HALA SALEH IS A TATREEZ ARTIST LIVING IN THE SEATTLE AREA (@halasalehtatreez). Hala practices tatreez both as a way to connect with her heritage and culture, but also as a way to resist the erasure of Palestinian identity. For our Seattle listeners, she recently started a local tatreez circle for Palestinians, Seattle Resistance Tatreez — email them at seattleresistancetatreez@gmail.com to learn more and join in-person!
We dive into all the things with Hala, think diaspora experiences, nurturing safe spaces for Palestinians through tatreez, teaching Palestine to kids through tatreez, and all of the cool tatreez projects that Hala may or may not finish.
Ultimately, as Hala says, "practicing this ancestral craft reaffirms our humanity, our ties to our indigenous land of Palestine, and our pride in our heritage," and we couldn’t agree more!
Join us in conversation with Hala, software technology executive by day and a Palestinian ALL day, EVERY day.
You’ll hear about:
>> 1:40: Hala’s connection to Falasteen
>> 7:42: Hala’s identity as a Palestinian in the diaspora
>> 9:24: The moment Hala entered Palestine (p.s. It’s visceral)
>> 13:20: Hala begins to put tatreez on collared shirts
>> 21:45: Building tatreez community in Seattle
>> 33:58: Explaining what tatreez means to elementary school kiddos
>> 43:00: Hala’s bookmark collaboration with Lena Tuffaha & other projects
>> 51:22: Hala’s life lesson from tatreez
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Links mentioned in this episode:
>> Open Books: A Poem Emporium Yearlong Subscription Service
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