Introduction

Although we are far from the Amazon, we all have a role to play in decolonizing our lands, bodies, and minds, which can ultimately lead to decolonization around the world. Decolonization is a big word and it can have a variety of meanings.

Technically, everything was “decolonized” when the colonizing countries left colonies and independent nation-states were declared in the 19th & 20th centuries. However, as we all know and read in Colonization in the Amazon, colonial practices and extractive mindsets are still used by nation-states and neocolonial corporations that seek to profit from land and communities. On top of that, we all have grown up in a colonial world- our ideologies, institutions, imaginations, and practices have all been colonized.

Given this, what does decolonization look like? Does it mean erasing the global economy built by exploitative multinational corporations? Dismantling nation-states? Replacing their leadership? What role do individuals play? Decolonization comes with some heavy and incredibly complex questions and, if done in meaningful and effective ways, would completely transform life as we know it. It is “the dual-pronged project of tearing down and building up, the dismantling of life-sucking systems alongside the construction of life-giving ones”(Micah Herskind).

Given this, decolonizing must come with steps. To learn how to decolonize, we must move beyond the basic understanding of how land was colonized, and also understand how our minds and bodies are too. As Einstein once wrote, “The same manner of thought that created problems cannot solve them”. Before we can effectively and appropriately decolonize lands, we must decolonize our practices. And before we can decolonize these daily practices, we must decolonize our imaginations, which comes with completely changing how we perceive the world around us. We’re going to start this conversation of decolonization with a comprehensive understanding of how we are colonized. Through this, we can begin to understand how to decolonize comes from the inside out.

How are we colonized?

Let’s start with a conversation between two beings in the book Ishmael, by Daniel Quinn,

“’Among the people of your culture, which want to destroy the world?’

‘Which want to destroy it? As far as I know, no one specifically wants to destroy the world.’

‘And yet you do destroy it, each of you. Each of you contributes daily to the destruction of the world.’

‘Yes, that’s so.’

‘Why don’t you stop?’

I shrugged, ‘Frankly, we don’t know how.’

‘You’re captives of a civilizational system that more or less compels you to go on destroying the world in order to live’” (1998).

Reflection

• Do you think we are captives? How and why?
• What is this civilizational system that compels us to destroy the world and how does it do so?

The civilizational system mentioned is the nation-states, ideologies, institutions, and imaginations that have come to make up our world. Because they have all been colonized, meaning overtaken with a colonial worldview (a virus, per say) that urges us to divide, control, and exploit land, resources, labor, and people (Villanueva, 2018), they compel us to destroy the world.

Did you get that? Anything that has been infected with the colonizer virus creates an itching within us to divide, control, and exploit. These traits inherently go on to destroy the world, as we are currently seeing in real time. Being infected with the colonizer virus can also be called colonization of the mind.

When folks first start talking about colonization & decolonization, there is such a desire to blame others, to paint the corporations and governments as the bad guy. But what allows these governments and corporations to continue dividing, controlling, and exploiting is our own compliance with the system as is. Our current method of trying to break out of our captivity is yelling at the guard to let us out, instead of working to recognize the bars of our own cage and figure out how to strategically break them apart.

To get out of the cage, not only do we have to find the tangible elements that keep us captive and destroying the world unintentionally. We also have to reflect and discover how our own imaginations reinforce us being caged. Think of the movie Room, in which a woman is held hostage by a rapist and kidnapper for many years and she eventually gives birth to a child who is never allowed to leave the room they live in. The movie displays how the boy does not know anything else beside that room, he does not know outside, and his narrowed imagination unconsciously reinforces him to want to stay in the room despite his motherʻs desperate attempts to escape.

Similarly, we do not know what the world could look like outside of the systems we are currently captive in. Because these systems, practices, and values are all we have known, we think it’s impossible to build a different system and we must bite the bullet and participate if we are going to survive. Imagining other ways of being seems near impossible, and imagining how we ourselves can play an active role in dismantling our captivity, which weʻre hardly aware of in and of itself, is almost mind boggling. This module is meant to help you understand how we can use our own imaginations and practices to break free of our captivity in a destructive civilizational system.

