A Village in India Fights Female Infanticide and Deforestation

How a village leader changed the perception of women in India, one tree at a time.

Girls connecting with the trees in Piplantri. Photo provided by Piplantri Village.

Every time a baby girl is born in Piplantri, India, the village gathers together to plant 111 trees in her honor. The custom began a couple of years ago, when former village leader, Shyam Sundar Paliwal was forced to ponder the fleetingness of life after his daughter tragically passed away at a young age.

Piplantri and other villages in the area were facing two crises that greatly affected the quality and value of life. One issue was social: a high rate of female infanticide. Traditionally, female births were considered a burden on the family. The parents of a girl are expected to provide a dowry to her husband’s family, which can be a big financial undertaking. Additionally, daughters were married off well before the age of 18, before they could obtain an education. 

Piplantri and its surrounding villages faced environmental hardships as well. The villages in the Rajasthan area are suffering from deforestation with the increase of marble mining. 

Paliwal decided to confront these issues with a plan that can be broken down into three words: “Daughter, Water, Trees.” 

To counter the pessimism around the birth of a baby girl—and improve the lives of the daughter and her family—the village raises money for a “trust” every time a girl is born. The family is to contribute one third of the fund, which is set aside until the girl turns 20. This alleviates the problem of the financial burden of a dowry. 

In order for the family to receive the money, they must sign an affidavit agreeing not to marry their daughter until she is of the legal age of 18 and has received a proper education. 

To solve the deforestation problem, the village gets together to plant 111 trees in the girl’s honor. As a part of the contract, the family agrees to take care of those 111 trees. Hopefully the trees will help the spread of water along the land. 

And the scheme gets even better. The fruit trees being planted were beginning to attract a lot of termites. In order to prevent infestation, the villagers planted many aloe plants to protect the trees. The villagers can harvest and sell the aloe—which has incredible healing benefits—and make a profit, to even further improve their quality of life. 

Although Paliwal is no longer the leader of the village, the tradition continues. Now, teachers report that there are just as many girls enrolled in school as boys. And, the village is lush and green with the hundreds of trees planted. 

Other villages are following suit. The nearby village of Tasol is trying out Piplantri’s eco-feminist village model.


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ELIANA DOFT

Eliana loves to write, travel, and volunteer. She is especially excited by opportunities to combine these three passions through writing about social action travel experiences. She is an avid reader, a licensed scuba diver, and a self-proclaimed cold brew connoisseur. 

The Cultural Renaissance of the Sámi

The Sámi have resided in Northern Scandinavia long before the borders of existing countries were drawn. Despite pressure to assimilate to Norwegian culture, traditional Sámi culture remains strong.

More than 4,000 miles north of the equator in Finnmark county, Norway live roughly 40,000 descendents of the Sámi, a nomadic people from thousands of years ago in Northern Scandinavia. The Sámi live in parts of Norway, Finland, Sweden and Russia. Of the 80,000 total population of Sámi, roughly half live in Finnmark, Norway. 

The Sámi have their own language with five dialects currently used in Northern Norway. Of the dialects spoken, Northern Sámi, Lule Sámi and Southern Sámi are the most common. Each dialect is completely unique and does not resemble each other nor other Scandinavian languages. In the 1990s, the Norwegian government made speaking Sámi illegal in efforts to force assimilation of the Sámi people, resulting in many Sámi today being unable to speak the language. The Norwegian government has officially apologized for the past legislation, but the damage is still evident as less than half of Sámi people in Norway speak a Sámi dialect. In recent years the Sámi language has had an increasing role in new media and broadcasting, signaling efforts to keep the language alive.

A pillar of Sámi culture is reindeer herding, which played a major part in the Sámi economy for hundreds of years. Starting in the 16th or 17th century, the Sámi transitioned from hunting reindeer to becoming nomadic herders. Reindeers are used for more than just cooking — the Sámi make clothes and shoes from the skin, and the horns can be used to make traditional art. Today, Sámi herding is less nomadic; most families stay in permanent homes while the herder will travel with the reindeer.

