The 5th of September is not just another day on the calendar. This day is to commemorate the legacy of Bartolina Sisa, who was an Aymara leader. Together with other leaders from the communities, she led an anticolonial resistance in the territory known today as Bolivia. She was murdered on this day in 1782.
Since last year, the United Nations has declared the 5th of September as the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Women and Girls. Globally, many indigenous women and girls are leaders in their communities and regions; however, all their knowledge and experiences as indigenous women have often been unrecognised.
My Indigenous roots
My indigenous background is Miskitu. They live along the coast of Honduras and Nicaragua. Approximately 130,00 people in Nicaragua are Miskitu.
My great-great-grandmother, Rosina Sam, my great-grandmother, Rosina Nelson, and my grandmother, Mandy Thompson de Green, were from the Miskitu community of Karata.
Karata is an indigenous community approximately 15.8 kilometres away from Bilwi. It is in front of a lagoon by the same name. It has many coconut trees, nice people, and is a very clean village. Fishing is the community’s main source of economic income. Under the Harrison-Altamirano Treaty, the community is the landowner of a vast territory extending over Dakban, Lamlaya, and Bilwi.
I remember my great-great-grandmother whenever she came from Karata to visit Bilwi, Puerto Cabezas. She was always smiling and nice. My father and relatives told me that she was a midwife in the community of Karata. But she also supported her husband, Merildo, in his duties as pastor of the Moravian church in their community. My great-aunt Lovita mentioned that Rosita (her mom) was ‘very respectful in the community’.
My dad Gerald remembers her as ‘as a kind, caring, protective, and loving grandma. Even though she never spoke our Creole English, she made a good effort to understand us and responded in Miskitu. This way, we got more familiar with the language’.
Food was something she transmitted to my dad and aunts. For example, she prepared buña, wabul made of green banana and coconut milk. Both dad and great-aunt Lovita remember her telling them to ‘give thanks for our meals and to be obedient to our parents’.
My memories with my grandmother Mandy were at their house in the neighbourhood of Arlen Siu. But she also used to drop by your home. She worked with the Moravian missionaries. I remember playing in the yard, swinging, eating, and talking with her. She used to bake some delicious cookies.
The practices and traditions I learned about the Miskitu Indigenous community were passed down by my great-grandmother, grandmother, and other relatives. I believe that they wanted to teach more; however, they did the role of teaching me everything through oral practice, cooking, and other practices.
Their voices and lessons learned remain with me.
Facts about Indigenous Women
Learned and share
Indigenous communities have often been made invisible due to white privilege, seen as “exotic,” “knowledge extractors,” and “non-human people.”
But aren’t the Indigenous people’s practices what much of white academia gives a name to as a theory? Should white academia stop investigating Indigenous practices and not give them credit?
Indigenous women are capable of telling their story. They are powerful leaders in their communities, regions, and globally. So next time you hear an indigenous woman talk, listen. You will learn.
Who is your role model Indigenous woman? Share with us!
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