Tribalmoon
@materobscura.bsky.social
I’m an Indigenous advocate now working as an AI ethicist, focused on the Alignment Problem and its intersection with culture. My advocacy work is now primarily in Indigenous data sovereignty.
Public-facing writing: https://medium.com/@mater.obscura
Public-facing writing: https://medium.com/@mater.obscura
Look how casually Erickson discusses white-nationalist voters as an identifiable component of the Republican electoral coalition. Not that we didn't know. Recently he said white nationalists, Christian nationalists, & neo-Nazis gained influence w/in the Rep. movement. They've known. They don't care.
When white nationalist are a part of your voting base
October 3, 2026 at 12:52 AM
Look how casually Erickson discusses white-nationalist voters as an identifiable component of the Republican electoral coalition. Not that we didn't know. Recently he said white nationalists, Christian nationalists, & neo-Nazis gained influence w/in the Rep. movement. They've known. They don't care.
It just occurred to be that the Law of Threes has been satisfied. Parton, Curry, and now Steinem. All three were cultural icons who contributed our world, each in a different domain.
I got to meet Curry, but never Parton. I got to speak with Steinem before I spoke on a panel. She was emboldening.
I got to meet Curry, but never Parton. I got to speak with Steinem before I spoke on a panel. She was emboldening.
September 3, 2026 at 5:49 PM
It just occurred to be that the Law of Threes has been satisfied. Parton, Curry, and now Steinem. All three were cultural icons who contributed our world, each in a different domain.
I got to meet Curry, but never Parton. I got to speak with Steinem before I spoke on a panel. She was emboldening.
I got to meet Curry, but never Parton. I got to speak with Steinem before I spoke on a panel. She was emboldening.
Tim Curry told me it was OK to be me before I knew me needed to be told it was OK to be. He was this gloriously transgressive man inhabiting worlds where strange wasn't a defect requiring correction. Strange was funny, sexual, frightening, beautiful, theatrical, and entirely entitled to exist. <3
Tim Curry, Star of ‘Rocky Horror Picture Show,’ Dies at 80 (Gift Article)
The actor’s gift for garish eccentricity was indelibly appropriate for the outlandish, cross-dressing mad scientist Frank-N-Furter.
www.nytimes.com
August 26, 2026 at 4:27 PM
Tim Curry told me it was OK to be me before I knew me needed to be told it was OK to be. He was this gloriously transgressive man inhabiting worlds where strange wasn't a defect requiring correction. Strange was funny, sexual, frightening, beautiful, theatrical, and entirely entitled to exist. <3
The Israeli state's actions can be described as inhumane & iniquitous - this isn't debatable. This doesn't implicate all Jews. We can, & should, advocate for Jewish dignity & identity while simultaneously condemning the Israeli occupation, colonization, & brutalization of Palestinians. #MarkRuffalo
Mark Ruffalo has the biggest cojones and the biggest heart in Hollywood. Him being called antisemitic is a distraction from just how powerful and critical his post was.
August 25, 2026 at 3:05 PM
The Israeli state's actions can be described as inhumane & iniquitous - this isn't debatable. This doesn't implicate all Jews. We can, & should, advocate for Jewish dignity & identity while simultaneously condemning the Israeli occupation, colonization, & brutalization of Palestinians. #MarkRuffalo
As a forensicist, I have never known an officer to grab a suspect and let go when the suspect relents. I have known officers to continue using force LONG after the suspect has relented - including force that led to death. Activation lasts 5 times longer than needed. How many deaths will it take?
August 14, 2026 at 9:19 PM
As a forensicist, I have never known an officer to grab a suspect and let go when the suspect relents. I have known officers to continue using force LONG after the suspect has relented - including force that led to death. Activation lasts 5 times longer than needed. How many deaths will it take?
It's not enough to just not accept, we must also preserve the machinery by which reality remains adjudicable: demand evidence, distinguish observations from interpretations, correct the record, refuse false equivalence, & identify uncertainty where uncertainty genuinely exists. #Unite #Resist
Dr. Anthony Fauci urges Americans not to accept "Normalization of Untruths".
