#indigenous culutre

[gremlinofuncertainity]

So this piece of work is by an artist that goes by Adnate, in Hosier Lane.

He did thisto represent and empower the aboriginal. This is emphasised by the young boy looking over birrarung marr which is a significant aboriginal site.  The work provides the presence of indigenous culture amongst the modern architecture and in effect claims back a small proportion of the space that was taken from the indigenous inhabitants during colonisation.

[rattusrattus3]

Can I ask you a few questions about feminism? I got into Riot Grrrl and have since found feminism. What's a fadfem? What's third wave feminism? How would you describe your feminism? I hope you dont mind the questions

Wow! I love this question !!! Thank you so much for reaching out! I wanna say I am not the authority on feminism and feminist issues and reccomend doing lots of your own research, please don’t take my word for things! I’m just a 21 yr old

Ooh riot grrrl is so fun! Love that for you! I think that as a movement it had really good intentions but in practice kind of ended up being white, classist and exclusionary in some cases (not a judgment on you! Just a fact about mainstream feminism in a Racist society! Here’s a source about that, just paste it into sci.hub.se if you cant access it!)

rad fem? i think is maybe what you mean? it means radical feminist and they are not very radical, their main platform thing is that womanhood is all about having a vagina and whatever so theyre very trans exclusionary and I dont like them, highly recommend against rad fems 

third wave feminism! so basically people who study feminism have categorized it into different waves, or time periods/ideologies. Third-wave was 90′s to 2010s, it has some problems because of its association with neoliberalism (which advocates for individual action to systemic problems, relies on capitalism and the free market, and of course is still pretty exclusionary in many spaces, in terms of being very white, abelist, middle/upper class, etc), But third wave feminism is about like individualism and diversity 

fourth-wave feminism is what we’re in right now ! feminism is constantly evolving and growing through its mistakes and learning so much! Fourth wave feminism is much more aware of intersectionality, (intersectional feminism was coined by Kimberly Crenshaw, heres an amazing video of her talking about) intersectionality is the fact that different aspects of your identity will impact you in different ways, so for example, a cis white woman will not experience the same discrimination of a trans woman of colour, intersectionality is about recognizing your privilege, using it where you can to help others, and educating yourself about issues you may not have experience with (or that you do!) (like colonialism, racism, mental health/abelism, ageism, classism, homophobia and transphobia, etc etc etc). 

feminism for me is about the dismantling of the hetro-capitalist-patriarchy, a system which is fundamentally unsustainable as it revolves around the accumulation of profit for more capital, and this is at the expense of others, i say hetro- because the hetrosexual, two parent, nuclear family system is a fundamental part of the system which seeks to create and raise little workers who feel they are an individual, always under surveillance and need to compete with others to survive (see Michel Foucault!) het normativity has gotta be dismantled and we gotta get away from it, and the trad family supports uneven power realtions between spouses and children and as an insulated system is a huge site of abuse for many people. i say capitalist bc capitalism is a fucking disease and literally the source of most of our enviornmental problems and has been used to justify racisim and colonialism and its gotta be undone. Patriarchy is the culutral system that priveleges men over women, defining men as “rational, logical, smart, strong, and multifaceted” and women as “one dimensional, emotional, and reliant on men”

bell hooks is a great famous feminist author i highly recommend, she believes that all forms of oppression are interlocked (sexism, racism, classism, speciesism, etc), and the only way to liberation was to simultaneously dismantle the oppressions that affect us, (primarily within and because of a capitalist system!) she has some great books i reccomend like feminist theory from margin to centre, theres a free pdf for ya ;) 

another book i really recommend is Making Space for Indigenous Feminism edited by Joyce Green

