Talk on Embodying Resistance: Amazigh (North African Indigenous) Women, Colonialism, and Orientalism

Raïssa Leï comes from a Zenat Amazigh tribe in Eastern Morocco, which was profoundly affected by colonial propaganda 120 years ago. By examining images and narratives found in colonial photographs, paintings, and postcards, she will revisit the biased portrayals of Amazigh women imposed by French colonialism and how these perspectives traveled across the Atlantic to the United States. She will also reveal the sometimes-lost treasures of our cultural heritage, such as traditional jewelry that was sold or stolen during that time. The lecture will explore how, despite attempts at marginalization and the challenges posed by migration, Amazigh women have managed to preserve and transmit this precious heritage from generation to generation.