[image description: a three-color (sky-blue, earth-brown and blood-red on white) poster, in a style reminiscent of wood-block or woodcut printmaking. The outer margin, and the human figure in the center of the poster — a kneeling Native North American elder, wearing a single eagle feather in their hair, braided (or beaded or bound) side-locks, a bone choker and what appears to be a long robe- or dress-type garment decorated with embroidery, and holding a tomahawk in their left hand / resting in their lap — are rendered in brown. All of the block-print, ALL CAPS text (see below) is rendered in blue, as are: at left, a stylized eagle on a prickly-pear cactus, the sign that in Aztec / Mexica belief was foretold by the god Huitzilopochtli as indicating the place where Tenochtitlan (modern Mexico City) should be founded, and which has been a symbol of Mexico since pre-Columbian times; at right, a stylized turtle, representing the Turtle Island which appears in the traditional belief systems of several First Nations who lived at or near the east coast of the modern United States when they first encountered European colonizers, and which has for decades been adopted by members of those and other Native American and Native Canadian peoples as a term for the North American continent as a whole; at bottom left, what appears to be a stylized mountain range or series of hills; at bottom right, what appears to be a council circle, with four seated human figures and what may be the arm of a fifth visible as silhouettes, at least one of whom is also wearing a single feather. The blue turtle and brown human figure are superimposed on one another, so that the turtle’s left front flipper is a series of lines across the human’s otherwise-white face, and the turtle’s left side and left rear flipper are discernible in the white stitching decorating the human’s otherwise-brown clothing. There is a slight overlap of the brown human figure and the blue eagle-on-cactus, but those two elements appear more to border one another than to share space. The blood-red element is somewhat like a Western-cartooning-style “speech bubble,” having a point which is aimed as if emerging from the brown human figure’s mouth, but which is mostly filled in with dark red, aside from numerous short, thin, pale lines suggestive of flowing water or woodgrain (or breath) and which curve inwards into a spiral at the end furthest from the human’s mouth. The word being spoken is also written along the top of the spiral/bubble, rather than inside; it is rendered in cursive script, all lowercase, the single word “libertad” (Spanish for “liberty”) with no punctuation. The first, fourth and fifth lines of block-letter text are sky-blue on earth-brown, as the bottom margin of the poster has a wider band of brown to accommodate the text, while the brown background of the first line is in the form of a thin banner near, but not at, the top margin and slanting slightly downwards to the right. The text reads as follows (rendered in mixed Caps for readability): From Anahuac to Anishinaabewaki indigenous sovereignty means immigrant rights decolonize immigration through indigenous and migrant solidarity on Turtle Island —end of image description—] Image credit: Poster created by visual artist and Michigan State University assistant professor Dylan Miner.
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[image description: a three-color (sky-blue, earth-brown and blood-red on white) poster, in a style reminiscent of wood-block or woodcut printmaking.

The outer margin, and the human figure in the center of the poster — a kneeling Native North American elder, wearing a single eagle feather in their hair, braided (or beaded or bound) side-locks, a bone choker and what appears to be a long robe- or dress-type garment decorated with embroidery, and holding a tomahawk in their left hand / resting in their lap — are rendered in brown.

All of the block-print, ALL CAPS text (see below) is rendered in blue, as are:

  • at left, a stylized eagle on a prickly-pear cactus, the sign that in Aztec / Mexica belief was foretold by the god Huitzilopochtli as indicating the place where Tenochtitlan (modern Mexico City) should be founded, and which has been a symbol of Mexico since pre-Columbian times;
  • at right, a stylized turtle, representing the Turtle Island which appears in the traditional belief systems of several First Nations who lived at or near the east coast of the modern United States when they first encountered European colonizers, and which has for decades been adopted by members of those and other Native American and Native Canadian peoples as a term for the North American continent as a whole;
  • at bottom left, what appears to be a stylized mountain range or series of hills;
  • at bottom right, what appears to be a council circle, with four seated human figures and what may be the arm of a fifth visible as silhouettes, at least one of whom is also wearing a single feather.

The blue turtle and brown human figure are superimposed on one another, so that the turtle’s left front flipper is a series of lines across the human’s otherwise-white face, and the turtle’s left side and left rear flipper are discernible in the white stitching decorating the human’s otherwise-brown clothing. There is a slight overlap of the brown human figure and the blue eagle-on-cactus, but those two elements appear more to border one another than to share space.

The blood-red element is somewhat like a Western-cartooning-style “speech bubble,” having a point which is aimed as if emerging from the brown human figure’s mouth, but which is mostly filled in with dark red, aside from numerous short, thin, pale lines suggestive of flowing water or woodgrain (or breath) and which curve inwards into a spiral at the end furthest from the human’s mouth. The word being spoken is also written along the top of the spiral/bubble, rather than inside; it is rendered in cursive script, all lowercase, the single word “libertad” (Spanish for “liberty”) with no punctuation.

