Tia Wood is a singer, dancer, and artist whose insightful videos about indigenous people have made her a popular TikTok influencer. She lives among the Plains Cree tribe in Canada and has made it her mission to educate others about cultural appropriation, native heritage, and traditions.
In a recent video, Tia sits in a chair while her mother dresses her in traditional clothing. As she braids Tia’s hair and carefully applies her makeup, her mother recites the 2018 poem “Brown Eyes” by Nadia McGhee.
Her eyes are blue / Yours are brown
Hers represents the ocean / Yours represents the ground
You’ve always hated your eyes / And wished that they were blue
But your eyes have a tint of gold / So rare it must not be true
The poem is about how young children of color compare themselves to white standards of beauty instead of recognizing the inherent beauty in themselves.
Watch the moving interaction between Tia and her mom in the video below, and be sure to share this important message.
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