Despite previous attempts from governments to assimilate Sámi people, their culture and traditions have remained present in modern life. Notably, Sámi Joik has had a cultural renaissance in recent years. Joik is a traditional form of music that has been passed down orally for generations. The music, performed acapella, is storied to have been taught to the Sámi by fairies and elves. Joik is very personal in nature, as the music is typically dedicated to a specific person, place or animal. Joik is a central part to Sámi culture, and many young Sámi people have begun to incorporate the traditional music into different genres of music. 

New artists are revitalizing Joik after intense pressure from the Norwegian government in the 20th century caused some areas to lose the tradition.  Norwegian music group KEiiNO entered the 2019 Eurovision Song contest with music that included pop, electronic and Joik, and took 6th in the competition, winning the popular vote by viewers. Joik has made a recent impact in Hollywood as well, inspiring “Vuelie,” the opening track of Disney’s Frozen.

Joik is not the only part of Sámi culture that has continued in contemporary forms. The Sámi Center for Contemporary Art was established in 1986 and features contemporary Sámi art. The gallery blends traditional art pieces with modern art forms of expression. Despite past pressure and action from governments, the Sámi continue to keep important aspects of their culture alive. These efforts were continued with the establishment of the Norwegian Sámi Parliament in 1989. The Sámi Parliament is made of 39 elected representatives and oversees matters that deal directly with the Sámi. The parliament is a political party for the Sámi people that promotes Sámi interests. Traditional Sami culture remains an integral part of daily life for the Sami to this day, and illustrates how the rich history of the Sami is being brought into the modern day.



Dana Flynn

Dana is a recent graduate from Tufts University with a degree in English. While at Tufts she enjoyed working on a campus literary magazine and reading as much as possible. Originally from the Pacific Northwest, she loves to explore and learn new things.

Tapas Bars in Andalucía Continue Spanish Traditions

Spanish tapas started as simple small plates to accompany a drink and are now an important part of Spain’s culture where people gather for food, drinks and socializing.

Bar Las Teresas in southern Spain. VallausaCC BY 2.0

Tapas bars are a long-held Spanish tradition that includes traditional food, wine, friends and a lively atmosphere. The small plates have been enjoyed at wine bars for generations, but the exact origin of tapas is unknown. There are several tales speculating how the dishes first gained popularity. One dates back to the 13th century when King Alfonso X of Castille was ill and only ate and drank in small quantities. Another story tells a more grassroots origin, with local bars in Andalucía serving wine with a saucer on top to keep flies out during the hot summer. In addition, a small amount of complimentary food would be placed on the plate to attract more customers to the bar. Even though there may be some disagreement over the origins of tapas, there is no doubt that the cuisine is a staple of Spanish food and culture. With increased tourism and popularity, most tapas are no longer free, although some wine bars still will serve complimentary tapas in smaller towns in Andalucía.

Tapas bars are typically small wine bars, with varying small plates placed on top of the bars. While many tapas may have started out as simple small plates,  chefs have gotten increasingly inventive in creating new dishes over the years. Traditional cold tapas include serrano, thinly sliced salt-cured ham and manzanilla or gordal olives, classic Andalucía olives, along with a variety of salads. Seafood is prevelant, with calamari and prawns dipped in batter, called gambas gabardina, being just a few dishes offered at tapas bars. Other popular tapas include ham croquettes (a fried ball of cheese and ham), pincho de tortillas (a potato-based omelet) and patatas bravas (fried potatoes covered in sauce).

Tapas bar hopping is popular for people to socialize and enjoy traditional food. People can have tapas as a quick snack with a drink and can eat standing up at a bar, or turn the small plates into a complete meal with many people. Tapas hold so much cultural significance to Spain that in 2016 the country sought to put tapas on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List. Tapas have now spread worldwide with chefs experimenting with small plates of all kinds. Despite the global reach, Spain’s beloved tapas bars are still a unique cultural experience.


