you for sharing your story❣️
First of all, thank you for sharing your stories with the rest of the world, you are one of the very few native women that are brave, beautiful from the inside and out, please do not let anyone or anything tell you differently. I hear your pain, and I see your struggle and at the same time, I can see that you already made a difference in your life and our future generation, so please don't stop what you're doing. I told by my loved ones in the past that, as long as there's air in my lungs, there's always hope.
I'm working with our youths here in CA as a Wellness Case Manager, the biggest reservation in California, and I live in the reservation. I see their struggles, I see their pain, I see their sadness, and I see that some of them are dabbling with drugs and alcohol as young as 8 years old, we have a very tough job to do, and I get up in the morning knowing that I need to fight for them, knowing that people they love keeps letting them down, knowing that the people that they trust always lets them down, but every day I'm fighting for them, and they know that they can come to me without judgment, without stigma and with caring in my heart. thank you.
Thank you for sharing your story Elyssa. I know that what you shared was not easy by any means to share, but I know that your story will bring hope to many Native Americans who are struggling. Thank you once again. I am not Native American, but I stand with you all. I am always thinking about you.
Wopila Tonka Wankan Wiya, I looked at the elders and seen them smile. I thought to myself. If they can make it to this old age and still smile and laugh, despite all the hardships they endured I to could endure what colonialism has forced upon us. This one of the ways that help me fight wanting to commit suicide. “As long as you love the people you will be fine” This is what my Lala told me. Difficulties we have, but if it’s met with love and compassion, forgiveness for each other’s mistakes and pray for each other’s lives we will continue to heal. We are living in the aftermath of the war our ancestors fought for us to live. This all is not our fault. I love you and give thanks for those and Tunkasila for help with your healing journey. We all share this common road now. Bleh heechee apo!! Be kind too your mind and heart. Thank you for wanting to return home. I was told I should be happy I made it “out” Those of us who have a heart like you, never make it “out” we are always there in heart and look for ways to return home to our people and do as our ancestors did, and that is love and help one another. I will see you again, next time will be in the hochoka, and if I may, hug you and say wopila in person. I will tell you my three Indian names and you will know it is me. Aka. I love you.
Thank you for sharing your story. It's people like this that need to help others who have faced the same experiences.
Elyssa you have taken your strengths and weaknesses and balanced them out.
You have walked through lots of hurdles, in your young life, you have taken control of where your life is going to lead next. As such your are the master of your own destiny.
My respect and admiration for accepting the challenge, that life is and making the most out of it.
Hard work and dedication are the basic building blocks of success in any thing we decide to do in life.
You have so much to offer to your community, especially when you have chosen the honorable profession of teaching therefore having the possibility of making a huge difference in the generation behind your own generation.
Though I will love to see you reach even higher by continuing your education, after you become a teacher, perhaps going into politics and become a legislator where you may have an even greater impact on what happens to your community and all of America.
God bless you for ever and ever.
So unbelievably inspirational. Shining a light on the beauty of indigenous people and culture is very much needed and you did that.
You are very brave for sharing your story! What an inspiration you are :) Thank you for working hard to change the wave of your generation and the generations behind you. Lila wopila thanka!! Lililililililililili
Hi there....just curious. Is that a native name ?
This made me cry 🥺❤️
Thank you, Elyssa Sierra Concha, for your brave honesty. I cried hearing your story, and came face-to-face with some of my own prejudices while listening to you speak.
Thank you for sharing your story, you are a very courageous woman 💜🙏🏾
i love you for telling our story.. thank you so much.
Ledo 8
You are beautiful and incredibly well-spoken. Thank you for your vulnerability. I grew up in SD and now live in Hawai’i where many of the same hardships exist for the indigenous peoples here. Thank you for helping me to understand more and begin to see through your eyes.
So proud of you!!! Taos Pueblo tribal member here, am a Concha too.
Intellectual... Sounds very Native.
Your the definition of a Strong Native Women. Prayers, Tears and Love from me. Whooooo ✊🏽🔥🔥✊🏽
Thank you for sharing your story and your vision for a better future
MIIGWECH FOR Sharing your experience on Your Journey 🥰🇨🇦🧡
You go girl, I really wish I knew what native American tribes I could I guess culturally relate too, it's so prevalent in my family but my great grandparents are dead and my grandparent don't know and it makes me sad honestly, lol I'm going on a journey through all the cultures that are intertwined within me 23...and me here I go this was beautiful and wellspoken I hope you can become whole again dear...I understand most of what you went through
I relate to this so, Im Oglala Lakota and moved from Minneapolis after attending Heart of the Earth Survival School to Mankato Minnesota. The only "sioux," in the territory where 38 Dakota were hung. In my teen years I also lost my best friend to suicide and my 12 year old sister when I was 20. This has to have been hard to share... You gifted me strength.
Wopila tanka.
You are so brave and beautiful. !