August 8, 2026 at 1:50 AM
Medicaid MCOs contract with Uber, whose safety record and corporate conduct raise serious concerns about whether it is an appropriate transportation provider for vulnerable patients. Mayhap it's time to consider alternatives. #Uber #Medicaid @nytimes.com
Uber’s Strategy for Fighting Sexual Assault Suits: ‘What Were You Wearing?’ (Gift Article)
The ride-hailing giant promised to handle legal claims “in a way that is best for the survivor.” Its lawyers are pursuing a far more aggressive strategy.
www.nytimes.com
August 6, 2026 at 9:45 PM
Medicaid MCOs contract with Uber, whose safety record and corporate conduct raise serious concerns about whether it is an appropriate transportation provider for vulnerable patients. Mayhap it's time to consider alternatives. #Uber #Medicaid @nytimes.com
It has never been about the children. Especially these children.
Think of who benefits most from Head Start programs: low-income black & brown children. The problem, for them, is that research demonstrates significant gains/improvements in these children & they don't want that.
It scares them.
Think of who benefits most from Head Start programs: low-income black & brown children. The problem, for them, is that research demonstrates significant gains/improvements in these children & they don't want that.
It scares them.
August 5, 2026 at 4:43 AM
It has never been about the children. Especially these children.
Think of who benefits most from Head Start programs: low-income black & brown children. The problem, for them, is that research demonstrates significant gains/improvements in these children & they don't want that.
It scares them.
Think of who benefits most from Head Start programs: low-income black & brown children. The problem, for them, is that research demonstrates significant gains/improvements in these children & they don't want that.
It scares them.
Say it louder.
Neither his is cultists, nor their core beliefs, are new. He simply gave them public validation. His rhetoric only needs to confirm a few beliefs, not all. Confirmation bias, coupled by authority bias, does the rest. The result? Outsiders become not merely wrong, but enemies.
Neither his is cultists, nor their core beliefs, are new. He simply gave them public validation. His rhetoric only needs to confirm a few beliefs, not all. Confirmation bias, coupled by authority bias, does the rest. The result? Outsiders become not merely wrong, but enemies.
August 5, 2026 at 4:07 AM
Say it louder.
Neither his is cultists, nor their core beliefs, are new. He simply gave them public validation. His rhetoric only needs to confirm a few beliefs, not all. Confirmation bias, coupled by authority bias, does the rest. The result? Outsiders become not merely wrong, but enemies.
Neither his is cultists, nor their core beliefs, are new. He simply gave them public validation. His rhetoric only needs to confirm a few beliefs, not all. Confirmation bias, coupled by authority bias, does the rest. The result? Outsiders become not merely wrong, but enemies.
Then there's the brutality and the death... This admin's gestapo grabs them, then takes them to the camps. The US excels at repeating history, which is one of the reasons this administration wants so desperately to rewrite or control what's taught. #Unite #Resist
"A concentration camp, in its most basic definition, is a place where a targeted civilian population, not necessarily accused of a crime, is detained and at least some of their basic rights are suspended," writes @jwashing.bsky.social.
"That’s precisely what’s happening in the United States today."
"That’s precisely what’s happening in the United States today."
Don’t call them ICE detention centers. Call them camps | John Washington
I’ve spent a decade reporting on immigration enforcement. The word ‘camp’ best captures the political function of these facilities
www.theguardian.com
July 31, 2026 at 4:50 AM
He thinks if he erases us, he doesn't have to face us. The seals represented acknowledgment these Nations weren't outside stakeholders commenting on federal land, they were participants caring for a place of profound cultural, historical, & spiritual significance. #Indigisky #Resist #LandBack
Days after slashing Bears Ears, Trump administration removes tribal seals from monument signs
www.moabtimes.com
July 28, 2026 at 10:21 PM
He thinks if he erases us, he doesn't have to face us. The seals represented acknowledgment these Nations weren't outside stakeholders commenting on federal land, they were participants caring for a place of profound cultural, historical, & spiritual significance. #Indigisky #Resist #LandBack
We're all tired of words. We need more.