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Dana Flynn

Dana is a recent graduate from Tufts University with a degree in English. While at Tufts she enjoyed working on a campus literary magazine and reading as much as possible. Originally from the Pacific Northwest, she loves to explore and learn new things.

A Glimpse into Oaxaca City’s Guelaguetza Festival 

The annual Guelaguetza festival is one of the largest Indigenous celebrations in Mexico, preserving Oaxaca culture and tradition. 

Women performing at the Guelaguetza Festival. Jen Wilton. CC BY 2.0

Oaxaca City’s Guelaguetza festival is a celebration of community and strength that occurs annually on the two Mondays after July 16. Also referred to as “Los Lunes del Cerro,” the festival has been a longstanding tradition in Oaxaca culture that predates Spanish colonization of the land in the 16th century. Although the cultural significance of the festival has shifted over the years, its core value of unity remains deeply rooted in the celebrations. 

Prior to Spanish invasion, the festival had close ties to the religious celebration of the goddess of maize Centéotl in order to ensure a successful harvest season. While Centéotl still has a place in modern Guelaguetza celebrations, after Spanish colonization, festivities began to integrate Christian elements such as the feast day Our Lady of Mount Carmel which occurs on July 16. 

The term “Guelaguetza” means “reciprocal exchanges of gifts and services” in the Zapotec language, which is the overarching structure of the festival. Historically, during Oaxacan celebrations, those attending would each bring some sort of item that was needed for the celebration such as food or supplies. These “guelaguetza” allowed the celebration to exist and exemplified the value of collaboration.

During the Guelaguetza festival in particular, inhabitants of Oaxaca’s eight regions unite, bringing their own unique traditions and knowledge to share with the larger community.  

A couple dancing at the Guelaguetza Festival. Larry Lamsa. CC BY 2.0

Particularly, an exchange of culture occurs through song, dance and clothing. Individuals from each of the eight regions spend months prior to the festival perfecting song and dance routines to perform for the festival's attendees. After performing the number in their region's traditional clothing, they toss significant cultural items into the crowd. This exchange allows Oaxaca’s sub-cultures to not only exist but to thrive. 

In addition to culture, there are plenty of other exchanges that occur during the festival, such as sharing traditional food that is prepared by inhabitants of each region and selling artisanal crafts in the city center.  

The Guelaguetza festival has been traditionally celebrated on Cerro del Fortín, or Fortin Hill, in Oaxaca. In the 1970s an amphitheater was built specifically for the celebration. Seating 11,000 people, the amphitheater was built directly into a hill so that those looking down at the stage are able to clearly view the city below. 

Oaxaca is home to sixteen different Indigenous groups in addition to its eight regions, so there is a vast array of cultures within the larger Oaxaca culture. Annual Guelaguetza celebrations have preserved these cultures over the years despite colonization and increasing tourism in the region, ensuring that Oaxacan traditions and stories will be preserved for coming generations. 



Zara Irshad  

7 Dazzling Light Festivals 

What better time to explore a new city than during a magnificent festival of lights? These seven festivals are annual events sure to immerse visitors in vivid lights and unique cultures. 

Lights are an important part of culture and art around the world. They symbolize new beginnings, celebrate historic traditions and are glimmering, eye-catching sources of entertainment. Many countries host annual festivals with lights at their center. These seven light festivals display floating lanterns, light sculptures, intricate projections and even raging bonfires. The lights on display vary from festival to festival, as does the history behind each event, but every event is sure to dazzle visitors. 