Colonization of the Mind

As previously mentioned, the colonization of our minds means we have been infected by a colonizer virus that conditions us the perceive reality through a specific lens, and urges us to divide, control, and exploit. This leads to practices that encourage division, control, and exploitation, which ultimately leads to the destruction of the world around us. Our unconscious conditioning to this perception of reality as the status quo perpetuates this cycle.

Reflection

• Who and what is infected with the colonizer virus in your life?
• What examples of dividing, controlling, and exploiting do you see in your own life?
• How have we been infected with the colonizer virus? Why is it urging us to act this way? Take some time to try to figure this out- work it out on paper or go on a walk and think critically.

The colonizer virus infects us and our communities through cultural conditioning, meaning the repeated exposure of children to certain cultural ideologies through a diverse set of mediums such as school, entertainment, parents, and peers. Through such conditioning, we have been told a story over and over again that has come to color the lens in which we perceive the world.

Reflection

• What is the story we’ve been told? Think really hard, what has been whispered in your ear your entire life? What is the default way of existing in the West?

Activity

Please read this article to help you understand cultural conditioning and the story we’ve been told:

https://willowvolkert.substack.com/p/cultural-conditioning

The Story

Does the story make sense to you now? We’ve grown up being told that man is the most intelligent being on earth and because of that, we should rule the world. This idea has fueled the colonial value system of anthropocentrism, combative conflict, hierarchy, individualism, and success as power and wealth. These values have given way to a slew of institutions and systems that dictate our reality. Hierarchy gave way to colonialism, neocolonial corporations, and globalization. Individualism has spiked capitalism while pitting neighbors against one another. Combative conflict has started war after war after genocide after war. Anthropocentrism has caused a disbelief in ideas like Kawsak Sacha and resulted in a destruction of biodiversity as well as climate change, and success as power and wealth has created tunnel vision where happiness can be described as more; more power, more money, more houses, more cars.

Reflection

• Were you raised with this story?
• What institutions and systems taught you these values?
• List the five closest people in your life and write down which of these values you see them conditioned by. What are the consequences of their conditioning?
• Which values do you see yourself as most conditioned to? Which ones feel so normal it feels like breathing?
• How does colonization of the mind perpetuate the status quo and the continuation of colonial systems and institutions?

Denial

Colonized minds often create denial that we are part of the problem; that the chaos and destruction we are seeing is actually due to our own violent ways of being.

Gesturing Towards Decolonial Futures Collective outlines the four denials that structure this larger refusal to acknowledging harm:

• the denial of systemic violence and complicity in harm (the fact that our comforts, securities and enjoyments are subsidized by expropriation and exploitation somewhere else),
• the denial of the limits of the planet (the fact that the planet cannot sustain exponential growth and consumption),
• the denial of entanglement (our insistence in seeing ourselves as separate from each other and the land, rather than “entangled” within a living wider metabolism that is bio-intelligent), and
• denial of the depth and magnitude of the problems that we face: the tendencies 1) to search for ”hope” in simplistic solutions that make us feel and look good; 2) to turn away from difficult and painful work (e.g. to focus on a “better future” as a way to escape a reality that is perceived as unbearable).

These denials, which are just as conditioned within us through ego and a fear of guilt as the colonial value systems, keep us from facing the truth of how our we are responsible for the destruction that we are seeing around the world. These denials are what perpetuates new generations being told this story and maintains existing colonial systems.

Consequences of our Colonized Imaginations

We’ve grown up with a story that teaches us that humans are the center of the universe, resources are scarce, and we must accumulate as much as possible in order to survive. “These stories have become so solidified and familiar and “true” that they began limiting our view of the world and our choices. They became beliefs, articles of faith. Yet our beliefs are just one perspective, and the more rigid our perspective, the more alternative perspectives we miss… When you live inside a system like this one, breathing the air, drinking the water, watching the television, it is beyond easy- in fact, it’s almost a given- that you’ll absorb the cultural attitudes, myths, and stereotypes; you’ll be affected by it and infected by it” (Villanueva, 2018).

