Over the semester, the issues of social justice and the environment have become a complex topic within the classroom. The intersection of social justice and environmental issues in the films is evident through the lens of social-ecological resilience, or Buen Vivir, throughout the movie that has been discussed. These documentaries illuminate how contemporary social injustices, often stemming from unequal power dynamics, are intricately linked to environmental degradation and the erosion of cultural identities. The intersectionality of social justice, environmental issues, and social-ecological resilience is prevalent in contemporary films. Return of the River highlights the impact of human interventions on natural ecosystems and indigenous …show more content…
By restoring the river's natural flow, the documentary suggests a path towards Buen Vivir, where humans and nature coexist harmoniously. Gather explores the loss of food traditions among Native American communities and their efforts to reclaim them. Food is not just sustenance; it is deeply intertwined with cultural identity and sovereignty. The film illustrates how the deterritorialization of environments, through colonization and disruptions to traditional foodways, is a social justice issue. The resilience shown by individuals like Nephi Craig and Twila Cassadore in reclaiming ancestral practices speaks to the pursuit of Buen Vivir. Their efforts to reconnect with traditional foods and ecological knowledge embody social-ecological resilience, advocating for a more balanced relationship with nature. Oklahoma Gov. Mon Amour delves into the complexities of family, identity, and the impact of political activism on personal lives. The Gaertner family's tragedy reflects the consequences of unbalanced power systems and the challenges faced by multicultural …show more content…
The film highlights the importance of public participation in decision-making, echoing the principles of Buen Vivir. The resilience of activists like Shi Lihong and the eventual cancellation of the dam project signify victories for social-ecological resilience. Sediments provide an intimate exploration of transgender women's identities against the backdrop of nature. The film portrays the layers of identity and the need for human connection, paralleling the complexities of social justice issues. The journey of the I-Vaginarium group members reflects the pursuit of Buen Vivir as they navigate societal perceptions while celebrating their uniqueness. Their exploration of self and empathy towards each other embodies social-ecological resilience, illustrating the interconnectedness of personal and environmental well-being. These films offer a unique perspective on the intricate relationship between social justice, environmental issues, and social-ecological resilience. Whether restoring a river ecosystem, reclaiming food traditions, navigating cultural identities, fighting against destructive projects, or celebrating diverse identities, these documentaries show that these issues are deeply
Modern day Native American are widely known as stewards of the environment who fight for conservation and environmental issues. The position of the many Native American as environmentalists and conservationists is justified based on the perception that before European colonists arrived in the Americas, Native Americans had little to no effect on their environment as they lived in harmony with nature. This idea is challenged by Shepard Krech III in his work, The Ecological Indian. In The Ecological Indian, Krech argues that this image of the noble savage was an invented tradition that began in the early 1970’s, and that attempts to humanize Native Americans by attempting to portray them as they really were. Krech’s arguments are criticized by Darren J Ranco who in his response, claims that Krech fails to analyze the current state of Native American affairs, falls into the ‘trap’ of invented tradition, and accuses Krech of diminishing the power and influence of Native Americans in politics. This essay examines both arguments, but ultimately finds Krech to be more convincing as Krech’s
Lives for Native Americans on reservations have never quite been easy. There are many struggles that most outsiders are completely oblivious about. In her book The Roundhouse, Louise Erdrich brings those problems to light. She gives her readers a feel of what it is like to be Native American by illustrating the struggles through the life of Joe, a 13-year-old Native American boy living on a North Dakota reservation. This book explores an avenue of advocacy against social injustices. The most observable plight Joe suffers is figuring out how to deal with the injustice acted against his mother, which has caused strife within his entire family and within himself.
He accentuates the idea of respect that indigenous people have for their environment. Salmón is interested in this topic because it is related to him; he is a Rarámuri. In his book, he gathers stories of American Indian farmers, including the Rarámuri people and describes their land management practices. What is more, the author outlines the advantages of such methods and claims that it is necessary to use traditional food practices to avoid future agricultural and environmental problems. Although Salmón exemplifies some future issues in the agricultural industry, he does not dive deeper into this topic. The author does not pay much attention to the impact of industrialization and modern agricultural technologies on indigenous farmers and the environment in general. Nevertheless, the book is an excellent collection of American Indian stories. Salmón fulfills the above mentioned task and reveals how culture remains relevant to food
The United States may be glamor of hope and prosperity for many nations still undergoing democratic maturity and development; however, her story is one that combines deadly struggles and an array of governmental decisions that defined the path to freedom of now the world’s most powerful country. One of the ways to understand the history of the United States is through revisiting the Trail of Tears, which is documented in the film. We Shall Remain: Trail of Tears. Notably, the film documentary with five parts in total highlighting the history of Native Americans from the 17th
The first two acts of this film are truly inspiring because they capture the "fire" of the environmental movement. It chronologically begins by discussing the origins of conservative environmentalists, to documenting the details of successful environmental movements, and concluding by explaining the merging of civil rights with environmentalists. Ultimately, “A Fierce Green Fire “serves as a dynamic call for the continuing action of protecting and conserving our biosphere.
