Movements and Moments

by Sonja Eismann (Editor), Maya Schöningh (Editor), Ingo Schöningh (Editor)

An ambitious feminist anthology chronicling Indigenous rebellions around the world

In 1930s Bolivia, self-described Anarchist Cholas form a libertarian trade union. In the Northern Highlands of Vietnam, the songs of one girl’s youth lead her to a life of activism. In the Philippines, female elders from Kalinga blaze a trail when pushed into impromptu protest. Equally striking accounts from Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, India, Nepal, Peru and Thailand weave a tapestry of trauma and triumph, shedding light on not-too-distant histories otherwise overlooked.

Indigenous Peoples all over the world have always had to stand their ground in the face of colonialism. While the details may differ, what these stories have in common is their commitment to resistance in a world that puts profit before respect, and western notions of progress before their own. Movements and Moments is an introductory glimpse into how Indegenous Peoples tell these stories in their own words. From Southeast Asia to South America, vibrant communities must grapple with colonial realities to assert ownership over their lands and traditions.

This project was undertaken in cooperation with the Goethe-Institut Indonesien in Jakarta. These stories were selected from an open call across 42 countries to spotlight feminist movements and advocacies in the Global South.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Nonfiction, Feminism, Comics, History, Graphic Novels Comics, Social Justice

264 pages, Paperback

Published November 15, 2022

About the author

Sonja Eismann a German journalist and cultural scientist . She is co-founder and co-editor of Missy Magazine and lives in Berlin and Vienna.

Reviews

[Danika at The Lesbrary]

Like most anthologies, there were some stories and art styles I enjoyed more than others, but overall this was a really interesting look at Indigenous feminism in different places and time periods around the world, and there are some I would love to see expanded into their own books.

[Jenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

✨4 stars✨

[Rich Farrell · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book more than I did. Some of the artwork was really striking. The stories themselves were important. The execution was lacking in areas that I found hard to overlook. The stories that had basic computer fonts for dialogue boxes made those publications seem a little too school project-esque. The language in many areas was plain, perhaps due to translation. I felt like the basic language was downplaying some of the real horrors of the situations, maybe to be appropriate to a younger audience. At the same time, there are mentions of all sorts of unions and feminist movements that are particular to those times and spaces that would be beyond any youth needing protecting. I know I knew little about many of the movements that were glossed over in the text and don’t feel like I know much more after reading the stories. I’d be interested in listening to interviews by those whom these stories are about, but I don’t feel like I know much more about these social movements than I did before after reading this anthology.

[Kami · Rating 4 out of 5]

Slow read, but worth it. This anthology contains a variety of dazzling art styles and is jam packed with history you did not learn in school. Indigenous, female, worker, and queer stories of resistance. The history they don’t want you to know. The women we should never forget. Absolutely fascinating, and, unlike other books about women in the social justice, it does not solely spotlight recounts of sexual violence and despair. It’s a book centered on hope, respect for elders, the unruly women who led mass movements of the global south, and the importance of cultural preservation. It will have you looking towards the future, eagerly, and with joy.

[Cole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Movements and Moments is an anthology of eight comics about/by indigenous activists from different parts of the world. As with all anthologies, some of the pieces may stand out to the individual reader more than others, but here they are all striking, deeply informative, and artful examples of story-telling as advocacy. A beloved friend gave me this as a gift and I'm looking forward to recommending it to others and passing on the gift to share these stories further. I hope there will be more like this from the publisher.

[Sophie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Artwork throughout is incredible and such a cool concept. Love hearing womens stories from around the world. Some of the stories felt a little too much like historical retellings with pictures. Perhaps the format was too short to fit in all the contextual info. The final two stories 'Warmimasiy' and 'times will pass' were my favourite and more personal character narratives.

[Tien · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5, beautiful art and composition

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eight stories of indigenous women who organize to get better treatment and/or to save their local environment. They are set from the 1880s to the present, mostly the later part of that range. The stories are informative, heartbreaking, and inspiring. And the women on all the stories have made a difference! Very well written and illustrated.

[Meepelous · Rating 5 out of 5]

"An ambitious feminist anthology chronicling Indigenous rebellions around the world... This project was undertaken in cooperation with the Goethe-Institut Indonesien in Jakarta. These stories were selected from an open call across 42 countries to spotlight feminist movements and advocacies in the Global South."

Another one of those books I saw on the new acquisitions page at my library. TLDR I was really impressed.

Content notes for Torture, nudity, state violence, child brides, colonization and SA.

Keywords that came to mind: all our relations, expressive style, indigenous languages and cultures, water, personal stories, community and coming of age.

