She stands tall
amongst cedar trees, amongst her ancestors
who stand on the Ivory Coast,
and amongst her ancestors
who stand on Carolina river shores.
Her skin shines ebony as she stands there,
hand in hand with the Moon,
as tides come in and bow at their collective power,
bowing with fin and claw.
She is Yésah. She is Afro Indigenous.
She stands firm
in the truth her people ache for
during court proceedings
advocating against domestic violence,
and during lectures teaching students
how to elevate their voices.
She uses her fierce fire
and unquenchable thirst for justice
while writing late nights
and transmuting her own experiences.
She is Yésah. She is Afro Indigenous.
*The second stanza is dedicated to Shereá D. Burnett who is Afro-Indigenous, a proud citizen of the Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation, and founder of ThisWomansWords. This poem, the image, and more of Dominique's work is featured in her book, Seeds: Stories of Afro Indigenous Resilience.