Dr. Jessica Hernandez
@doctora_nature
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Maya Ch’orti’ & Binnizá ♡ Indigenous Scientist ♡ Author of #FreshBananaLeaves ♡ Forbes 100: Central America ♡ Consultant @pinasoulspc ♡ IG @doctora_nature
Duwamish Lands (Seattle)
Joined May 2010
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✏️Mutual aid for an Indigenous serving school in Oaxaca.
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I remember when I was applying to undergrad, my parents didn’t have a debit card & my HS counselor used his debit card to help me pay for college applications. Now I’m going to graduate with my PhD & he is going to get an invitation with a thank you for doing this for me.
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Indigenous knowledge is science
Indigenous knowledge is science
Indigenous knowledge is science
Indigenous knowledge is science
Indigenous knowledge is science
Indigenous knowledge is science
Indigenous knowledge is science
Indigenous knowledge is science
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Seattle was named after Chief Si’ahl. Seattle is not how you pronounce Si’ahl. Yet Chief Si’ahl died not being able to ever step foot in Seattle bc of Ordinance No. 5 that made it unlawful for Indigenous people to own property or come within city limits.
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I am excited to be the first Indigenous faculty at UW campuses to teach introduction to climate change. I am excited bc it is allowing me to incorporate Indigenous science in climate change- in a scientific + required course as opposed to an elective.
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Since I’m the only Indigenous person in the academic spaces I navigate, I’m always asked about land acknowledgements. So here are my common responses bc I try to keep in mind that everyone uses their “only X friend” to justify their racism at times. 🧵
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While folks are trying to argue with Indigenous womxn from Oaxaca over Frida Kahlo, I’ll like to highlight the first model from Oaxaca to make the cover of Vogue Mexico. Karen is beautiful & gorgeous 💕💕
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As a Zapotec womxn who comes from generations of weavers, I’ll NEVER ignore my elders or my communities voices over historical accounts not written by my people to justify the harm Frida Kahlo enacted on our communities.
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We should honor her memory by ensuring she isn't referred to as just "Latina" but as an Afro-Latina. Too often, we dismiss our relatives Afro- or Black roots in Latinidad. This is important now and always. May she rest in peace & find solace with her ancestors.
Thank you Naya, for portraying a Latina struggling with her sexuality and being a safe place and inspiration for many young girls dealing with the same struggles including me. I will never forget how much you changed my life. You will forever be missed. We love you
#nayariviera
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Summoning circle:
🕯 🕯 🕯🕯🕯
🕯 Return all land 🕯
🕯 back to Native 🕯
🕯 + Indigenous 🕯
🕯 Peoples 🕯
🕯 🕯
🕯 🕯 🕯
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I was excited to see the
#BarbieMovie
but was kinda taken aback on the small pox & genocide reference. The theater goers didn’t laugh but this line was unnecessary and not needed for the plot. Reminder: there was no Indigenous or Native representation at the movie so no excuses.
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Why do all white-led academic departments ask for DEI statements in their application process? Shouldn't they be providing one for BIPOC applicants?
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How would to respond to this feedback: "You have "white" with a lower case "w" and Indigenous and Black are written with an initial capital letter. Choose one method throughout for consistency."
*My brain is too tired to think of how to politely respond*
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Mexico City is replacing the Columbus statue with the statue of an Indigenous woman…but instead of hiring an Indigenous artisan or artist, they hired a white Mexican man to create it. So many Indigenous artisans who could have been hired but are NEVER given these opportunities.
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Please do not forget that our Indigenous Pueblos of Oaxaca can benefit from any small help or contribution during these times. The earthquake is exacerbating the impacts of the pandemic on our people. As of July 10, 2020 no governmental aid has been received.
Thank you everyone who continues to support
@COCISS_Oficial
. Here is a video of one of our elders thanking everyone for the support you have provided to our pueblos in Oaxaca.
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We need to stop telling our Black & Brown youth that the only options they have to be successful is 1. Attending a four year university or 2. Enlisting in the military. By doing so we ignore how these institutions were not created for Black & Brown folks.
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Witnessing how indigenous scientists are ignored in Hawaii over white scientists who want to build a telescope at a sacred site demonstrates how far behind we are in the equity and diversify issues that surround the STEM field.