1. Las Fallas de Valencia, Spain

Each year over a million revelers gather in Valencia, Spain, for this five-day fire festival. Las Fallas begins on March 15, when more than 700 “ninots,” towering statues made of cardboard, papier mache, wood or plaster, are set up around the city. The ninots are eye-catching: often multiple stories tall, colorful and exaggerated depictions of current events and satirical scenes. Las Fallas originates from an old carpenter's tradition of burning materials on March 19 to celebrate the arrival of spring. The carpenters’ bonfires of old wood and rags developed into the elaborate ninots seen today. On the final day of the festival, March 19, all but one of the ninots are set ablaze in the festival's dramatic climax. The ninot that is spared from the fire, known as the “ninot indultat,” is chosen by popular vote and preserved in Valencia’s Fallas Museum alongside ninot indultats from years past. While the ninots and their burning are the festival’s main attraction, they are far from all that Las Fallas has to offer. Daily firework shows light up the sky, and music, parades and delicious authentic food are sure to keep visitors entertained. 

2. Festival of Lights, France

France’s Festival of Lights, a tradition in the city of Lyon, is a pre-Christmas celebration dating back to 1852. In 1852, a statue of the Virgin Mary was scheduled to be erected on Sept. 8, but the statue’s delivery was delayed by flooding. The event was postponed to Dec. 8, the date of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. Due to inclement weather, the official ceremonies again had to be postponed. But as night fell, the weather cleared, and citizens of Lyon placed lit candles on their windowsills and balconies in a show of unity. Since then, Dec. 8 has become a day known for illumination in Lyon. The tradition escalated in the 1960s, when shops began window-lighting competitions, making the lights in Lyon more elaborate and widespread. The illumination of the city has spread in the years since, and every year around Dec. 8, light displays spotlight city squares, streets, bridges and even rivers. Much of the light at the festival comes in the form of projections on building facades, created by visual artists, that transform Lyon into a dreamlike world of glittering color. 

3. Lantern Festival, China

China’s Lantern Festival, held on the 15th day of the first lunar month, typically falling in February or March, marks the end of the Chinese New Year (Spring Festival). As the name suggests, glowing lanterns are the centerpiece of the festival. During the festival, lanterns in all shapes and sizes adorn China’s cities. The lanterns display artwork depicting traditional Chinese images like animals, fruits, flowers and people. The lighting of lanterns represents illuminating the future. The Lantern Festival dates back over 2,000 years, to the Western Han dynasty. Emperor Wen made the 15th a national holiday in celebration of the return to peace, and every household began to light candles and lanterns. A later ruler, Emperor Ming of the Eastern Han, was a devout Buddhist, and learned that monks would light candles for the Buddha on the 15th. Emperor Ming ordered that the palace and temples light candles on the 15th as well, and that citizens hang lanterns. The two events combined to form the Lantern Festival that is celebrated today. In addition to the lighting and admiration of the lanterns, visitors to China’s Lantern Festival can watch lion dances, eat “tangyuan” traditional dumplings, and try to solve riddles affixed to lanterns in order to win a prize. 

4. St. Martin’s Day, Netherlands

St. Martin’s Day is a children’s festival celebrated every Nov. 11 in honor of St. Martin, who was traditionally regarded as the patron saint of the poor and a friend to children. Nov. 11 is the day of St. Martin’s passing, but the atmosphere of the festival is joyful, not somber. The festival is similar to American Halloween, with children going door to door to collect treats such as candy, fruits or pancakes. Unlike Halloween, however, children do not dress up in costumes. Instead, they carry lanterns and parade around the neighborhood. Adults place similar lanterns outside their homes to show that they are offering treats to the revelers. Historically, children’s lanterns were made out of hollowed-out turnips and sugar beets hanging from a stick. These days, most children make and decorate their own paper lanterns at home or school, or lanterns can be purchased at grocery stores. Rather than saying “trick or treat,” children in the Netherlands sing songs to earn their treats. There are a few common songs for the festival, but children can sing any song they like, even ones of their own creation. 