When minds are colonized and more people invest in the reality of a colonial world, it results in colonial institutions growing even more, which continues to disconnect us from other ways of being that might stop or reverse the destruction that colonial norms are causing. As these institutions grow, our practices become more and more colonized as well, and our imaginations become more colonially solidified. David Orr writes that, “The average person has learned to recognize more than 1,000 corporate logos but can recognize fewer than 10 plants and animals native to their locality” (Orr, 2002). Hyperconsumption and a disconnection to the natural world are just some of the consequences of our minds that have been colonized by this value set.

When we see the ripple effect of our colonized imaginations and how it affects our lives, weʻre left thinking, “This is just the way things are, we have to make the best of it, things never change, this is human nature” (Villanueva, 2018). This creates a positive feedback loop, as mentioned in the Windigo chapter by Robin Wall Kimmerer, where we succumb to the status quo of our colonized imaginations. For example, as capitalism grows, our belief that we have to work even harder to survive grows. We find ourselves working 40-60 hours per week just to put food on the table and sustain our shopping habits. We find ourselves wearing the newest trends, using social media, and wearing more makeup because we’re told it will make us fit in. We find ourselves always wearing shoes and never touching the ground because “dirt is bad”.

Bell hooks writes that, “a successful life is measured by how much money one makes and the goods one can buy with this money. The good life is no longer found in community and connection” (hooks, 1999). “Indeed, capitalism works best when children stay indoors in malls and in front of televisions or computer screens. It loses its access to the minds of the young when they discover pleasures that cannot be bought”, writes David Orr (Nature of Design, 2002). Our colonized imaginations create a template of how our lives should be lived, setting us up for a life of superficial pleasure, endless wanting, and destruction of the systems that provide us life.

Privilege

It is hard to come to terms with this story. It is even harder to realize that being raised in this story and pursuing superficial wealth automatically gives us a level of privilege. The requires acknowledging that- consciously or not- we are exploiting others for our own gain.

This can lead to paralyzing feelings of guilt, shame, and anger. All of those edge emotions mentioned in the introduction will come out in full force when our inflated egos have to recognize the harm we have unconsciously caused our whole lives simply because of how we have been taught to see the world and act within it. These edge emotions can cause many to check out, to put on blinders, or become numb. We see this with Palestine, with all of the violence we see through social media every day. We donʻt know how to deal with our own complicity, so we tune it out, which perpetuates the separation paradigm, the colonial value system, and ultimately reinforces the cage that we are captive within.

The first thing we must do is simply acknowledge the story we’ve been raised in and the privilege that this story gives us. Hilary Giovale writes that, “when you understand this, you are going to feel bad. Youʻre going to feel some discomfort, guilt, and shame. This is part of the process and cannot be short-circuited. Engaging these uncomfortable feelings opens space for different ways of interacting with diverse people and projects. It creates possibilities for healing to happen on all sides” (Villanueva, 2018). Acknowledgement of the colonization of our minds and the consequences of it is the first step to healing.

Colonization of the Body

When our minds are colonized, we engage in colonial practices that encourage convenience, comfort, and unaccountable autonomy, all of the things that are valued by our colonial value system. The engagement with these practices, often grounded in exploiting others, is what I call colonization of the body. Colonized bodies engage in practices that satisfy short-term desires at the cost of hurting others, while simultaneously disconnecting us from the earth and our communities. Colonized bodies ignore traditional practices that are naturally fulfilling and connect us to the eart, like growing our own food, dancing under the moon, or composting, and focus our attention on purchase-able pleasures that seem to satisfy our endless Windigo craving, if only for a moment. Through the perpetuation of colonized minds and bodies throughout society, colonial practices become the status quo and continue to further divide our physical bodies from the earth and community around us. When our bodies are colonized, we become further invested in dividing, controlling, and exploiting, because we no longer know what it means to be connected, to each other or to the earth.

Reflection

• How is your body colonized?
• Do you have any practices that connect you to the Earth? If so, have you encountered any stigma from others about it?

