Indigenous Voices Across the Americas

by Josie Jensen and Jess Zamora

Indigenous peoples around the world have been fighting to protect their ancestral lands, languages, and cultures from being erased by colonialism for generations.

In Seattle, on the unceded territory of the Duwamish, Suquamish, and Tulalip people, there are countless movements for Indigenous liberation past and present. These range from the fish wars of the 1960s and '70s to the Duwamish fight for federal recognition to movements such as Idle No More and 350 Tacoma that work to protect Indigenous lands from environmental degradation to movements calling for justice for missing and murdered Indigenous women to organizations working to uplift Indigenous artists and preserve Indigenous culture such as the Duwamish Longhouse, Y™haw" Indigenous Creatives Collective, and more.

Similar work is being done by Indigenous people around the world. I got to witness these similarities in a recent trip to Ecuador where I participated in a program organized by Amigos de Las Americas centering Indigenous rights and food justice.

We traveled to the town of Suscal, in the province of Caar, Ecuador, where we met the founders of Kinti Wasi, who work to preserve Caari culture and language, and learned about the CONAIE (Confederacin de Nacionalidades Indgenas del Ecuador), a movement that has been fighting for decades to protect the constitutional rights of nature and Indigenous communities. I got to see many parallels in the ways governments fail to implement the rights of Indigenous people written into their constitution, similar to how the U.S. government fails to acknowledge and implement treaty rights of Native peoples.

For this article, I collaborated with Ecuadorian youth actor and activist Jess Zamora to interview Indigenous activists from Ecuador, Seattle, and Guhan to explore the similarities and differences between Indigenous resistance movements across the Americas, and learn how solidarity and transformation can be realized.

In 1990 the first major Indigenous uprising occurred in Ecuador that was led by the CONAIE. Most of the Indigenous population, who live in rural areas and work as farmworkers, were exploited and underpaid by markets and the agricultural industry. They were also discriminated against by mestizos and white people for practicing their traditions and speaking native languages such as Kichwa. Because of this, from May 28 to July 11, 1990, Indigenous people took to the streets with demands including government land grants to Indigenous nationalities, strong irrigation systems, protection of the environment, and the declaration of plurinational status.

Since then, the CONAIE has been an important social movement in the country, with the most recent mobilization being in October of 2019 when they took to the streets against the Extended Fund Facility agreement with the International Monetary Fund. The agreement was promoted by the government of Lenin Moreno to cut fuel subsidies which, along with other unpopular neoliberal policies, would have made it impossible for farmers, transportation workers, students, and others to afford to live. The protests lasted for 2 weeks and the government backed out of the agreement. Still, many demands of the Indigenous populations have not been met by the previous or current government under Guillermo Lasso. The Indigenous movement's political party Pachakutik currently has political support in the Ecuadoran assembly, with 25 legislators, and CONAIE is always prepared to go to the streets and defend the rights of Indigenous populations and all Ecuadorians.

The contributions of women to this movement are often under-recognized. Jacoba Loja, cofounder of the organization Kinti Wasi (which means "house of the hummingbirds" in Kichwa), reminds Indigenous women to "not forget that we are warriors and that we fight hard against governments that disrespect our cosmovision and want to exploit minerals, and will continue to defend our Mother Earth. With her we live and with her we die."

In Seattle, the Duwamish tribe has been fighting for federal recognition and treaty rights for decades. Cecile Hansen, chairwoman of the Duwamish Tribal Council, says, "When [the Duwamish tribe] signed a treaty in 1855 with the federal government, we didn't give up our sovereignty. The government did not fulfill that treaty. So we have been trying to correct that treaty with our tribe."

Hansen goes on to describe the benefits of being federally recognized, "If you have acknowledgement from the federal government, then you have benefits like your own reservation and health support, money for education. And we don't have that."

Despite not being federally recognized, the Duwamish tribe has been able to sustain themselves by maintaining the longhouse as a place for community and through grassroots programs like Real Rent Duwamish.