In our day and age where our youth are becoming more aware of the history of the country and the people who inhabit it, the culture of Native Americans has become more accessible and sparks an interest in many people young and old. Recent events, like the Dakota Access Pipeline, grab the attention of people, both protesters and supporters, as the Sioux tribe and their allies refuse to stay quiet and fight to protect their land and their water. Many Native people are unashamed of their heritage, proud of their culture and their ancestors. There is pride in being Native, and their connection with their culture may be just as important today as it was in the 1800’s and before, proving that the boarding school’s ultimate goal of complete Native assimilation to western culture has
Shriver, Thomas, and Gary Webb. “Rethinking the Scope of Environmental Injustice: Perceptions of Health Hazards in Rural Native American Community Exposed to Carbon Black.” Rural Sociology 74.2 (2009): 270-292. EBSCO Host. Web. 12 December, 2009.
“Reclaiming Culture and the Land: Motherhood and the Politics of Sustaining Community” is about a mother who is a Native American activist who has two children, she wants them to be raised and go to school in an Indian community. “I put my children in that school because I wanted them to be in the Indian community.” She explains that she is not sure if her children know what she is doing is common, but they know that what she is doing is right. “My children do have the sense that what I do is not necessarily common. Recently my daughter started asking me if I’m famous.” She has fought for her children to have a good life, full of community, ritual, and an understanding of who they are and where they come from.
In most American families parents are overjoyed as a result of the happiness and success of their teenage children. Across America teenager are enjoying their “rite of passage”, such as friends, after school activities, sports, vacations with their families and their first car. At the same time, little is known of the extreme poverty and despondency existing within the reservations of the Native American communities. Many Native American families are still struggling with the pain and anguish their ancestors suffered during the ethnic cleansing and forced relocation of the 1800’s such as the Trail of Tears.
Can you imagine having to leave everything you have ever known to live in a country on the verge of war? Lesley Shelby, the main character in One More River by Lynn Reid Banks, knows exactly how it feels. This Jewish Canadian girl has to emigrate to Israel with her family. Through the determination and courage of one person we see how challenges, complications, and differences of the world are overcome.
Informative Speech Peer Assessment - Mayra Ceballos Mayra’s speech was to inform the audience about Mexicans crossing the border illegally to the United States. Specifically, it was about unaccompanied minors who crossed the border due to poverty, violence, and family reunification. Overall, Mayra did an extraordinary job in the use of suitable visuals and the organization of her speech. However, a couple things that she could focus more on for the next assignment is the delivery of her speech in vocal variety and articulation.
Baraka is a non-linear environmental documentary released in 1992 and directed by Ron Fricke. The film is full of sweeping shots of breathtaking landscapes, intimate scenes of individuals in their environment, and time-lapse sequences of both natural and man-made structures. Without dialogue or a linear structure, the film successfully uses visual context to tell several stories that weave into the film’s overarching theme. First, Baraka tells the story of the importance of ritual and religion in the human experience, with a focus on indigenous cultures. Then, the narrative shifts focus and Baraka tells a new story, one about human modernization and the consequences of modern society. Finally, the film makes apparent its overarching theme:
Yet, despite a lack of access to multicultural environmental education in formal settings, adults are also changing the way the environment is conceptualized, and the way problems are identified and solved from their cultural subjectivity. For Hill (2003), environmental adult education encompasses activist projects, community building, solidarity, resistance and marshalling networks of knowledge. Environmental adult education positively contributes to environmental justice communication through citizen mobilization, popular activism, and direct actions that are essential for democracy, healthy people, and ecological systems. This education helps minority communities address the confluence greed, white privilege and class advantage as apparatuses that can be measured in environmental
Hawken writes that the movement, a collective gathering of nonconformists, is focused on three basic ambitions: environmental activism, social justice initiatives, and indigenous culture’s resistance to globalization. The principles of environmental activism being closely intertwined with social justice rallies. Hawken states how the fate of each individual on this planet depends on how we understand and treat what is left of the planet’s lands, oceans, species diversity, and people; and that the reason that there is a split between people and nature is because the social justice and environmental arms of the movement hav...
Nature’s Gold: Comparing Michel de Montaigne’s Inspiration and Bernal Diaz’s Intentions, Indigenous Peoples have brought culture, traditions, and knowledge to the United States of America. Yet, despite their invaluable contributions, they have always struggled in American society. In the past, Europeans have illustrated cruel stories of the Natives as noble savages, uncivilized people and criticized their practice of cannibalism. Historically, these stories have led the world to establish a negative association with the Natives.