This week’s reading, and the accompanying video, were very interesting to me. Of course, the framing of climate change around indigenous peoples is something I’ve heard of before, but the way that Kyle white discuss the concept particularly kept me engaged. I had never really thought about how the experiences of indigenous Americans could be so easily transcribed into the lens of climate change or broader environmental change. After reading it seems obvious that the events of settler colonialism on indigenous Americans would be extremely similar to that which everyone is facing today. The loss of land, extinction of species, deforestation, and much more are all mirrored some 100 years ago or so.
I’ve always been interested in the idea of using indigenous practices to help combat climate change. The idea of bringing back the original species of rice or flowers and how that might positively impact the environment has always resonated with me. That being said it’s always been in a context of fixing the problems that are affecting me or my family group. The context in which these all-encompassing problems are played out is very important. Considering different viewpoints of those who have been living in these conditions for the aforementioned hundreds of years. These are not new problems. They are an extension of the same problems that humans have been facing for centuries, merely under a new frame. The chapter mentions that carbon emissions were not the cause of the hardships faced by indigenous Americans, but the effect it had on these people was similar to that we have today. This reading has definitely got me more interested in the concept of looking at seemingly modern problems through a context of history. Who knows what other contemporary issues could have a long-forgotten solution.