In Caar, Jacoba, Veronica, and Karmen Loja started the organization Kinti Wasi to preserve Caari culture in response to the wave of emigration to the United States and Europe that began in 1999 due to the economic crash known as the "Banking Holiday" and lack of employment in the country. Jacoba says the three Indigenous women want to preserve "traditional Andean costumes and gastronomy, our cosmovision, and the Kichwa language while also teaching these things to those that visit." She continues, "We also do rituals and make offerings of gratitude to mother earth, to the moon, and the sun that give us sustenance. Because of emigration, sometimes people think our traditions should be forgotten, but our objective is to continue conserving these structures and the ancestral knowledge taught to us by our elders."

Karmen describes the effect emigration had on her community, "As a result of this, communities have been devastated with the loss of population, leaving the houses, the land, the gardens abandoned and many families disunited."

In Seattle, Y™haw" Indigenous Creative Collective is uplifting the work of Indigenous artists across the Coast Salish territories. They started in 2018 with an exhibition in the third-floor gallery at Seattle's King Street Station featuring the work of over 200 Indigenous artists.

"We quickly realized after that project, that there was a continued need for Indigenous creative work," said Asia Tail, Y™haw" cofounder. Now Y™haw" provides services such as consulting and graphics campaigns to members of their collective, with the core of their work being to "support and convene Indigenous artists and work with them to create the personal and professional growth they want to see in their own practice."

Tail also described how inclusivity and solidarity between Indigenous communities is central to their collective:

"Across all our programs, we've chosen to use an inclusive definition of what Indigenous means. We don't just [work with], for instance, Indigenous peoples [in] what is now the United States. We recognize that these borders are colonial and our people didn't make them, they're imposed on us. And so we try to incorporate everybody as we talk about Indigenous collective."

Carlos Sangro, secretary of Zamaskijat, an organization affiliated with CONAIE, describes how social media has been used as a tool for solidarity "[Indigenous people] have been in solidarity since the beginning. These days, one way to build solidarity is to use social media as a tool to articulate problems in the urban sectors, cultural sectors, agricultural sectors, and of Indigenous people. When everyone is talking, we see that these fights are not separate and that in order to address them, we must unite."

"All oppression is connected and all liberation is connected," stated Seattle-based Indigenous Guhan artist and activist Dakota Camacho. That is why he believes it is everybody's responsibility to support movements of Indigenous liberation however one can, even if one is not Indigenous. He continues, "Learn about the histories of the territories of Guhan, Samoa, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands and think about how you can help, because the schools here will fail you."

If you're in the Seattle area, consider paying real rent to the Duwamish tribe at realrentduwamish.org or write to the Bureau of Indian Affairs to demand the Duwamish tribe be recognized.

To support Y™haw", you can attend events that are open to the public and buy the work of artists in the collective.

To support Kinti Wasi, Jacoba encourages people to "come see our project, come learn about our culture and our language and value and respect it."

"Work with your family, with your community, to recover your ways of living in balance with your ancestors. And work to end oppression in your family and community," said Camacho. "Amplify voices of Indigenous people. Organize your people to take a step back so that Indigenous people can take a step forward. And together we all can dance."

Voces Indgenas A Travs De Las Amricas

Por Josie Jensen y Jess Zamora

Las poblaciones Indgenas en todos lados han estado luchando para proteger sus tierras ancestrales, lenguas y culturas de ser borrado por el colonialismo durante generaciones.

En Seattle, en el territorio de la gente Duwamish, Suquamish y Tulalip, hay tantos movimientos para la liberacin Indgena, hoy en da como en el pasado. Estos oscilan desde las guerras de los peces en los 1960 y 70s, a la lucha Duwamish para la recoinemiento federal, a movimientos como Idle No More y 350 Tacoma que trabaja por proteger las tierras Indgenas de la contaminacion y destruccion ambiental, a movimientos en bsqueda de la justicia para mujeres desaparecidas y asesinadas, e incluso organizaciones que estn tratando de levantar artistas indgenas y preservar sus cultura y tradiciones como Duwamish Longhouse y Y™haw" Indigenous Creatives Collective y mas.

Hay muchas cosas similares que las poblaciones Indgenas estn haciendo alrededor del mundo. Tuv la oportunidad para ver estas similaridades en un viaje reciente a Ecuador donde particip en una programa organizado por Amigos De Las Amricas enfocado en derechas indgenas y seguridad alimentaria.

