#blackfella

[indigenous-consent]

~Notes on Indigeneity and Blackness~

In the Americas Indigeneity is not inherently tied to Blackness. Thus better language should be used by Non-Black Ndns when discussing Indigenous issues in the Americas, because that INCLUDES Black peoples as Black people are INDIGENOUS TOO.

Amerindigenous and Afroindigenous are good terms to distinguish these experiences with Black and Non-Black being important power dynamic distinctions.

However, it is important to note that this isn't applicable globally. In places like Australia, Indigenous peoples are also racialized as Black. Blackness is inherent to Indigeneity in Australia in a way that is not applicable to dominant discourse and conceptualization in the Americas. In Australia, Black peoples have come up with a way to distinguish yet recognize both Aboriginal and Afrocentric experiences of Blackness in a way that doesn't erase either. If you see the term "Bla(c)k" with parentheses around the "(c)" that means that language is specific to the Black Pacific and is inclusive of Aboriginal, African and Melanesian experiences of Bla(c)kness.

Also, in Australia, the term "Blackfella" is also used and applicable in association with Black peoples. "Blak" and "Blakfella" are used to specify Aboriginal peoples and experiences and does not include African peoples (I'm not sure if "Blak" includes or is used by Melanesian peoples.)

[ic001]

Your Fave was a Racist:

Charles Darwin (1809-1882)

"All the aborigines have been removed to an island in Bass's Straits, so that Van Diemen's Land enjoys the great advantage of being free from a native population. This most cruel step seems to have been quite unavoidable, as the only means of stopping a fearful succession of robberies, burnings, and murders, committed by the blacks; and which sooner or later would have ended in their utter destruction."-Charles Darwin, excerpt from the Voyage of the Beagle, 1838. p. 475. Chapter on Australia and Van Diemen's Land.

As a biologist, I start this new series: "Your fave was/is a Racist" with the Father of Evolution himself, Charles Darwin. Though I believe in evolution, I'm vehemently opposed (obviously) to it's very racist pseudoscientific cousin "Social Darwinism". Evidently, believed to an extent by Charles Darwin himself as noted above in an excerpt from his own journal.

In the same vein of this post: Beware of anyone that espouses Malthusian ideas and worse, "solutions", to environmental health and climate change mitigation (Malthus coined a popular theory of human "overpopulation" which has taken the hold of many minds in very negative and violent ways since then.) It is deeply rooted in racism and falls under the umbrella of ecofascism.

Note: This is also a reminder that Indigenous Australians (Torres Strait Islanders, Aboriginal Australians, and Aboriginal Tasmanians) are Black and have always been Black since the beginning of Pacific, Oceanic and Australian colonization.

[kabbalicgay]

[...]All of the five natural elements: earth, wind, fire, water and the cosmos. All five of these elements are the masters of our entire existence. They are also critical tools in allowing the application of Indigenous knowledge to happen. The way the elements are treated by the people can also regulate the way these super forces behave. This is why Indigenous knowledge and spirituality is highly based on the managing country and respecting the life force.

— Victor Steffensen, ”Chapter Fourteen: The Traditional Knowledge Recording Project”, from Fire Country; How Indigenous Fire Management Could Help Save Australia (2020)

[insignificantnecessities]

Illustration for Aurealis #107 - ‘Traces’ by Joanne Anderton: http://aurealis.com.au

[blaqfulla]

[[Caption: A projected light display on the Geelong City Council building commemorating the 50th anniversary of the referendum that gave Aboriginal people the right to vote. Geelong, Victoria, 26.05.17]]

[indigenous-consent]

Watch "WANTOKS: dance of resilience in Melanesia - Full Documentary" on YouTube

[ic001]

MOVING BLOG SOON- Will Still be on Tumblr.

Hey everyone! Just so you know, I will be moving this blog soon to another Tumblr account. I am doing this because I wish to expand "Indigenous Consent" beyond my own personal mental space and into a more collaborative project with Indigenous people around the world. You can still checkout my old blog but I will be making far less posts than I use to on this one. As of rn consider this blog a prototype "1" so to speak. I will keep you all updated on the progression of this change.

What Exactly do I foresee for this Blog?

-A Blog with MANY Mods. Moderators coming from backgrounds of all Indigenous peoples around the world.

Obviously Representing each broad group, as well as their respective specific cultures. (Realize that Indigenous people are incredibly DIVERSE, this means that there is NO Way that we can represent EVERY specific indigenous culture AND can not represent every indigenous person in the world as well.)

I will make a post on the Mods that I will be looking for. JSYK, this will include Black (Specifically African-American and Afro-Diasporic Black people), Jewish and Romani Mods as well, because as far as this Blog is concerned each of those respective groups belong at the table on all things Indigenous as well.

-A Safe and Reflective Space for Indigenous people to ask questions, collaborate and generate meaningful and productive conversation.

-A Safe and Ecstatic place where we all Share our cultures in a way we feel comfortable. Appropriation is and will be taken seriously on this blog. Many Indigenous cultural events, magics, art, language, music, dance are all sacred and important in some way to each of us. Many are CLOSED because of this and because of colonized minds trying to take what is ours. This blog seeks to curate an experience where all of these boundaries are RESPECTED.

-A Safe and Fun Space where people can link up and connect. With other indigenous peoples, with other Ndns, with other Black people, with other Jewish people, with other Romani people, with other LGBT+ Indigenous people, with others!!!

Again, I haven't completely moved yet and such a large idea and collaborative space needs to be organized in a very delicate and efficient way. 

This being said. TUMBLR is not where this "Blog" ends but merely it has been where it "Began". I seek to expand this project beyond the confines of this Hell Hole of a Site and spread out to the rest of the Web. Maybe even one day create a collaborative indigenous non-profit that has an actual headquarters and central space! I want to put in the WORK, and I expect nothing less of those that seek to join.

Thank you for your time! Hope to see you soon!

Signed,

Dara

[ic001]

From now on, when sharing or discussing Blackness in a global context, this blog will use Bla(c)k as a descriptor to be inclusive of Black voices and experiences that are not African or a part of the Afro-Diaspora. However, when talking about specific Bla(c)k experiences, "Blak" or "Blackfella/Blakfella" will be used to talk about Indigenous Australian (Aboriginal Australian, Torres Strait Islanders, Aboriginal Tasmanians), South Sea Islander, Papuan and Melanesian experiences of Blackness. Meanwhile, for African/Afro-Diasporic experiences of Blackness the terms "Blac/Black" or "African/Afro-Diaspora" will be used to denote African and Afro-Diasporic experiences of Blackness.

Why is this important?

Because Bla(c)k lives and experiences are important to this world. Recognizing the extreme diversity in Blackness as well as its negative universality in a racialized world is important in the deconstruction of antiblackness and the preservation of Bla(c)k Indigenous cultures.

Disclaimer: I only include those in the term Bla(c)k who have a consistent history of being racialized as Black by colonizers, have consistently suffered and experience institutional abuse because of that racialization, embody blackness more often than not and have claimed and reclaimed Blackness as an identity both in politic and embodiment.

(From top to bottom: Pan-African flag, Australian Aboriginal flag, Torres Strait Islander flag, Flag of Papua New Guinea, Flag of West Papua and the West Papua Liberation Movement, South Sea Islander flag, Flag of Vanuatu.)