The first, fourth and fifth lines of block-letter text are sky-blue on earth-brown, as the bottom margin of the poster has a wider band of brown to accommodate the text, while the brown background of the first line is in the form of a thin banner near, but not at, the top margin and slanting slightly downwards to the right. The text reads as follows (rendered in mixed Caps for readability):

From Anahuac to Anishinaabewaki
indigenous sovereignty means
immigrant rights

decolonize immigration through indigenous
and migrant solidarity on Turtle Island

—end of image description—]

Image credit: Poster created by visual artist and Michigan State University assistant professor Dylan Miner.

(via feministwerewolf)

Source: newclearvision.com

The moral of the fable “The North Wind and the Sun” is NOT that you get what you want more easily by being nice.

formerlyfannybaws:

dog-egg:

hasnt anyone on tumblr heard the fable of the sun and the north wind
like basically the moral is that its easier to get what you want by being nice and patient than by being an abrasive asshole because people will just shut you out if you do that
and people here think its unreasonable to say that no one will listen if you are rude as long as you’re ~oppressed~

no people just dont want to heat what disrespectful people have to say and they clearly havent for thousands of goddamn years

That’s such bullshit. Are you actually claiming that progress happens when everyone’s really really nice? The point is that no one with power wants to hear what certain people have to say period, regardless of how politely they speak. No majority ever wants to listen to the minorities. And that has been true for thousands of years which is why most movements are full of vocal people being extremely impolite in persistent, loud ways.

And if we’re busting out the fables here, let me lay a quote on you:

“The tiger will never lie down with the lamb; he acknowledges no pact that is not reciprocal. The lamb must learn to run with the tigers.” - Angela Carter

Meaning if you want to be heard, you’d better learn to roar.

Your advice is great for dealing with certain social situations. It’s something I use when I navigate my own personal life with family and friends who sometimes hurt me and vice versa. But it’s terrible advice for any oppressed group trying to get somewhere. I’m not saying you can’t be nice about correcting someone’s terminology or explaining why something’s racist, that’s completely up to you and some people will probably listen. But to say that this is the better route to change and understanding overall is absurd.

I might also point out that your own post isn’t all that polite. It’s full of passive-agressive, condescending sarcasm (which I’ll happily return with gusto). So if you’re trying to drive a point home, you’re completely disregarding your own advice.

I actually love seeing people claim that the “moral” of the fable of the North Wind and the Sun is that you get what you want more easily by being nice than by being mean. Because it’s such a teachable moment.

Let’s break it down.

The North Wind thinks he’s just as good as the Sun, but the Sun is sure that he’s better than the North Wind.

The Sun deliberately picks a contest he knows he’ll have the advantage in. I mean, really, if you flip the contest parameters, make it about who can make the human put his coat on, there’s no way the Sun would win that one.

(Okay, maybe if the Sun blasted the poor mortal fiercely enough that he’d have to cover up to keep from getting a blistery sunburn… but that definitely wouldn’t qualify as getting your way by being the nicest, now would it? And really, if the Wind had blown at tornado speed he would not have had any trouble getting the cloak off the guy. Six of one, half-dozen of the other.

But I digress.)

So, having chosen an uneven playing field, the Sun “wins” the false contest. But he didn’t win by being nicer.

He “won” by making sure the whole contest system was rigged in his favor, mendaciously presenting the contest as a way to measure their power fairly, and then pretending that he had “proved” that he was superior.

He “won” by resorting to deceit and unfairness.

Now, let’s look at what this fable really tells us.

Watch out for people claiming that you have less power because you’re simply not as good as they are, because chances are, they have chosen a contest where the parameters ensured you would lose before you began.

So tell the dog-eggs of the world that you’re not interested in their game of three-card monte, and that you’re under no obligation to treat people with respect who have only ever treated you with disrespect — and that you’re not going to let them derail you.

(Oh, and incidentally? You can actually catch more flies than you might think with vinegar. A saucerful of cider vinegar is an effective, cheap and easy way to deal with fruit flies, in particular.)

Source: gogoatz

things-i-masturbate-to: Such a sick penis-holder. The latest answer to the question, “What do you get for the man who has everything?” I’d think you’d want to remove this, er, item before engaging in any sexual activity… and I’m not sure when (or if) you’d ever have an occasion to wear it… but I have to admit that it does look pretty awesome. I wonder if they’re adjustable, custom-fitted, or one-size-fits-only-the-luckiest-bastards?
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things-i-masturbate-to:

Such a sick penis-holder.

The latest answer to the question, “What do you get for the man who has everything?”

I’d think you’d want to remove this, er, item before engaging in any sexual activity… and I’m not sure when (or if) you’d ever have an occasion to wear it… but I have to admit that it does look pretty awesome.

I wonder if they’re adjustable, custom-fitted, or one-size-fits-only-the-luckiest-bastards?

Two “Tree of Life” suncatchers made by the incredibly talented Amalia Kouvalis.