Connecting the Dots

When our bodies and minds are colonized, the continued colonization, destruction, and theft of land becomes much easier. When we stay indoors and distracted by superficial pleasures, we donʻt see the destruction of landscapes, the erasure of culture, or the exploitation of others for our own gain.

I see it like this:

Colonized minds → Conditioning of colonial value system leads to the engagement of colonial practices, systems and institutions

we work for money; go to the store for food that we dont know where it comes from; we shop for things we don’t need in our free time; we are apathetic to most of the harm going on in the world. ⤵️

Colonized bodies → Perpetuation and growth of colonial systems and institutions

When companies and nations get away with harmful practices and get ordinary people to invest in them (say, the status quo of consumerism), these systems grow to become bigger ⤵️

Colonized lands → Expanded destruction of lands and non-colonial cultures

The bigger the colonial system grows, the more destruction it creates (as seen in the Windigo chapter by Robin Wall Kimmerer) and the more it assimilates the world into its conditioned value system (aka more people’s minds are colonized)

Reflection

• How does connecting the dots feel to you? Do you agree? Where do you disagree?

Activity

Go on a walk in your neighborhood and observe the different levels of colonization. Do you see any colonial practices? What about colonial values? What land seems destroyed or colonized for someone elseʻs gain?

Activity

Pick an item within sight of where you are sitting. Pick it up and find the brand name. Now using your computer, look up the item and find out where it came from. Find out what materials it was made out of and trace those materials as far back in the supply chain as you can.

Is your chosen item entangled in global supply chains that destroy ecosystems and communities? How?

The globalization of our supply chain perfectly exemplifies how the colonization of our bodies and practices leads to the further colonization of lands. The status quo for items to be harvested on one continent, packaged in another, and sold in another show how we prioritize our own convenience (having the items we want in the ways we want it) over common sense of utilizing the natural resources around us.

How globalization perpetuates colonization of the Amazon

Here are some commonly used products that come from the Amazon and destroy its ecosystems and communities- the colonization of land is used to satiate the colonization of our bodies, caused by the colonization of our imagination. Huge swaths of rich biodiverse rainforest, and the people who have lived there for time immemorial, are cleared for the cultivation of these products.

• palm oil
• soybeans
• beef
• oil
• rubber
• gold
• diamonds
• iron ore
• copper
• aluminum
• wood
• corn
• sugar
• rice

Source: Stacker, Guardian

These products have become the foundation of existence in the West. Our lives and high standards of living are built on stolen resources that perpetuate the toxic cycle of colonialism.

Activity

To further understand how these resources are stolen for our own gain, please read the following article.

Rich countries drained $152tn from the global South since 1960

Reflection

• In your own words, how does globalization perpetuate the systems of colonialism & capitalism, and the consequences of inequality and degradation?
• How do the consequences of globalization impact your community and/or environment?
• How does learning this information make you feel?

Bricks and Threads

We must remember that not everyone has been colonized in the ways described here. Many have been colonized in land and/or body, but not in mind. Some have experienced the opposite. In Towards Braiding, Elwood et al compare colonized/decolonized ways of being as bricks and threads. (2019).

Activity

Please read pages 13-18 of Towards Braiding

https://musagetes.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Braiding_ReaderWeb.pdf

Reflection

Please take 5-10 minutes to reflect on your opinions and reactions to thread and brick ways of being. How do they correlate to the colonization/decolonization of land, body, and mind?

Guinea Grass

In Hawai’i, there is an invasive species called guinea grass, buffalo grass, or cane grass. Megathyrsus maximus is native to Africa and Yemen and can take over huge swaths of land in a matter of months, growing up to 20 feet tall with thick roots and fiberglass hairs that make it very painful to touch without gloves. It can completely envelop cars, houses, roads, whatever it has the chance to take, it does.

This species and its behaviors in Hawai’i are eerily similar to the colonial system. It takes and takes and takes from the land and people, growing into a lifeform that helps nothing but itself. The plant is extremely difficult, and at times impossible, to get rid of. Digging it out with a machine often misses parts of it, and those parts will grow back to the original size of the entire Guinea plant within weeks. Digging it out by hand is a full body workout and requires gloves, tools, and lots of time.