5. Loi Krathong, Thailand

On the evening of the 12th lunar month, which usually falls toward the beginning of November, the whole country celebrates Loi Krathong, Thailand's Festival of Lights. Loi Krathong translates to “floating basket,” and it is a celebration of renewal, leaving behind the old and welcoming in the new. Thousands of lotus-shaped boats made from banana leaves called “krathong” are lit with candles and set afloat in waterways. In the north of Thailand, the krathong are joined by lanterns released into the sky for another light festival, Yi Peng, which often coincides with Loi Krathong. Most Loi Krathong celebrations are concentrated around waterways, since they are necessary to float the krathong. According to legend, Loi Krathong originated with Nang Nopphamat, a beautiful lady of the court in an ancient city. Wanting to catch the attention of the king, Nopphamat constructed a boat out of lotus leaves, placed a candle inside, and floated it down the river, creating the krathong. Today, the festival includes beauty contests in honor of Nopphamat, as well as parades, fireworks and, of course, the floating of the krathong

6. Bonfire Night, England

This celebration, also known as Guy Fawkes Day, takes place each year on Nov. 5. Bonfire Night marks the anniversary of the discovery of the Gunpowder Plot of 1605, a plan by Catholic conspirators to blow up the British Houses of Parliament. Guy Fawkes was one of the conspirators. He was captured and taken into custody the night before the attack and eventually tried, convicted and executed. The other conspirators met the same fate, or were killed resisting arrest. Today, Guy Fawkes Day is celebrated with fireworks, food, parades and bonfires, hence why the celebration is also called Bonfire Night. Effigies of Guy Fawkes, made from old clothes stuffed with paper and straw and commonly called “The Guy,” are thrown on the bonfires. The bonfires are also used to heat soup and cook potatoes to feed the crowds that gather to watch the brilliant fireworks displays. 

7. Vivid Sydney, Australia

Vivid Sydney is billed as a festival of light, music and ideas. Each year, more than 2 million visitors flock to Sydney to watch live music performances, attend creative workshops, talks and conferences, and see some of the city’s historic sites go up in lights. The festival lasts for 23 days, and the Sydney Opera House, Customs House and Taronga Zoo, among others, are all illuminated nightly at 6 p.m. Over the course of the festival, Sydney becomes a work of art, displaying light sculptures, large-scale projections and light installations. To best take in the massive array of lights, visitors to Vivid Sydney can follow the Vivid Light Walk, a route that stretches from The Rocks, a historic neighborhood by the Sydney Harbour Bridge, to the Sydney Opera House, winding through a number of attractions on the way. Several of the light installations are typically interactive, adding another dimension to the fun.



Rachel Lynch

Rachel is a student at Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, NY currently taking a semester off. She plans to study Writing and Child Development. Rachel loves to travel and is inspired by the places she’s been and everywhere she wants to go. She hopes to educate people on social justice issues and the history and culture of travel destinations through her writing.

Nordic and Celtic Traditions in Scotland’s Shetland Islands

Shetland ponies in a field on one of the Shetland Islands. Infinite Ache. CC BY-NC 2.0.

Located 110 miles northeast of the Scottish mainland are the Shetland Islands, a sub-Arctic archipelago in the north Atlantic Ocean. The islands, with a population of 22,920 centered around the town of Lerwick, are home to one of the most unique cultures in the British Isles, with the islands’ residents maintaining a blend of Nordic and Celtic influences.

While travel to the archipelago is largely limited due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, following the global crisis, any traveler looking to take the road less traveled will find joy in visiting the Shetland Islands. Given the region’s rich history, diverse local culture and beautiful wildlife, the farthest north region of Scotland should not be overlooked when planning future adventures abroad.

A History of Nordic and Celtic Tradition

A parade through Lerwick during Up Helly Aa, an annual Shetland fire festival which pays tribute to the archipelago’s Viking origins. Vicky Brock. CC BY-SA 2.0.

While humans have inhabited the Shetland Islands since at least 2700 B.C., with evidence to suggest that the Romans knew about the archipelago during the height of their empire, modern Shetland culture began at the end of the 9th century A.D. with the colonization of the archipelago and the nearby Orkney Islands by Vikings from Scandinavia.

