What We've Read |
In 2016, a small protest encampment at the Standing Rock Reservation in North Dakota, initially established to block construction of the Dakota Access oil pipeline, grew to be the largest Indigenous protest movement in the twenty-first century. Water Protectors knew this battle for native sovereignty had already been fought many times before, and that, even after the encampment was gone, their anticolonial struggle would continue. In Our History Is the Future, Nick Estes traces traditions of Indigenous resistance that led to the #NoDAPL movement. Our History Is the Future is at once a work of history, a manifesto, and an intergenerational story of resistance.
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We had a great discussion about Seth Holmes' book Fresh Fruit, Broken Bodies, in particular appreciating the way that Holmes rejects the racist generalization of all migrant farmworkers as "dirty Mexicans" and breaks down the various ways that systemic racism, US foreign policy and free market ideology damage all within this unequal food system, especially those at the bottom. Sarah Grant, who is assistant professor of anthropology at CSUF, helped lead the discussion, providing background on:
RESOURCES FROM OUR 10/25 MEETING:
In the fascinating story of the sustainable food revolution, an environmental journalist and professor asks the question: Is the future of food looking bleak--or better than ever? We had the amazing chance to have the author join our meeting this month, and hear updates on some of the innovations she shared in the book. There is hope for smarter food production and distribution, but it will take a large-scale collective effort and multi-faceted approach. What was the most fascinating food science chapter for you? Thanks to all who joined us for our August discussion of This Changes Everything by Naomi Klein. We had a lively discussion about the unfolding climate crisis, COVID-19 and its effect on world economies, and the crossroads moment that we find ourselves in. Many despaired over how the climate crisis has worsened dramatically since the book's publication in 2014 and wondered if we have the political will to create real change with so many crises coming to a head this summer (racism, police brutality, the pandemic, healthcare, and the presidential election to name a few). We talked about how the pandemic should be a catalyst for rethinking school curriculums and our high consumer lifestyles. Many resisted the idea of "getting back to normal" because our "normal" existence was highly consumerist and exploitative of marginalized communities. We talked about the urgent need for environmental education for young people, as well as critical thinking skills, so that they feel a greater sense of connectedness to the earth and to other peoples. RESOURCES FROM OUR 8/30 MEETING:
Thanks to all who joined us for our July discussion of How To Be an Antiracist. This book was moved up in our rotation as it so thoughtfully explores the ways racism is embedded in our institutions, history, and culture and intersects with the June BLM protests. We discussed how valuable it was to have a chapter-by-chapter breakdown of the various ways that racist thinking underpins racist policy, which enforce the status quo of White supremacy and racial hierarchy in America. Readers liked how Dr. Kendi interweaves his own personal story with definitions of racist terminology. We also discussed how Dr. Kendi has his detractors due to his argument that Black Americans can also be racist and how some view his work as lacking intersectionality. We talked about how this book is a more scholarly approach, compared to So You Want to Talk About Race which was more focused on communication and practical advice. RESOURCES FROM OUR 7/26 MEETING:
Thanks to all who joined us for our June read! Opinions were mixed on this one, with many frustrated by the book's focus on luxury brands, repetitiveness, and questionable source material, especially when it comes to the Environmental Working Group, which has a history of cherry-picking data and being too close to corporate sponsors. On the plus side, many appreciated learning about capsule wardrobes, resale options, how to make clothing/accessories last longer, and becoming more attentive to quality and sustainability issues when buying new clothing. RESOURCES FROM OUR 6/28 MEETING:
This month’s book is “A Terrible Thing to Waste: Environmental Racism and its Assault on the American Mind” by Harriet A. Washington. A "powerful and indispensable" (Gerald Markowitz) look at the devastating consequences of environmental racism -- and what we can do to remedy its toxic effects on marginalized communities. 5/19 UPDATE: How's "A Terrible Thing to Waste" going for everyone? This one is heavy, but I also think it's incredibly important. A few years ago I did a GIS project for the Office of Sustainability mapping air quality and health impacts in the 10 most disadvantaged tracts in Long Beach. One of the tracts ended up being my neighborhood (which is incredibly racially and ethnically diverse, but mostly POC dominated). It shocked me to learn what the asthma rate is for kids in our area (thanks to our proximity to 2 major freeways, an oil refinery, a diesel rail line, and the Port of LB). And the extra sad thing? We're not even the worst air quality in LB...Does anyone else know which neighborhoods in your area are frontline communities bearing the burden of high pollutant loads? Are there any local organizations working to combat the issues? RESOURCES FROM OUR MEETING (5/31):
Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants, by Robin Wall Kimmerer, braids strands of indigenous ways of knowing, scientific knowledge, and an Anishinabekwe scientist's hope to bring together in ways to serve the earth through essays that create a richly textured whole. RESOURCES: M shared this link for a native-owned business that she purchases from. From their website: Wild Rice products from Native Harvest you are helping us to perform our mission - Native Harvest is dedicated to promoting a culture of sustainability on the White Earth Reservation in Northern Minnesota!) https://nativeharvest.com/collections/wild-rice-products If you would like to contribute directly to the White Earth Land Recovery Project, you may do so here: https://www.welrp.org/ M2 also shared the Seeding Sovereignty Instagram account ( https://instagram.com/seedingsovereignty?igshid=1510woz84nlho ) where she has been sending masks to help the Navajo Nation which is currently experiencing an extremely high infection rate for COVID-19. Check out their story highlights for other ways you can help if you’re unable to make masks. And for those of you who came to the conversation unsure of whose land you currently reside on, you can search for them on https://www.whose.land/en/ |
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May 2023
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