To many, the labor is not worth it, and they learn to live in a Guinea system, mowing it to a manageable height & giving up on planting home gardens or new trees. They dedicate their time to surviving a system instead of building their own. We see the same instance with colonialism. “The oppressed, who have adapted to the structure of domination in which they are immersed, and have become resigned to it, are inhibited from waging the struggle for freedom so long as they feel incapable of running the risks it requires” (Freire, 1968). It is so large, fast growing, resilient, and adaptive that we have given up on escaping it and instead find ways to cope within the system as is. We try to minimize its effects and come to understand that there is simply not enough time in the day to try to survive this system while also trying to escape said system and build something else. Similarly, i see that there is not enough time in the day to dig out all of the Guinea and replace it with flourishing native gardens and food-producing plants while still supporting myself financially, emotionally, and socially. This is the trick of being captive to a life sucking system, it forces you to engage with it in order to survive which simultaneously sucks up your time, resources, and energy from finding a way out of it.

In life sucking systems, we are forced to cramp ourselves into a smaller version of who we want to be in order to survive; there is no time to build the worlds we want to live in. However, as we briefly discussed in How are we colonized?, we can strategically identify how our imaginations and practices reinforce our captivity. Through transforming our imaginations and practices to think outside of the box of captivity we’ve been raised in, we can slowly chip away at the bars of the system.

The only way to get rid of guinea grass is strategic consistency. By taking an hour a day dedicated to removing the biggest guinea plants and the ones that are competing with the life giving systems (like gardens), one can slowly build other systems while dismantling this life sucking one. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not easy- you can’t get distracted or lazy as even a couple days off from removing the guinea will lead to it bouncing back. However through this consistent and disciplined maintenance, we can start to see glimpse of what other futures could look like- land free of guinea and teeming with biodiversity.

Hospicing

An integral element of this consistent dismantling and rebuilding is hospicing. In Hospicing Modernity, Vanessa Machado de Oliveira uses the word hospicing to describe the gradual “letting go and learning from” process of ending modernity (2021). In keeping with the analogy of removing guinea, hospicing is taking the time to understand why the guinea keeps growing back, detaching ourselves from living in a guinea system, and preparing ourselves for the hard work that is to come if we want to build something new.

First and foremost, hospicing describes the gradual process of letting go. The dismantling of colonial systems, just like removing guinea, is going to be slow, whether we like it or not. This is because we live in a world of colonized minds and practices, meaning that it will not be easy to get people (and ourselves) to detach from their harmful values, habits, and practices that perpetuate the colonial status quo. Secondly, a gradual process of hospicing gives people the time to find alternative ways of being that are fulfilling and meaningful to replace the “meaning-giving” systems of modernity (consumerism, the rat race, technological innovation) that we have become so used to. Similar to guinea, we cannot expect that just removing the guinea is enough, as that just leaves us with a bare field. Along with the removal, we must plant new systems that can provide more life and fulfillment than the old one.

Like this removal and replanting, the process of hospicing modernity will not happen overnight. Rather, the slow repetition of deconstructing old, homogenizing systems and maintaining new systems will allow us to move forward in a way that doesn’t hurt peoples chances of surviving in the current or upcoming system.

Hospicing is also used to emphasize how much we can learn from even the most toxic of situations. There are so many lessons modernity can teach us, and by letting it die slowly we can take in those lessons and stories, instead of forcefully cutting ties and accidentally repeating the mistakes of humankind. Similarly, many conversations, lessons, and relationships that changed lives are born from the time taken to remove guinea. This reflection is critical and is something we must do on an individual, communal, and societal basis to determine what we can learn from the past, and what step we should take next

Finally, hospicing modernity allows us to use the values of care and compassion that we want to have as a foundation as we build something new. If we can use these values in even the most exploitative situations, if we can show compassion even for something that hurt so many, it will strengthen our resilience and allow us to create a more caring, empathetic, and compassionate culture for all.

