An Indigenous environmental scientist breaks down why western
conservationism isn't working--and offers Indigenous models informed
by case studies, personal stories, and family histories that center
the voices of Latin American women and land protectors.
Despite the
undeniable fact that Indigenous communities are among the most
affected by climate devastation, Indigenous science is nowhere to be
found in mainstream environmental policy or discourse. And while
holistic land, water, and forest management practices born from
millennia of Indigenous knowledge systems have much to teach all of
us, Indigenous science has long been ignored, otherized, or perceived
as soft--the product of a systematic, centuries-long campaign of
racism, colonialism, extractive capitalism, and delegitimization.
Here, Jessica
Hernandez--Maya Ch'orti' and Zapotec environmental scientist and
founder of environmental agency Piña Soul--introduces and
contextualizes Indigenous environmental knowledge and proposes a
vision of land stewardship that heals rather than displaces, that
generates rather than destroys. She breaks down the failures of
western-defined conservatism and shares alternatives, citing the
restoration work of urban Indigenous people in Seattle; her family's
fight against ecoterrorism in Latin America; and holistic land
management approaches of Indigenous groups across the continent.
Through case
studies, historical overviews, and stories that center the voices and
lived experiences of Indigenous Latin American women and land
protectors, Hernandez makes the case that if we're to recover the
health of our planet--for everyone--we need to stop the
eco-colonialism ravaging Indigenous lands and restore our
relationship with Earth to one of harmony and respect.