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A lot of white allies in academia claim to be an ally, until they are asked to share their "power" in a given project, grant, etc. I helped a group of white professors write a grant & one of them flipped out on me via email when I asked her to write me down as a CO-PI.
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The fact that a lot of folks are labeling street vendors in Los Angeles “Mexican” shows how disconnected they are with these folks & how even Brown folks equate everyone to being Mexican. I’ve met many who are not Mexican but from El Salvador, Guatemala etc.
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Please uplift the voices of the indigenous communities who depend on the Amazon & have cared for it for centuries. Uplifting the voices of just Brazilians & not Indigenous peoples is part of the problem that conts. to neglect & ignore their inherited rights to protecting Earth.
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Non-Indigenous academics need to understand that some Indigenous science/knowledge cannot be shared to outsiders as it is sacred. Some of our protocols don't allow us to share it with the outside world. We have just been used to this bc non-Indigenous academics have published..
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Science wasn’t founded in Europe. Science is also an ancestral way of knowing that many Indigenous communities have maintained since time immemorial through place-based knowledge & observations. Redefine what you call “science.”
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A bank account seemed like something out of reach for my parents bc some immigrant communities be lying to you about the govt taking all your money. Also my parents’ big mistrust of anything federal or corporation related.
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Land acknowledgements without any action are PERFORMATIVE. And yes, I will tell you this. I have hurt many egos, but I don't give away brownie points for words. Commit to action, otherwise, it is performative.
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The fact that so many Indigenous peoples are missing in Maui & the government aid wasn’t fast enough to save lives just shows why Indigenous peoples are tired of sitting in DEI trainings, being asked how to improve work environments, etc.
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He is still at my HS too Animo South LA CHS. 🤩
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I never saw my people or knowledge systems reflected throughout my career in the environmental sciences or conservation. So this means a lot to me. It’s my book release day & I’m celebrating the path forward for our future generations. 🍃
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Mexico is a settler state that shares a similar history to the US & Canada. Let’s never forget that. People who advocate that all Mexicans are indigenous are creating more harm to the indigenous peoples who live in Mexico & cont to face murder, violence, & oppression
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There is this conceived notion that the “Mayan civilization collapsed and as a result Maya people no longer exist.” This is incorrect because there are many Maya people and communities throughout Abya Yala (Latin America). 🧵
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In your land acknowledgement, tell me what you are doing to support (actively) the Indigenous communities you are acknowledging. By simply mentioning their name, you are not supporting them in any shape or form.
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Burning sage or other cultural practices were forbidden through assimilation political tactics by the govt. Now sage is an endangered plant species bc it has been over harvested. This is why it is a problem when white ppl burn sage. It has been appropriated.
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Yet Seattle is known as a very 'liberal' and 'blue' city, yet many of its inhabitants don't know this racist history that this city was founded on. This parallels the problem with DEI efforts, it never gets to the root cause of racism & discrimination.
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If you are a white person just note that you cannot decolonize your field. You have to be willing to step back and let an indigenous or black person take that space. I’m tired of seeing white peoples use the word “decolonization”
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You can continue to love Frida Kahlo, wear her paintings on your shirts, etc. no one is cancelling her. However, DO NOT feel entitled to dimiss my people when we critique the harm she did on our communities. There is a reason why folks label our regalia “Frida Style” no?
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Today I’m not a climate scientist, today I’m just Indigenous woman simply tired of how the global south & other small islands are always paying the price for the global north’s inability to mitigate climate change. 😒 I set aside my “expertise” to be in community grieving.
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As one Indigenous person, I can’t tell you whether a land acknowledgement is respectful or 100% great. Why? Bc I don’t speak for all the tribes & Indigenous communities. Consult your local Indigenous tribes & communities to learn what they want to see in land acknowledgements.
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As we gather around food today, let’s remember that it was (most likely) Indigenous hands who picked your food. Many displaced Indigenous peoples are forced out of their lands due to climate change (south of the border) only to get their labor exploited in the name of agriculture
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So Frida fans can drop all the articles & books they want, but none of them are written by my people so this lens comes from a colonial lens not an Indigenous lens.
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K-12 schools in low socioeconomic Black & Brown communities that require uniforms should provide them for free to all students. I recall how my father struggled to purchase our uniforms, dropping around $80 on each child & we never got anything besides the essentials.