The Shetland Islands would remain under Norse rule for around 600 years, during which the islands’ population Christianized and gained a grounding for the region’s culture that is still seen to this day. For instance, remnants of Norn, the predominant language of the time but one that is now extinct, has influenced the Shetland dialect spoken in the region. Likewise, festivals such as Up Helly Aa, an annual midwinter fire festival which honors pagan and Christian traditions, can trace their roots back directly to Viking colonialism.

Following several centuries of conflict and growing Scottish influence in the region, sovereignty over the archipelago was sold to Scotland in 1468. This transfer of power, which lasted until 1707 when Scotland and England joined together under the name Great Britain, saw the adoption of more Celtic customs, as well as increased trade with the rest of Europe. The introduction of folk music, the cuisine of the region, and the English language can trace their origins back to this time period.

Into the contemporary era, the Nordic and Celtic cultures and heritage have blended together. This is represented in the aforementioned festivals and language of the region, as well as in the archipelago’s civil parish names, which feature both Old Norse and Celtic origins.

Visiting the Shetland Islands

Lerwick, the Shetland Islands’ largest settlement and only town. Balou46. CC BY-SA 4.0.

Given how remote the Shetland Islands are in comparison to the rest of Scotland, visitors to the islands can either arrive via a 12-hour overnight boat ride from Aberdeen, or by plane from one of six cities in Scotland or from Bergen, Norway.

Once on the archipelago, visitors have a number of experiences to partake in. Lerwick is home to a number of festivals throughout the year, including the Shetland Folk Festival, the Shetland Accordion and Fiddle Festival, and the largest celebration of Up Helly Aa. Likewise, the town is home to the Shetland Museum and Archives, which is dedicated to documenting the unique history and traditions of the region.

Venturing away from Lerwick, travelers can take in the untouched nature of the islands in one of three national nature reserves, the most popular being the Hermaness National Nature Reserve, a seabird colony on the island of Unst. For those more interested in the island’s oceanic location, Lonely Planet recommends kayaking, sailing and surfing for those who can brave the frigid waters of the north Atlantic.

For a taste of the local cuisine, the archipelago offers a number of highly recommended restaurants. Steamed lemon sole from The Dowry, reestit mutton soup from Peerie Shop Cafe, and saucermeat, a spiced breakfast sausage, from Fjara Cafe Bar, are all favorites among travelers and locals alike.

The Shetland Islands represent the best of what Scotland as a whole has to offer. The archipelago’s rich history, unique culture and variety of experiences offer something for everyone to enjoy. Following the pandemic, a visit to the Shetland Islands is a must for any world traveler.



Jacob Sutherland

Jacob is a recent graduate from the University of California, San Diego. Previously, he worked for The UCSD Guardian, serving both as News Editor and a columnist. In addition to his work at Catalyst, he writes the online column, PC Princess, and centers his writing around social justice issues.


Indigenous Fashion Hits the Runway

Long overlooked Indigenous artists are revolutionizing the fashion world. Balancing innovation and tradition, these designers envision a sustainable, inclusive way of creating clothes.

Indigenous women sewing. SriHarsha PVSS. CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.

Nothing about this year’s Indigenous Fashion Week Toronto (IFWTO) went according to plan. The pandemic demanded a totally virtual fashion venue without a live audience, forcing the Indigenous communities that comprise it to rethink what a fashion week could be. Then again, reimagining the fashion industry is the forte of many Indigenous designers.

The IFWTO featured 16 designers with their own unique takes on Indigenous fashion, the clothing created by designers from a native background. It included artists from across the world who are united by a shared Indigenous heritage. Combining traditional figures and techniques with mainstream styles yielded some of the week’s most exciting work. Mobilize, for instance, fused Indigenous writing and designs with streetwear hoodies and jackets to innovate style while staying true to its roots. Audiences took well to Mobilize’s style; most of its items sold out. 

