Recognition, Reconciliation, Reconstruction: Restoring
Human-Environment
Harmony
"Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together. All things connect."
- Chief Seattle, Duwamish
Confronting the Facts
Moving images
Art has the power to center the human conscience. This gallery has been curated to foster introspection and inspire communal discourse about human-environment interface. Please journey through the gallery and share a reflection on your experience on the discussion page.
The power of song
Song has long played a central form in climate activism and resistance movements, especially within indigenous communities. The following is a repository of songs which reflect on human-environment interface.
Indigenous Wisdom
Tara Houska
Zhaabowekwe, Couchiching First Nation
"Tara Houska is a citizen of Couchiching First Nation, a tribal attorney, land defender, environmental and Indigenous rights advocate, and founder of the Giniw Collective, an Indigenous women, two-spirit-led frontline resistance to defend the sacred and live in balance."
“There is no “climate change” or “economic policy” in this place; its walls hear murmurings of the forest, of the water, or the life around us and our place within it. Interaction with one another, with all that lives, is thoughtful, respectful.”
“Much of the space we call “the climate movement” appears to be modeled after the same systems of inequity to be modeled after the same systems of inequity and separation we are attempting to change undo, or outright dismantle”
“Language like “front lines,” “grassroots,” “youth leadership,” and “inclusivity,” float over wine glasses at lavish founder gatherings. In such settings, the horizontal patterns of community that build connections and translate wisdom flicker dimly.”
—Tara Houska, Zhaabowekwe, Couchiching First Nation
Robin Wall Kimmerer
Author, Braiding Sweetgrass
"Robin Wall Kimmerer is a mother, scientist, decorated professor, and enrolled member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation. She is the author of Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants and Gathering Moss: A Natural and Cultural History of Mosses. She lives in Syracuse, New York, where she is a SUNY Distinguished Teaching Professor of Environmental Biology, and the founder and director of the Center for Native Peoples and the Environment.
"Sometimes I wish I could photosynthesize so that just by being, just by shimmering at the meadow’s edge or floating lazily on a pond, I could be doing the work of the world while standing silent in the sun."
“Even a wounded world is feeding us. Even a wounded world holds us, giving us moments of wonder and joy. I choose joy over despair. Not because I have my head in the sand, but because joy is what the earth gives me daily and I must return the gift."
"Each person, human or no, is bound to every other in a reciprocal relationship. Just as all beings have a duty to me, I have a duty to them."
"The trees act not as individuals, but somehow as a collective. Exactly how they do this, we don’t yet know. But what we see is the power of unity. What happens to one happens to all. We can starve together or feast together."
—Robin Wall Kimmerer, Braiding Sweetgrass
Engage in Conversation
Having experienced the collection, use the space below to reflect, share commentary, and engage in discussion with other viewers.
Captivating experience!
Showcasing diverse arts of song and dialogue encompasses the viewer encouraging reflection and direction for the small contribution individuals can make to live having compassion for Mother Nature. As powerful as she is, we should never misunderstand how fragile is is too.
What an incredible collection! I was moved by the collection and placement of images, and I love how each one tells a story. Most importantly, however, I love the incorporation of diverse voices. For example, the "Stolen Climate" piece touches on the perspective of First Nations people on the environment, and how it is representative of spirituality and culture.
I appreciated the song section. Great to see other people are engaged in combatting the climate crisis!
As a native of NYC, its easy to forget how interconnected I am with the environment. This curation of art reminded me of the deeply spiritual link between humans and the environment. These pieces brough the severity of the climate crisis to life for me and made me take pause to reconisder my relationship with the environment. (De) Evolution of Man by Zatarski spoke to me in a particularly profound way. I often think of industrialization as key to advancement but this piece re-freames industrial progress as a driver of de-evolution as it is destructive to the natural world which ultimately susains human life.
Wow! This made me rethink how I engage in thoughtful dialogue about our environment!