Looking at the collection of stories over all, as I already mentioned I was pretty impressed by the caliber of contributions and the quality of the publication overall. The art for the anthology was charismatic and colorful, not to mention highly developed and expressive.

Overall, looking at the writing, each story did a pretty good job of covering movements I'm pretty sure are not very well known in a way that felt relatable and accessible. Although I feel like a book could be dedicated to each one of them - this is certainly just the jumping off point. Many did include bibliographies, notes and profiles of important people as well. Themes that wove a lot of these individual narratives togethers (as the summary suggests) were extermination of Indigenous cultures, genocide, dams causing environmental and cultural damage in the name of "clean" electricity, and the exploitation of workers. "according to a global analysis made by the NGO front line defenders in 2019, environmental activism is the most dangerous occupation in Latin America. This region is the most likely to criminalize indigenous activism, and is also the region in which an indigenous activist is most likely to be murdered. Their murderers are also the most likely to go unpunished. A report from 2020 indicates that 69% of activists killed that year defended the environment, the rights of indigenous peoples, and their right to land."

Hitting the highlights of our creative teams:

We started off strong with Let the River Flow Free: Women Defenders of the Cordillera, which was written by Gantala Press - founded in 2015, they are a Filipina press run entirely by volunteers - with art by Nina Martinez - also of Metro Manila, she is apparently set to earn her MFA in illustration from the Rhode Island School of Design this year and formerly worked at the Rappler during the Duterte regime.

Next we had Mama Dulu with story and art by Citlalli Andrango and Cecilia Larrea - both Ecuadorian creatives. The former is an actress and producer; the latter is a political illustrator. Additionally translation work was completed by Renata Duque.

This one felt like it dipped its toe into a bit of genre caricature (a fun twist in my humble opinion) in choosing to depict the Christian leaders as cartoon vampires.

Then we had Shanti: Beyond the Veil by Bandana Tulachan. Co-founder of a comics platform for artist in Nepal called Virangana comics.

A solid critique of those who give and take child brides. My only complaint about this is not really a critique but a general frustration that as an american this is almost exclusively seen as a problem that happens in those other places... This could not be further from the case, and many republican law makers have resisted laws that would outlaw the practice which is still fairly common in many parts of my country.

Next up, The Anarchist Cholas: A Short Story about a Bolivian Female Libertarian Trade Union - story and art by Vanessa Penuela and Cesar Vargas (described on the institute's website as "two visual artists from Bogotá, Colombia interested in political, social and historical issues that are related to the Latin American and Caribbean reality. Lately they have paid attention to gender issues concerning Latin American women with respect to factors of race and social class."). On this comic they worked with Drawing Assistant Jeisson Cortes and translator Felipe Pachon.

Which I thought was a very interesting look at some very uniquely creative community organizing.

Then we had Tracing Between Colors of the Highlands by Dương Mạnh Hùng (a translator and writer, he co-founded an independent press that "seeks to connect Vietnam to the global literary scene) and Phạm Thu Trà (A Hanoi based illustrator whose work "focuses mainly on the Anthropocene and the flaws that make humans intrinsically fascinating").

Next up was Millaray Huichalaf: The Protectress of the Sacred River by Greta di Girolamo and Consuelo Terra, both feminist journalists, Greta is also a widely published comics creator.

I appreciated the centering of a disabled narrator and the way they pointed out the colonizing power of Protestant Christianity.

Second to last we had Warmi Masiy: Andean Faminism Taking Shape in the land of the Incas by Helen Quinones Loaiza (a communicator and interpreter of native languages) and Trilce Garcia Cosavalente (a graphic designer and illustrator who believes mediums like comics can create positive social change). I appreciated the way it shows Indigenous culture as a thing for the modern age and not just something of the past.

Finally we had Times Will Pass, a vibrant and queer comic by Chandri Narayanan (a trans woman who works in murals, storytelling and teaching) and Sadhna Prasad (an illustrator and muralist whose work "explores stories and narratives by showcasing stereotypes, women, the everyday, and colors through traditional Indian art form.").

I'll put a link in the description to the institutes website, where you can find the comics in their original languages.

Across this collection I felt like there was a diversity of foci that hit on all the intersecting identities that I try to highlight in each review. There was also a diversity of political persuasions and angles.

Wrapping things up, I will just repeat for a third time that I was pretty blown away by this collection - not only in its substance but also in its execution - and would highly recommend. Five stars!

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Accounts of women-led resistance movements from South America, Vietnam, India, Nepal, Thailand, & the Philippines. Offers a snapshot of intersectional feminism. I need to look at the about the authors again to check out their other work.