Peeling Onions

Confronting the layers of colonialism can be a hard pill to swallow. Just like the other modules; this content will push you into edge emotions. Breathe.

Although weʻre all complicit, that doesnʻt mean we have to feel guilty. Guilt must be transformed into action-oriented responsibility.

How will you work toward undoing the harm that the world is built on?

Jessica Hernandez describes decolonization as peeling onions (Fresh Banana Leaves, 2022)- there are many layers and we won’t uncover what’s next until we finish the one in front of us. And like onions, there is likely to be some uncomfortability and crying as a part of the process.

Gesturing Toward Decolonial Futures has created the following compass questions that display the complexity of this work, which can guide how we peel these onions. Below the compass questions, you can also find their shared responsibilities, which can also guide how to create right relations during decolonizing processes

compass questions

Healing

Edgar Villanueva reminds us that “the process of healing from trauma is central to decolonization. Acknowledging our woundedness is key”. He outlines the seven steps to healing that are necessary when we begin peeling the layers of (de)colonization.

1. “Grieve: We have to stop and feel the hurts we’ve endured
2. Apologize: We must apologize for the hurts we’ve caused
3. Listen: We must acknowledge the wisdom of those excluded and exploited by the system who possess exactly the perspective and wisdom needed to fix it
4. Relate: We need space to share our whole selves with each other and understand we don’t have to agree in order to respect each other
5. Represent: We must build whole new decision-making tables, rather than setting token places at the colonial tables as an afterthought
6. Invest: We need to put ALL our [resources] where our values are
7. Repair: We must use [resources] to heal where people are hurting, and stop more hurt from happening

Vanessa Machado de Oliveira calls this process “radical tenderness”, the cultivation of a space and process to “exist, to let our emotions out, to relate to one another, to escape the noise. So many people are hurting, and we need to acknowledge that instead of trying to plow forward in the name of ʻprogressʻ, as industrial society so often does” (Machado de Oliveira, 2021).

Cultivating radical tenderness and making space for these steps of healing wonʻt necessarily be a linear process. Edgar Villanueva writes that, “Certain steps may need to be repeated, and the entire process may need to be repeated. In this way, it’s more of a circular or spiral process. Like any clever virus, the colonizer mindset keeps mutating and adapting, so in order to heal fully we will need to be vigilant and get booster shots” (2018). These steps must be constantly connected to the layers of colonialism that we are peeling; they must motivate our peeling and be brought back up as we peel. Jimmy Elwood writes that, “we cannot expect to have a clear idea of the outcome [of this journey] from the outset: it is like learning to walk and breathe in a foggy road together…weaving different relationships depends on people engaging in good faith, being open to the unexpected, and allowing ourselves to be transformed. It is important not to suffocate the process with expectations and projections. It is also important to be careful not to allow specific past traumatic experiences to overdetermine the process” (Elwood et al, 2019). All of this work is bound to put you in uncomfortable positions and mindsets where you may want to compare how youʻre doing to others. Elwood reminds us that there is, “no need to feel above or below anybody — there is no need to ‘look good, feel good and be seen to do good.’ We are all human — limited, contradictory and potentially harmful, and we are doing the best we can from where we are at in our journeys, living through good and bad days” (Elwood et al, 2019).

As Machado de Oliveira explains, cultivating radical tenderness is about being radically soft and understanding with yourself and others as we work to acknowledge the harm thatʻs been done, process our trauma and emotions, and figure out where to go next. Please work to embody radical tenderness for yourself and others as you begin to peel onions and discover the complexity of decolonization in real time. It won’t be a comfortable process, be sure to give yourself grace.

Identifying Layers

This module identifies 3 core layers of decolonization- land, body, and mind. Each of these layers has many sublayers. Our job as individuals is to find a sublayer that we are passionate about and have the right skills for and work to peel it back. As communities, we can focus on an entire layer. As a world, we can work to peel all layers back simultaneously. Edgar Villanueva writes that, “There is no quick fix for the complexity of colonization. Decolonization is a process with roles for everyone involved, whether you’re rich or poor, funder or recipient, victim or perpetrator. It may not feel like we’re moving forward at all, during certain phases of healing. Patience and grit are required” (Villanueva, 2018).

