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Thinking about work relationships in the settler state and how my ancestors wouldn't work alongside or trade with someone they didn't respect, weren't trusting of, or just didn't like as a person. Work and trade relationships were often intertwined with friendships or kinship.
Of course things have changed a lot due to capitalism and colonialism and the industrial revolution, but in thinking about future collaborative projects with artists, collectives, or companies, I would need to establish a good, trusting relationship first.
That means hospitality, that means coffee, tea, wine, food. That means sharing stories. That means listening attentively. That means laughing and smiling (unless someone is from a culture wherein humor or joy is expressed differently, which is fine of course.)
I know one of my ancestors made a sale or trade to some white guy once and afterward gifted him a tobacco pouch for free, probably beaded or quilled. This idea of gift giving in addition to business deals is so essential to me because it's grounds us as humans and as relatives.
