In general I get tired of analysis of capitalism that pretends that Native ppls relationship to the United States and all its capitalistic institutions is the same as every non Native US citizen.
Technically we (marginalized ppls in the US) all have shared and different positionality to the axis of power that is capitalism, colonialism and yt supremacy .
This thing of disposing of history and pretending we re all holding meaningful relationships to our oppressors is what’s leaving these institutions uninterrogated and rationing out recognition aka “representation“ as a form of reparations, that isn’t actually reparations at all.
And the sad thing is , that behavior really is a replication of the Colombian exposition and calling it editorial.
Gawking at marginalized ppls like they are an exotic specimen then throwing them crumbs is not meaningful representation and I’m tired of ppl lauding it like it is.
And the thing that’s even more triggering for me as an individual who has analyzed primary sources from church and boarding schools, is this exact same dynamic of relegating Indigenous arts as primitive “arts and crafts” is how they talked when they institutionalized us.
Part of the reason our ancestors were able to hold on to traditions that were made illegal was because of the dismissive paternalism of colonizers that saw Native art as a rudimentary economy and a spectacle . So they “allowed” the “arts and crafts”
They would then brag on the newspapers about how colonizer immigrants could come gaze at Natives and their exotic crafts. Now they do the same thing in their fashion mags and art markets.
That’s not to say that recognition is inherently bad but again look at the power dynamics at play and the means of publication and production.
It’s further disturbing to me how much support there is in revitalizing Indigenous traditions when it’s in the context of fashion rather than cultural tradition.
If ppl cared there would be endless funding for Indigenous youth to learn their craft and trade. If it were really about “economy” this would be common sense.
I fear that this move towards fashion economy is what’s pulling us further from the cultural knowledge that is supposed to go hand in hand with craft.
I say this as someone who never even learned how to bead until I was in my 20s because I wanted it to happen in the right cultural context.
But so far along even leading up to that point I even had other Natives turning me away and saying “just look it up on Pinterest or something”
So that too as Native ppl is something to think about when it comes to our responsibilities and how we otherwise ourselves from capitalist economy.
I hope that when I’m in a place of stability I can pass on what little I have learned to other young ppl instead of encouraging them to just learn from yt Ukrainian girls on pinterest
For me I’ve never been bothered by the idea of recognizing the beading diaspora. Other cultures have their beading traditions too. What sets us apart is the knowledge and historical relationships we have to the medium and materials.
Ndn ppl practiced international global trade prior to colonizers taking over and we still held our unique cultural identities while maintaining equitable economy. I believe we can find ways to revitalize that and move away from colonizer economy.
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