"An acknowledgment that opens a conversation, that involves the tribe, that leads somewhere, is different. But the test isn’t in the words. It’s in what action comes after the words have been spoken.”
#Indigisky #LandBack
"An acknowledgment that opens a conversation, that involves the tribe, that leads somewhere, is different. But the test isn’t in the words. It’s in what action comes after the words have been spoken.”
#Indigisky #LandBack
Opinion | I’m Native American. Land Acknowledgments Are Infuriating. (Gift Article)
Conservatives who critique land acknowledgments aren’t acting in good faith, but they do have a point.
www.nytimes.com
July 24, 2026 at 5:33 PM
We're all tired of words. We need more.
"An acknowledgment that opens a conversation, that involves the tribe, that leads somewhere, is different. But the test isn’t in the words. It’s in what action comes after the words have been spoken.”
#Indigisky #LandBack
"An acknowledgment that opens a conversation, that involves the tribe, that leads somewhere, is different. But the test isn’t in the words. It’s in what action comes after the words have been spoken.”
#Indigisky #LandBack
If your goal is convincing Americans that enforcement is focused on dangerous offenders, not skin color, this is not the best evidence. As anti-Catholic as I am, I don't see "armed agents arrest nun walking to mass" and think, "thank Spirit they're protecting me from rapists and murderers." #Resist
Sister Leticia Ugboaja says she went into a cold sweat as ICE officers approached her in McAllen on her way to church
Texas nun detained by ICE speaks out for first time: ‘It was very heartbreaking for me’
www.theguardian.com
July 24, 2026 at 2:48 PM
If your goal is convincing Americans that enforcement is focused on dangerous offenders, not skin color, this is not the best evidence. As anti-Catholic as I am, I don't see "armed agents arrest nun walking to mass" and think, "thank Spirit they're protecting me from rapists and murderers." #Resist
I have never had my mind changed by a YouTube video. As a scientist, I trust numbers, not vibes. Justine brings the numbers, creating a solution. I will no longer advocate for JUST affording house, but push for more building, period. @latimes.com @nytimes.com @justineunderhill.bsky.social #BuildMore
What Luxury Housing Does To Homelessness
YouTube video by Justine Underhill
youtu.be
July 21, 2026 at 10:46 PM
I have never had my mind changed by a YouTube video. As a scientist, I trust numbers, not vibes. Justine brings the numbers, creating a solution. I will no longer advocate for JUST affording house, but push for more building, period. @latimes.com @nytimes.com @justineunderhill.bsky.social #BuildMore
Snagged this from FB. This may make some people uncomfortable but I think it highlights just how far we've come from what's natural, from our relationship to the Earth that sustains us and our beautiful relatives we share it with.
July 21, 2026 at 2:07 PM
Go Bruins! Of course UCLA ;)
Holy shit, we're actually getting there.
"UCLA researchers develop low-cost blood test to detect multiple cancers and other diseases from a single sample [—] In tests, MethylScan detected about 63% of cancers across all stages and roughly 55% of early-stage cancers." (from April)
#ShareGoodNewsToo
"UCLA researchers develop low-cost blood test to detect multiple cancers and other diseases from a single sample [—] In tests, MethylScan detected about 63% of cancers across all stages and roughly 55% of early-stage cancers." (from April)
#ShareGoodNewsToo
UCLA researchers develop low-cost blood test to detect multiple cancers and other diseases from a single sample
The test could offer a more affordable approach to early disease detection.
