Land of the Brave
Tensions ran high in Trump's America. It can be intimidating to stand up and speak out in such a divisive political climate. The notion of who is included in "We the People" is tested every day as policies are passed or rebuked. In my Reporting 1 class at the University of Oregon's School of Journalism and Communication, I covered events that amplified Native American women's perspectives on the condition of the United States. Our class was run like a newsroom; the following articles were written in a back-and-forth revision process with my professor, who acted as my editor.
“‘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 serene photograph illustrated a sunny flower field with vibrant butterflies scattered 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,” said Kimmerer. As an indigenous member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, she was raised to understand that flowers and butterflies are people, 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 is the author of many 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 American 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 land 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 used the Māori people, a New Zealand Polynesian minority, as a success story because 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 said, “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 world with respect and personhood. Therefore, she wanted to make a “modest proposal.” Kimmerer offered “ki” and “kin” as new singular and plural pronouns in place of the English “it” for animate, natural beings such as trees and flowers. Her proposed replacements derive from Potawatomi word “bmadadiziaki” meaning “an earth being.”
Audience member Ron Peterson vowed to use these animate, inclusive 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 use this inclusive environmental language and get involved with the Rights of Nature movement happening 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 relied on the spirit of the land to inspire her music.
“That song came from the trees…Everyone here is a keeper of this land,” said Harjo after the song concluded. 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 artist in the Native American Renaissance. She has published seven poetry anthologies and released five albums that embrace and 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. Incoming students are invited to read a book that addresses social justice awareness and advocacy. This year’s book is Louise Erdrich’s “The Round House,” which discusses issues prevalent to indigenous people such as tribal sovereignty and federal Native American policy.
Harjo delved into a large range of themes including utilizing the power of community and kindness, defying systemic oppression and preserving language. The room was silent during each poem, until each piece tapered off, and the audience could ponder Harjo’s message amid a booming 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 oppression of her people. She shared that writing this poem helped her find solace when she was suicidal. 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, addressed the systemic disparity against Native Americans 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. 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 people, experiences and perspectives. “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 given to us politically and throughout our education. New Mexico was a land of three peoples: The Anglos, the Mexicans and the Indians… this was going to work- that we could live side by side.”
Harjo’s work perpetuates the Mvskoke’s stories and helps reconcile past transgressions against indigenous people. She said that “As a poet, we have a role to be truth tellers…Even when it gets tough, it’s better to be wide-awake.”
Kimmerer by Taylor Kissinger pdf
Bottom of the page fun fact #12: I just LOVE being inspired by passionate, resilient women. Can’t get enough of it.