#decolonization

[radicalgraff]

"Decolonize Everything"

“When the last tree is cut, the last river poisoned, and the last fish caught… then you will realize money cannot be eaten.”

Anti-colonial graffiti seen in Pensacola, Florida

[victusinveritas]

[sentientsky]

riding her dick cowgirl style while shaking my head to show i disagree with the settler-colonial and falsely idealized nature of frontier era north america

[dancingonolympus]

Even though ‘turtle island’ is a more accurate term than ‘America’, I would also like to note that not every tribe has the turtle myth, not every tribe calls this land ‘turtle island’ in their language. We are not a monolith, it is impossible to describe the diversity of traditions and people on this land with one term. The term ‘indigenous culture’ is more of an umbrella term that is used to describe thousands of tribal traditions and cultures, each having their own unique differences.

So… tldr is yes, call this land ‘turtle island’ because it is a more accurate and decolonized name than ‘America’, but don’t be surprised when a native person tells you they don’t call this land ‘turtle island’.

[fansplaining]

The Elation and Anxiety of Reading Fic in Your Native Tongue

For fans in Kenya, Nigeria, and Burundi, “uncringing” non-English fanfiction is an endeavor in decolonialism.

Our latest piece is live! The brilliant Soila Kenya writes about the dominance of English in fandom and especially fanfiction spaces, and why for her and the fellow fans she interviewed from Kenya, Nigeria, and Burundi, this is partly about the global dominance of English-language pop culture, but especially about the legacies of colonialism:

The deep psychological imprints of this language disparity remain. And therefore, when I encountered fanfiction, it didn’t even occur to me that there were fanfics written in any language but English, let alone Swahili or any of the 42 indigenous languages in Kenya.

Click through to read the whole piece or listen to a full audio version! And if you enjoy it, please consider becoming a (free) member or especially a paying subscriber—we want to commission more pieces from Soila and other smart writers and we need your help to pay them!

(As a reminder, we have a discount rate for anyone who wants it, no questions asked—if you're a student, educator, un/underemployed, have a lower income, or literally any other reason, just email [email protected] and we're happy to provide!)

[words-and-coffee]

Alice Te Punga Somerville, Always Italicise: How to Write While Colonised - Kupu rere kē

[ID: A poem titled: Kupu rere kē. [in italics] My friend was advised to italicise all the foreign words in her poems. This advice came from a well-meaning woman with NZ poetry on her business card and an English accent in her mouth. I have been thinking about this advice. The convention of italicising words from other languages clarifies that some words are imported: it ensures readers can tell the difference between a foreign language and the language of home. I have been thinking about this advice. Marking the foreign words is also a kindness: every potential reader is reassured that although you're expected to understand the rest of the text, it's fine to consult a dictionary or native speaker for help with the italics. I have been thinking about this advice. Because I am a contrary person, at first I was outraged — but after a while I could see she had a point: when the foreign words are camouflaged in plain type you can forget how they came to be there, out of place, in the first place. I have been thinking about this advice and I have decided to follow it. Now all of my readers will be able to remember which words truly belong in -[end italics]- Aotearoa -[italics]- and which do not.

Next image is the futurama meme: to shreds you say...]

(Image ID by @bisexualshakespeare)

[autisticexpression2]

Seeing a lot of posts about the Palestinian flag, and it got me thinking about indigenous flags around the world.

Māori:

Kalaallit Nunaat:

Haudenosaunee

Nunatsiavut:

Australian Aboriginal:

Torres Strait Islands:

Rapa Nui:

Kurdistan:

Sami:

Ainu:

Of course, these are just a handful. May they all reclaim their stolen lands.

[skyberpunk]

“The protesters in Iran are burning MOSQUES!!”

Islam isn’t the indigenous religion of Iran. Zoroastrianism is. Islam only arrived in the 7th century due to violent conquests. Persians didn’t choose to convert from the faith of their ancestors, they were violently forced to.

What’s wrong, “free Palestine” crowd? I thought you guys supported decolonization???