Survivance: maintaining principles and culture as we adapt to a changing world
I read that in the exhibit, “Our Lives: Contemporary Life and Identities” in the National Museum of the American Indian this Sunday. I regret I do not remember the name of the person quoted.
Survivance struck me as an extremely important concept for all of us battling the powers that be and the forces at work today in the U.S.
On my ride home from D.C. it came to me how survivance can be the basis for a different strategy and how the Sunday Stand Up could have been different.
Leaving the Metro station and entering the Mall, I found myself in an alternate universe. There was a stage being set up with the banner, “Walk for Life – January 22.” Uh oh.
Heading toward the Capitol building, I spied another sign of an altered universe, a blooming cherry tree. January – blooming cherry tree.
Some good news – I did a Porta-potty count for estimation on the expected size of the crowd – less than 50.
Supersoling and I hooked up. We talked. We had no plan.
There were clusters of fresh faced youths (99.9% white) walking around. Many had sweatshirts with “St. Something-or-other” on them. There were groups/classes of fresh faced youths with adults (99.9% white) walking around the Capitol steps and the Mall. There were clusters of nuns walking around, going in and coming out of buildings. There were buses arriving.
Super and I walked back to the stage area and spoke with a man setting things up, asking when things were going to begin. We were told the event would be the next day, Monday. We mentioned the date on the banner. He looked, checked his watch, then laughed. The banner was wrong.
Super and I walked and talked. We took some photos. I carried an umbrella; we walked and talked some more.
We went to the Museum of Native Indians to eat. I really wanted Super to see it as he had mentioned having Cherokee genes running through him. It is an inspiring place.
I learned some things. I got locked into thinking of talking with people as “confrontation.” I do not like confrontation. I am not able to confront people I do not know. I don’t know if I even want to get better at confronting people. Two people yelling at each other look the same.
I learned I can carry an umbrella that says, “IMPEACH” out in public.
I learned the word survivance.
And I thought about how I could have done this differently. Here were these people who want to stop abortions. How could I have “engaged” with them? Not to change their minds, but to find common ground.
What if I could have written a petition, say one on increasing minimum wages, or one on single payer health plans?
And having that petition, could I have approached groups of people and said, “You care about `life’ – I admire your committment. One of the reasons couples and women choose abortion is that they cannot afford to raise a child. Would you please sign this petition asking Congress to increase the minimum wage?”
I could have done that. I think.
Survivance – maintaining principles and culture while adapting to a changing world.
Sunday was worth it to me. Heck, spending a day with Supersoling made it worthwhile. 🙂
So, what are you doing next weekend?
Bravo! Bravo!
I think that I need an umbrella like that.
Thanks.
Letters drawn on ductape, cut with an exacto-knife, and fabric glue – voila’
I didn’t even mind carrying an umbrella on a sunny day – baby steps 🙂
And thank you both for sharing your day with us. Survivance… I like that word and its definition too. It sounds like such a ‘formal’ definition, but the ‘survival’ aspect of its roots brings out the primitive nature of the term. Makes it raw… To me, anyways.
What am I doing next weekend? Hmmm…
You are very welcome Sherm.
It was the “ance” part of survivance that drew me in. I thought “vibrance” and “enhance.”
The exhibit showed modern variations on traditional items. There was a dream catcher with white feathers and shiny kitchen utensils minus handles.
I hope to find out the quote’s author and the exact words.
ah yes the “don’t engage”… was very hard not to. 🙂 and at times I couldn’t help myself.
I was ready to engage. Especially when I saw all the mock tears being shed on the Scotus sidewalk by the Hitl, er I mean the Christian youth.
I decided to keep it low key for Tampopo’s sake. She isn’t ready yet but she will be in the future ;o)
You could very well be correct on this as I am definitely a “work in progress” 😉
DJ – your ability to confront inspires me!
For me to do things the way you do would require me to become a different person. That would take a lot of time…probably a lot of analysis too. 🙂
Thanks for your post, tampopo! Seems to me you spent the day in the best way you possibly could: you were present, you observed, you learned, you went forward. Many kudos!
Much appreciate your sharing the concept of ‘survivance’ with us, too. It’s a concept I keep chiefly in mind as we move on through; my own path, I feel, largely relates to it — especially in terms of principles.
Thank you WW for your comment.
I reach a point in my life where I can look around, expand from the narrow world of family and work – and I discover my country has become the “evil empire!”
I am in such a state of flux – growing pains? In a way, I want to hunker down, ignore the world. But, I can’t.
“Principles” can be such a pain in the buttocks! 🙂
“Survivance” – not just to survive, but to live with exuberance.
On “engaging” . . .
I’m with you tampopo. I don’t like confrontation either, or arguments, or feeling angry. It hurts my heart, and I don’t think it usually accomplishes what all of us want most – a change in the hearts and minds of sufficient numbers of ordinary Americans. People who are really more like us than not, but who have had their thinking shaped by too many years of very effective propaganda by the corporate media.
