Author Topic: Ways to support Native communities thru fair trade & micro-development aid  (Read 14988 times)

Offline amorYcohetes

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Since the winter holidays are a gift-giving season for many people, I wanted to start a thread about how those of us privileged to live in "developed" nations and have access to discretionary income can try to make good choices with our resources.  To me, all the choices of daily life carry with them a small power to support justice and self-determination for all people and our home the Earth, rather than exploitation or oppression of our fellow humans and environment.  If many people together are conscientized to take just and moral actions, then it can make an even bigger difference!

A couple resources that I know about locally through work connections that seem trustworthy to me are US-Guatemala solidarity projects:

I buy from A Thread of Hope Fair Trade Cooperative.  From their advertising materials "Your purchases help support over 400 Mayan artisans and their families, allowing them to send their children to school, and to continue their traditional rural lifestyle rather than having to emigrate to the US, or work in Guatemala as migrant farm workers or as domestics. Most of the artisans have been terribly affected by genocide, racism, and poverty. Their working together has helped them to improve their standard of living, their trust in each other and in the future, and their self-esteem. The weavers at Asociacion Maya can earn four times more weaving for the co-op rather than weaving for their local market. Your support makes a tremendous positive difference to these women, their families, and their communities. Thank you for your purchases and assistance in networking!"

I donate items (or money when I can) to AsociaciĆ³n de Comadronas del Area Mam.  From their website "In 1999 ,after 17 years of exile, Elena and Felipe Ixcot returned to their native village of Concepcion Chiquirichapa with Judy Luce, a North American midwife. They met with the midwives of ACAM to hear the story of how they had organized at the end of the war to support each other, to improve their education, and to preserve their traditional  medicine and sacred Maya childbirth practices.  They described how they attended the majority of births in the area which still take place at home, but lacked the most basic equipment or opportunities to increase their knowledge and skills.  They described how they were disrespected in the hospital and blamed for problems they had no way to treat, problems that result from severe malnutrition, too many pregnancies, lack of transport, and limited access to medicines and preventive care.They described the difficulties they faced due to little or no compensation for their work, illiteracy, and heavy demands in their domestic life. The simple project that grew out of that meeting involved midwives in the US pairing with midwives in Guatemala which resulted in birth kits, equipment and supplies being sent to the midwives.  This meeting also marked the beginning of educational and cultural exchanges between ACAM midwives and  North American midwives.  A major fund raising effort was begun in the U.S. Five years later, in June of 2004, ACAM celebrated the opening of Casa Maternal de Nacimiento y la Comienza de Esperanza, with its birth center, educational and community space, clinic and guest quarters. It represented a new beginning, a new birth and hope for the Maya people of the Mam area. The Ixcots returned to Guatemala to guide its expansion.  The role of the midwives goes beyond that of providing prenatal consultations and attending births.  The midwives are trusted in the community and many villagers bring their sick children and receive medicines and herbs for upper respiratory infections, skin infections, and diarrhea and other primary care issues.  Many present with symptoms of psychological trauma from the war, family breakdown, abuse, and disasters such as Hurricane Stan.  Since June of 2004 the Center, under the supervision of the medical director, Dr. Mildred Vasquez, has dispensed medicines  from the small pharmacy established in the Center as well as traditional plant medicines.  The midwives conduct ceremonies and rituals for the relief of trauma and also run workshops for the community led by a psychologist who is Maya and specializes in post-traumatic stress. They have also begun weekly radio programs in Mam on various health related topics."

12/20 Edited to add: How could I forget "The Circle of Women", a US-Mexico solidarity project, also with a Boston connection, that I learned about through a benefit concert by one of its supporters, the Mexican-American singer Lila Downs (the project works with literacy and development in the Mixtec community of Oaxaca, from which she is descended on her mother's side).  You can contribute to them or buy textiles.

Some other Boston-based organizations that partner respectfully to provide advocacy, resources, and technical assistance with indigenous communities generally (mostly outside North America) are Cultural Survival and Grassroots International.  From what I know, they do good work.    

I do try to buy from Winona Laduke's Honor the Earth Native environmental justice organization, to support them, and I have mentioned here before Don Coyhis' White Bison Wellbriety movement.

I look forward to hearing other people's personal strategies for supporting Native communities' self-determination and health through our purchasing and donating choices, especially within North America.

