The Indigenous Stranger
written by: Mounia Mnouer
When you want to breathe, but can’t find your breath
When you want to smile, but can’t find your muscle strength
A heavy weight that prevents you from seeing straight.
You try looking for ways to lift the weight.
Wait! Do I need to debate?
Am I sad because I am far from my African land?
So far, the emotions are hard to comprehend?
So far, I am locked in a stranger’s jar,
in the world of the diaspora,
where we need to debate who we are
I am stuck in this constant fear,
that my Indigenous identity would disappear
I am stuck in a constant fear
that my inner spirit I will not hear
that my soil would not recognize my trace,
that my ancestors would look at me and say:
Who is this visitor with a suitcase?
Dr. Mounia Mnouer is an independent scholar. She is originally from Morocco. Both her parents and their families are Indigenous people of Morocco, Imazighen. Mounia grew up in Meknes, Morocco and she identifies as Indigenous North African. She has been active in human rights’ matters, as she works with the Moroccan Organization of Human Rights. She enjoys writing poetry and creative non-fiction as a way to express her voice on current issues. Her works appeared in Spillwords, Typehouse Literary Magazine, the Metric, and Diverse: Issues in Higher Education. She works on autoethnographies that pertain to Amazigh identities in the diaspora, issues of decolonization, and engaging in social justice education.
Latest posts by Mounia Mnouer (see all)
- An Immigrant’s Dilemma - June 6, 2021
- A Letter to Nanna - June 10, 2020
- The Indigenous Stranger - April 21, 2020
