"If you have come here to help me, you are wasting your time. But if you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together." --Lilla Watson, Aboriginal Australian (Murri) activist
Greetings Cultural Survival community,
It is with heavy hearts that we try to find the right words to reflect our sadness and frustration around George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor’s murders and the ongoing lack of respect, empathy, and compassion for Black lives. We stand firmly with our Black relatives who are fighting to be seen, heard, and understood at the various protests and actions across the United States and the world.
We acknowledge and honor their pain, grief, and trauma. At Cultural Survival, we believe that Indigenous Sovereignty and Black Liberation go hand-in-hand. We know that white supremacy, colonialism, and capitalism has disrupted the natural law, which outlines how we engage with one another and all living things. These extractive and exploitative structures have been used to legalize violence and genocide against Black and Indigenous communities throughout the world.
We recognize that Black lives are sacred, and they too, play an important role in restoring the natural world. We undoubtedly stand with and alongside of our Black relatives, because #BlackLivesMatter! When we come together as one, we can collectively transform the world into a more just, equitable, and balanced place for us all!
In solidarity,
The Cultural Survival Team
