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Shaping the Past Exhibition – Decolonial Initiative Task Force

The Decolonial Initiative Task Force proposes a civic intervention that centers Indigenous-based forms of dialogue and decision-making to address colonial landscapes. The task force was imagined by Joel Garcia (Huichol), who founded Metztli Projects in the wake of a community-powered movement to remove and deaccess the Columbus statue in Grant Park. The task force addresses the erasure of Indigenous voices in conversations around public memory across Los Angeles City/County. 
 
With the toppling of racist and colonial statues, Garcia collaborated with the LA County Department of Arts and Culture to launch “Memory and Futurity in Yaanga,” a series of programs led by Tongva artists Cindi Alvitre and Mercedes Dorame to commemorate the history of Yaanga (Downtown Los Angeles). 

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Joel Garcia

Joel Garcia

© Joel Garcia

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TOP LEFT: Reclaiming Yaanga Park, Los Angeles, 2020; BOTTOM LEFT: Unmonumenting and cleansing space with the removal of the statue to Junipero Serra, Los Angeles, 2020; RIGHT: Reclaiming Yaanga Park, Los Angeles, 2020

TOP LEFT: Reclaiming Yaanga Park, Los Angeles, 2020; BOTTOM LEFT: Unmonumenting and cleansing space with the removal of the statue to Junipero Serra, Los Angeles, 2020; RIGHT: Reclaiming Yaanga Park, Los Angeles, 2020

TOP LEFT: Courtesy of the artist. Photo by Gilbert Godoy; BOTTOM LEFT: Courtesy of the artist. Photo by Kenneth Lopez; RIGHT: Courtesy of the artist. Photo by Erick Iñiguez.

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Reclaiming Yaanga Park, Los Angeles, 2020

Reclaiming Yaanga Park, Los Angeles, 2020

Courtesy of the artist

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Unmonumenting and cleansing space with the removal of the statue to Junipero Serra, Los Angeles, 2020

Unmonumenting and cleansing space with the removal of the statue to Junipero Serra, Los Angeles, 2020

Courtesy of the artist. Photo by Erick Iñiguez

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