newsroom.ucla.edu
July 21, 2026 at 12:32 PM
Go Bruins! Of course UCLA ;)
It wasn't *just* that she put the chud in his place, it's that she turned to thank the volunteers in the same breath. That is a woman in control of her priorities, and her energy. Brava! Brava! #WomenSupportingWomen #ReproductiveRights #ProChoice #ISaidWhatISaid
This video of a woman telling an anti-abortion asshole to, "Shut the fuck up" is exactly what I needed to see on a Monday morning
July 21, 2026 at 3:35 AM
It wasn't *just* that she put the chud in his place, it's that she turned to thank the volunteers in the same breath. That is a woman in control of her priorities, and her energy. Brava! Brava! #WomenSupportingWomen #ReproductiveRights #ProChoice #ISaidWhatISaid
As someone who has extensive design experience in research w/ human participants, I found this survey problematic. It's riddled with double-barreled and underspecified questions dependent on personal assumptions. My result wasn't 100% meaningless. My Find My Politics Deep Dive: tinyurl.com/3stwhmus
July 19, 2026 at 6:16 PM
As someone who has extensive design experience in research w/ human participants, I found this survey problematic. It's riddled with double-barreled and underspecified questions dependent on personal assumptions. My result wasn't 100% meaningless. My Find My Politics Deep Dive: tinyurl.com/3stwhmus
Come on NEEEWWWW YOOOOORK! Damn, my East Coast brothers and sisters make me proud. #Rise #Resist #AbolishICE #GoodTrouble
07.17.2026 | NYC, NY
Anti-ICE "Good Trouble" March: Immigration advocates rallied at Foley Sq, then marched to 26 Federal Plaza, placing flowers in the fence surrounding the federal building housing Manhattan's ICE offices and immigration court.
🎥 Kevin RC Wilson @FreedomNTV
Anti-ICE "Good Trouble" March: Immigration advocates rallied at Foley Sq, then marched to 26 Federal Plaza, placing flowers in the fence surrounding the federal building housing Manhattan's ICE offices and immigration court.
🎥 Kevin RC Wilson @FreedomNTV
July 19, 2026 at 3:23 PM
Come on NEEEWWWW YOOOOORK! Damn, my East Coast brothers and sisters make me proud. #Rise #Resist #AbolishICE #GoodTrouble
I awaken to a little good news. It's not just schadenfreude, though, I admit there is some. It's that the world seems to be on fire right now, and this feels like it's putting the world to rights, at least for the moment, and many of us need that spark of hope. @nytimes.com #Justice #Resist #Survive
Tate Brothers Arrested in Miami As U.K. Authorities File Sex Crime Charges (Gift Article)
Federal marshals arrested the influencers, who are known for their misogynistic views and have faced years of criminal investigations in Europe. The new charges concern offenses dating to 2010, Britis...
www.nytimes.com
July 19, 2026 at 3:15 PM
I awaken to a little good news. It's not just schadenfreude, though, I admit there is some. It's that the world seems to be on fire right now, and this feels like it's putting the world to rights, at least for the moment, and many of us need that spark of hope. @nytimes.com #Justice #Resist #Survive
July 19, 2026 at 3:00 PM
I won't celebrate, but I won't mourn, either.
Lindsey Graham was one of the main subjects of a @theatlantic.com cover story I wrote in 2020, on why people collaborate with regimes they know are immoral. Here's a gift link:
www.theatlantic.com/magazine/arc...
www.theatlantic.com/magazine/arc...
History Will Judge the Complicit
Why have Republican leaders abandoned their principles in support of an immoral and dangerous president?
www.theatlantic.com
July 12, 2026 at 10:15 PM
I won't celebrate, but I won't mourn, either.
I am joyous he can no longer cause harm. I will not celebrate his death. A society that normalizes joy at the death of political opponents becomes a society that increasingly sees opponents as enemies rather than fellow citizens. History is full of examples where that shift proved dangerous for all.
Lindsey Graham, Republican Senator and Trump Ally, Dies From ‘Sudden Illness’ (Gift Article)
He died from “a brief and sudden illness,” his office said. Over more than two decades in the Senate, he consistently pushed for the use of U.S. military power overseas.
www.nytimes.com
July 12, 2026 at 4:43 PM
I am joyous he can no longer cause harm. I will not celebrate his death. A society that normalizes joy at the death of political opponents becomes a society that increasingly sees opponents as enemies rather than fellow citizens. History is full of examples where that shift proved dangerous for all.