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1st, hola all who followed me recently& thx again to @ISASaxonists 4 including me! Since I hv this platform, I want 2 take time 2 address smthg Ive seen lately: #Zapotec people being attacked 4 calling out Frida Khalos appropriation of #Indigenous imagery. Lets talk abt Frida 1/9
I love her art, so skip that. Who was Frida? She was an imp Mexican artist & leftist. Her mother = mestiza & her father = German. Who was Frida not? She was not Zapoteca, most esp not Istemña, even though she often wore the trajes women wear in Tehuantepec & Juchitan. 2/9
Frida was a part of Mexicayotl mvmt & promoted a more leftist perspective of Mexicanidad & national identity that promoted #Indigenous & mestizaje. Its almost a more Marxist version of what Profirio Diaz was promoting during his reign. The problem though is that for all of 3/9
their & her lip service to #Indigenous identity & art, Frida & her cohort never really did anything 4 the actual people whose knowledge & cultural symbols/motifs they were appropriating in pushing Mexicanidad. The material conditions of #IndigenousPeoples never improved 4/9
This is bc while Mexicanidad celebrated an #Indigenous past & #mestizaje present & future, it didn't include actual living #IndigenousPeoples , something that unfortunately continues 2 today. 5/9 https://nacla.org/news/2020/07/15/oaxaca-water-mexico-pandemic
Appropriation of #Indigenous culture also conts w/o these communities seeing any material benefits while others make profits off of their designs. When we think of Frida, we see her in Oaxacan style trajes esp Zapoteco / Istemño, 6/9 https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/global-development-professionals-network/2015/jun/17/mexican-mixe-blouse-isabel-marant
& we associate them w/ her, instead of the people who these outfits & imagery originated from & have deep meaning to. What u r seeing is Frida cosplaying as an Istemña. & yet again #IndigenousPeoples r erased. This is y people r upset, this is what they want u 2 understand 7/9
I love Frida's art, it certainly touches me. But I also understand the context of that art & y it is problematic. I am fine w/ people calling out Frida bc frankly, I agree. So, if a Zapoteca/o is telling u this, just shut up & listen. For once. Take the critique & do better. 8/9
Finally, I started w/ pics of Zapotecs, but other photos show Mixtec, Mixe & Chatino. Here I include the Chontal, Amuzgo, Triqui & Huave. I know I'm missing a few 9/9 #Oaxaca #indigenousrights #IndigenousPeoples #Mexico
Also just noticed that phone kept autocorrecting, so it should be Istmeño and Istmeña. Mil disculpes a mis paisanos del istmo.
