Apologies for the late post, it was a crazy weekend.
Words cannot express my immense inspiration and elation after reading everyone's posts. JUFRAN has most definitely been a huge breath of much needed fresh air.
I wanted to touch on not only Land is Life, but also on this past weekend's retreat. Both I felt were important sessions we spent with each other, de/constructing, collectively, important concepts that, for me (and hopefully for you), make things in life more clearer. As an indigenous person of color living in the U.S., I sometimes lose touch, are amnesiac, and/or become numb with everyday "first world" life.
However, what I do in/out JUFRAN, is in contradiction to the powers that oppress me. As a community, we are striving for truth, freedom, and justice, re/building and healing our decolonizing selves. We are collectively resisting what keeps us blind, and instead, are hopeful and resilient.
This past weekend's retreat was really dope! Not only did I have fun, but I was able to learn a lot about myself and everyone else. One constructive criticism I have, is to remember to follow the ROPES wherever we are as a collective. The ROPES is applicable not only within the context of JUFRAN, but also with life. I understand this is a learning process for everybody (including myself) and I hope that we continue to transform through this semester and throughout life.
The following photos were taken during my trip back to the Motherland last summer. When I question why I do what I do, I think of my family back home. Their spirit and the power of the people, keep me waking up each day.
Ingat,
jr
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