Mobilize and other Indigenous brands seek to fundamentally change the fashion industry’s status quo. Jamie Okuma, a California designer of Luiseño and Shoshone-Bannock descent, emphasizes resourcefulness and respect for nature in her garments. “All of my work has tradition at its core ... So I try to utilize everything possible in my work—with my art, supplies, fabric—and not be wasteful.” Crafted with patience, detail and care, her pieces are meant to be worn again and again. “We all have those go-to pieces in our closet that we keep for years and literally wear out before we retire them,” she says. “I'm here to make the go-tos, the keepers.”

Shoes designed by Jamie Okuma. nonelvis. CC By-NC-SA 2.0.

Okuma’s approach is a welcome change to the dominant fad of “fast fashion.” These items, mass produced by large companies, are designed season by season and intended to fall out of fashion and be thrown out within a year. This approach to fashion differs starkly from that of Indigenous creators, who value durability, tradition and craftsmanship, even if it comes with a much higher sticker price. Though fast fashion allows consumers to don the latest runway fashions at an affordable price, it comes at a steep environmental cost. Products often fall apart within weeks or are thrown out having never been worn, earning the style the nickname “landfill fashion.”

A billboard for Grace Lillian Lee’s fashion. Brisbane City Council. CC BY 2.0.

Grace Lillian Lee, designer and co-founder of First Nations Fashion and Design in Australia, seeks a place for Indigeneity in the mainstream. “There’s definitely a lot that non-Indigenous people and designers can learn from Indigenous people,” she says, “especially in terms of sustainability.” Her work relies heavily on the weaving techniques of Torres Strait Islanders. More than a way to promote sustainability, Lee calls her clothing “a soft entry into reconciliation and healing our people.” Such meaningful craftsmanship doesn’t fall out of style by next season; it is passed down through generations.

Lisa Folawiyo. NDaniTV. CC BY 3.0.

Indigenous fashion is just beginning to enjoy its long overdue time in the sun. Dresses by Lisa Folawiyo, a Nigerian and West Indian designer, have been worn proudly by the likes of Solange Knowles and Lupita Nyong’o. Her intricate, flowing dresses explode with color. Boasting hand-embellished designs, Folawiyo’s dresses can take up to 240 hours to complete. Her West African designs have won the plaudits of the international fashion world and effortlessly outshine the mass-produced artifacts of fast fashion.


A dress by Lisa Folawiyo. Museum at FIT. CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

Indigenous people still generally lack a place at the corporate level. Sage Paul, a member of Canada’s English River First Nation who now lives in Toronto, called for the post-pandemic “new normal” to include the voices of Indigenous people in an article for The Kit. Fashion emerged from a 14th-century European aristocracy, she argues, and colonized Indigenous people to steal resources, goods and fashion trends. “The colonial systems we are operating under no longer serve our society, and the only way we will evolve is by allowing new and interconnected systems to come to the fore.” That means moving Indigenous brands into the mainstream. 

The IFWTO is a good place to start. Its online market links viewers directly to designers’ websites. Live panel discussions provided a glimpse into the questions and concerns of some of Indigenous fashion’s most admired artists. Videos of models strutting the catwalk resembled music videos, showcasing the unbridled possibilities of Indigenous fashion. Most importantly, it put more Indigenous designers on the map. As of now, they show no signs of slowing down.



Michael McCarthy

Michael is an undergraduate student at Haverford College, dodging the pandemic by taking a gap year. He writes in a variety of genres, and his time in high school debate renders political writing an inevitable fascination. Writing at Catalyst and the Bi-Co News, a student-run newspaper, provides an outlet for this passion. In the future, he intends to keep writing in mediums both informative and creative.

The Ainu: One of Japan’s Indigenous Groups

In August 2019, the Japanese government passed a law that officially recognized the Ainu as an Indigenous people group. After nearly two centuries of legalized discrimination, the Ainu are reclaiming their identity and history, and they are just getting started.

