[Knowing Coves: and im gonna write more about this later] OWS & the missing "minorities."
so much of this right now. i have to say, being in the financial district nearly everyday, visiting #OWS, supporting the poc/indigeneous/native communities that are attempting to make headway, i am deeply concerned. additionally, what safety protocol is there and what are the measures that choose who facilitates, leads chants, receives exposure? what lived experiences and needs are taken into account? how are queer and trans pocs, disabled pocs, undocumented pocs, womyn of color, supported with understanding of a perennial landscape of vulnerability and violence that impacts those communities with police brutality, institutional pillaging?
to see #OWS as a revolutionary anomoly, a last judgement as the barometer to scale who is “really political” essentializes the very hybrid of approaches to justice and liberation work that poc, native, indigenous people have been doing through out history. an example which i share on facebook: note the white assigned at birth male legal observer ran over by a police scooter or the incidents where white assigned at birth (read: straight, skinny, attractive to white straight men) women are flagrantly attacked. my disabled brown transgender ass is going to consider this in 2 ways— 1) if they will maul over privileged people, then people of multiple identities that challenge the mainstream empire is surely in danger at #OWS. what resources & support systemically can be harnessed for impacted on multiple levels versus the aforementioned above? 2) white people and specifically, the white woman demographic always needs saving in the racist elite heteropatriarchal script of this country, so hence #ows is a valid call to action. women of color and trans people of color, migrant workers and disabled people of color face accelerated violence everyday, some so far as murder and modern day slavery, but those are not the valuable amerikkkan narratives that fuel the white diatribe of saviorism in radical and progressive movements.
where are the “minorities.” they are doing a number of things all at once and many are organizing/healing/educating/sustaining/making liberation too. they are cooking your fancy food while they are forced to starve or limited by food deserts but grow urban gardens nonetheless, cleaning your houses and businesses, taking care of your children, incarcerated, unable to access housing, bombarded by ableist inaccessible buildings- chemicals- cognitive expectations, methodically shamed for their bodies & voices, growing your food exposed to chemicals, fighting for land rights still, working the streets, threatened by subhuman treatment even in employment or academia, being soldiers for wars b/c of limited financial resources, facing severe body dysphoria, being attacked by government-sanctioned raids, in devastating debt by system that was founded and flourished by white straight skinny christian middleclass. perhaps, people aren’t aware of the full and marvelous wealth of political struggle/landmarks by various POC and oppressed communities despite all of these obstacles, this is clearly a strategic mainstream oversight.
though i feel this way, i find that #ows is important but has to be under scrutiny for improvement and cannot be narrowly thwarted as the primary mode of political upheaval. many actions, protests, healing work, spiritual work, justice work have happened prior that led up to this and led up to initiatives that may not be getting any exposure but have pivotal change. MTV/twitter coverage doesn’t determine how political viable paths to dismantling injustice. we all have to be accountable to that and see that that work is compassionate and sustainable as well.
but at this point i am convinced: Occupy Wall Street is not a revolutionary movement. SlutWalk is not a revolutionary movement. There might be revolutionary elements, but fundamentally, these movements are about retaining and…
I love Raja, but I am seriously tired of her appropriating Native culture. It’s not funny to me anymore as a Native American. I don’t care if she’s a drag queen and it’s supposed to be “funny”. It’s really starting to bother me and I’m tired of it. This regalia means things to cultures, spiritual things, and if she’s not trying to bring awareness to the struggle and the oppression of Native Peoples then it shouldn’t be happening. I don’t think it’s appropriate for one minority to trivialize the humanity of another, especially when I try so hard to be an aspiring ally for the LGBTQ community.
For some background information on this continuing issue:
But Why Can’t I Wear a Hipster Headdress? http://nativeappropriations.blogspot.com/2010/04/but-why-cant-i-wear-hipster-headdress.html
To quote:
“Although we are a mostly invisible culture, that does not grant anyone the right to appropriate what little pieces of our past we have, robbing them of their dignity. Part of being seen as “trendy” also makes an entire culture not only a commodity, but also something that people will (and can) tire of; therefore being disposable. And to me, that is unacceptable.”
Headdresses promote stereotyping of Native cultures.
- “The image of a warbonnet and warpaint wearing Indian is one that has been created and perpetuated by Hollywood and only bears minimal resemblance to traditional regalia of Plains tribes. It furthers the stereotype that Native peoples are one monolithic culture, when in fact there are 500+ distinct tribes with their own cultures. It also places Native people in the historic past, as something that cannot exist in modern society. We don’t walk around in ceremonial attire everyday, but we still exist and are still Native.”
It’s just like wearing blackface.
- “Playing Indian” has a long history in the United States, all the way back to those original tea partiers in Boston, and in no way is it better than minstral shows or dressing up in blackface. You are pretending to be a race that you are not, and are drawing upon stereotypes to do so. Like my first point said, you’re collapsing distinct cultures, and in doing so, you’re asserting your power over them. Which leads me to the next issue.”
“There is a history of genocide and colonialism involved that continues today.
- By the sheer fact that you live in the United States you are benefiting from the history of genocide and continued colonialism of Native peoples. That land you’re standing on? Indian land. Taken illegally so your ancestor who came to the US could buy it and live off it, gaining valuable capital (both monetary and cultural) that passed down through the generations to you. Have I benefited as well, given I was raised in a white, suburban community? yes. absolutely. but by dismissing and minimizing the continued subordination and oppression of Natives in the US by donning your headdress, you are contributing to the culture of power that continues the cycle today.”
And:
“But I don’t mean it in that way, I just think it’s cute!
- Well hopefully I’ve illuminated that there’s more at play here than just a “cute” fashion choice. Sorry for taking away your ignorance defense.”
1:50 PM
[oh look, another moment in the midwest where someone tells me i am being too angry and too mean to white or straight people. lol. ]
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