Hello everyone,

I hope you all had a restful reading break!

I wanted to share my reflections after watching El Maíz en Tiempos de Guerra (Maize in Times of War). At the beginning of this term, I had a conversation with Tamara about my fear that Monsanto, now owned by Bayer, would one day decide that the world no longer gets access to their seeds. This worry has loomed over me ever since I learned, in a previous Environmental Politics class, about how Monsanto owns the “patents” for so many of the seeds and grains we rely on. Tamara replied something along the lines of “Well, that would be good for Indigenous people who don’t want those seeds because the Monsanto ones threaten their ancestral seeds.” I had never thought about this before: my colonized mind and Western, Americanized education never taught me about ancestral seeds and the plight of Indigenous people to protect them. 11 weeks into this term, with a better understanding of foodways and food sovereignty, and having watched Maíz in Times of War, I can say that while I still fear that Bayer-Monsanto–who own & control 60% of the world’s seeds (Futures Centre, 2023)–will one day decide that they no longer want to provide us their patented seeds, I now find hope and comfort in the leadership of Indigenous communities like those we learned from in the documentary.

In our neoliberal societies, we have become so reliant and used to industrialized farming and diets that rely on processed, triple-packaged, highly marketed food items. I have never thought of my food or the seeds my diet relies on as “mother, daughter, guardian.” (Maíz en Tiempos de Guerra) Going forward, I will be more mindful of the spiritual connection between my foods, the seeds and grains I eat. This documentary was once again an impactful reminder of the need for Indigenous sovereignty and self-determination, and for Indigenous pedagogies to be introduced into our Western, Eurocentric education systems.

Side note: Reading the EZLN Declaration was so fascinating, especially the connections between the Zapatista and Indigenous struggle in Mexico leading up to 1993, and the current plight of the Palestinian people. This sounded way too familiar: “They don’t care that we have nothing, absolutely nothing, not even a roof over our heads, no land, no work, no health care, no food nor education. Nor are we able to freely and democratically elect our political representatives, nor is there independence from foreigners, nor is there peace nor justice for ourselves and our children.” (1) Once again, a reminder of how intersectional and interconnected the struggles of the oppressed are.

Thanks for reading!

-Y

Posted: Nov 16, 9:34 AM.