Kaitlin Curtice, an Indigenous American, discusses living resistance and embracing indigenous identity. They explore the power of writing and storytelling, the challenges of wintering and personal growth, and the importance of compassion and rest for resistance. They also touch on Christmas preparations and the need for spaces of care and support.
Storytelling is a form of resistance that fosters empathy and understanding of diverse experiences.
Resistance is a lifelong journey that requires self-care, patience, and compassion.
Building community, supporting indigenous rights, and reconnecting with ancestral roots are essential aspects of resistance and personal growth.
Deep dives
The Power of Storytelling and Resisting Colonization
The podcast episode explores the power of storytelling as a form of resistance and healing. The guest, Caitlyn Curtis, discusses how storytelling can help us connect with one another's experiences and foster empathy. She shares her personal journey of embracing her indigenous identity and navigating the clash between her Christian faith and indigenous ways of knowing. Curtis emphasizes the importance of honoring our own boundaries as storytellers and recognizing that we cannot be responsible for solving everyone's problems. This discussion highlights the transformative nature of storytelling in understanding ourselves and the world around us.
Embracing Resistance as Lifelong Work
Curtis emphasizes that resistance is a lifelong journey and not a momentary act of learning. She encourages individuals to be patient with themselves and to understand that change takes time. She shares her own experiences of hitting a breaking point in her life, which led her to prioritize self-care and manage her stress and anxiety. Curtis acknowledges that everyone's journey is unique and that hitting rock bottom isn't necessary for everyone to embrace their personal and collective resistance. The conversation underscores the importance of compassion and self-care in sustaining our resistance efforts.
Nurturing Communal Resistance and Solidarity
The podcast delves into the communal realm of resistance, highlighting the importance of connection, empathy, and solidarity. Curtis explores the challenges and rewards of building community, acknowledging that communal spaces can be contested and conflict-ridden. She emphasizes the significance of caring for children, fostering ethical resistance, and supporting indigenous rights. The discussion also touches on the appropriation of yoga and the responsibility individuals have in caring for the land. Overall, this segment encourages listeners to engage in the communal realm and develop meaningful relationships rooted in kinship and reciprocity.
The importance of self-love and personal resistance
The podcast episode emphasizes the significance of self-love and personal resistance as crucial elements in navigating through life's challenges. The speaker highlights the need to prioritize oneself, practice self-care, and set personal boundaries. It is argued that by embracing who we are and engaging in personal resistance, we can find a sense of identity, well-being, and inner strength. The episode challenges the notion of a linear path to success and proposes that everyone's journey is unique, with different answers and approaches to achieving justice and peace. Through self-love and personal resistance, individuals can make a genuine impact in the world and inspire others.
The power of rest, community, and ancestral connections
The podcast episode explores the importance of rest, building community, and reconnecting with ancestral roots as essential aspects of resistance and personal growth. It challenges the notion that constant productivity and avoiding rest are signs of success or privilege. The speaker emphasizes the need to prioritize self-care and rest as a way to resist societal pressures and capitalist systems. They discuss the deep value of community, kinship, and solidarity, highlighting the power of entering into one another's stories and supporting each other. The episode also touches on the significance of ancestral connections and the intergenerational impact of our actions, encouraging listeners to honor their own lineage and consider the legacy they want to leave for future generations.
In the past few years, resistance has been a live issue for many of us, whether we’re wondering for the first time how to bring about social change, or realising that we need to find new ways to be activists.
For Kaitlin Curtice, this resistance is an ongoing practice, informed by her perspective as an Indigenous American, and imbued with gentleness, integrity and personal sustainability. In this episode, we talk about her book, Living Resistance, how her own perspective developed over time, and - appropriately for this podcast - how we can live in this unsettling moment.
Katherine's new book, Enchantment, is available now: US/CAN and UK
