Last week I sent out some thoughts I had around Oxygen Mask protocol in my Weekly Dispatch. I LOVED all the input I received leading up to this week's post!
In particular, I am grateful to Kel from Swimming Upstream. They connected me with The Indigenous Abolitionist and their fantastic post The Colonial Myth.
Seeing this statement through an anti-colonial lens helped me iron a few things out in my brain while I was illustrating this zine. It also took me down a rabbit hole around Maslow and his time with the Blackfoot people. I found the article "Could the Blackfoot Wisdom that Inspired Maslow Guide Us Now?" by Teju Ravilochan.
I'm hoping to turn this into a printable zine with a QR code that leads IRL readers here so I can effectively credit these influences. I am also freshly through the audiobook version of "How to Be Perfect" by Michael Schur. While this zine prioritized knowledge held sacred by Indigenous and First Nations people, it also has a lot of overlap in western philosophy. I'm also a ridiculous "The Good Place" fangirl, so if crediting Michael Schur on this page leads me to becoming friends with all the writers and cast members of that show, I'd be pretty excited about that.
Zine Transcription:
Put on Your Own Oxygen Mask First is toxic individualism propagated by the patriarchy in order to grow a (false) sense of scarcity. Don't believe me? Let me draw you some pictures and explain why we can blame colonialism and capitalism for everything <3>
The cabin pressure has not changed.
In the event of an emergency, making sure we set ourselves up to survive FIRST doesn't mean we are selfish. Well, I guess unless we plan to help ourselves survive INSTEAD. Splitting hairs? Western philosophers don't think so.
What if we stop listening to cis white males for a quick sec?
(two dials pictured. One labeled White Guys is turned all the way down to STFU. Indigenous Own Voices labeled dial is turned up to loud and clear)
Let's turn up the volume on some Indigenous folx instead. I'm going to let Maslow pass the mic.
The Siksika (the Blackfoot) were observed by Maslow while he was seeking support for his theories about cultural needs for dominance. Instead, he observed something he wasn't expecting.
Community Actualization is the Goal
Instead of the pyramid many people associated with Maslow, the Blackfoot community organizes their culture in a more circular rhythm. Similar to the one below.
(Circular diagram divided into four quadrants. q1 Cognitive lists Self, Community, Role, Identity, Service, Esteem. q2 Physical lists Food, Water, Housing, Safety, Security. q3 Emotional lists Belonging and Relationships. q4 Spiritual lists Spirituality and Life Purpose. The quadrants are all joined by an arrow that curves counter clockwise through each section.)
Here I've sketched an image of Terry Cross' cyclical model. Cross is a Seneca First Nation member and psychologist.
So if our priorities are constantly revolving, doesn't that mean the care we give ourselves can also be applied to our communities at large? Many Indigenous and First Nations already live this way. The idea of the separation of self from community arrived with colonial settlers.
So here are some of my ideas for what we could be saying instead...
You have to wash your own undies before washing someone else's. Or I could toss a load of yours in with mine and we can fold them together.
You have to flip your own pancake before starting another batch. Or I could take out the big skillet and practice my wrist flick technique.
You have to serve yourself before you serve others. Or we can all lend a hand in the kitchen, then all sit down to eat together. (Thanks for helping me add this one Ann!)
I want to make a point of sharing that these ideas are not new, and they are not mine. First Nations and Indigenous communities have not only survived genocide, but their cultural leaders have been purposely silenced and murdered.
While I hope learning about these living and dynamic cultures leads the wider population to reforms and revolution, I also want to acknowledge the privilege I have as a white cis presenting woman collecting this information. My hope is to hold their voices up by stepping out of the way whenever possible.
First, thank you for reading all the way to the bottom. If you've gotten this far, you should I know I edited out about 30 more handwritten pages of my opinions, ideas, and hair-brained theories. If you're telling yourself "Well damn, Jen. I'd like to read that sometime!" you can let me know by commenting, following, supporting or becoming a member. My writing and art is a compulsion and I have placed it here as a gift to you. If you feel moved to give something back... well, Buy Me a Coffee. Let me know if you'd like to be notified when I figure out printing this baby in real life. As always, thanks for being here! I'll see you next week.