The next part of this module will give you a general feel for each layer, what it means to peel it back, and how peeling can lead to finding compelling alternatives. Afterwards, I will share more resources to explore each layer more in depth. I encourage you to use this time to explore which layer feels most pressing to you and find your niche within it. As you find this niche, make sure to partner with people working on other layers and sublayers, as collaboration among difference is one of the most generative paths ahead. Remind yourself that the steps of healing are an integral part of peeling onions; no matter which layer you are on, these steps should always come first.

Decolonizing the Mind

As previously mentioned, decolonizing the mind starts with acknowledging the story and ideologies we’ve been told our entire lives, understanding that these ways of being are not necessarily reality, but one way of existing in the world, and analyzing how these ways of being perpetuate inequality, exploitation, and privilege. We then must hold ourselves accountable to how these stories have influenced our mindset, actions, and really our entire lives

Grieving

As Villanueva mentioned, grieving is the first step to healing and decolonizing our minds. Villanueva writes that, “becoming reconnected- overcoming the mindset of separation- is how humans heal from trauma. Reconnecting can mean remembering traditions and honoring our community’s wisdom. It can mean researching our family history. It will probably mean remembering and re-experiencing painful events” (2018). Overcoming separation and reconnecting means getting up close and personal to the harm and trauma that our communities and ancestors have undergone and/or caused. It means leaning into the intergenerational emotions that have been suppressed, it means talking about things that are not easy to talk about.

Villanueva writes that, “those who have embodied and sustained the colonizer virus also have much to grieve for. The fear, anxiety, and mistrust that characterizes being a member of the 1 percent is no joke. The survival mechanisms they often adopt include staying walled off, physically and emotionally disconnected, and well medicated” (2018). When it comes to being white, that is another level of natural privilege that must be acknowledged and its harms grieved. “You cannot and must not opt out of whiteness. You have to grapple with the messiness of the privilege. You have to come and collect your people. Settlers and their descendants have to grieve the lives of their ancestors, the culture that made their acts of domination and exploitation even imaginable, possible, and acceptable” (2018).

Stephen Jenkinson has also reflected on the “orphanhood” of many who have been separated from or don’t know their lands of origin. From European settlers to immigrants to descendants of slaves and people so mixed they no longer know what land or culture they should call home, we all must grieve the “profound longing for connection, purpose, and ancestry” that we have all felt, in one way or another, for must too long (Orphan Wisdom, 2018). As we grieve our disconnection, our new motto of “connect, relate, belong” reminds us to talk to our family, reconnect with our lands of origin and ancestors if we feel called to, and find new ways of being and cultures that call to us and engage with them in ethical and appropriate ways.

Reflection

In your own words, write an acknowledgement of the people you come from and the story you’ve been raised in. Take some time to grieve the harms that have been done by your people or on your people. Talk to family and friends about your grief and these harms, make space for emotion.

Apologizing

Once we’ve acknowledged our people & the story we’ve been raised in and grieved the harms connected to it, we must take our grief and transform it into an action-oriented responsibility. Grieving takes time and is not a linear process. Make sure to not rush to this step and only move beyond grieving when you are truly ready.

Everyone is connected to the harm of colonialism in one shape or another, and thus everyone is grieving, has likely reproduced harm, and likely needs to apologize to others. The context of apologies may be wildly different; some may need to apologize for the intergenerational trauma and destruction their ancestors have caused, others the internalized oppression they or their family has reflected onto other groups of people, and others for refusing to relate their struggle for sovereignty to others. Although apologizing may not always seem like the most pertinent next step, they work to settle the air in order to begin reconstructing the broken connections between human beings; they allow us to humble ourselves and build respect for others through the acknowledgement of harm. In Decolonizing Wealth, Hilary Giovale shares her apology, which she has sent to friends, family, and colleagues as a part of her process of decolonization.

