"There is a fine line between forgetting violent history and maintaining a violent hegemony(.)" This idea resonates on several levels. There is a certain secret admiration in some historians and historiographic currents for violence, although they cannot admit it openly. Glorification of the status quo often involves phrases praising the attributes of the dominator in terms of glamorous heroism (as in the case of Pizarro). Your blog has made me think about the possibilities of another epistemology in which we do not forget the violence exercised in the past without allowing ourselves to be subsumed in the discourse of the dominator, because forgetting injustice is also a violent fact.
I love reading your writing so much, it inspires me to do better myself. Thank you for your incredibly thoughtful insights! I don't want to generalize because I'm not religious myself, but I am often struck by the how central suffering is to the Catholic experience. One of my closest friends, who is no longer a practicing Catholic, said to me something along the lines of, "To be Catholic is to suffer. I was taught this since childhood. I've known this since I was able to know." Religion is so influential in colonial ideology, and I wonder if the inverse is true; how colonial ideology has also shaped practices and interpretations of religion.
Hola mi amor! So many bars were dropped here. When entering grandiose churches and imposing symbols of Catholicism I can't help but swoon for the intricate detailing and think to myself, wow Catholicism really ate, and I don’t think I’m alone in that opinion. The embellishments of colonial architecture can often overshadow the atrocities committed against Indigenous communities. However, I don’t think it would be fair to deny the beauty of colonial projects because of their dark history. But I think denying the beauty of many colonial projects would be to disregard the strategies of colonial imposition. As academic weapons of the future, I think reading about Pizzaro is necessary to understand, untangle, and change colonial narratives.
"There is a fine line between forgetting violent history and maintaining a violent hegemony(.)" This idea resonates on several levels. There is a certain secret admiration in some historians and historiographic currents for violence, although they cannot admit it openly. Glorification of the status quo often involves phrases praising the attributes of the dominator in terms of glamorous heroism (as in the case of Pizarro). Your blog has made me think about the possibilities of another epistemology in which we do not forget the violence exercised in the past without allowing ourselves to be subsumed in the discourse of the dominator, because forgetting injustice is also a violent fact.
Hi Annie,
I love reading your writing so much, it inspires me to do better myself. Thank you for your incredibly thoughtful insights! I don't want to generalize because I'm not religious myself, but I am often struck by the how central suffering is to the Catholic experience. One of my closest friends, who is no longer a practicing Catholic, said to me something along the lines of, "To be Catholic is to suffer. I was taught this since childhood. I've known this since I was able to know." Religion is so influential in colonial ideology, and I wonder if the inverse is true; how colonial ideology has also shaped practices and interpretations of religion.
Take care,
Cissy
Hola mi amor! So many bars were dropped here. When entering grandiose churches and imposing symbols of Catholicism I can't help but swoon for the intricate detailing and think to myself, wow Catholicism really ate, and I don’t think I’m alone in that opinion. The embellishments of colonial architecture can often overshadow the atrocities committed against Indigenous communities. However, I don’t think it would be fair to deny the beauty of colonial projects because of their dark history. But I think denying the beauty of many colonial projects would be to disregard the strategies of colonial imposition. As academic weapons of the future, I think reading about Pizzaro is necessary to understand, untangle, and change colonial narratives.