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Please take 5 minutes to research why this win is crucial to Central America, especially as our small countries are still healing from the “Civil War” that was a genocide against Indigenous peoples. No media is going to cover it, so take this responsibility. ♥️
President Xiomara Castro orders free electricity for the country's poorest.
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He was an extraordinarily exception. At my HS we had a lot of teachers who left after a year, but also those who cared & overworked themselves for us. I’m also becoming the first from my HS to get a PhD so it’s thanks to folks like him who offered their help to a girl like me.
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I keep telling my students in this Chican@ Studies course: "There is a BIG DIFFERENCE between being indigenous descendants and being indigenous."
I have witnessed how the Chican@ discourse has silenced and oppressed indigenous peoples of Mexico (my family & myself)
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Every plant identification book talks about Indigenous people in the past tense and as Monolithic. Ex: “Indigenous people USED this for medicine.” Like we still here and still use it for medicine. Take note plant ID book editors 📝
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Every Indigenous tribe & community is different. Some prefer their Native name to be mentioned. Others, only reserve their English name for non-Indigenous people. Point is, we are not monolithic so I won't spread pan-Indigeneity.
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Today is World International Indigenous Peoples Day. Take this time to learn from Indigenous peoples and communities across the globe. Learn whose Indigenous lands you are occupying. No where in the Americas is there a state free from settler colonialism.
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Big News!! I have been keeping this to myself, but I finally got my "dream job." Didn't know it existed until I got my appointment. I will be supporting Indigenous communities with land rights & climate mitigation efforts and policies (globally). This should def. give you a hint
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Can we normalize not asking students of color (primarily Blaxk & Indigenous students) for free labor regarding diversity & equity.
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White professors should be asked how many students of color have left their labs each year as opposed to how many students of color they currently have in their labs, in their diversity statements. Students of color who have left is far more telling indicator for diversity.
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So when I do a land acknowledgement I mention Chief Si’ahl's name, pronouncing it correctly. I ask people to reflect on this history & on the actions they are willing to take to undo the racism that Chief Si’ahl faced & many Indigenous people cont. to face today.
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Yet to this day, Chief Si’ahl's tribe (Duwamish tribe) does not have federal recognition—meaning it does not have treaty rights. Why is Seattle like this?
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Also if you mention how in Oaxaca they loved her, but your only context is Oaxaca City, you are ignoring the role tourism has played on what is painted on murals & which narratives ar ecommodified for money.
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Black & Indigenous peoples are the first impacted by climate change. As a result, we should center our Black & Indigenous youth who truly protect Mother Earth bc it’s a means of survival for us not a trendy movement.
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Self-determination from the global majority ⬇️ This is what it looks like ‼️‼️‼️
There were emotional scenes of celebration when Indigenous groups in Brazil got a ruling from the Supreme Court that will help protect their ancestral lands from mining, drilling and farming ⤵️
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Children are still put in cages...let's not forget that this is still ongoing today, but it is no longer "trendy" so artists, social influencers, etc. are no longer using it in their art form or networks.
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Non-Indigenous people can never "master" a land acknowledgement. Why? Because learning about Indigenous people & histories is an ongoing learning process. Unless you have learned everything there is to learn as a non-Indigenous person, continue to learn.
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The same way many of you hire DEI consultants, you should hire the local tribes/Indigenous communities to give you a consultation for a land acknowledgement. Don't expect them to do this work for FREE.
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Wow 🤩 I can’t believe that
#FreshBananaLeaves
is
#1
in climatology/climate science. Indigenous peoples continue to face climate impacts, yet our voices, knowledges, or lived experiences aren’t included in the climate change discourse. Thank you all for the support 😭
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U.S. imperialism is being able to travel or make travel plans to countries where most of their citizens don’t have access to vaccines…let that sink in. I’m seeing so many people make international travel plans to vulnerable nations bc they themselves are vaccinated.
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It is interesting how much of "decolonization" and its theories are attributed to scholars from the global north, when in reality decolonization is a community-driven theory and movement that came from the global south.
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If you mention the past, also mention the present and future. Don't pretend we (Indigenous people) are extinct and no longer exist.
