blog-theoddlifeofanya

[blog-theoddlifeofanya]

dont support industries that are driving animals to extinction thank you!

[blog-theoddlifeofanya]

[blog-theoddlifeofanya]

For anyone who wants a simple proof that Palestine existed before 1948, here’s a coin from 1927 worth 10 Mils (this currency is no longer used). Also note that the word “Palestine” is written in both Arabic and Hebrew indicating not only a Jewish presence, but a prominent one. Jews and Arabs DID live side by side in peace. The Zionist idea that they cannot coexist is an absolute fallacy.

[blog-theoddlifeofanya]

funds for indigenous communities affected by the canada wildefires

grassy meadows first nations (ontario) needs funds for an escape route

odawa first nations (quebec-ontario) is raising funds for evacuees

algonquins of barriere (mitchikanibikok inik in alberta) lake mutual aid request 

you can drop donations for the odawa first nations at 815 st laurent blvd in ottawa

you can drop off food donations for mitchikanibikok inik at the ramada plaza in gatineau; you can also email info/@/health.rapidlake.com with mutual aid donations. please note that the maniwaki native friendship center is now closed to donations

if you’re directly affected, the pueblo action alliance has developed a guide for DIY filtration for the smoke

i’ll update this as i find more fundraising initiatives and please free to share your own. reblogs with anything than sharing resources/mutual aid requests/fundraising opportunities get blocked. 

[blog-theoddlifeofanya]

The Sámi are being arrested for protesting.

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A literal nazi tried to talk to me on Hinge. He lives in Brandon Florida and is a land surveyor. Lets try to find out what company he works for so he can hopefully lose his job.

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When people say the message of Avatar is "Enviromental harm bad" separate from Indigenous people's issues, they're probably right... (+other related issues).

A family member of mine told me the lesson of the movie was "Humans destroy everything." (Meaning nature). That take ignores how the Na'vi are Indigenous peoples, and also ignores that real life Indigenous humans are at the forefront of climate change activism and environmentalism.

1️⃣ Here's the thing, the Indigenous people being represented only by the Na'vi, and the fact that they're creatures- non human with cat ears, cat eyes and a tail- people can interpret them not as Indigenous, but instead, just intelligent alien animals. Aliens whose closeness to nature is just obvious because they Are Nature, like animals are.

And well, the film doesn't help with that idea when the Na'vi do act like animals, and I don't mean that as an insult, it's just how they will express themselves anyways- their ears flop down, their tails swish, their pupils dilate, they hiss. I like that about their design, but to uncritical consumers, it can contribute to dehumanizing Indigenous people... The things the antagonistic humans say remind you of real life racism: "They're monkeys", "Savages." Etc. That's a deliberate writing choice. Cameron admits so.

If they're more like animals instead of people, we can see helping them as part of saving nature. That's where the indegeniety becomes a background theme for those who don't already care about Indigeniety.

You Know already how some people will see this, "Humans are the virus", "Nature's revenge" type of mentality. Again, ignoring how sustainability does exist outside of capitalism & colonialism.

2️⃣ In other related issues... The main heroes, helping the Na'vi, namely Jake Sully and Dr. Grace, are white (centering white PoV). Add to that, the appropiation Jake does,

A.becoming Toruk Makto by force (title sacred to Na'vi of people who ride the Lenopteryx), how they weren’t going to (quote Cameron) "fight harder" unless Sully interferred,

B.wearing dreads, and the theme of Avatars in general where these white humans can become "one of them" by giving Na'vi minimum decency... This IS white saviorism.

The Na'vi are there for aesthetic and serving as love interest or supporting cast for Jake, as well to expand the (very aesthetic) world building of Pandora. It makes people feel good to watch a successful revolt in which in the real world they feel compelled to do nothing.

3️⃣ IF meant to be a "show, don't tell" method here, why are we focusing on how this white guy experienced all of this, especially starting with how he fell in love with a native woman? Why did we start with Magical cure for disability? Why do we continue to add to the mythification of Indigenous people? Why didn't Way of Water evolve? I know there are limitations to making film, but sheesh... those where certainly choices that Don't help the message.

The mythification helps with the idea that white people can become another's culture (because under racism they're the "blank slate") instead of looking inside or to their own ancestry for meaning and spirituality. "This drab human world is just nothing compared to Pandora! I want to be Na'vi, not human!" Goes indirectly towards appropriation, doesn't it?

4️⃣ What about Earth? Humans, we could say, have a connection to Earth as much as Na'vi have to Eywa. We are dependent of nature and a part of it. But that's Not what a colonized mind thinks.

In Avatar there's no theme of acknowledging Earth's colonial history, of noting how this has happened before, of humans sharing solidarity with Na'vi because they know where it's leading- and if they don't take action or don't know, talk about WHY that is!

⏭️ Tldr: The story is still done through a colonized lens. We can't talk about (fantasy) racism without addressing race, we can't talk about the exploitation of land and nature without addressing how the people who originally cared for it were pushed out, colonized, assimilated, and exploited as well. Colonialism & capitalism are closely linked.