An Ainu couple before assimilation; their features are still different from those of their Japanese counterparts. Stuart Rankin. CC BY-NC 2.0.

In July, Japan unveiled the Upopoy National Ainu Museum, the country’s first cultural center dedicated to Indigenous identity. Located on the island of Hokkaido—one of the Ainu’s ancestral lands—the Upopoy Museum showcases the history of the Ainu through performances and historical relics. What is remarkable about the museum’s opening is not its resiliency amid a pandemic, but that the structure opened at all. Much like the power dynamic between American settlers and Native American tribes, the Ainu endured a legacy of forced assimilation by the ethnic Japanese and their ruling government.

Before this, the Ainu were a hunter-gatherer tribe that inhabited the northern islands of Ezo (present-day Hokkaido), the Kuril Islands and the Russian island of Sakhalin. According to archaeological records, the Ainu called these lands home as early as the 14,500 B.C. The Ainu also had strong ties to animism, a belief that manifested itself in the relationship between the Ainu and the bears on the islands. The Ainu even created a ceremony in which bear cubs were taken, raised and then sacrificed in a ritual offering. These symbolic rites guided Ainu tradition and their balanced connection with nature.

Ainu women performing a welcome dance on Hokkaido. Vladimir Tkalcic. CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

When the Meiji government annexed Hokkaido in the late 19th century, the Ainu’s pastoral way of life was interrupted. While the Ainu lived in Japan, they physically differed from their Japanese counterparts. The Ainu have a more European look with lighter skin and thick hair. Men sported full beards, and women tattooed their lips once they reached adulthood. Because of this, the Japanese derided the Ainu as backward and foreign. Around this time, Japan also became the first non-European country to have defeated Russia in battle. Flush with victory and newly acquired lands, the Japanese sought to build up a national myth of military might and cultural homogeneity. One of these initiatives included a policy of forced assimilation on the island of Hokkaido.

The Japanese government enlisted the help of American consultants who had reeducated their own North American Indigenous groups. The Ainu were forced into Japanese-speaking schools and were required to change their names. As the land was repurposed for industrial and agricultural uses, the Ainu were pushed into wage labor and became an impoverished and politically disenfranchised minority. Even after World War II, the Ainu were deprived. To participate in the scientific advancements of the mid-20th century, the Japanese government essentially emboldened researchers to rob Ainu graves and remains.  

The Upopoy National Museum is housed in Hokkaido, one of the Ainu’s ancestral homelands. Marek Okon. Unsplash. 

In February 2019, the Japanese government introduced a bill that would officially recognize the ethnic Ainu minority as an Indigenous people for the first time. The bill included measures that would support Ainu communities, fund scholarships and educational opportunities, and allow the Ainu to cut down trees in nationally owned forests for use in traditional practices.

While many lauded the proposal, some felt that the bill missed a crucial element: an apology. In an interview with CNN, musician Oki Kano shared that he was only 20 years old when he found out that he was Ainu. Thanks to rigorous assimilation policies, the Ainu in Japan bear more resemblance to ethnic Japanese than past generations. Because of the ugly legacy of discrimination, however, the true number of Ainu still left in Japan is unknown. Due to fear, many of the Ainu have chosen to hide their background, leaving younger generations with limited if any knowledge about their heritage. The Ainu language is also at risk of extinction.

Although the bill became law in August 2019 and Tokyo University returned some of the robbed remains the following year, the fight for the Ainu people’s rights is just beginning. Despite widespread recognition and gradual acceptance of the Ainu, some feel the Ainu culture is at risk of tokenization. Though the preservation of Ainu culture is commendable, the Ainu’s future should also be considered if they are to have a chance at survival.


Rhiannon Koh

Rhiannon earned her B.A. in Urban Studies & Planning from UC San Diego. Her honors thesis was a speculative fiction piece exploring the aspects of surveillance technology, climate change, and the future of urbanized humanity. She is committed to expanding the stories we tell.