ISBN / Barcode: 9781771743440
Synopsis:
Groundswell is a collection of stirring and passionate essays from both Indigenous and non-Indigenous writers that eloquently present a compelling message about how traditional Indigenous knowledge and practices can and must be used to address climate change. The chapters interconnect, taking us from radical thinking to the gentleness of breath, and demonstrate that we are all in this together—everyone must understand what needs to be accomplished and participate in the care of Mother Earth.
Authorstap into religious and spiritual perspectives, explore the wisdom of youth, andshare the insights of a nature-based philosophy. These collective writingsgive you a chance to contemplate andformulate your own direction. A moralrevolution that can produce a groundswell of momentum toward a diverse societybased on human rights, Indigenous rights, and the rights of Mother Earth.
Beautifully illustrated with photographs,Groundswellis augmented with video recordings from the authors and a short documentary film, available on the project’s website. Profits from the book will help support the videos, documentary, and future projects of The Call to Action for Climate Change. Visitwww.envisionthebigpicture.com.
Reviews
"A beautifully illustrated and highly engaging read is Groundswell: Indigenous Knowledge and a Call to Action for Climate Change, edited by Joe Neidhardt and Nicole Neidhardt. Essays from both Indigenous and non-Indigenous contributors present a strong vision for how traditional knowledge can be used to fight climate change, as well as how we can work together toward a more balanced and harmonious relationship with nature." - Joan Elliott, Librarian/Manager, Stewart Resources Centre
“The most important environmental development of the last decade is the full emergence and full recognition of the Native leadership at the very front of every fight. One of the things that makes that leadership so powerful is its deep roots in tradition and thought; this book gives the reader some sense of that tradition, though ofcourseit is so vast that it would take a thousand such books to capture it all!”—Bill McKibben; Author Eaarth: Making a Life on a Tough New Planet
“This book shares Indigenous knowledge that can teach us to listen to and be in relationship to the Earth in a way that honors the sacredness and interdependence of all life forms. A paradigm shift, informed by Indigenous ways of knowing and acting, is crucial in this time of climate change.”—Laura Stivers; Author of Disrupting Homelessness: Alternative Christian Approaches
“Groundswell: Indigenous Knowledge and a Call to Action for Climate Change...is a powerful text that introduces a much-needed perspective on the issue of climate change. Much has been said and written on the topic of climate change from a purely logical perspective, which is essential, butGroundswellintroduces an equally important perspective, that of the spiritual implications of climate change. From the perspective of Native people, we start to unravel the complex emotions when learning of the negative effects of climate change through an entirely different lens than the lens supplied to us through westernized education. There is an aspect of spiritual connection that Native people have when approaching the topic of climate change and the destructive and corrosive actions taken against our Earth. I hate to use the phrase “spiritual connection,” because spirituality has been wrongly stripped down to anon-science,when in reality, it is something that just cannot be defined by science. One’s spirit is only one way of saying, one’s being, essence, one’s present energy, or one’s connection to all that is, beyond thought and logic. It is the core of us all, and it is a feeling that connects us all, and in my opinion, uniquely respected and understood by Native people. This is one reason I believe Native people feel an obligation to protect thisEarth,because we hold this truth close culturally. We and everythingareone, and the destruction of our planet is also the destruction of ourselves. When reading the chapter “Rooted: Staying Grounded Amidst a Changing Landscape” by Nicole Neidhardt, Teka Everstz, and Gina Mowatt, I was moved by the presence of youth voices. As a young, Indigenous person myself I felt a great power, understanding, and nuance to the voices emerging in the chapter. The writers spoke of the complexities and the duality of living as an Indigenous person inwesternsociety that I have myself experienced. They also addressed the modern paradox of social media, in that in as many ways as it is bringing people together, in manywaysit is tearing us apart and allowing for non-accountability in our society. It is rare to find a text that so genuinely sums up the issues of living as an Indigenous youth in western culture and our struggle of being heard when voicing our truths. I believe that this text, in the hands of other young people like the writers will be moved by it like I was. Nicole Neidhardt, Teka Everstz, and Gina Mowatt asked for more than a challenge of the reader’s ideology, they screamed out for a call to action."— Forrest Goodluck; Award-winning youth filmmaker, appears opposite Leonardo DiCaprio in The Revenant
