Louie Gong describes his company, Eighth Generation, as “a Native-owned, community-engaged small business that began when I started putting cultural art on shoes.” It’s true, in 2008, Gong began decorating sneakers and skateboarding apparel with indigenous Nooksack patterns — a move that, as a Nooksack himself, set him apart from the non-Native designers who’d been doing so for years. As demand grew, so did Gong’s ambition.
Here you go, kids!
How to procure Native-American-and-First-Nation-themed items without entitlement or cultural appropriation in one easy step.
BUY THE THINGS DIRECTLY FROM THE PEOPLE THEMSELVES.
Because if they’re selling these representations of their culture and being fairly compensated, you’re not appropriating, you’re appreciating. And helping good folks make a living while you’re at it.
Everybody wins.
^^^this is the difference. participate in the parts of culture that people CONSENT to sharing!! it’s that simple, if you buy directly from the source, they are creating with the idea that people outside the culture will be consuming, and can pick and choose what they are okay with you having.
the same idea as wearing traditional dress that someone of that culture gave you as a present vs. buying a knockoff version for “fashion”
I’ve used this argument for a long time as a difference between appropriation and appreciation. If you are buying directly from the people of that culture you are supporting them in keeping certain practices and talents alive. They are choosing what they share while making a living from their work. You are supporting them, while enjoying their culture. This is not only okay but it can really help people from these communities.
With appropriation, you are taking money away from the people. While mocking everything they stand for, and giving money to big companies who only care about profit, and have no understanding of the people they are stealing from.
Eighth Generation is awesome! They ship fast in addition to having gorgeous merchandise. Five stars.
I appreciate everything in this post
Because it took like 4 steps to find the damn thing, here is a link to the place:
the fact that we can’t drink sea water even tho its the most common type of water just bc its 3% salt yet we can safely consume multiple forms of literal poison and even benefit from doing so just blows my fucking mind
Peppers: Now that I have capsaicin, no mammal will eat me! ONLY BIRDS. THE BIRDS WILL SPREAD MY SEEDS.
Humans: oh my god this burns so good
Peppers: wut
poppies: at last, i have evolved my sap to the point where anything that eats me will sleep… FOREVER
humans who are about to invent painkillers: hey guess what
tobacco: finally i can grow in peace, no more insects munching on my leaves.
humans holding matches: my, my, what do we have here?
Mint: Stay off me bugs or I’ll poison you!
Humans: Yeah I’m gonna need to put this poison in my dessert and mix it with chocolate.
That said, look how many pepper plants, tobacco plants, mint plants, coffee plants, etc, there are.
Being liked by humans is actually a dang good survival strategy for a plant species.
You basically just summed up Michael Pollan’s “The Botany of Desire” in a few sentences.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told a press freedom event in Paris Sunday that one of the bulwarks protecting democratic governments from being undermined is also an institution under stress — a free-thinking, robust media.
“If a democracy is to function you need an educated populace, and you need to have an informed populace, ready to make judicious decisions about who to grant power to and when to take it away,” Trudeau said.
“When citizens cannot have rigorous analysis of the exercise of the power that is in their name and they have granted, the rest of the foundation of our democracies start to erode at the same time as cynicism arises.”
Its so infuriating how he is succeeding at making himself look better than Trump when he barely his.
These big media platforms won’t say shit about the pipeline, his alliance with Israel and Saudi Arabia, or him being super chill with White Supremacists running Ontario (Ford isnt explicit but he sure as hell is complicit) and makes him look like the second coming of Jesus for taking in refugees and giving trans people rights (Which is fantastic, but its also what should be done, not surprised in a society built by white colonialism should a white, able, rich, cis, straight man doing the bare minimum be showered with praised man they need to have their hands held for every fucking thing that they are literally told by the Bible to do anyways, how are these lazy hypocrites the master race again? while having all their bullshit be ignored till someone has to sacrifice any semblance of safety to call them out publicily)
Tldr: Not being Trump doesnt make you a good person. Shit is still shit even if it doesnt smell.
Vote for the NDP. Jagmeet is a decent human being.
Stressed, Depressed, and Story Obsessed 