I’m a believer in finding that common ground. I spent the weekend with my sister and BIL who drink in a steady diet of Rush, O’Lielly, et al. Politics couldn’t be avoided as a topic, but we never argued, though we disagreed. I mostly asked questions – a lot of them about Jesus’s teaching and are they reflected in the current conservation agenda? I asked about “traditional Republicans” that I grew up with and what has happened to them? We parted lots of love and hugs. They didn’t jump up and embrace the progressive worldview or any such thing – but there were several moments when I could see the cognitive dissonance grinding away behind their eyes.
I think we non-confronters can do some good like this, one on one. On the other hand, we need the confronters like super, too, to deal with those aren’t just good people who have been misled, but who are seriously deranged and malevolent. Anyone wants to scream at Fred Phelps and his ilk – I’ll be cheering them on.
All you gotta do baby- is STAND YOUR GROUND.
Cool-thanks for the pics-isn’r that super so SUPER? Come on ladies- we would all leave our husbands for him- right? RIGHT? Oh never mind.
Thank you for providing the hotel room Shycat, though my system went into shock from being surrounded by such high class people and ammenities. I think I’ll find some more humble digs next time I head to DC so I don’t feel so out of place.
Maybe a Motel 6 or at least a Motel 6 and a half ;o)
Also, I appreciate the kind words about me but it’s making me feel a little uncomfortable. Seriously :o)
Well, as I said,that was the best deal available.And learn to take a compliment!
I applaud you both. What a great thing to have done, especially with the visitors that day ….:o)
I know that sometimes on the streets of DC it is not a good thing to do demonatrations when one is outnumbered for another reason; however, I do know you were seen! whether heard or not is another thing. Anyhow, hugs and appreciation to you both. I am glad to have you both as my friends.
Tampopo you are a Warrior Maiden Sister! You are doing the best that you can with what you know at the time! We each have to do what we can in any way that is comfortable for us personally. I am more the confrontational type(has gotten me into lots of trouble in the past). In Crawford the leaders of the protest had a morning meeting asking us to not be confrontational with the counter protesters, to not engage and to back off if it became ugly. This was very difficult for me. I have a hard time keeping my mouth shut. But what I found there was an opportunity to instead listen to the idiots across the street. They really made asses of themselves.
Also we all must remember that these republicans coming out have been “groomed” al their lives for these things. The “Young Republicans” gave us someone like Rove. It will be difficult to fight them but somewhere in my hear I believe we can. I am so proud of the two of you and all here that are fighting for our future generations.
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The word is “survivance,” which the museum credits to Gerald Vizenor (Chippewa) and his 1994 book, Manifest Manners: Postindian Warriors of Survivance.
The curators of the exhibition, “Our Lives: Contemporary Life and Identities,” contextualize that elusive concept as a move from the passive to the active voice. “We are not just survivors, we are the architects of our survivance,” a wall label says. The point, following recent trends in historical scholarship, is to remove the taint of victimization and substitute adaptability, resilience, and victory over historical circumstance.
“But I will not let myself be reduced to silence.”
▼ ▼ ▼ MY DIARY
Oui – you are amazing!
Thank you very much.
.
For not searching sooner – it took 30 sec. to find the link through your description in first part of your diary!
It intrigued me from the first reading a bit earlier last night.
“But I will not let myself be reduced to silence.”
▼ ▼ ▼ MY DIARY
How perfectly this stance fits our current circumstances.
Engaging doesn’t mean a screaming hissy fit.
There are times to do it and times to not do it. Large protests… probably not the best time. All it takes is one asshole to throw a rock, shove someone and you’ve got a riot on your hands.
I’ve been called many things. I’ve seen so much hate just this past year.
I wasn’t engaging anyone when I had a cigarette thrown in my face!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was only tacking up a Bring Them Home Now postcard.
I wasn’t engaging anyone when a fuckhole called me a fucking liberal nazi and explained to his kids what a horrible person I was. I had given a hug to a diner owner whose son was in Iraq. He overheard ny telling her about DC.
I didn’t engage anyone when a Marine who spent three tours in Iraq sat on a post office curb just waiting for me to show up because no one else would talk to him.
I will no longer let others hurt me, call me names or tell me how to live.
I will engage. Because it’s about fucking time somebody does. Because what else are they going to start doing to us?
I don’t see engaging as yelling. I see it as standing my ground and standing up and speaking out.
One merely has to be there or give support to do that.
Tampopo you did indeed engage. You were there. You stood up. 🙂
Thanks DJ –
What I realized on my trip home was that I had defined talking with people as confrontation and by doing so I had inadvertently activated all my fears of confrontation.
Confrontation need not be a screaming hissy fit either. But that is what comes to my mind when I think of confrontation.
What struck me was my mental lock down because I could only think of confrontation as a yelling hissy fit. It limited my ability to even think of other actions.
The survivance quote reminded me of the importance of being adaptable yet maintaining principles.
I don’t think there would have been any value in trying to talk to the kids we saw into viewing abortion differently – to confront them about their belief. Not in that place and time.
So I began to think of how I could have engaged them to join with me on other very related actions like signing a petition to increase funding for women who are experiencing abuse, women who might choose an abortion because their domestic arrangement is too dangerous to bring in a baby.
What you have experienced seems to me to be confrontations initiated by others! So much hate.
Your courage in responding and continuing to BE who you are, doing what you need to do is truly, truly AWESOME!
I do not know if I have that kind of courage – you are an inspiration. Thank you.