Revitalizing laws, (re)-making treaties, dismantling violence: Indigenous resurgence against ‘the sixth mass extinction’

ABSTRACT

The stories told about ‘extinction’ matter greatly: they embody theories about what is causing the global-scale destruction of plants, animals and other beings, and what might stop it. Dominant Western scientific stories/theories frame this phenomenon as the unintended result of desirable human activities. They prescribe the scientific management of remaining ‘biodiversity’ within structures driven by colonization, extractivism and other violent logics. In contrast, Anishinaabeg, Haudenosaunee, Nêhiyaw and many other Indigenous stories/theories that address this issue understand ‘extinction’ as an expression of the breaking of laws, treaties and protocols between particular peoples, plants, animals, land, water and other beings. This relation-breaking violence is embedded in everyday manifestations of colonial violence and in the genocides of humans and nonhuman peoples. Centring Haudenosaunee, Anishinaabeg, Nêhiyaw and critical Western/settler stories/theories, this contribution argues that halting ‘extinction’ means not only dismantling structures of law-breaking and structural violence, but also repairing the relations that those laws, treaties and protocols uphold. It also honours the efforts of Indigenous resurgents doing the crucial work of repairing these relations.

Les histoires racontées au sujet de l’extinction ont une grande importance: elles incarnent les théories sur ce qui cause la destruction à une échelle mondiale des plantes, des animaux et des autres êtres vivants et ce qui pourrait l’arrêter. Les histoires/théories occidentales dominantes situent ce phénomène en tant que résultat non intentionnel des activités désirables de l’homme. Elles prescrivent la gestion scientifique de la « biodiversité » restante au sein de structures menées par la colonisation, l’extraactivisme et autres logiques violentes. En contraste, Anishinaabeg, Haudenosaunee, Nêhiyaw et bien d’autres histoires/théories indigènes qui se préoccupent de ce problème comprennent ‘l’extinction’ comme une expression de la violation des lois, des traités et des protocoles entre certaines personnes, plantes, animaux, terre, eau et autres êtres. Cette violence de rupture de rapports est inscrite dans des manifestations quotidiennes de violence coloniale et dans les génocides d’êtres humains et non humains. En se concentrant sur les histoires/théories des Anishinaabeg, Haudenosaunee, Nêhiyaw et des critiques occidentaux/coloniaux, cette contribution argumente qu’arrêter « l’extinction » signifie non seulement défaire les structures d’infractions aux lois et de violence structurelle mais aussi réparer les rapports que ces lois, traités et protocoles maintiennent. Elle honore aussi les efforts des résurgents indigènes qui font le travail essentiel de réparation de ces rapports.

Las historias contadas acerca de la ‘extinción’ importan mucho: incorporan teorías sobre lo que está causando la destrucción a escala global de plantas, animales y otros seres, y lo que podría detenerla. Las historias/teorías científicas occidentales dominantes enmarcan este fenómeno como el resultado involuntario de actividades humanas deseables. Prescriben la gestión científica de la ‘biodiversidad’ restante dentro de estructuras impulsadas por la colonización, el extractivismo y otras lógicas violentas. En contraste, los Anishinaabeg, los Iroqueses, los Cree y muchas otras historias/teorías indígenas que abordan este tema entienden la ‘extinción’ como una expresión de violación de leyes, tratados y protocolos entre pueblos, plantas, animales, tierras, aguas y otros seres particulares. Esta violencia que rompe relaciones está inserta en las manifestaciones cotidianas de la violencia colonial y en los genocidios de seres humanos y no humanos. Centrándose en los Iroqueses, los Anishinaabeg, los Cree y en las historias/teorías críticas de los colonos/occidentales, esta contribución argumenta que detener la ‘extinción’ significa no solo desmantelar las estructuras de la transgresión de la ley y de la violencia estructural, sino también reparar las relaciones que esas leyes, tratados y protocolos mantienen. También honra los esfuerzos de los resurgentes indígenas que realizan el crucial trabajo de reparar estas relaciones.

KEYWORDS:

• Extinction
• Anishinaabeg philosophy and science
• Haudenosaunee philosophy and science
• Nêhiyaw philosophy and science
• Indigenous resurgence
• decolonizing research methodologies

MOTS CLÉS:

• Extinction
• philosophie et science Anishinaabeg
• philosophie et science Haudenosaunee
• philosophie et science Nêhiyaw
• résurgence indigène
• méthodologies de recherche de la décolonisation

PALABRAS CLAVE:

• Extinción
• filosofía y ciencia Anishinaabeg
• filosofía y ciencia Iroquesas
• filosofía y ciencia Cree
• resurgimiento indígena
• metodologías de investigación descolonizadoras

Acknowledgments

I would like to express my gratitude lands and waters where I make my home – the Ancestral lands of the Attawandaron/Neutral peoples, and the Ancestral and Treaty lands of the Six Nations of the Grand River and the Mississaugas of the New Credit – which have inspired and nourished this work. I am also grateful to the many Grandmothers, Aunties, Uncles, young land and water protectors, plants and animals who have guided me in my attempts to live better with these lands and waters. Thanks to my co-editors, Noah Theriault, Tim Leduc and June Rubis, and to the rest of the Creatures Collective for creating a space of mutual support and care in the midst of the colonial university system. This work was supported in part by a grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (Knowledge Synthesis Grant, 2017). This special edition was supported by funding from the Independent Social Research Foundation (Residential Workshop Grant, 2016).

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

1. It is important to note that my comments about the ethical problem of my presence on these lands is specific to me, my Ancestors and these lands. Indigenous peoples all over earth – including on the lands to which I refer – have engaged in diverse relationships with newcomers, including those of welcoming, adopting and forming alliances with the latter. These relationships vary across communities, within communities and over time.

2. For instance, Haraway’s (2015) article, which has become seminal within environmental humanities discourses on extinction, mentions the word ‘extinction’ twice, but does not offer any further definition or unpacking. So, although it is critical of the perceived sources of extinction, it uncritically employs this concept, which emerged from and remains dominated by mainstream Western scientific discourses.

3. Thank you to an anonymous reviewer for making this point.

4. Following the guidance of Johnston (2010) and Benton-Benai (2010) regarding appropriate engagement with Anishinaabeg stories, I have told the story in my own words but included as many details as possible from the telling from which I draw.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported in part by grants from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada [Knowledge Synthesis Grant, 2017] and the Independent Social Research Foundation [Residential Workshop Grant, 2016].