Viajamos al pueblo Suscal, en la provincia de Caar, Ecuador, donde conocimos a las fundadoras de Kinti Wasi quienes trabajan preservando la cultura Caari y el idioma nativo el Kichwa. Aprendimos sobre el CONAIE (Confederacin de Nacionalidades Indgenas del Ecuador), un movimiento que han estado luchando por muchas dcadas para proteger los derechos constitucionales de la naturaleza y de las comunidades indgenas.

Para este artculo, colabor con el actor y activista juvenil ecuatoriano Jesus Zamora para entrevistar activistas Indgenas de Ecuador, Seattle y Guhan para explorar las similitudes y diferencias entre movimientos de resistencias indgenas a travs de las Amricas, y aprender como la solidaridad y transformacin de los pueblos autnomos pueden ser realizadas.

En 1990, el primer gran levantamiento Indgena occuri en Ecuador que fue dirigido por la CONAIE. La mayora de la poblacin Indgena, quienes viven en reas rurales y trabajan en el campo, eran explotadas y mal pagadas por los mercados y la industria agrcola. Adems, sufran la discriminacion por los mestizos y personas blancas por practicar sus tradiciones y por hablar en sus idiomas indgenas como Kichwa. Por eso, del 28 de Mayo de 1990 hasta el 11 de Julio 1990, la nacionalidades indgenas tomaron las calles con demandas que incluye concesiones de tierras a nacionalidades indgenas, sistemas fuertes del riego, proteccin del medioambiente, y la declaracin del estado plurinacional.

Desde entonces, la CONAIE ha sido una organizacin con un movimiento social importante en el pas, con la movilizacin ms reciente siendo en Octubre de 2019 cuando tomaron las calles en contra del Acuerdo de Facilidades Extendida con el FMI. El acuerdo fue promovido por el gobierno de Lenin Moreno, para eliminar los subsidios al combustible, adems de otras polticas antipopulares neoliberales que hizo de una odisea la vida para los campesinos, los transportistas, estudiantes y otros sectores. Las manifestaciones duraron 2 semanas, y el gobierno dej de ser parte del acuerdo. Todava, el gobierno anterior y el recin posesionado de Guillermo Laso, poco se ha visto para apaciguar las demandas de las poblaciones indgenas. Hoy en da, el movimiento indigena y su brazo poltico Pachakutik tienen respaldo poltico en las asambleas ecuatorianas con 25 legisladores, y la CONAIE siempre est preparada para tomar las calles y defender las derechas de las poblaciones indgenas y el resto de Ecuatorianos.

Las contribuciones de las mujeres a este movimiento a veces no son reconocidas. Jacoba Loja, co-foundorada de la organizacin Kinti Wasi (que significa casa de los colibres en Kichwa) les recuerda a las mujeres indgenas que "no nos olvidemos que somos guerreras y luchemos fuertes contra los gobiernos que irrespetan nuestra cosmovisin y quieren hacer explotacin de la minera. Nos seguimos para defender nuestra Madre Tierra. Con ella vivimos y con ella moriremos."

En Seattle, el pueblo Duwamish ha estado luchando por reconocimiento federal y derechos de los tratados por dcadas. Cecile Hansen, la presidenta del Consejo Tribal Duwamish dice "Cuando [la tribu Duwamish] firm un tratado en 1855 con el gobierno federal, no pudimos gestar nuestra soberana. El gobierno no cumpli con ese tratado. As que hemos estado tratando de corregir ese tratado con nuestra tribu."

Hansen describe los beneficios de tener reconocimiento federal, "Si tiene el reconocimiento del gobierno federal, tiene beneficios como su propia reserva y apoyo mdico, dinero para la educacin. Y no tenemos eso."

A pesar de no ser reconocida a nivel federal, la tribu Duwamish ha decidido mantener en el sitio de Longhouse como un lugar para la comunidad y por programas de base como Real Rent Duwamish.

En Caar, Ecuador Jacoba, Veronica, y Karmen Loja empezaron la organizacin Kinti Wasi para preservar la cultura Caari en respuesta a la ola de emigracin a los EEUU y Europa que empez en 1999 por la crisis economa conocido como "Feriado Bancario" y falta de empleo en el pas.

