Indigenous Visions
Tensions ran high during Trump's first presidential term. The notion of who was included in "We the People" was tested every day as policies were passed or rebuked. While taking the reporting series at the University of Oregon, I covered Native American perspectives on the polarizing climate of the United States and their hopes for a prosperous future. The classes were run like a newsroom; the following articles were written in a back-and-forth revision process with my professors, who acted as my editors.
“‘We the People’ is bigger than ‘We, the human people,’ isn’t it? Rivers don’t ask for party affiliation before they give you a drink.”
“Who are the people in this photo?” asked Robin Wall Kimmerer to the crowd. The room was filled to the brim with nearly 300 University of Oregon students, faculty, and Eugene community members. The photograph in question depicted a vibrant field of flowers with butterflies dancing across the landscape. The audience shifted uncomfortably in their seats—some let out nervous chuckles.
“The goldenrod and asters colored my relation to the world,” shared Kimmerer. As an indigenous member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, she was raised to understand that flowers and butterflies are people, intelligent beings that have a voice and free will.
Kimmerer advocated for the protection of Mother Nature’s unalienable rights under the U.S. Constitution on Tuesday, March 13, during the University of Oregon’s third installment of “We the People,” a lecture series hosted by the Oregon Humanities Center that explores diverse perspectives on what it means to be an American.
Kimmerer holds a doctorate in botany and is a professor of environmental and forest biology at SUNY in Syracuse. She has penned a plethora of scientific essays and novels, including the critically acclaimed “Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants.”
Kimmerer analyzed how Native Americans’ beliefs regarding the land conflict with the modern societal view of nature as object or machine. Western immigrants and their laws follow the rule of exceptionalism, an idea that stems from Aristotle’s depiction of nature as a hierarchy with man on top.
Kimmerer highlighted Standing Rock and Bear’s Ears National Monument as examples of sacred, indigenous lands that were desecrated by the U.S. federal government. She argued that the land should be respected under U.S. law as a living entity who possesses the fundamental right to not be polluted or exploited. Kimmerer pointed out the Māori people, who are indigenous to New Zealand, as a success story; they recently won the Whanganui River the same legal liberties as a human being.
“The land has a right to be included in this ‘We’ in the Constitution,” said Kimmerer. “‘We the People’ is bigger than ‘We, the human people,’ isn’t it? Rivers don’t ask for party affiliation before they give you a drink.”
Audience member Kelle Deforrest passionately agreed with Kimmerer. Deforrest reflected, “At what point do you say that inanimate objects aren’t real, sacred, or have feelings? We have to be grateful to this land.”
Kimmerer explained that English, a colonizing language, needs new pronouns to speak of the natural world with respect and personhood. Then she put forth a modest proposal. Kimmerer offered “ki” and “kin” as new singular and plural pronouns in place of the English “it” for life forms such as trees and flowers. Her proposed replacements derive from the Potawatomi word “bmadadiziaki,” meaning “an earth being.”
Audience member Ron Peterson vowed to use these animate pronouns. “It is about trying to become a human worth being descended from. And in a lot of ways, just trying to feed the holy in nature and to do small, beautiful things within your field of influence.”
Dr. Kimmerer concluded the night by urging the audience to adopt this inclusive language and get involved with the Rights of Nature movement transpiring around the nation. “Law is the way we make our values visible in the world. If you’re not outraged, you aren’t paying attention.”
“What kind of world would it be with just one kind of tree? Or one kind of flower?”
Joy Harjo had not practiced the song that she was about to perform in front of a crowd of hundreds. She invoked the Spirit of the Land to inspire her music. The organic melody that poured out of her flute was nothing short of enchanting. Lithe yet powerful, melancholic but uplifting—the audience was rendered speechless by the commanding, amorphous performance.
“That song came from the trees … Everyone here is a keeper of this land,” declared Harjo at the song’s conclusion. By honoring the sacredness of the natural world and acknowledging humanity’s collective responsibility to protect it, Harjo set the tone for the reflections tied to her experience as an indigenous woman that she would bravely share.
Harjo is a member of the Mvskoke Nation and an acclaimed Native American Renaissance artist. She has published seven poetry anthologies and released five albums that celebrate her heritage.
The University of Oregon invited Harjo to perform her works on campus on Friday, Feb. 2, in conjunction with the Common Reading program. Every year, incoming students are invited to read a book that explores social justice and advocacy. This year’s book is Louise Erdrich’s “The Round House,” which examines challenges prevalent to indigenous people, such as tribal sovereignty and federal Native American policies.
Harjo recited poems that delved into a large range of themes, including harnessing the power of community and kindness, defying systemic oppression, and preserving native language. You could hear a pin drop in the auditorium, that is, until each piece tapered off, leaving the audience to absorb Harjo’s message amid a thunderous applause.
“Joy really embraces who she is in her identity as an indigenous woman, but also how that reflects within contemporary life,” said Jordan Katcher, a graduate student in the Community Regional Planning program. “And it’s wonderful that she wants to share that and for us to be able to listen.”
One of the poems that Harjo performed was “Fear Poem,” which she wrote in response to the continual atrocities committed against her people. She shared that writing this poem helped her find solace when she was having suicidal thoughts. Harjo explained that other Native Americans also struggle with suicidal ideation because of their historical suffering.
Professor Kirby Brown, an assistant professor of Native American Studies, commented on the systemic disparity Native Americans face in education. “This institution wasn’t built for indigenous people, but here we are today.”
The University of Oregon’s 2017 admissions statistics reveal that out of roughly 22,000 students, only 143 identify as American Indian or Alaska Native; that is less than a fraction of 1%. The University of Oregon remains a predominantly white institution, with 26.8% of students identifying as people of color.
Harjo lyrically touched upon the need for diverse interactions and perspectives in our human experience. “What kind of world would it be with just one kind of tree? Or one kind of flower?”
Sonia Mackee, a Eugene resident and event attendee, reflected on her and Harjo’s joint desire for peace to exist among people. “I was a high school student in Albuquerque in the 1940s, and I well remember what was instilled in us politically and throughout our education. New Mexico was a land of three peoples: the Anglos, the Mexicans, and the Native Americans … We had to find a way to work together—that we could live side by side.”
Harjo’s work venerates the Mvskoke’s stories and lovingly reconciles past transgressions against indigenous people. She reflected on her life’s purpose. “As a poet, we have a role to be truth tellers … Even when it gets tough, it’s better to be wide awake.”