Coyolxauhqui and the Fragmented Muxer: Colonialism, Eating Disorders, and the Goddess Within

Contemporary eating disorder treatments fail to integrate ancestral knowledge and storytelling that can be vital for healing brown and indigenous descended people with troubled eating - (an already underserved population). The medical industrial complex (MIC) fails to address the critical historical factors that have shaped the particular and negative experiences of both people of color and native people. Even positive contributions and resiliency from these marginalized communities continues to be shunned by the MIC.

This Nalgona Positivity Pride talk will use Coyolxauhqui’s -commonly known as the Aztec moon goddess- story and representation as a medium to better understand brown* womxn’s disarrayed relationship with food and spirit. We will pay homage to the womxn* before us and go over the different representations of Coyolxauhqui by xicana queer feminists. We will review the collision between gender and violence that occurred to womxn once European patriarchal colonialism took dominance and, more specifically, analyze how native peoples relationship to land and food was disrupted. At the end of the talk we will do a group exercise using Coyolxauhqui’s image as a guide to better understand the complexities of colonial feminine subjugation and to create useful proactive ways for the modern brown muxer to find healing.

About NPP:

Nalgona Positivity Pride (NPP) is a xicana-indigenous body-positive organization that provides intersectional eating disorders education and community-based support for people of color who are struggling with troubled eating and poor body-image. After not seeing her own experiences reflected and the lack of cultural awareness in the eating disorder world, Gloria Lucas started NPP in 2014 out of an urgent need to create a platform for communities of color and indigenous-descent communities who struggle alone. Gloria first-hand experienced the isolation that comes with being a person of color with an eating disorder and the absence of services for low-income people.

NPP’s line of work focuses on uncovering the impacts of colonialism, social oppression, historical trauma and its role in impairing relationships indigenous-descent people have with food and body-image. NPP’s goal is to help people of color and indigenous descent folks find education and resources for self-empowering, resistance, and healing.

Wednesday, March 27 at 12:00pm

Gordon White Building (GWB), 2.206

210 24TH ST W, Austin, Texas 78705