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Don't sugarcoat our histories. Sugarcoating our histories is done to protect the white innocence and naiveness. A genocide is a genocide, no matter what role your ancestors played in it. Stealing lands happened, etc. Learn history from a non-white lens.
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I can’t help but think of all the mothers from Central America who decided to join the caravan in search of a better life for their children. Those mothers whose children have been taken from them. While we celebrate this weekend, let’s not forget about those mothers suffering.
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Lastly, asking the only Indigenous person
(all the time) about land acknowledgements is PROBLEMATIC. It requires a lot of emotional labor, bc while this may be a "history" lesson to you, it is our lived-experiences and identities.
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In regards to "conservation" or "climate justice" do not forget that 50% of the world's biodiversity is in Abya Yala (Latin America) & that Latin America has become the world's deadliest place for Indigenous environmental leaders.
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Also don’t label our voices as “personal political opinions” bc this is ignoring how our “opinions” are formulated through our elders teachings, our traditional teachings, & our relationship with our communities.
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Also, our critiques also don’t invalidate the life she endured filled with tragedies. Our critiques stem from our own personal lived experiences as Indigenous pueblos from who she utilized our aesthetics & traditional regalia to claim her worldwide recognition as an artist.
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Do your own positionality work before trying to do a land acknowledgement. Are you a settler? Then acknowledge this...settlers benefit from settler colonialism in one way or the other. I can't walk you through this self-reflection.
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I received the edits from my copyeditor for my book, "Fresh Banana Leaves: Healing Indigenous Landscapes through Indigenous Science." I am in tears because it has been a hard year (pandemic) & with everything going on, there is so much pain that we carry as Indigenous people.
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Reflect on your real/main reason for doing a land acknowledgement. Is this to check off a box? Then don't do it. Are you truly and genuinely trying to dismantle settler colonialism? Then do it. Sometimes your main reasoning isn't a good reason to do so something.
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Reminder: Mexico is a settler colonial country like the US + Canada. Not every Mexican is indigenous. Here is an article I recommend to understand the basics. Castellanos, M. (2017). Introduction: Settler Colonialism in Latin America. American Quarterly, 69(4), 777-781.
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As an Indigenous person, I was raised to not honor borders as they were created by the white men to try to break our relationships with the land, our environments, & our water. I know firsthand what it is to be forcefully displaced from ones land because of climate change. 🌎
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My partner officially became Dr. Keon Vereen. So I have the honor of introducing you to Dr Keon Vereen a black native rocket engineer & scientist who just broke barriers and will continue to do amazing work!
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Veganism will never be an Indigenous concept because under our lens (from my communities & cultures), plants are also our relatives, thus, they are also living & have spiritualities like animals do.
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She never once identified as Indigenous so please stop trying to stamp an identity she never claimed onto her to invalide my people or call us “gatekeepers” You just don’t make someone Indigenous bc you say they are lol
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It is important to mention that this is not my history, but as an Indigenous relative with somewhat of a platform I wanted to share it. I invite you to visit as they have listed many resources for you all to read, follow, and contribute to. Thank you.
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Again, this is only my perspective as ONE Indigenous person. Continue to be open to learning & not just that, COMMIT yourself to continue learning.
If I got paid for every land acknowledgement question I get at these academic spaces, I would be able to buy some land back -_-
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When giving a land acknowledgement, I also want to hear how people giving the land acknowledgement are working towards the liberation of land and people they are verbally acknowledging. Otherwise, it is performative and a form of romanticization.
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Many white allies want to "dismantle racism", but within their own circles, they are all surrounded by white people (this includes your circle of colleagues). Advocate for these spaces to become more diverse, do the work to make it happen.
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The reason many species are endangered or extinct are bc of settler colonialism & how extractive processes by your ancestors were introduced. Not bc of indigenous traditions.
please STOP KILLING ENDANGERED ANIMALS AND SAYING ITS A TRADITION THAT IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR YOUR FAMILY OR SOMETHING THAT IS SIGNIFICANT FOR YOU IN ANY WAY AND THAT *WE* WOULDNT UNDERSTAND BECAUSE YOUR ~TRADITION~ IS NOT MORE IMPORTANT THAN A SENTIENT LIFE thanks for listening.
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While I thank those who are from Mexico or have ancestry from Mexico for liking or critiquing the U.S. message to Guatemala, I would like to also remind you that Mexico is as xenophobic & oppressive to Maya & other Indigenous people from Central America.
