Scales of Resistance: Indigenous Women's Transborder Activism

In Scales of Resistance, Maylei Blackwell explores how Indigenous womens activism in Mexico and its diaspora creates new scales of participation and transforms exclusionary spaces into sites of resistance. She highlights the importance of moving across different types of scale and contrasting colonial divisions of scale with Indigenous conceptions of scale, space, solidarity, and connection.

Format: Hardback
Length: 392 pages
Publication date: 19 May 2023
Publisher: Duke University Press

In her captivating book, "Scales of Resistance," Maylei Blackwell delves into the intricate tapestry of Indigenous women's activism in Mexico and its global diaspora. Through a rich blend of over seventy testimonials and twenty years of fieldwork, Blackwell intricately weaves together local, national, continental, and transborder scales, showcasing the interconnectedness of these movements. At the heart of her study, Blackwell focuses on the challenges faced by Indigenous women activists and their remarkable ability to navigate through these barriers, transforming exclusionary spaces into vibrant scales of resistance.

Blackwell's profound exploration reveals how activists in Mexico and those in the migrant stream that flows from Oaxaca into California redefine the roles of women in community decision-making. By shrinking Indigenous autonomy to their own bodies, homes, and communities, they ground their political claims within Indigenous epistemologies and the gendered nature of social organization. They then expand their horizons to regional, national, and continental contexts, placing themselves at the very center of Indigenous resistance and autonomy. Through this audacious scaling up, they dismantle gender hierarchies and forge new pathways for participation, creating a transformative landscape where solidarity and connection flourish.

Blackwell's work is a testament to the importance of transcending different types of scales and engaging in a meaningful contrast between colonial divisions of scale and Indigenous conceptions of scale, space, solidarity, and connection. By doing so, she sheds light on the complex dynamics that shape these movements and offers valuable insights into the ongoing struggle for justice and autonomy. "Scales of Resistance" is a must-read for anyone seeking to understand the profound impact of Indigenous women's activism on the world stage.

Weight: 680g
Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781478015352