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Session Objective: to understand spatial politics and how geographical histories of power have shaped access to land
Unit 2 of Climates of Resistance considered the Disparate Distribution of environmental risks and benefits, and the need for evidence-based information about racialised trends in resource access and allocation.
“(De)Colonising Land” takes a closer look at the root causes of these divisions, critically examining imperial histories of colonialism. This session also begins Unit 3 on Radical Recognition through a consideration of Land Acknowledgements.
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Intro: Excerpts from the State Attorney’s intervention in a court case between the Sámi reindeer herding community Girjas - from whence Sofia Jannok’s grandmother came - and the Swedish State.
“The State is of the opinion that the claim put forward by the Sámi reindeer herding community with regards to their long tradition of being engaged in reindeer husbandry, hunting and fishing in the area is of irrelevance to the case. In order to be eligible to claim immemorial prescription, said claim has to be based on a 90 years long use of an area. Any additional use for a longer period of time is of irrelevance to the legality of the claim.”
“Because of the claim that it is of importance that the Sámi have been using this area, the State is of the opinion that it is of utmost importance to define what is meant by the term Sámi, and how specific such a definition really is. This is what the following material is meant to do.”
(Gällivare Lapland District Court, June, 2015.)
This is my land, this is my country and if I’d be the queen you’d see that I’d take everyone by hand and sing it so it’s out there
that we’ll paint this land blue, yellow, red and green
If you say that this girl’s not welcome in this country, if she must leave because her face is brown
Well, then I’d say you go first ’cause frankly this is my land and here we live in peace, I’ll teach you how
This is my pride, this is my freedom, this is the air that I breathe and you’ll find no kings, no queens, here everybody’s equal - men, women and all who are in between
This is my home, this is my heaven, this is the earth where I belong and if you want to ruin it all with big wounds in the mountains then you’re not worthy of listening to this song
This is my land, this is my country, these lakes, rivers, hills and woods If you open up your eyes you’ll find someone is lying
I’ve always been here, welcome to my hoods
Brita Maret “Sofia” Jannok is a Swedish Sámi artist, singer, songwriter and radio host who has been nominated twice for a Grammy Award. Her music is shaped by a diversity of musical influences including folk, pop, jazz and yoik (a traditional form of song in Sámi music). Born and raised in Sápmi, Sofia is an activist for Indigenous rights. She regularly speaks out against mining on land used by Sámi reindeer herders and uses her music to advocate for her people. “For the unbreakable sinews of kin, I continue to sing. For my future sisters, I raise my voice to the misters. Kings and queens. Cities and trees. Mountains and seas. All that is in between. This is my land. ORDA [tree line].”
Examine: these works by Demian DinéYazhi´ and Noelle Sosaya reclaiming settler symbols and valuing the Land.
“Untitled (Sovereignty)” by Demian DinéYazhi´ and Noelle Sosaya (2017)
and “nahasdzáán biłth ha'ní” by Demian DinéYazhi´ (2018)
and “nahasdzáán biłth ha'ní” by Demian DinéYazhi´ (2018)
Demian DinéYazhi´ is an Indigenous Diné transdisciplinary artist born to the clans Naasht’ézhí Tábąąhá (Zuni Clan Water’s Edge) and Tódích’íí’nii (Bitter Water). Growing up in the colonised border town of Gallup, New Mexico, the evolution of DinéYaz´’s work has been influenced by their ancestral ties to traditional Diné culture, ceremony, matrilineal upbringing, the sacredness of land, and the importance of intergenerational knowledge.
They are the founder of the Indigenous artist/activist initiative, R.I.S.E.: Radical Indigenous Survivance & Empowerment, a non-profit based in Oregon dedicated to the education, dissemination, & evolution of Indigenous art & culture.
Noelle Sosaya is an Albuquerque-based artist and vintage shop owner.
About “Untitled (Sovereignty)”
“I think of this piece as being about reclaiming settler colonial symbols, but also as an object symbolic of community trust. Noelle and I hardly knew one another, but being part of the #QTPOC (Queer and Trans People of Color) community we came together to bring this piece to life.
“This piece is about so many things. I imagine it being hung after this empire has been burned to ash and Indigenous Queer, Trans, GNC, and 2Spirit babes reclaim what was stolen from our communities. The colours are reflective of Indigenous colour symbology. The crosses reference Diné rug textiles that symbolized stars, but they are also an ode to lives lost through the waves of genocide against Indigenous bodies and the lives lost during the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The flag is undoubtedly an inflammatory symbol, and one that Indigenous Peoples have a complicated relationship with. My grandfather was a Code Talker, so I use the flag to honour both his service and resiliency. There are wars inside me, unsettled PTSD, but also so much untapped strength and harmony.
“Art is my method of defense, but it is also my form of ceremony.”
About “nahasdzáán biłth ha’ní”
This “is about telling, testament, revelation, and healing.
“This piece is about being accountable to the Land and utilizing the Land for healing.
“How the Land contains stories and is a safe-space for individual well-being.
“Unlike the confessional spaces set up in western religion, this piece brings us back to the Land as the source of our existence and mediates a reconnection to the cosmos.
“Everything spoken in this audio piece is meant for the Land and no one else.
“It is as much about burying as it is about revealing truths to all the living energy that has existed and come to pass throughout the history of this earth.”
The piece involved pouring sand collected from the Columbia River Gorge over a phone playing a recording from the artist, such that their words were heard only by the Land.
Review: the Course Slides, reviewing ideas and resources about spatial politics and Land Acknowledgement.
Class Slides - 6 October 2021.pdfGoogle Sites
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