Since coming out with Commodity Food Label clothing and accessories 5-6 years ago, I have received many, many comments of shame and protest. These comments all basically say the same thing. That I have glorified commodity foods and that I have honored colonization. All of the negative, hateful comments have not gone unnoticed and I have not addressed them until now.
A few years ago, I was interviewed by a certain news source about commodity foods and my collection of Commod Food Labels. It was a fairly new business then, and I was stoked to get the word out about this line and to raise brand awareness. However, this interview was conducted under false pretenses. What I didn't know until the article came out was that my voice was positioned opposite another voice for a debate revolving around commodity foods and its role within tribal communities. I was crushed. I felt like the article was a total misrepresentation of my voice and my role as an advocate for food sovereignty.
While I am not always publicly vocal on social media, at community events or protests about food sovereignty (which really isn't my style anyway), much of my professional work takes place behind the scenes having dedicated my professional career towards cultural and natural resource protection. Most of my work is highly confidential and protected by State and Federal laws, which prohibits me from divulging details publicly. This isn't mentioning the overall ethical obligation I have to not share sacred and sensitive information so as to protect future exploitation and destruction. To add to this, based on my past professional roles, to speak out against certain entities regarding certain projects would result in personal and professional retaliation against me and my family.
Commodity foods have been on our shelves for generations. Some people absolutely hate them and detest what they represent. Others have fond memories of commodity foods. The vast majority have funny stories and experiences. I have seen several shares of favorite recipes and how grandmothers "used to cook" this or that commod. How they used to make something delicious out of something that was terrible (i.e. the infamous gelatinous canned chicken). So, no matter what commodity foods represent to you, my goal was to start conversations about people and experiences that matter to us and a lot of those stem from food. It is correct that those foods weren't always good for us, that we have been suffering from their effects for generations. But for many, that is what was available. Stifling and hiding the images doesn't change the reality of their existence. Afterall, if we don't recognize those experiences of how things were, how will we ever know where we want to be?
I have to remind myself that more than one truth can exist at the same time. We can be in survival mode and still have a good time. It's almost become a Treaty Right. Tribal communities have many adversaries in the battle for food sovereignty. I have fought on the front lines of many of those battles and I can attest that Native Anthro and its Commod Label line are not those adversaries.
I wish you all well and I carry no grudges about any of it. Many don't really understand my background and that is okay. I just felt like clearing the air to let you know where my heart is on this matter. At the very least, this has been a great social experiment, and I have connected with a lot of cool people with a lot of personal memories regarding commodities. For those who have shared, I am eternally grateful for your confidence.
-Jon, Native Anthro