Who tells whose stories

3 de diciembre 2014

this may seem excessive, and maybe i need to think it out better, but can folks just stop studying other peoples, or publishing their photos, mapping their territory or making films about them or recreating their art, medicine, maternity practices, etc. beyond your good intentions that practice is at best voyeuristic and very colonial, it gives your view and perspective as an outsider more weight and validity than the ppl who are actually a part of the "peoples" that are being discussed. i say this as someone who has come from a relatively short life of living and working in communities of nations and peoples different than my own, in this context i feel the best work to be done is supporting the folks from those communities to be the ones to share their stories, whether it be written, film, audio, visual, etc. after years of doing this i came home to my grandfather´s home community in 2011 to find this happening, only outsiders telling our stories, our lives, our problems and even though they have good intentions, they are outsiders, they do not know what growing up and life is like here just like I am not the person to tell the stories of people who grow up in berlin or rome. the world´s peoples do not need more privileged folks with cameras, tablets, pens and notebooks telling their lives to the rest of the world, what peoples need are the space and tools to tell their own stories. stop being the protagonist and be a true ally. i am open to discuss this. this is just a thought after reading about this guy... http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2014/11/photo-controversy-over-indigenous-people-20141117103356815649.html