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She is only 18 & is beautiful. She modeled for her grandfather’s wife who was a traditional weaver. Read her story:
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For a proper land acknowledgement contact an elder whose lands you want to acknowledge & compensate them. Our elders are always struggling but people want to find the easy & free way to do a land acknowledgment. 🥺
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Horchata originated from a West African drink that eventually made its way to Spain and is now mostly made out of rice in most Spanish-post colonial countries. However, in central america, horchata remains closer to its origin as semillas or seeds are grinded to make it.
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Both my Indigenous fam from Central America and Oaxaca Mexico honor this day. And we won’t call it a “celebration” but rather a ceremony that requires us to pull all nighters and fast for a day. Like it goes beyond putting a photo on an altar & Mexicans can’t claim it.
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If you found this 🧵 helpful, please consider donating to
@earth_daughters
mutual aid funds to support Indigenous women & communities during these times.
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We need to stop associating racism with just “southern states” or “rednecks.” Racism is alive in every state & this is a way for our liberal/progressive states to avoid their accountability to upholding racism in this country as well.
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Indigenous science CANNOT be implemented or integrated by non-Indigenous peoples. That is bc spirituality is at the core of Indigenous science. -Hernandez, 2023.
*My upcoming book will discuss this further.
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As an environmental and climate scientist, I want to bring light to the fact that what is happening at the border against Black & Indigenous refugees is also a climate and environmental injustice that continues to be rooted on settler colonialism.
#WelcomewithDignity
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I want to support more Latina-owned brands but they all have some Frida Kahlo products or art & the Zapotec in me (whose culture she appropriated) can’t. Too many Latina brands with Frida Kahlo as their muse 👎🏽
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Who would want to submit an article on an "Indigenous knowledges and environmental justice" special issue?! That is entirely Indigenous-led from guest editors to reviewers? 👀
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In Mexico, non-Indigenous people can become social influencers by wearing different Indigenous regalia & traditional clothing from different Pueblos. While the artisans or Indigenous people don’t have the same opportunities. This is settler colonialism with some spice 🌶
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This year I’ll become the first alumni from my HS in south central LA to receive a doctoral degree. To give back to my school and community I want to launch a scholarship to a graduating senior starting this year and continuing for the years to come.
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Today is
#EarthDay2022
& I wanted to highlight Indigenous women from Indigenous pueblos/nations in Latin America who are facing injustices due to their advocacy to protect our Mother Earth.
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Yes whiteness is global. However, whiteness is defined differently in each country given that race are social & political constructs defined by each country. Who is white in the United States might not be “white” in their country and vice versa.
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I was trained in western sciences from my bachelors to my Ph.D. So I base my ancestral knowledge on what I have been taught as well because one doesn’t invalidate the other. As a climate scientist, I know that Indigenous science is critical for climate change mitigation.
Indigenous knowledge is science
Indigenous knowledge is science
Indigenous knowledge is science
Indigenous knowledge is science
Indigenous knowledge is science
Indigenous knowledge is science
Indigenous knowledge is science
Indigenous knowledge is science
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To all non-black WOC or white womxn, stop making Beyoncé’s message about you boo. She is using her platform to uplift black womxn. We can support & love her but stop trying to take the light from black womxn to make it about you. Your anti-blackness is showing & its ugly.
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A gentle reminder: you don’t owe anyone any emotional labor on social media. You also don’t have to answer every question people post for you. And lastly, you don’t have to make yourself available all the time for people.
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3 years ago I fought as an indigenous womxn to offer an environmental justice course at UW. Now every white professor is teaching an environmental justice course. Remember EJ is a POC community-led movement, not for white academics + researchers to co-opt.
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And while you are here (listening or trying to argue), you can instead donate to our Zapotec pueblos who just experienced multiple earthquakes during this pandemic.
Thank you everyone who continues to support
@COCISS_Oficial
. Here is a video of one of our elders thanking everyone for the support you have provided to our pueblos in Oaxaca.
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Yesterday, I sat in a panel and a Black relative referred to himself as a "settler of color." When it was my turn, I had to tell him he was not a settler. We need to stop telling Black folks they are settlers. I needed to share this bc its important.
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