Happy holidays everyone : )


« Last Edit: December 20, 2010, 06:05:50 pm by amorYcohetes »

Offline czech

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Re: Ways to support Native communities thru fair trade & micro-development aid
« Reply #1 on: December 21, 2010, 12:55:45 pm »
To me, all the choices of daily life carry with them a small power to support justice and self-determination for all people and our home the Earth, rather than exploitation or oppression of our fellow humans and environment.  If many people together are conscientized to take just and moral actions, then it can make an even bigger difference!

Hello amorYcohetes,

I like these words.

In my country the Czech Republic in central Europe we can buy in specialty health food stores certain foods that are specifically labelled "Fair Trade" http://www.fairtrade.net/. I make it a conscious choice to only buy for example "Fair Trade" coffee and chocolate which not only makes sure that the native small farmers of South America are provided with a decent wage and working conditions but also takes care about how the plants and environment are treated. Yes, it would be best to buy local produce but coffee and cocoa beans are not grown here. You pay more for consuming but feel better about it, and there is a bonus, too - they taste incomparably better than the regular brands bought at supermarkets.

With respect to the animals and Earth I choose not to eat the meat of animals as factory farming is not only inhumane but also has serious environmental effects http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_effects_of_meat_production. I pay a little extra for eco-friendly cleaning products for my household. I use my income to try to take some care of the public ground around our urban apartment building, planting flowers and shrubs, putting up bird and squirrel feeders for the winter.

I would also like to hear from others about their own strategies and tips...

Offline Ric_Richardson

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Re: Ways to support Native communities thru fair trade & micro-development aid
« Reply #2 on: December 21, 2010, 04:01:50 pm »
Tansi;

In our own efforts to create a business that incorporates Traditional Knowledge and Values in a modern economy, we have chosen to become involved with a new labeling organization called "Fairwild".  This label indicates that there are fair trade standards for wild harvested products.  More can be learned about our efforts, which move very slowly, by checking out the "Green Lake" link on www.edai-ch.org
Ric

Offline sunka nunpa

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Re: Ways to support Native communities thru fair trade & micro-development aid
« Reply #3 on: December 23, 2010, 06:33:53 pm »
Thanks, czech. Just remember that you have to get some sort of source of vitamin B12. Also, Europeans evolved pretty much with milk, so vitamin D can be another issue. At least in Europe. In America, it's less of one. (More sunlight.) Plants don't produce vitamin B12 or vitamin D.

Here in the States, animal rights activists hate Indians. There was this one guy a while back, Paul Watson. He even had his own reality show for a while. Doesn't help much that on grain-heavy diets, Indians tend to get diabetes.

Jon, anime rights activist: I throw red paint on 4kids cells.

Offline czech

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Re: Ways to support Native communities thru fair trade & micro-development aid
« Reply #4 on: December 24, 2010, 02:23:14 pm »
Just remember that you have to get some sort of source of vitamin B12.

Thank you sunka nunpa for the concern  :) Nowadays there are plenty of foods for vegetarians that provide the necessary nutrients.

Here in the States, animal rights activists hate Indians.

Really? Why? In my culture we look up to Indians as being much closer to nature than we are, treating the Earth and animals with deep respect.

Vegetarianism is a personal choice and intolerance doesn't lead anywhere. Most of my friends and family eat meat and we never make it an issue.


Offline Defend the Sacred

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Re: Ways to support Native communities thru fair trade & micro-development aid
« Reply #5 on: December 24, 2010, 10:19:46 pm »
In my culture we look up to Indians as being much closer to nature than we are, treating the Earth and animals with deep respect.

... Don't you think there's some stereotyping of NDNs inherent in what you just said?  I think you're presuming what sort of actions result from deep respect for the Earth and animals.

amorYcohetes started this thread for posting some resources. Please do not turn it into a debate about modern dietary choices and personal lifestyle issues.

People here are from a variety of cultures. Those who traditionally live off the land, and eat locally, eat what their ancestors ate - what their land base can produce in a sustainable fashion. For those with traditional ways, food is closely tied in with culture and seasonal cycles. It can't be removed from that context. There are many forums on the net where people can debate vegetarianism and other modern lifestyle issues. I think you'll find there aren't many Indigenous people in those forums.

