Intergalactic Summit

Hello IGS, this is my first post, woo yeah.

So, something that someone asked me, was about what being Minmatar means these days.

They were giving me this long spiel about this thing they called "The Elder Conspiracy", which sounded like a lot of silliness, but the gist of it was that the Elders, from their hidden bases way out in Thukker land, were the future of our people. And that all we had to do, was protect the Elders till they finish whatever it is they're doing in their secret bases. Said nothing else matters. Doesn't matter if many of our people are still enslaved, or if there's slums and deprivation, none of that matters, unless it stops the Elders plans.

Seemed rather bleak to me, to say that there's nothing to do, except prevent the Amarr Crusaders from doing anything. Which I hear is the case, with the Amarr having lost most of the bleak lands and all that.

Then there was this other person, who said it was all about revenge. Revenge against the Amarr for the long years of oppression and enslavement of a large proportion of our people. Again, they said that nothing else matters, not the slums and deprivation, or even the Elders secret plan to do whatever. Just said that it is every Minmatar's duty to throw themselves against the Amarr and take some of them down.

Seemed a bit self destructive, and plays right into those Amarr propaganda peoples arguments that Minmatar are all savages and need to be "saved" from ourselves.

So, what does being Minmatar mean?

You're asking the right question there.
But you're asking the wrong people.

You are Matari. Only you can say what that means to you.

What it is to be of Matar varies for each of her children, We each see our world with different eyes. Yet still, we are one.
Seven Tribes, One Matari People.

I like to make the distinction between being ethnically Minmatar, just being born qualifies you here, and being culturally Minmatar, which involved being a member of a tribe and clan and earning your position within them.

So, in short, born Minmatar, not a big deal. To be culturally Minmatar means earning your way into a clan and tribe, which a majority of Minmatar children not in the Amarr empire do as a normal part of growing up. Although, adults earning their way into a Tribe is hardly rare.

Though, if I ask myself which category I fit into it's difficult, its been a while since I've been home.

You misunderstand me Mr Caine.
I don't stereotype every amarrian.

But those who are also angel cartel loyalists. Yeah.. it's pretty safe to stereotype those ones.

and yeah, so... one person she talked to has a revenge thing going on. I do love how you people claim it's "Shakor-esque" when that particular driving force has been around for going on seven hundred years now.

Still. The initial question was aimed at the Matari. you are not Matari.
I'm sure you can understand that if a question asking what it is to be khanid was posed, it would be aimed at the Khanid, and having random Gallente pipe in with an unabashed attempt at muddying the waters and derailing the initial purpose of the thread would be frowned upon.
The same is true here.

This will be the last time i respond to you within this thread.

Caine. Do your public image a favour and shut up.

To answer the question, it means a couple different things.

There is being ethnically minmatar, which entails very little besides the fact that at some point your family traced its roots back to Matar, as opposed to one of the other homeworlds.

Then there is being culturally minmatar, which means a different thing for each clan, and each tribe. What it means to be part of my clan is I suspect a good deal different than what it means to be part of a clan born in the Core Worlds of the republic, with a whole different set of obligations, responsibilities, cultural values, and behavioral standards.

Honestly, much of the whole 'we are all brothers and sisters' thing I see seems more like propaganda of the Republic clans then anything else. Excuses to justify their actions and speak for the whole of the ethnic group. No two clans are alike, and the further apart you move geographically, the less and less similar they become. I consider myself ethnically to be Minmatar, because objectively, that is what I am. Culturally, I am of clan Sgathiach. I don't consider myself a member of the Sebiestor Tribe, because the tribe is over 50 billion strong. That is like claiming a cultural connection to people who happen to have black hair.

If he knew how, we'd never hear from him.

Alas, the world is not a perfect place.

Notice I don't publically flaunt that while at the same time trying to deny it.

After we have crushed the problem that is slavery we shall crush the problem that is poverty. So is the power of the hatred dwelling within all Matari.

To be Matari is to stand strong for all our brothers, sisters, orphans and dead.

Being Minmatar is so many different things to so many different people that I think trying to come up with a simple definitive answer is as difficult as trying to count the grains of sand on a beach. Ask 100 people this question and I'd wager that you'd get at least 100 different comments.

As I'm still attempting to find my place in our world I'll leave the task of answering your question to others Pilot Sebiestor.

The Minmatar Elders are not a conspiracy they are the guardians of Minmatar culture.