for me personally, feminism involves a lot of stuff, like anti capitalism, body autonomy, intersectionality, supporting indigenous sovereignty, protecting eachother from sexual assault and general abuse, and supporting organized actions that actively support the marginalized members of my community (and fuck cops! theyre not our friends theyre not on our side!)! for me feminism looks a lot like constant self evaluation and critical analysis, acknowledgment of privilege, and a desire to improve rather than be perfect! for example, I am white and a settler, so I am racist by default because of having been raised in a white supremacist, settler society, BUT i can actively do my best to unlearn my racisim and all the other forms of oppression(like classism and sexism and abelism) that i have learned! and that at the end of the day is what feminism is about for me, is trying to figure out how to ensure love and liberation for all beings around me, i also know i will always be doing harm as long as i live and participate in a capitalist society, so its important to know that I am not perfect and make a lot of mistakes, and am trying to do what I can with what I have to learn how to do less harm, in a world that is hurting a lot. Feminism for me is about listening to others and learning from others. sorry for the rant, a lot was left out, people are free to comment! heres a feminism tag on my blog where i reblog stuff that i think of as feminist issues 

[fromchaostocosmos]

People, mostly not Jewish people, lump Judaism in with xtianity and Islam.

It drives me crazy and pisses me off.

Judaism is unique and very much its own thing and has pretty much nothing in common with the those two religions.

Xtianity and Islam have far more in common with one another then they do with Judaism, this is something I have said before and I will continue to say so because it is a fact.

Besides the fact that Judaism is nothing like those two you also have to take in consideration the history of the treatment of Jewish people and Judaism by xtianity and Islam.

At best Jewish people were treated as second class citizens and forced to live apart while under xtian and Islamic rule respectively and at the worst genocide, pogroms, murder, torture, rape, forced conversion, forced assimilation, expulsion, and more.

Both xtianity and Islam stole from Jewish people and from Judaism and then pretend they didn’t steal anything and that they had a right to what they stole.

Personally for me if I was to say with what religions or what category Judaism should fall under I would say Tribal/Indigenous Religions.

That is where is the history is the most similar.

The fact is Judaism is a tribal/indigenous religion because people who practice Judaism are Jewish people and we are all of the same family and tribe. Judaism was very much born our of its Indigeneity to the Levant specifically the Land of Israel and 4 thousand+ years later it is still connected to it. That connection are remained unbroken no matter where we have been or what we have endured.

Now you might say Tribal/Indigenous Religions don’t have converts, but people can convert to Judaism.

To which I would say you are wrong. People don’t convert to Judaism, converts are Jewish souls returning to Judaism and to the tribe.

The are multiple Torah commentators talk and give proof about converts have Jewish souls when they convert it is them returning back.

Jewish law also states that it is forbidden to view or treat a convert any differently then one who did not convert.

So yes technically one could say Judaism has converts, but in reality it is rather family members who had a different and sometimes long journey to get back to home, but hey they made it time for us all to eat and celebrate.

Also like many people that were forced to stop practicing their tribal/indigenous faiths and to speak a language not theirs, pray to a god that wasn’t theirs, believe in a system not of their own so to did we. 

Jews were forced to do all of that against our will and with great struggle just like many Native and Indigenous Peoples.

And just like this led to the deaths of so so many Native and Indigenous Peoples so did this led to the deaths of many Jews.

Both of us have had a children stolen from us and forced into schools were they were hurt and abused and forced to give their culutre and heritage.

Tribal/Indigenous religions are also ethno-religions with a heritage and a culture that is distinctive to the people of that specific tribe.

Same with Jewish people and Judaism.

People who not of Tribal/Indigenous faiths look at them they see a culture that is dead or they make up what they want to pretend is the culture and it is wrong and usually very offensive.

People who are not Jewish think that there is no Jewish culture, if there ever was it is long dead, or that Jewish culture is funny words, weird food, money, the Holocaust, and fiddler on the roof.

Which they couldn’t be more wrong. Jewish culture has been on going for thousands and thousands of years and it is still around and is distinctive and rich and beautiful.

Now Judaism in practice and as a religion no it is not like Tribal/Indigenous religions.

