Cultural Empowerment & Language Preservation Youth Workshops
Cultural empowerment tools are crucial and important, especially for our Indigenous youth who continue to face cultural shame because Indigenous traditions are not the norm under settler colonialism Indigenous languages are also an important part of our Indigenous identities. Unfortunately, our Indigenous languages are continued to be targeted under ongoing assimilation tactics. As a result of all these, Manos del Mar Oaxaca hosted two cultural empowerment and language preservation youth workshops. 50 Ikoots children received this three-hour workshop and were provided with holiday educational kits made up of coloring books, coloring pencils, crayons, an art pad, watercolors, and a shirt that says, "I am Ikoots."
Ikoots Traditional Foods Baskets San Mateo del Mar, Oaxaca
We all know that climate change is impacting Indigenous communities—especially coastal Indigenous communities with sea level rise, ocean acidification, and warming of our oceans. This coupled with the pandemic makes our coastal Indigenous communities more vulnerable. However, it also makes us more resilient. In San Mateo del Mar (a coastal Indigenous community), a collective of artisans , Manos del Mar, is leading the traditional Ikoots food basket initiative. The Ikoots people (or people of the Sea) can receive a basket of traditional foods for $25 USD.
With this community micro-grant, 15 baskets will be distributed to families of the San Mateo del Mar, Oaxaca.
This project addresses food sovereignty and security that is essential to address as a result of climate change and the current pandemic that is impacting Indigenous communities the most.
