“What is JustSeeds and why are collectives important?

Justseeds is a cooperative of 30 socially-engaged artists and activists scattered across north America whose work addresses themes of social justice, environmental justice, gender quality, prison reform, veteran advocacy and so on.

It was an honor for me a year ago to get invited to join this group of like-minded folksadvocating for the collective good.  To live and work in relative obscurity on the Navajo Nation, it’s important to feel connected to a larger community where ideas are shared and critically evaluated.  I also appreciate opportunities for collaborating.  You asked why are collectives important.  A book of activist art was published recently titled “When We Fight, We Win.”  I’d alter that by saying when we fight together, we win.”

The quote above is taken from an interview I did recently for an arts + social justice blog called “border/arte”  (whose mission statement reads “To shift political awareness through artistic and cultural work.”   They’re based in Phoenix and do a lot of good work regarding creative engagement with + evaluation of with our border policy.  Because they specifically asked me about Justseeds, I thought I’d post the interview here.

Peace.