Natives Lover

Eric Schweig
Eric Schweig (born Ray Dean Thrasher; 19 June 1967) is an Indigenous Canadian actor best known for his role as Chingachgook's son Uncas in The Last of the Mohicans (1992).
Schweig was born in Inuvik, Northwest Territories. He is of mixed race (Inuvialuk, Chippewa-Dene and German). He is the oldest of seven children, who were all adopted out as part of the Canadian government's failed attempt at forcing Inuit and First Nations children to assimilate into white society. Schweig's biological mother died of alcoholism in 1989. He never met her. "She didn’t drink a drop of alcohol until we were taken away," says Schweig. "We were part of the whole assimilation program—forcibly taken away, although my adoptive parents told me I wasn't." Schweig was adopted at six months of age by an English-speaking German-French family. He spent his childhood in Inuvik until he was six, when his family moved to Bermuda. They later moved back to Canada.
"I eventually grew tired of living in a prison without walls and ran away when I was 16. What transpired between then and now has been a roller coaster of alcohol, drugs, violence, failed relationships, despair and confusion. Who am I? Where do I come from? Where is my family? Where do I belong? When life's mystery has been shattered by strangers watching over you, a lot of these questions are lost."
Schweig ran away to Toronto, Ontario, where he supported himself by framing houses. In 1985, he was part of the cast of The Cradle Will Fall, an experimental adaptation of Frank Wedekind's Spring Awakening produced by Theatre of Change at the Actor's Lab; this was his first experience as an actor. In 1987, at twenty years old, he was approached by a producer who suggested he audition for a role in the movie called The Shaman's Source (1990). With little formal education or experience he won the role. The film launched his career in the film industry.

Some stories don’t need translation — they speak straight to the soul.
Native American culture reminds us that the earth is not inherited from our ancestors, but borrowed from our children.
Respect the roots. Honor the spirit. Protect the future.
Every culture matters. Every child matters.”

🌎🪶🤍

If this touched your heart, share it — awareness begins with us

We don't get to pick the way we are born or how much melanin is in our skin or not.
Indigenous people, for generations, were treated terribly for their beautiful dark skin, and now we are bullied and terrorized by people saying we aren't dark enough.
I’ve had comments on the LM page saying "why does your advertising use white girls if you’re Lakota?" Then proceeded to tell me I'm a white Supremacist. Block.
I'm pretty open about my heritage. My dad is Oglala Lakota his mom from Rosebud, SD and his dad from little Wound pine Ridge, SD. My mom— her dad came over on a boat when he was 2 from Norway, her mom from Rosebud. I'm part Norwegian. That's some strong genes as I'm pretty light skinned and green eyes.
My kids’ dad is German, so they're light skinned. That doesn't take away their long lineage of Lakota ancestry.
My 5 year old Arrow definitely has the family Bull Bear nose we always joke. My girls are beautifully mixed. We chose the Lakota way of life. I'm not a hateful person by any means, but I definitely turn into a different person when someone attacks my children.
Racism. It's absolutely disgusting and not tolerated on my page, from either side, any side. It's absolutely disgusting. Before judging anyone by their picture maybe do some clicking around and reading before casting judgment.
Racism is stupid, but we face it everyday. I often don't realize how much my daily life is affected by it, by growing up in it. I grew up in a community where I wasn't liked by either side— not brown enough to fit in with the native kids and not white enough for the white kids. I didn't have but one friend growing up. That built a very resilient person. I'm very independent and have no problem spending time alone. I don't seek approval from anyone, but my kiddos.
I make myself small when around law enforcement. I avoid places or testing boundaries where law enforcement could become an issue. Our Indigenous women have a higher risk of being murdered by police than any other race. We also go missing without any effort by law enforcement to help find us. Please look up the many MMIW pages.
It's crazy how melanin affects our lives. Let's treat each other with a little more kindness.