But I don’t put Judaism in the category of Tribal/Indigenous religions based on religious practice and such. 

The reality is that Judaism is utterly unique and predates almost every religion.

The reality is that there is no other religion like Judaism and there never will be so it can not be put into a category with any other religion based on practice and as a religion to base off that it is in a category of its own.

No, I put it in the category of Tribal/Indigenous religions because of the overwhelming similarities in history in the treatment of the people who are apart of the ethno-religions that fall under this category. 

The overwhelming commonalities between the Jewish people and the many Native and Indigenous Peoples world wide in the things we have suffered, the treatment we dealt with, and what we still endure.

[wanderlust225]

La Ciudad religiosa

Our Airbnb host, Gabriel, noted in a lovely note he left me that the super cool photographs in his apartment were his own work. He was really responsive and gave us a number of good restaurant recommendations, so when he offered a tour of the city and explained his excellent knowledge of the art and history, we took him up on it. After a delicious breakfast at Jerry's, a local cafe where Jerry serves up delicious Ecuadorian food and chats you up in the most friendly manner, Gabriel picked us up in a little blue Toyota hatchback. We drove around the La Mariscal neighborhood and he pointed our Plaza Foch, the big nightlife area. He explained that a lot of the architecture in the nicer parts of the city was early 1900s European, as many Jews fled here ecaping persecution and wanted to build a more familiar city. Mariscal Foch (Marshall Foch) happened to be a French prime minister in the early 1900s, and thus, the area was born. On our way to the first stop we also passed by El Ejido park which had tons of old trees, including a 300 year old cypress! Since I had expressed interest in his art work we first went to el Centro de Arte Contemporaneo de Quito, where they had an exhibition he was included in. The really cool part about his pieces is that he takes double or triple exposure pictures and layers them on top of each other and although he has traveled quite extensively, all the art we saw was from Ecuador. We passed by the enormous gothic church (Basilica del Voto Nacional) I had been blown away by yesterday and he explained that, like many of the curches in Quito, they incorporate both European and indigenous ("indio") elements like gargoyles of wild animals from Ecuador, including alligators, iguanas, armadillos, pelicans, sharks and, of course, tortugas from the Galapagos! On our journey to find parking in the cramped Old Quito area he told us a little about the current politics. It seems the last president, Correa, was extremely corrupt and sold a lot of the country's land and resources to the Chinese (like mining in the Amazon). The Ecuadorian people are very ecologically minded (think, the Galapagos) so the idea that the Chinese are going to come in and ruin their natural resources is tragic. The current president, Moreno, sounded a bit better, but has only been in office for a few months. Interestingly (but maybe not surprisingly), the last mayor of Quito was also corrupt -- but Gabriel admitted that he did a lot of good things for the city, like significantly improve the bus system with larger busses. Our first stop in the Old Town was Catedral Primada de Quito. For me, the most amazing part was that this cathedral has origins back to 1535, when it was a simple adobe house with a clay tile roof and wooden framework. Shortly after, by 1562 it was named the national cathedral and they demolished the old structure and built stone foundations and brick walls but still a clay tile roof. This was on the central square that shared space with the main government building which Stephen noted, and I agree, seemed very accessible. Right down the road we went to the Centro Culutral Metropolitana which had on a sprawling feminist exhibition that showed up in most of the rooms of the 2 block building. It featured artwork by many prominent feminists as well as one by the gorilla girls, who have a famous tagline that 'women shouldn't have to be naked to be featured in the Met.' Good point! Very interestingly, on the rooftop there was a huge block that faced the government building and said, "you will not violate us," apparently in reference to a son of one of the major officials who was convicted of rape. Powerful! Then we arrived at La iglesia de la compania de Jesus and the good old Jesuits had the most extravagently decorated church I have ever seen, literally covered in gold. Every wall and the ceiling was plated in 23 ct gold, except for the area with a statue of Jesus, which was