Unbroken: Indigenous Peoples Today

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Aztec Dancer and Spiritual Elder, América December, Talks About Struggle and Rebirth

As a spiritual elder, América December often takes on the role of being a mentor for people both within her culture and beyond. Through prayers, ceremonies, and just being a kind, listening ear, she focuses on others' energy and tries to share in their pain. She also feels the responsibility to balance her own mental health in advance so she can be of better help when this time arises.

Like what happened to many, COVID brought much stress and re-exposed some deep traumas for América, but just like the inspiring woman I've always known her to be, she was reborn from the fire and came back even stronger.

"I recently underwent a major transformation; A really bad time because of, just, everything that I had not been addressing in my life. I went through a major shift with my grief of my son (deceased), mixed with a bad relationship, and of course, a little sprinkle of COVID on top of that. It gave me no choice but to work on myself. To really go deep within.

"It was hard work and I still feel the effects emotionally and spiritually. Like my empathic senses have been magnified to where I'm open to so much now. So I have to be on top of it to keep myself at a level where I can function every day.

"That's really important. That people need to do that work even if it doesn't feel good. Especially when you've let things go for so long and then you try to work them out. Sometimes you feel like it's never going to be over, but it really can get to the point where you can learn more about what you need to do for yourself. And so that's been my thing. Sharing with others because so many are going through the same."
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"You see someone who's doing well, for the most part, and then you find out all this stuff that they've gone through. So much abuse and struggle and tragedy... but here you are. And it's like 'Let me help you do more than just deal with it. Where you can actually find reasons to be happy. Let me be an inspiration for you if I can. Let me be that survival guide for you if I can.'

"Raise people up so they can feel better and be happier around their families and enjoy the things that really matter in life."

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