“Reading the reflections of three young Indigenous activists (Rooted: Staying Grounded Amidst a Changing Landscape) is special and something I’ve admittedly never experienced before. What I thought about while reading this was my own decades' long growing pains, not just in body, but rather identity. My own insecuritieshasled me down dark walkways toward depression and anxiety. For years—and still to this day—I am petrified of the inescapable uncertainty the universe’s laws present me. I had zero doubts about three Cosmic proclamations: death, taxesandthermodynamics. Their stories are a sharp, buoyant reminder of elation and advocacy in a world of overwhelming and seemingly unlimited power: colonialism, imperialismandindustrial capitalism. These narratives bring me moral conviction and faith as we all walk hand-in-hand into our carbon wrought future.”—Kalen Goodluck; A freelance documentary photographer, photojournalist, and journalist
“Groundswellis about helping one another through the threat of death we experience on this increasingly traumatized planet—in the air, on the landandin the water—and nurturing it back to life. Neidhardt and his kindred spirits offer us new, yet familiar, resources fora creativeparticipation in that gracious process. “New” for us who are not yet listening attentively to Indigenous instructions voiced in their “Older Testament.” “Familiar” insofar as we are given to see, truly see, our relatedness and belonging to all things, great and small, in this created world, our “common home” (Pope Francis). One message powerfully conveyed throughout this book is that planetary health is primary, whereas human well-being is derivative (Thomas Berry). This message turns the infamous “Doctrine of Discovery” upside down, inviting us, all of us together, into fresh discoveries of healing wisdom in ancient treasures still alive and well for us. Again, “together”: “A little trickle of water that goes alone goes crookedly” (Gbaya proverb). Together we may pray for vibrant faith and spiritual rootedness to yield justice: equilibrium throughout creation and among all people. Such faith is indeeda “renewable energy” (Larry Rasmussen)!”—Thomas G. Christensen; Author of An African Tree of Life
Educator Information
Recommended Resource for Grades 11-12 and College/University Students.
Social Studies/B.C. First Peoples/Comparative Cultures/Contemporary Indigenous Studies Curricular Concepts Explored in the Text:
- Interactions between cultures and the natural environment.
- The role of value systems and belief systems in the development of cultures.
- Varied identities and worldviews of Indigenous peoples, and the importance of the interconnection of family, relationships, language, culture, and the land.
- Factors that sustain and challenge the identities and worldviews of Indigenous peoples.
Science/Environmental Science Curricular Concepts Explored in the Text:
- First Peoples knowledge and other traditional ecological knowledge in sustaining biodiversity.
- Human actions and their impact on ecosystem integrity.
- First Peoples ways of knowing and doing.
- Resource stewardship.
English/English First Peoples Curricular Concepts Explored in the Text:
- First Peoples languages and texts reflect their cultures, knowledge, histories, and worldviews.
- Critically, creatively, and reflectively explore ideas within, between, and beyond texts.
- Construct meaningful personal connections between self, text, and world.
- The diversity within and across First Peoples societies as represented in texts.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Preface
Invocation: Using Contemplative Meditation to Foster Change
Introduction: This Is the Moral Revolution
Climate Change Snapshots by Kristen Dey
Rooted: Staying Grounded Amidst a Changing Landscape by Nicole Neidhardt, Teka Everstz, and Gina Mowatt
What You Need to Know Is Not in a Book: Indigenous Education by Larry Emerson
Illuminating the Path Forward by Erin Brillon
Stories from Our Elders by Andy Everson
Religions for the Earth by Karenna Gore
How We Can Work Together by Merle Lefkoff
Essential Elements of Change by Mary Hasbah Roessel
The Radical Vision of Indigenous Resurgence by Taiaiake Alfred
Sharing the Wealth: Bending Toward Justice by Rod Dobell
The Commonwealth of Breath by David Abram
Science, Spirituality, Justice by Larry Rasmussen
The Moral Revolution, Weaving All the Parts by Joe Neidhardt
Acknowledgements
Further References
Further Readings
Contributors
Contributors:David Abram, Taiaiake Alfred, Erin Brillon, Kristen Dey, Rod Dobell, Larry Emerson, Andy Everson, Teka Everstz, Karenna Gore, Merle Lefkoff, Gina Mowatt, Joe Neidhardt, Nicole Neidhardt, Larry Rasmussen, Mary Hasbah Roessel.
Additional Information
208 Pages | 8.5" x 9" | ISBN: 9781771743440 | Hardcover