plated in 24 ct gold. Perhaps my favorite part of this church though was that on your way out into the cruel and tempting world, there was an incredible painting that pictured Hell with all of the major sins named and depicted with terrible tortures. Just a reminder to be good when you exit...! The last church we visited (though there were many, many more) was la Iglesia de San Francisco. I know this is a common name but I really do like churches that reminde me of SF. :) To be honest, after the gilded church it was a little tough to get excited about this more normal looking beautiful giant but I did like it's origin. In the legend of Catuna, it is said that the architect of SF was told he would never see it built to completion - so he sold his soul to the devil so he could live long enough to see it finalized - and he did! I guess he wwasn't a very pious man. The plaza this church was on used to be an Incan market and, currently, it's under construction, building a subway for Quito (maybe - Gabriel seemed unconvinced). After all of these churches we were starving so we headed to La Floresta neighborhood which, per Gabriel is the sort of bohemian area - though interestingly is also where all the banks and expensive resetaurants are. Not sure how I square that circle. Regardless, we went to a fantastic bahn mi restaurant because, honestly, you can only have potatoes and corn so many times! It was delicious. In the afternoon he took us to La Casa de Guayasumin who was one of Ecuador's most prolific artists. In his 70 years of paining he painted many leaders like the prince of Spain, Castro and Chavez (in more of a cubist style). He must have charged a pretty penny because his mansion was incredible, up on a beautiful hill in a neighborhood called Bella Vista and filled with priceless art. He decided before his death that instead of passing it all down to his children he preferred to keep everything as it was in his home and open it up as a museum to the public. Even though he was not religious, there was tons of religious art, some extremely sensual pieces next to the religious art (interesting), a few Picassos, a few Goyas (artists that influenced his style, showing the misery of their time), and a number of other artists who I probably should know. Before his death he also comisssioned La Capilla del Hombre (the Chapel of Man) to be built just next to his house to put even more art on display - sadly, it wasn't finished before his death in 1999. The whole estate was very cool to see - mainly because they kept so many things exactly the same as when he was alive - especially his studio in which we watched a movie on him painting a famous spanish flamenco guitar player with, "a face so long and proud and tall that it looked like a never-ending tower." On our way out, we saw a place where they found ancient pots when they were excavating the land to build - guess where the anthropoligist that came to survey the land was from? None other than FAU! After Guayasumin, we headed back to our flat and then to dinner at Zazu, a very stylish restaurant with a yummy tasting menu. For me, the highlights were the crispy grilled octopus and the ginea pig -- in my defense, I didn't really think about the little furry animal until it was being served to me. Oops! The restaurant felt very fancy with waiters watching our every move for a chance to help -- the price point was that of a casual night out in SF, clocking in at $65 per person, including a bottle of nice wine.

[amoorikannationaltreasure]

The Ainus, the original Muurs of Japan and Russia The Ainu are the indigenous peoples of Japan and far east Russia. Although the true number of Ainu descendants living in Japan is unknown, it is believed that only 200 pure blood Ainu remain, most of these upon Japan’s northernmost island of Hokkaido. Though the Ainu have their own language, they do not have a written alphabet. The language and the culture of the Ainus is under constant assault from the realities of their present life. Even the spoken language is becoming much rarer. Sooner or later the Ainu way of life may die out and only records of their culture, their wisdom and their stories may lie buried. Genetically they more similar to dark-skinned groups found in Southeast Asia than the Japanese or Koreans. In Japanese history the period between 10,000 and 400 B.C. is known as the Jomon Period. The people of the Jomon culutre who lived at this time are regarded as Japan’s first major culture. Many scholars believe that the Jomon people were Ainu or at least that the Ainus are the descendants of the Jomon People. https://www.africaresource.com/rasta/sesostris-the-great-the-egyptian-hercules/ainus-the-muurish-japanese-old-africans-of-japan-oguejiofor-annu/

[gremlinofuncertainity]

Hosier Lane, Melbourne