You are unique and beautiful people !
Extremely powerful messages! You are the light. You personify the beauty of healing. Sacred Elyssa Sierra Concha.
I feel your Pain Beautiful ❤️ I too receive Discrimination often for being Native! Our Native Families Love You! As, a Native I love You! ❤️
That was beautiful Elyssa! Thank you for sharing!
I love your courage to speak on such a highly respected platform at such a young age. Keep going you g lady. Shoot for the stars and make your people proud. You’re a great speaker.
You are not less. You have far greater spirit than those privileged kids.
Bob Scott truth
Bob Scott No need to put others down to build someone up.
ltcajh
Then why did you do that?😏😏😏
You have 3 things going for you....youth, beauty and your confident enough to public speak....educate and move your people out of degradation and set an example ...be strong for them when they fall....raise up...lead...
she has more going for her than that. she is limitless and is brave, courageous and beautiful inside and outside. Thank you for being an inspiration to others, including me. 🦋🪻🔥🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆
Thank you so much ♥️ brave and beautiful soul 💖💖💖
Wise beyond Her years.💝😪
Miigwetch Elyssa, for sharing and educating. You are truly a strong woman.
Be proud. Of that difference. That you are native peoples. Overcome alcohol and drugs. And realize. That you are important no matter what society says. About native peoples.
Stand strong. But bend as the oak tree does when storms come. As they will. You can with stand them. For you are worth all the gold and silver. And wealth that many search for. Hold chin up and know your own worth. And let no man tell you different. Or define who you are. ,
Be that bright and shining star so that all may see the love light that shines from your soul. Be. At peace with yourself my child,,,,,,
❤️
What an inspirational young lady you are, beautiful amazing and resilient spirit
A very beautiful women and our people need people like you who went to through the darkness an survived the great spirit has a purpose for women like you.
beautiful I pray the Natives get back their lands
You go girl. Natives that achieve success in life. Need to go back to the reservation and share their stories and knowledge. Especially with the youth. Explain to the younger generation that education does make a difference and success is possible.
BEAUTIFUL !!!
Fearless! You rock~
Why does this have so little views from a big channel?
Because they dont care about us.
I relate to so much of this wow.. you're truly an inspiration, I hope we can work on projects together some day. I just posted a video on what its like being adopted and Native American if anyone wants to watch that as well :) much love.
By the start of her talk, I wanted to take her hand and hold it tightly. By the end of her talk, I wanted somebody to take my hand and hold it tightly.
This will offend many who were raised by the irresponsible, but you can't be a "victim" in some thing you participate in by CHOICE. You have all the 'say-so' in the world about your choices but NO control over the consequences; We must take some responsibility too to be healed. Save, heal & deliver, Lord.
If I were a God I would reverse time and keep this land pure for the real ownership.
I agree. Things would be so much better now-I always try to envision the land as she was before, and even how things would be if the settlers assimilated to Native Cultures (some did). It’s horrible how many of the wetlands, and plants, and animals, etc that have been destroyed. Long term sacrifices for short term profits. BUT seeing beyond any reasonable doubt that Colonialism doesn’t work, and fortunately, wasn’t able to annihilate Native Cultures as intended…SO, if we stand with The Rebuilders, it may take millennia, but we will return the land to her full glory. I try to think of that now-what it WILL BE like in the future. These lands were unceded, and for a country that claims to promote justice, we have A LOT of work to do to honor true justice.
Stand up child
Very sad story, keep your head up.
You are brave and beautiful. You almost look like an Indian ( India, Asia)
🥰🧡🇨🇦
Pilamayaye Elyssa - Wakan Tonka nici un
Blame it on the Chief's lack of successful global planning for assimilating? Japan, Korea, Philippines, Europe, Russia (still corrupt ), .... many nations all embraced western civilization. We can fight so much for a piece of land while forgetting our youth's dreams and aspirations. Land? Big deal, have you ever heard of the saying 'house poor'? Some people own very nice homes but have no skills in keeping a job and paying for all the repairs... Why the Chiefs are postponing the children's global growth. Learn from the Jewish cultures, they're the most educated people on Earth, very much westernized and opened to the sciences, art, business...
Ana bassee' little but stronger one. fly beyond it all. be well.
All middle eastern, western people were indigenous people before, a long time ago. We went through all that you're saying, tragic wars, slavery, serfdom (Serfdom is a legal and economic system. A serf is a worker who has to stay in a lords area. Serfs were the lowest social class of the feudal society. Serfs were different from slaves. Serfs could have property.) We've all been there, done that. Become one nation and not 2 divided with western nations. China is holding back, and will more than likely hit the wall sooner or later. Look /read what happened in Hong Kong in last year's protest. Communist China is not where indigenous people want to go and embrace, that is a dead-end, like the Borg's in Star Trek, lol.
'Their more then just statistics " ,....last weeks victims looking for revenge
Another whining Indian.