Jacoba dice que las 3 mujeres quieren preservar "la costumbre, la tradicin, la gastronoma en nuestra visin andina, a la vez tambin en el idioma y a la vez tambin enseando a los que vienen atrs de nosotros." Ella sigue, "hacemos rituales en agradecimiento a la Madre Tierra, a la luna, al sol, que ellos nos dan frutos. A veces a raz de la migracin, la gente piensa que estas tradiciones deben olvidarse, pero nuestro objetivo es seguir conservando las estructuras y los saberes ancestrales que nos ensearon nuestros abuelos."

Karmen Loja describe el efecto de la emigracin en su comunidad: "A raz de ello las comunidades se han quedado devastadas sin poblacin, con familias desunidas y lejos unas de otras en muchas de las comunidades. Han quedado abandonadas las casas, las tierras, y las huertas."

En Seattle, Y™haw" Indigenous Creative Collective est levantando el trabajo de artistas indgenas a travs del territorio de la Costa Salish. Empezaron en 2018 con una exposicin en la galera del tercer piso en King Street Station de Seattle donde se present el trabajo de ms de 200 artistas indgenas.

"Despus de ese proyecto, rpidamente nos dimos cuenta de que exista una necesidad continua de trabajo creativo e indgena." dijo Asia Tail, co-fundadora de Y™haw". Ahora, Y™haw" ofrece servicios como consultora y campaas grficas a miembros de su colectivo con el ncleo de su trabajo siendo "apoyar y convocar a artistas indgenas y trabajar con ellos para crear el crecimiento personal y profesional que quieren ver en su propia prctica".

Tail describi tambin como la inclusividad y la solidaridad entre comunidades indgenas diferentes es parte central en el colectivo:

"A travs de todos nuestros programas, hemos escogido usar una definicin inclusiva de que significa Indgena. No solamente trabajamos, por ejemplo, con la gente Indgena en lo que es los Estados Unidos. Reconocemos que estas fronteras son coloniales y que nuestra gente no las dibuj, se les impuso. Por eso, tratamos de incluir a todos cuando hablamos sobre un colectivo Indgena."

Carlos Sangro, el secretario Zamaskijat, una organizacin afiliada con el CONAIE, describe cmo las redes sociales se han utilizado como una herramienta de solidaridad "[Los Pueblos Indgenas] han sido solidarios desde el principio. En estos das, una forma de construir la solidaridad es utilizar las redes sociales como una herramienta de lucha para articular problemas en los sectores urbanos, culturales, agrcolas y de los pueblos indgenas. Cuando todos estn hablando, vemos que estas luchas no estn separadas y que para abordarlas necesitamos unirnos."

"Toda la opresin est conectada y toda la liberacin est conectada", afirm Dakota Camacho, artista y activista indgena Guhano con base en Seattle. Por eso cree que es responsabilidad de todos apoyar los movimientos de liberacin indgena como se pueda, aunque no se sea indgena. Contina: "Aprendan sobre las historias de los territorios de Guhan, Samoa, Puerto Rico o las Islas Vrgenes y piensen en cmo pueden ayudar, porque las escuelas aqu les fallar".

Si est en el rea de Seattle, considere pagar un alquiler real a la tribu Duwamish en realrentduwamish.org o escriba a la Oficina de Asuntos Indgenas para demandar que se reconozca a la tribu Duwamish.

Para aypoyar Y™haw", puede ir a eventos que estn abiertos al pblico y comprar el trabajo de los artistas del colectivo.

Para apoyar Kinti Wasi, Jacoba se anima "ven a ver nuestro proyecto, ven a aprender sobre nuestra cultura y nuestra idioma y valorarlo y respetarlo."

"Trabaja con su familia, con su comunidad, para recuperar sus formas de vivir en equilibrio con sus antepasados y trabaje para acabar con la opresin en su familia y comunidad," dijo Camacho, "Amplifica las voces de los pueblos indgenas. Organice a su gente para que d un paso atrs para que los pueblos indgenas puedan dar un paso adelante. Y juntos podemos bailar todos."

Featured Image/Foto principal: Dakota Camacho, a Seattle-based Indigenous Guhan artist and activist. • Dakota Camacho, artista y activista indgena Guhano con base en Seattle. (Photo: Futsum Tsegai)