[Dania · Rating 5 out of 5]

I accidentally got this book (from the public library too 😅) drenched from a canoeing trip a few weeks ago..... long story!

But anyway, I loved reading the different stories of women-empowering movements across the world, also bout feminism being a force of nature-- not particularly to leave your husband just because, but leaving domestic abuse is vital to understanding your rights as a woman 🙋🏽‍♀️

[Jonathan Pavan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read overall and nice to hear about stories from women in all walks of life and in different periods/vantage points. Really liked how they would put terms from their language with explanations.

Giving a 4 rather than a 5 as some stories were stronger or resonated more with me. Don’t know if I’m just unaware of certain impact in specific comics or if it was the writing style / distilling into a comic format.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one leftover from Excellence in Nonfiction 2024 award that wasn't eligible because it was not written just for young adults. I thought it looked interesting, so it's been in one of my tbr boxes (piles, shelves, floor--you get the picture). The eight graphic works describe the fights of indigenous women for rights, equality, their land, and so much more. It's a fascinating book, and I'm glad I finally pulled it out to read.

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

as a collection of various submissions, i think it’s incredibly difficult to find a balance between including as many stories as possible and giving each one enough space and room to sink in. i love the goal, but i think a lot of these stories struggled bc they didn’t have the proper context or setting to allow readers to fully understand them. it’s one of the common issues encountered when trying to group together movements and struggles that each have complex and extensive histories

[brianna ☁️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

this collection is full of stunning artwork and moving stories of indigenous women advocating for their communities. i think this book is a necessary read for everyone, but especially people who are looking for perspectives in feminism different from the white, western mainstream feminist discourse.

[Smitha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautiful collection of wonderfully illustrated stories of feminist movements in the Global South. I think this is a must-have book for your collection. I am so in awe that these books are created, where our younger generations have these wealth of knowledge/insight/wisdom from a very young age.

[Evelyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really like this collection, the diversity of art styles, and movements, and geographical locations was really great. I hadn't heard of any of these peoples, and I loved learning about the world wide fight for indigenous justice. The short story format also made it easy to read in short settings, highly recomend.

[zaynab · Rating 4 out of 5]

overall i enjoyed the anthology. i learned a lot about indigenous women’s movements. i will say, the one achilles’ heel of the book is the conflation of indigenous with non-black people of color. I don’t know if the omission of African or even afro-indigenous women’s stories was intentional or just an oversight of ignorance. Nonetheless, maybe a second volume can be published to remedy this.

[Audra · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really interesting collection of stories from indigenous women and feminist movements in countries including Ecuador, Vietnam, Nepal, Peru, Chile, the Philippines and others. I always love the different art styles and voices in graphic novel anthologies like this. And in this case I learned about many different activists, histories and movements that were new to me.

[Onceuponadream · Rating 4 out of 5]

some stories better than others, but an interesting and eclectic formation of illustrated vignettes covering feminism in the Global South, focusing on indigenous womanhood, and crossing over frequently into the land of colonialism, unions, communism and anarchy, indigenous spirituality vs colonial religion, and art.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

A visually striking anthology of indigenous groups around the world and their organizing movements to protect their lands, culture, and economic freedom. The different art styles were striking! Highly recommended!

[AF · Rating 5 out of 5]

Movements and Moments is an absolutely stunning work that feels relevant and important. The art is breathtaking, and the storytelling equally matches it. I think everyone will love immersing themselves in this collection.

[Sal · Rating 5 out of 5]

The few socialist/feminist comic book anthologies that exist often feature amateur/newcomer/underground talent which usually means the quality of the stories are usually good but rarely excellent. This anthology is a VERY big exception to that rule. Every single entry is stellar.

[Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picked this up randomly at the library - the illustrations are beautiful and what caught my eye originally! I also learned a lot of new history / examples of indigenous, feminist resistance movements.

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This graphic novel features 8 different stories about Indigenous women from a variety of countries who stood up for their people/their rights. Each is done by a different artist so there are varied styles throughout. Powerful, important stories that need to be heard!

[gabrielle lovisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Goose bumps throughout this entire novel. All of the stories were told about fearless and resilient women in the face of oppression and misogyny. These women paved the way for women’s rights and for that I am thankful!!! 💓

[Trina Bruner · Rating 5 out of 5]

These boldly illustrated historical stories bolstered my spirit during these trying times. Truly , feminism and the health of the planet are directly linked, but it was nice to be reminded of our power.

[Andréa]

Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through Edelweiss.

[Samantha Hare · Rating 5 out of 5]

Feminist stories gorgeously illustrated. Totally recommend.

[Rachael Hobson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed learning about the histories & the different art styles. Very informative!