Why I started Fuerza Indigena

 

Through my upbringing as an indigenous woman, I came to experience at an early age the discrimination and limitations imposed on indigenous communities.  I remember being asked my racial identity and when I replied, "Zapotec," the uninformed individual responded, "What the heck is that?"  After that, I came to identify myself as simply a Mexican, despite knowing that although nationally that was correct, culturally, it was far from accurate.  My experience is not unique, and therefore I want to create a venue by which indigenous women can embrace and celebrate their various indigenous identities.  I started this social enterprise, and now soon to transition into a cooperative, as an effort to put an end to the cultural erasure of indigenous people in California, to put indigenous culture on the map once more, and to educate the surrounding community of the diversity around us. 

 

Fuerza Indîgena was born out of the necessity to validate indigenous people and their labor.  In the growing green economy indigenous communities are rarely represented and when they are, it is often someone else who is selling their goods.  So then, if indigenous communities are already producing beautiful artisanal goods, why not give them the resources, tools, and autonomy to create and sell their very own creations. That is the core belief of Fuerza Indîgena; to nurture a community where indigenous women have the resources and tools to create one of a kind artisanal goods to achieve economic self sufficiency.