Lil Dump Of My Favorite City Native (and His Vitamin D Deficient Bf)

sup hom's. just letting yall know that I may be gone for a bit due to my momma being sick. I've been with her since Sunday and she's doing better but she's still on bedrest. I'll for sure be hovering and loving yall's content tho xo

we don't talk about braiding someone's hair as a love language nearly often enough

my opinion on a native alfred f. jones

To continue the conversation from the last message I received, I do want to address why I choose to depict America as native. To preempt, my perspective should not be taken as speaking for other natives, as we all have our own respective opinions.

It should go without saying but the United States as a governed superpower is a country that has purposefully failed and harmed black and indigenous people both on the mainland and abroad. The history of this country is cruel, brutal, and inhumane, and it should seldom be forgotten.

When it comes to America, the character, I do not see him as being involved in the crimes done unto these communities. I do believe it's because I truly love this character and I cannot imagine him doing these things to his own people-- but I can see why that would be a very infantile opinion to have on my part. Hetalia is inherently a political concept; personifications that represent governed states, therefore making their identities directly align with their national policies.

This is my personal headcanon but I always saw America, like Canada, and other Hetalia characters, as a manifestation of the land their state stands on, rather than being the direct personification of the imperial/colonial entity. This was one of the reasons I began depicting Alfred Jones as native and drew him that way (while keeping the more recognizable elements of his design)-- the main reason why I made him native is because as a native, I cannot see the imperialist nation being indigenous but I can absolutely see the land itself being indigenous: because it is.

However, after hearing other natives speak on this, I recognize that this is very much a cope of mine... In Hetalia, the personifications are very much shown to be involved in pivotal parts of history and it is implied that they get along with their overseers (most of whom were a bunch of racist old fcks). If a native personification existed, they wouldn't be okay with this.

I treat his identity similarly to my own because he has become my favorite character and I am not above inserting my identity troubles into my fictional faves. I am a reconnecting native (Nahuatl, Wixarika) who often feels so without identity that drawing a native AJ heals me. But that does not change that AJ, as a personification of the United States, represents everything that has traumatized native folks.

I do want to let other natives know where I stand in this conversation because I do not want my choices to be perceived as a vanity project to place indigenous faces wherever I please-- it comes from a true love for indigenous identity, my identity, and a great love for Alfred Jones.

From now on, I do think I may just make my own indigenous ocs in the future. it's the best way to ensure I never mix ndn identity with oppressive governmental states.

happy b-day gilbert! we still miss you everyday, fly high homie 🕊️

I was starting to get self conscious about being the only one with a huge ass device in the casino I’m at- but lo and behold, a person just came in with a laptop

brother in christ, we steal this casino’s free drinks and wifi as a team 🤝🏼

alfred f. jones fit check 🤠 (bcuz only he can drag me outta art block)

inspo pics below:

the biggest reason why I feel so anchored to rusame is the (theorized) love story. the grueling background of their romance. the way they went from friends, to lovers, to enemies, to friends again, to... who knows? (I'm mostly going off fanon rusame and the more widely shared hcs I've seen)

forget about the cold war--I love to think of how in love they were before the patriotic war.

all the letters they wrote one another, the gifts they made for each other; a painted picture of their eye in a locket, a portrait etched onto a lacquer box. photographs, poems, postcards. a pure love story. then it went away. then having to ignore this gnawing feeling of missing each other, of yearning each other. having to replace such a fiery love with hatred in the blink of an eye.

then that hatred gradually dissipates to become... more longing, more yearning. they wouldn't call it love (I think) but that intense, agonizing emotion for each other is always there and it's exclusive to them. them caring so little for each other and yet so much is so beautiful, so saddening, so incredible. they are my favorite love story you could say????

our favorite golden retriever boy's bday is soon AND powwow season is just around the corner so here's some indigenous headcanons I've got for alfred f. jones!

he is actively attempting to learn every single native language within his region, but fluently speaks osage, dine bizaad, hopi, mvskoke, and algonquian massachusett and ojibwa

he is the embodiment of sunshine. he can make everyone laugh, and that includes babies. that being said, he has been the reason for at least 100+ babies' first laughs and has proudly thrown parties for each of their families as per the navajo tradition

him (and matt) fully volunteer to drum and sing at powwows, especially at small town ones. they will roadtrip across canada and the us during the summer and absolutely bring the party to the 49. they also do it to overindulge in piccadilly and indian tacos

he is not a religious person but he does acquiesce in spiritual traditions he has picked up from native elders. the major one he uses is smudging. alike the kid from 'sixth sense', he sees dead people-- or ghosts to be exact lol. and he hates them! which is why he will often smudge and pray early in the morning, once a week, to cleanse any spirits from his house

smokes are always in his possession. while he does smoke on occasion, he mostly carries them with him for exchanges. for example, if he encounters a cool mineral on the roadside, instead of just taking it, he will leave tobacco behind as a show of appreciation

he feeds the rez dogs exponentially (even when everyone at every rez keeps telling him not to fuckin do that, you shitass)

put him on your rob list because he owns so many beaded jewelry and turquoise, it may just pay off your student loans and then some

his mutton sandwiches and navajo burgers will make you fall in love with him, no joke

alfred f. jones holding back the american urge to put ivan braginsky in the infamous black turtleneck + gold chain combo for his own selfish reasons