In this week's discussion on "Living in the Borderlands," I've brought a poem to share by Jo Carrillo, an esteemed poet and feminist. Carrillo's work centers on the gentrification of Native lands, specifically her Native lands in Abiquiu. In her poem, "Beyond the Cliffs of Abiquiu" she presents themes of (1) uses of Native land for energy, (2) inequitable power structure of white people over Natives, and (3) white appropriation and homogeneity of "Indian" culture.
The first portion of her poem opens on the discussion of white gaze, describing the Native Americans of the area as "a rock." She continues on to reflect the cultural appropriation and homogeneity the indigenous people are subjected to on behalf of the tourists that come through, describing a design as names of 6 different tribes to demonstrate how they're all viewed as the same. Carrillo continues on to highlight the class stratification between the white tourists and the Native workers in the mines, used to further serve the people who abuse the lands. In her last stanzas, Carrillo discusses stereotyping of natives as all drunks before the final crescendo of all her previous topics put together. With her last stanza, she reminds readers of the village, as if it's all she has left to say after venting through all of her frustrations. A short reminder that these are people with homes and with a culture, not just a source of your "authentic Navajo Hopi Zuni Indian made real live artifacts."
This poem connects to the topic of this week's discussion through geography as the cliffs of Abiquiu are near the borderlands discussed in our readings. It's additionally relevant in the perspective of how Carrillo, the voice of the people living in Abiquiu, describes her experience as an indigenous person facing gentrification and class stratification. Carrillo highlights the feelings of the indigenous people of the borderlands.
Powerpoint link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1RIHjdGlpgm_8w5D_UUKSBAQ4MdA6eBfT/view?usp=sharing
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