uchinānchu hajichā

[Cyber Effect] astonishing modern raden (mother of pearl inlay) by Terumasa Ikeda. A nice pun on the classic Ghost in the shell ;)

Raden is a very old decorative craft (see video below), usually used on lacquer bases with floral or traditional motifs. It’s so great to see it used this way!

I was originally planning on holding off sharing this until June, but then decided to hell with that; why wait?

FURTHER RESOURCES:

Intersections: Indigenous and 2SLGBTQQIA+ Identities – this booklet from the Native Women’s Association of Canada is more intended towards 2S folks, but is still a great read for anyone.

Two Spirits, One Voice – This video from Egale is a great, no more comments needed.

A Two-Spirit Journey: The Autobiography of a Lesbian Ojibwa-Cree Elder – This book by Ma-Nee Chacaby can be a difficult and emotional read, but very much worth it.

Becoming Two-spirit: Gay Identity and Social Acceptance in Indian Country – I have yet to read this book by Brian Joseph Gilley myself, but heard positive things about it.

If you ever wondered why they call tattoos and piercings "unprofessional" and "unsophisticated"

From Ethnographic Materials ML:

Ainu culture, an indigenous group originating from Hokkaido, Sakhalin, and the Kuril Islands.

The intricate, geometric patterns on their robes are emblematic of Ainu heritage, often created through embroidery or appliqué.

Traditional Ritual: The individuals are captured performing a traditional gesture, possibly part of a ceremony like the iyomante, a ritual aimed at sending spirits back to the kamuy realm.

I’ll be volunteering for cleanup and food distribution in-between classes.

The rain has ceased for now but recovery will take a long time. People have lost their homes and many are still without power. Crops have been lost and more will rot in the standing water. And we can only hope we aren’t hit by another storm soon.

HNL Alert, the official notification system for the city and county of Honolulu

Report residential home damage: http://www.honolulu.gov/homedamage — please note this is not an application for services, but to gather data

Call 2-1-1 for information on relief options.

Board of Water Supply (BWS) storm notices - “All water users on the North Shore from Mokulēʻia to Turtle Bay are asked to boil any water pulled from the tap prior to consumption as a precaution.”

Hawaiʻi Food Bank - Emergency Assistance and Resources. Can also call 808-836-3600 for updates on distributions or if you have questions.

I’ll be volunteering for cleanup and food distribution in-between classes.

The rain has ceased for now but recovery will take a long time. People have lost their homes and many are still without power. Crops have been lost and more will rot in the standing water. And we can only hope we aren’t hit by another storm soon.

Frequently Asked Questions About Armenian Genocide

Sample Archival Documents on the Armenian Genocide: U.S. Archives

Sample Archival Documents on the Armenian Genocide: British Archives

Map of the 1915 Armenian Genocide in the Turkish Empire

Talaat Pasha's Official Orders Regarding the Armenian Massacres, March 1915-January 1916

The Massacre of the Armenians (”Ambassador Morgenthau describes the forced evacuation of one group of Armenians from their homeland to the Syrian desert.”)

American Documents

British Documents

Russian Documents

French Documents

Austrian Documents

Public Lectures

Eye Witnesses

The Turkish Woman

That is all right, but who killed hundred of thousands Armenians?

Einar af Wirsen

The Story of Anna Hedwig Bull, an Estonian Missionary of the Armenian Genocide.

"That's How It Was"

ARAB EYEWITNESS FAYEZ ALGHUSSEIN ABOUT THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

Report by an Eye-Witness, Lieutenant Sayied Ahmed Moukhtar Baas

Letters of Turkish doctors addressed to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Turkey

Martyred Armenia: Eyewitness account of the Armenian genocide by Faiz El-Ghusein a Turkish official

Afro-indigenous folks do NOT to be reminded they’re half black everytime they speak about their indigenity

Multi-Tribal indigenous folks do NOT need to be reminded about their other tribes or indigenous nations when they talk about their indigenous heritage

Euro-Indigenous folks do NOT to be reminded they’re half white everytime they talk about their indigenity

Asian-Indigenous folks do NOT to be reminded they’re half Asian when they talk about their indigenity

Low Blood Quntaumers indigenous folks do NOT need to be reminded they have a “low amount of indigenous blood”(colonial af and not even possible)

Indigenous non-American(as in not indigenous to the American continent, but indigenous to other regions of the world) do NOT to be reminded they’re not indigenous Americans when they talk about their indigenity

Reconnecting indigenous folks do NOT to be reminded they’re reconnecting when they talk about their indigenity

white presenting & Afro-presenting or anyone who doesn’t fit their stereotypical view of what indigenous people look like should NOT be reminded that they don’t “look indigenous” when they talk about their indigenity

Traditional secrets to keeping cool—investigating Okinawan textiles

When Yoko Nomura moved from warm, dry California to the subtropical island of Okinawa, she was struck by the stifling heat and humidity. Searching for ways to survive the Okinawan summer months, Nomura, from the Science and Technology Group at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (OIST), discovered a traditional secret to keeping cool: a material called Basho-fu.

Basho-fu is an Okinawan textile fabric made from banana plant fibers. Originating from the 13th or 14th century, Basho-fu was used to make traditional Okinawan kimonos. Basho-fu kimonos were popular among all classes of people in the Ryukyu Kingdom, which ruled Okinawa from 1429 to 1879. Basho-fu textiles were highly durable for hard labor such as farming and fishing, and were comfortable to wear in the hot and humid subtropical climate of Okinawa.

The expertise required to make Basho-fu textiles has been passed down through generations of craftspeople in Okinawa. However, the traditional craft is now under threat from a shortage of banana plant materials and an infiltration of modern methods.

In an effort to rescue and document this important part of Okinawan folk culture, researchers from OIST, in collaboration with the University of the Ryukyus and the Kijoka Basho-fu Association, used scientific techniques to characterize Basho-fu materials and to compare traditional and laboratory Basho-fu production processes.

New piece on Vocal!

My take on my mixed-race heritage, as being both Black and Okinawan–an Afro-Okinawan–but not quite recognized as either or. I questioned my identity for a lot of my childhood, even resenting it somewhat through high school and college, until recent events had me refocus on the history of my heritage. I hope my perspective resonates with my readers, and informs others on the state of being mixed race.