JOSUÉ RIVAS on Throwing a Glitch in the Social Media Matrix /320

Black and white photo by Josué Rivas titled Paradigm Shift. Standing Rock, ND (2017). A television hand-lettered with “The Revolution will NOT BE TELEVISED!” sits in front of a gate blocked with razor wire and No DAPL and Indigenous Sovereignty signs while a flaming building sends smoke and haze into the air.

Calling listeners into a magnetic conversation about the power of photography and storytelling, guest Josué Rivas (Mexika and Otomí) opens up new ways of understanding art and creation. With so much capitalistic pressure on modern day creators, photography and content creation often slip into extractive mindsets. Josué invites us to challenge extractive and colonial lenses by embracing the overwhelming force of the creative urge. Humanity yearns to tell its stories. How might we break apart from the constant pressure of social media to envision the new modes of creation and creativity that these stories need in order to be told? 

Throughout the conversation, Josué taps deep into the healing and transformational power of Indigenous futurism. Decolonization, as Josué reminds us, is about growth and creation, not about unattainable perfection or purity. When decolonization is real, it becomes a part of the complexity of our relationships across time and space. As we plant the seeds of resistance and growth for future generations, what stories do we want them to remember about us?   

“It doesn’t matter how many followers you have, how much money you make, it comes down to the fact that [social media] is another channel that is being used for extraction.”

— Josué Rivas / Episode 320

Photo of Josué Rivas (Mexika and Otomí)

Josué Rivas (Mexika and Otomí) is an Indigenous Futurist, creative director, visual storyteller and educator working at the intersection of art, technology, journalism, and decolonization. His work aims to challenge the mainstream narrative about Indigenous peoples, co-create with the community, and serve as a vehicle for collective healing. He is a 2020 Catchlight Leadership Fellow, Magnum Foundation Photography and Social Justice Fellow, founder of INDÍGENA, co-founder of Indigenous Photograph and Curator at Indigenous TikTok. His work has appeared in National Geographic, The New York Times, Apple, Nike and Converse amongst others.

♫ The music featured in this episode is "Destellos" by Gerardo Vaquero and Julio Kintu, "Natural Harmony" by The Mysterious They, and "Realismo Mágico" by María José Montijo.

Episode References

Colonization’s Lasting Impact on Photography | Atmos

Creative director and educator Josué Rivas on healing your inner child through your work

Standing Strong at Standing Rock: SLIDESHOW with Josué Rivas 

In One of the Nation’s Most Conservative Places, A Sanctuary City - YES! Magazine 

INDÍGENA

Planting Seeds of the Future: A Conversation with Josué Rivas 

GUEST Recommendations

Learn more about Native American photographers from North America by visiting this database:
Indigenous Photograph

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