[blog-theoddlifeofanya]

If you loved Avatar and wish you could help indigenous people survive and fight back against colonization, but all you have to offer is your money, here's a good all-round charity:

[blog-theoddlifeofanya]

Donate to a tribe that needs help after a blizzard.

Link to tweet

Link to site to donate

[blog-theoddlifeofanya]

Mr. Lanez, 30, was convicted of three felony counts: assault with a semiautomatic handgun, carrying a loaded, unregistered firearm in a vehicle and discharging a firearm with gross negligence. He faces more than 20 years in prison and could be deported.

The case, which played out as both a tawdry tabloid narrative and a weighty referendum on the treatment of Black women in hip-hop and beyond, was closely watched for both its famous characters and what it said about the recent adjudication of alleged abuse by notable men, such as Johnny Depp and Harvey Weinstein, in court and in public.

Mr. Lanez, though not a household name before the case, has seen his celebrity profile rise since the shooting, earning explicit and implied support from various corners of the hip-hop universe, including influential blogs, social media accounts and the rappers-turned-talking heads 50 Cent and Joe Budden.

[blog-theoddlifeofanya]

Raha Ajoudani is an Iranian 17 year old trans women and activist who has been arrested by the Islamic Republic for protesting for her basic human rights. Because she's still early in her transition, she will be tried as a gay man, which is punishable with execution.

The global LGBTQ community HAS to have her back now. Say her name to save her life. Blow her up on every social media platform you can thing of, make tweets, share on ig, anything. Make her viral.

[blog-theoddlifeofanya]

another screen is showcasing the work of iranian women & non-binary filmmakers, free to watch until january 4 with optional donation. i've always loved another gaze and this only makes me more grateful for them. this is such a well-curated and beautiful project, please check it out

[blog-theoddlifeofanya]

Curious to hear your takes on the new Avatar movie. It’s getting a lot of backlash for being culturally appropriative due to its casting of nearly all white actors (which I agree).

my nuanced take is that a film can be INCREDIBLE at a technical level, and be an epic cinema experience, AND be well intentioned as an anti-imperialist text, while at the same time failing to actually represent Indigeneity.

I'm an Indigenous fan of this franchise and have been since I was 15. Avatar 2 makes many of the same mistakes as the first and the layers to it are complicated. It's a white saviour narrative, it fetishises Indigenous (coded) women, it appropriates isolated aesthetics and aspects of various Indigenous cultures without cultural consultation, the majority of na'vi actors are white/non-indigenous ppl putting on ~voices~, and Avatar as a concept allegorically dehumanises Indigenous people by portraying us as aliens.

I will say that the sequel does have Cliff Curtis (who is Maori) playing a Na'vi, which is better than the 0 Indigenous actors from the previous. Also, Avatar 2 has a lot more Na'vi women as important characters so fetishism of the women is much less than the first (still there though). I'm aware of James Cameron's gross past "they should have fought harder" comments and I'm not excusing or condoning them. That dismissive attitude contributes to ongoing colonisation and I would have hoped a man creating a large scale anti-colonial story would know better.

Because that's the rub of it all. Avatar and Avatar 2 are explicitly anti-colonial and anti- imperialist. For all its layers of Nativism, that doesn't make it any less anti-occupation and anti-colonial. I'd argue the 2nd one doubles down on the anti-occupation angle even more than the first. The first had so many "good apples" among the invading humans, the 2nd has none. The invading force is just that, an invading force that you're not expected to sympathise with at all. You're positioned, in every way to empathise with the Na'vi.

My feelings are so complicated because at a technical level this film is a master-class of precision that pushes the boundaries of what's possible with live action VFX. Cameron and the team craft a truly immersive epic about family, solidarity, the beauty of nature and how its desicreited by colonial entitlement.

In short, a film can be both extremely Nativist and a technical masterpiece. Avatar 2 is one of those films and I'm not here to tell anyone how to feel about it. I enjoyed watching it at the movies with my best friend as someone whose an unironic enjoyer of the franchise, but I also felt disappointed that Cameron advanced the franchise at a technical level that did not extend to any genuine representation of Indigenous people.

In a strange way, it's a GREAT anti colonial story but a terrible pro-Indigenous one that demonstrates that a hatred of colonialism and respect for Indigenous peoples are (sadly) not mutually exclusive.

Always love seeing my girl Neytiri though 🥰

[blog-theoddlifeofanya]

Where is Armita Abbasi?

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This is the 40th day since Nika was murdered in the protests following Mahsa Amini’s murder in police custody. People flocked to her graveside to pay their respect.

[blog-theoddlifeofanya]

Tomorrow is the 40th day since the deadly attack on Iranian Baluch people that left more than 90 people,including several kids, dead.

They were protesting the rape of a 15 year old girl in police custody.

There have been several reports of Islamic Republic moving his army to the region in preparation for tomorrow.