Rematriation: An End To Patriarchy
When you type the word “rematriate” into any document or web browser, it will attempt to autocorrect as “repatriate.” If you try to find a word definition using google for rematriate, one does not exist.
The etymology of the word repatriate gives some clues why.
Taken from the Latin “patria,” repatriate means a “return to the land.” However the Latin base “patria” is derived from the Greek word patriarkhēs, or “ruling father.” So repatriation is returning to the land of your forefathers.
In most ancient European cultures, women were not allowed to own land. (Fun fact: Egyptian cultures predating Greco-Roman civilizations by millennia saw women as financial, if not social equals.) This concept of male ownership is so deeply engrained into western culture they literally don’t have a word for return to the land of one’s foremothers.
Except, my ancestors didn’t come from Europe.
As a man of Caribbean descent, my progenitors were survivors of the Indigenous Genocide (likely Arawak) and the Transatlantic Slave Trade (likely Ghanian), both Matriarchal societies. So while repatriation means a literal returning to the land of your ancestry, rematriation carries a deeper meaning of returning to a way of life, one that lives with reverence for Nature.
One of the reasons many men raised in patriarchy object so vehemently to the idea of Matriarchy is they believe women would “rule” as they do, when in fact, the core beliefs vary greatly. Whereas patriarchal societies tend towards accumulation of wealth, Matriarchal societies tend toward distribution and allocation of resources. Instead of consolidating power under one individual, Matriarchies lean toward building consensus and uninamity.
Where patriarchy constructs social strata, Matriarchy nurtures social values.
This doesn’t mean Matriarchs all just get along like a bunch of pacifists; anyone with Caribbean aunties knows they can GO AT IT. I get my creativity from my Dad’s side, but ALL of my emotional fortitude comes from my Mom’s side of the family.
Still having a hard time grasping this conceptually? It’s important to note that, the Iroquois Confederacy, the document upon which the US constitution was based, was a Matriarchy.
From the Iroquois Confederacy Constitution — Article 44:
“The lineal descent of the people of the Five Nations shall run in the female line. Women shall be considered the progenitors of the Nation. They shall own the land and the soil. Men and women shall follow the status of the Mother.”
Still having a hard time embracing the idea of a Matriarchy? Go do some research on Rwanda. They have one of the fastest growing economies on the planet, because their government is 66% women. All it took was a genocide.
Or look at how women world leaders are handling the coronavirus.
With all of the corruption, with all of the incompetence, with the racism and misogyny and the number of dead approaching 100,00 with no end in sight, there’s still a 50% chance that prolapsed orange anus in the oval office might get reelected. Whether he does or not, he’s never leaving office voluntarily, and the damage he’s doing in the meantime is generational.
Brooklyn NY is still my home, despite having the distinction of having more coronavirus related deaths than MOST STATES. But if shit goes fully off the rails I am getting the FUCK outta here. Anyone who wants to come with?
Be prepared to reMATriate.
