Brainstorm 6: Grace Grotz

Patrisia Gonzales’s “Ceremony of Memory: The Call and Response” details the resilience of ancient indigenous female customs. One of the practices that has survived centuries of persecution, termed by Gonzales as traditional “technology”, encompasses “both cultural matter and medicinal instruments, medicinal and spiritual knowledge” (71). These technologies can include clothing, plants, sacred objects, etc., but this indigenous knowledge is also present in the tradition of passing on memories that “circulates within families and communities” (73). While these technologies connect to ancient female practices and culture, they are also in use today to preserve these resilience practices. “Girl in a Coma Tweets Chicana futurism” explains how bands such as Girl in a Coma are utilizing modern technologies to “reframe the past through new communication technologies”, allowing for “the potentials of new presents and futures” (162). Through social media, today’s artists can share their work with the world while also voicing their support as activists. This is similar to the indigenous women who utilized technology to apply their knowledge of medicine and spirituality to fighting persecution. In Girl in a Coma’s “Clumsy Sky” music video, the view shifts between the band, an audience, and individuals. Martha Gonzalez describes convivencia as “the deliberate act of being with each other” (5) in “Sobreviviendo”. By juxtaposing visuals of fans experiencing the music by themselves and together as an audience, convivencia is displayed. As an audience, the fans dance wildly to the music, but alone, the individuals sit or stand, moving only slightly. By coming together, the people were able to build community and enjoy the music.