The ‘background’ of each suncatcher is a slice of agate, a variety of quartz known for its concentric rings of varying translucence and opacity, and often of varying colors, as well. (Agate takes certain dyes very well, and most brightly-colored agate rings have been dyed, but it is possible for even quite vivid hues to be natural.) The trees were crafted from wire twisted together, and each suncatcher also features a second single crystal clasped within its frame… Ms. Kouvalis (aka 13thmoon)’s own tags on this post include ‘citrine’, which is a usually-transparent yellow-to-golden-brown variety of quartz. The backlighting makes it somewhat tricky to be certain, but it’s at least possible that the crystals incorporated into the designs of both the pink-and-violet and the gold-and-green suncatcher are citrines.

Also, these two works of art are gorgeous, if that isn’t stating the obvious overmuch. X˒Þ

(via voiceofnature)

Source: 13thmoon

Internets, meet Aphroditus (sometimes the same figure as Hermaphroditus, other times distinct): an ancient Greek deity, offspring of Hermes and Aphrodite, who had both male and female anatomy. Note, however, that “hermaphrodite” — a word derived from the name Hermaphroditus — is an outdated medical term which is considered offensive by most people with intersex conditions. (Image credit via Wikimedia)
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Internets, meet Aphroditus (sometimes the same figure as Hermaphroditus, other times distinct): an ancient Greek deity, offspring of Hermes and Aphrodite, who had both male and female anatomy.

Note, however, that “hermaphrodite” — a word derived from the name Hermaphroditus — is an outdated medical term which is considered offensive by most people with intersex conditions.

(Image credit via Wikimedia)

(via genderanarchy)

adailyriot: ~ Skeena Reece Raven: On the Colonial Fleet (2010) salish swag Attention hipsters: NO YOU MAY NOT IMITATE THIS STYLE NOT EVEN IF YOU THINK IT’S SUPER COOL IT IS NOT YOURS Stealing is wrong, m’kay? Seriously, if I see some skinny blonde hipster copying anything about this, I don’t even. Not that non-hipster White people get a free pass to steal Native iconography, either; but the hipsters seem to be the ones laboring under the mistaken notion that ‘ironic’ cultural appropriation is somehow okay.
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adailyriot:

~

Skeena Reece

Raven: On the Colonial Fleet (2010)

salish swag

Attention hipsters:

NO YOU MAY NOT IMITATE THIS STYLE
NOT EVEN IF YOU THINK IT’S SUPER COOL
IT IS NOT YOURS

Stealing is wrong, m’kay?

Seriously, if I see some skinny blonde hipster copying anything about this, I don’t even. Not that non-hipster White people get a free pass to steal Native iconography, either; but the hipsters seem to be the ones laboring under the mistaken notion that ‘ironic’ cultural appropriation is somehow okay.

(via fuckyeahprettyfatchicks)

Source: skeenareece.com

jenrik:

INFMETRY star projector.

More accurately, the INFMETRY brand “Romantic Star Projector”:

This star projector projects a map of the heavens onto your ceiling and walls with thousands of stars in random order.

Featuring a rotating base with compass-point alignments, it is possible to set up your AstroStar by aligning it according to your location and the time of the year, so it can project a map of the clear night sky all around you. You can also change it to the accurately track movement of the heavens as the year progresses.

The AstroStar projector not only gives your child an education of astronomical science, but also gives you the [chance] to create a romantic surprise! Ideal for astronomy or astrology fans, romantics, kids who appreciate a nightlight with a difference or anyone who wants to bring some starlight into their home. Powered by a couple of AA batteries.

Note: You need to build it yourself.

Want. Willing to assemble. Somehow it’s only $25 with standard shipping included?! I wish it came with a cord option, but there are after all adapters for that. Plus, my digital cameras haven’t killed all my rechargeable AA batteries yet. Affordable home planetarium = AWESOME. And? WILL BE MINE.

Click here to go to the INFMETRY projector page, with more photos and an installation-instructions video.

(via enjoylifemaketea)

msbehavoyeur: “Daphne at the moment that Apollo … ” ~  Beckie Kravetz 1999.  via In Greek myth, Daphne was a nymph or demigoddess (in one variant a mortal) pursued by the god Apollo despite her disinterest, who was transformed into a bay laurel as a means of ‘escape’ from Apollo’s advances. The moment of her metamorphosis from woman to tree has been depicted by painters, sculptors and other artists for over two thousand years. Because in some versions Daphne wished never to marry, and in some versions preferred the company of women only like the goddess Artemis, both asexuals and lesbians sometimes identify with her story.
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msbehavoyeur:

“Daphne at the moment that Apollo … ” ~  Beckie Kravetz 1999.  via

In Greek myth, Daphne was a nymph or demigoddess (in one variant a mortal) pursued by the god Apollo despite her disinterest, who was transformed into a bay laurel as a means of ‘escape’ from Apollo’s advances. The moment of her metamorphosis from woman to tree has been depicted by painters, sculptors and other artists for over two thousand years. Because in some versions Daphne wished never to marry, and in some versions preferred the company of women only like the goddess Artemis, both asexuals and lesbians sometimes identify with her story.