Offline czech

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Re: Ways to support Native communities thru fair trade & micro-development aid
« Reply #6 on: December 25, 2010, 09:13:56 am »
Quote
... Don't you think there's some stereotyping of NDNs inherent in what you just said?  I think you're presuming what sort of actions result from deep respect for the Earth and animals.

I am not presuming anything. I was just surprised by what sunka nunpa said about animal rights activits and Indians. I wasn't talking about actions but attitudes. I thought it was okay to ask about it. I apologize to the Natives if what I said sounded like stereotyping. I found on this forum many interesting links to quotes by Native people and the words "deep respect" naturally came to mind after reading them. However, I know very little and would like to learn more.

Quote
amorYcohetes started this thread for posting some resources. Please do not turn it into a debate about modern dietary choices and personal lifestyle issues.

I think that personal lifestyle issues have something to do with what amorYcohetes called "all the choices of daily life" but I do apologize to her for diverting the topic.  :-X
« Last Edit: June 12, 2019, 12:17:00 am by NAFPS Housekeeping »

Offline earthw7

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Re: Ways to support Native communities thru fair trade & micro-development aid
« Reply #7 on: December 25, 2010, 01:30:20 pm »
if a person want to help native people contact the tribal reservation, i know in my part of the country
the dakotas, we are the poorest in the United States, so sending help to foster children-child protection,
elderly protection, fuel assistence, group homes and treatment center, There are nine reservation in
South Dakota, five reservation in North Dakota and there should be a list of reservation on the BIA site.
Becareful of agencies who claim to support us but we never see the money on the reservations.

Oh and us Natives are all meat eaters ;D it is our main diet
In Spirit

Offline Defend the Sacred

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Re: Ways to support Native communities thru fair trade & micro-development aid
« Reply #8 on: December 25, 2010, 06:50:09 pm »
I like supporting Native-owned businesses that bring jobs to the reservations. I think I'll eat a Tanka bar ;)

P.S. Czech, if you want to start a thread to ask about traditional diets I guess you could and see if there are any takers. But I think LaDonna already answered your question.  :)
« Last Edit: June 12, 2019, 12:17:22 am by NAFPS Housekeeping »

Offline czech

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Re: Ways to support Native communities thru fair trade & micro-development aid
« Reply #9 on: December 25, 2010, 08:24:09 pm »
Quote
P.S. Czech, if you want to start a thread to ask about traditional diets I guess you could and see if there are any takers. But I think LaDonna already answered your question.  :)
Just one explanation - I did not have a question about diets. I never doubted that Natives based their diet on meat and in some regions meat is probably the only source of nutrients. My question was about why would animal rights activists specifically target the Natives when the vast majority of all human population all over the world eat meat, too. But it's not that important, it was just surprising.
« Last Edit: June 12, 2019, 12:17:38 am by NAFPS Housekeeping »

Offline Defend the Sacred

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Re: Ways to support Native communities thru fair trade & micro-development aid
« Reply #10 on: December 25, 2010, 08:40:38 pm »
why would animal rights activists specifically target the Natives when the vast majority of all human population all over the world eat meat, too.

Racism. Imperialism. Colonialism. Privilege. The laziness of wanting what they think will be an "easy target".

It's hard to take down a big, corporate, multi-billion dollar industry like factory farming and agribusiness. It takes commitment and serious action. So some cowards have taken on the wrong targets - people who have less power in the mainstream than they do.

Offline earthw7

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Re: Ways to support Native communities thru fair trade & micro-development aid
« Reply #11 on: December 26, 2010, 12:20:46 am »
So true we never take more than what is needed, we live with our world around us.
« Last Edit: June 12, 2019, 12:18:53 am by NAFPS Housekeeping »
In Spirit

Offline czech

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Re: Ways to support Native communities thru fair trade & micro-development aid
« Reply #12 on: December 26, 2010, 08:19:21 am »
we never take more than what is needed, we live with our world around us.
This is exactly what I meant by deep respect.

Offline Ric_Richardson

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Re: Ways to support Native communities thru fair trade & micro-development aid
« Reply #13 on: December 28, 2010, 01:57:01 am »
Tansi;

I was taught that the word "Vegitarian" was Cree (Nehiyawin) for "bad hunter."
Ric

Offline Smart Mule

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Re: Ways to support Native communities thru fair trade & micro-development aid
« Reply #14 on: December 28, 2010, 02:25:02 am »
I was waiting for somebody to say that :)