Daughters of Madre Earth—Creating Space for Indigenous Peoples in Diaspora from Mexico, Central, and South America in the United States
By: Daughters of Madre Earth Co-founders, Chinantec in Diaspora & Jessica Hernandez
When we met to discuss our new project, we were eager to create a space for Indigenous Womxn and LGBTQIA2S+ folks from Mexico, Central, and South America. These are integral intersectionalities that our identities consist of. As a result, we felt the urge to create a platform that would provide representation of womxn and LGBTQIA2S+ folks from south of the US border living in diaspora. We felt as though there are not enough supportive places like this in the United States and that the knowledge of our communities was misconstrued due to false information that has been spread since European contact. As a result, Daughters of Madre Earth was born and we were ready to grow this platform alongside other successful southern Indigenous women like Yalitza Aparacio of the Mixtec and Trique, two strong nations from Oaxaca.
Daughters of Madre Earth is an online platform that discusses and focuses on the struggles Indigenous womxn and LGBTQIA2S (from Mexico, Central & South America) face as a result of patriarchy, queer antagonism, capitalism, settler colonialism, diaspora and anti-indigenous racism. It is a platform that aims to uplift and amplify Indigenous womxn's and LGBTQIA2S+ voices by discussing everyday life and firsthand experiences that all interconnect back to Mother Earth.
As Indigenous people, we have a strong relationship with our living and nonliving relatives. However, due to displacement these relationships must adapt to our new environments. Oftentimes, mainstream society erases the existence of Indigenous nations south of the border as many of us find ourselves here as we have been forced to flee our ancestral lands. Mainstream society often believes Indigenous people cease to exist after removal, migration, or even after 1492, but that is far from the truth. Many times we form transnational Indigenous societies and continue to pass on our culture to future generations while helping our relatives across these borders. Still, not all of us can return to our homelands due to violence and other limitations. It is then that these extended networks become even more important to us.
D.O.M.E. cultivates space for us to feel a sense of belonging due to our displacement and educational content for both Indigenous peoples and non-Indigenous allies. We are often labeled as “Latinx” or “Hispanic” despite not being defined by these terms or fitting into the dominant narratives that these identities are constructed around. In response, we have created multiple series, such as Indigenous Womxn/LGBTQIA2S+ Person of the Month, Decolonizing Hispanic Heritage Month, and more. These publications serve to highlight Indigenous womxn/LGBTQIA2S+ people and bring forward southern Indigenous perspectives on various topics regarding Latin America.
Our most recent series is “Stories from the Diaspora.” This series uplifts Indigenous people from Mexico, Central, and South America who are living in and through diaspora. These stories include a variety of voices and perspectives—to demonstrate how we all experience diaspora differently. These accounts are from Indigenous womxn, LGBTQIA2S+, and men from Mexico, Central, and South America. If you are interested in having your story featured, please submit your stories here. Below is a story we want to highlight. We are thankful for the platform and space Changing Womxn Collectivehas provided for us, a platform that is also led and run by womxn and femmes of color.
Feature: Dani (Nahua)
What role does your Southern Indigenous culture play in your life in the US?
It plays a huge role in my life here in the states actually, although there’s a huge guerrerense diaspora here in Chicago It’s still hard for me to find other nahua individuals to build community with so I’m constantly having to find spaces where I’m accepted and I can be my true authentic self in.
How often are you able to visit your native lands?
I have the privilege to visit my native land at least once a year.
What is one memory/story/song, etc. that reminds you of your community, native lands, family?
Growing up when I was probably in kindergarten and learning how to read instead of me reading traditional American children’s books my father would buy me books or simply just tell me nahua origin stories!! I know so much about my people because my father, who made it a priority that I know where and who I come from, wanted to give me the education that I wasn’t learning anywhere else.
Why is it important to have a space to uplift Indigenous Womxn voices from Mexico, Central, and South America in the US?
It’s important to me because this world would be nothing without the strong Indigenous womxn in it!! Our voices need to be heard and amplified because we spent so much time being silenced.
How do you think your culture is portrayed in the U.S.? Do you think this portrayal is an accurate reflection of your culture?
Having lived in the Midwest my whole life I never really saw accurate representation of Nahua culture at all the most I ever saw was Aztec Mexica danzas or Chicano mexica art and that was pretty much it when there is so much more to Nahua communities and culture.