Brainstorm #6 - Kimia Preston

In the piece by Patrisia Gonzalez, she describes one of the female resilience practices as “technologies” which she claims is a means of both cultural and self-expression. In her description of “technology”, she describes it as “both cultural matter and medicinal instruments” which essentially encapsulates the spirit of memories of both the physical and spiritual (71). In contrast to Western ideas of technologies, Gonzalez takes a more inclusive approach and claims that items and practices such as midwifery, herbal medicines, and cultural items such as books or songs are included in this definition. She includes these in her definition because they are both a means of advancing and improving society and ways to connect lives to both each other and time.

Gonzalez details the “Ceremony of Memory” and its importance, particularly in the context of colonialism, in the preservation of culture and celebration of the lives before us. Rather than conforming to the norms of outside cultures, she emphasizes the celebration and remembrance of the cultural traditions, ideas, objects, and ceremonies of those that have come before us to lead us to where we are now. In connection to the Clumsy Sky music video, these women are performing and rocking out on stage, while there are many men in the crowd getting into the music over the course of the video. As men were traditionally performers within this genre of music, this music video shows this group defying stereotypes and cultural norms of gender roles. Both the visual and lyrical aspects of the song connect to the ideas of “convivencia” as they serve to bring people together to create a cultural landscape that will shape the present time, but connect people to the past and bring a more progressive future.