“To my Indigenous Relatives and Relatives of Color: I apologize for my ignorance of the harm that came to you and the horrors you survived through many generations. I apologize for my unconscious racism and white supremacy, and the pain they have caused you. I apologize for the silent ways I gave my own comfort priority over your existence as a sovereign human being. When I dishonored you, I dishonored my own humanity and the humanity of all our children. I am sorry. I love you. Please forgive me.

To my European-Descended Relatives: I apologize for all the times I have judged you instead of allowing myself to feel the grief of our collective spiritual impoverishment and cultural amnesia. I apologize for seeing you as a monster of oppression, instead of a Child of Creation. I apologize for disassociating from you and denying that we are related. When I judged you, I judged my own ancestors, my children, and myself. I am sorry. I love you. Please forgive me” (2018).

Reflection

Reflect on this apology and the ways you might relate to it. If you feel compelled, please write your own apology. This can be for your own safekeeping, or to share with those close to you. Apologizing is an important first step in beginning to clear intergenerational harms, changing what is, and creating the space to discuss what could be.

Changing Value Systems

Once weʻve found our own apology, we can work to stop reinforcing this story through our mindset and imagination. This firstly starts with our value systems. As articulated in the article on cultural conditioning, the Western story we’ve been raised on teaches us to promote anthropocentrism, hierarchy, individualism, combative conflict, and success as power and wealth.

Reflection

What values do you want to replace the ones we’ve been raised on? Try to think of each value listed as being the extreme of a themed spectrum, for example:

• Anthropocentrism is the extreme of a spectrum of how connected we feel to the natural world, and the other end of that spectrum is naturalism, in which we completely live off the land and feel one with nature, similar to Robin Greenfield. Remove yourself from your conditioning and think of the world you’d like to live in- where do you lie on this spectrum?
• Hierarchy is the extreme of a spectrum on how we relate to one another. equity would be the opposite and equality would be toward the middle. Remove yourself from your conditioning and think of the world you’d like to live in- where do you lie on this spectrum?
• Individualism is the extreme of a spectrum of how much we trust and support our communities. collectivism would be the opposite. Remove yourself from your conditioning and think of the world you’d like to live in- where do you lie on this spectrum?
• Combative conflict is the extreme of how we deal with conflict; restorative/transformative justice would be the opposite. Remove yourself from your conditioning and think of the world you’d like to live in- where do you lie on this spectrum?
• Success as power and wealth is one definition of success. Remove yourself from your conditioning and think of the world you’d like to live in- what is your definition of success?

Now, please go over your answers with a peer and initiate a discussion on the similarities and differences. Discuss how your conditioning and background may be influencing your answers.

Connecting Values to Practice

Once we’ve written down the values we hope to pursue, we must put that into practice by consistently re-wiring our brains on the ways to enact these values through our practices. This comes through (un)learning and decolonial education. As we unlearn, reconnect to our ancestry, and disconnect from colonial systems, parts of us will want to cross the abyss, focus on building a utopian future, and cut out anyone who doesn’t agree with complete dismantling. Villanueva writes that, “Some of the hardest work involves crisscrossing the abyss, understanding both positions, and seeking ways to bridge them. Evolving a complex set of systems, like white supremacy and capitalism and long-standing institutions like governments, banks, and foundations, requires bridge builders who can envision opportunities for change and lead with compassion” (2018).

Braiding

In Toward Braiding, Elwood et al describe braiding as, “a practice yet-to-come located in a space in-between and at the edges of bricks and threads, aiming to calibrate each [space] towards a generative orientation and inter-weave their strands to create something new and contextually relevant, while not erasing differences, historical and systemic violences, uncertainty, conflict, paradoxes, and contradictions” (2019). They describe it as an ongoing and emergent process, in which “braiding is not a form of synthesis in which two approaches are combined in order to create a new, third possibility to replace them both. Braiding is also not the result of selective, “salad bar”-style engagements with both sides, taking the “best” or most convenient elements of each and combining them; nor is it the result of an antagonism in which one side emerges triumph- ant over the other. Instead, braiding is premised on respecting the continued internal integrity of both the brick and thread orientations, even as neither side is static or homogenous,and even as both sides might be transformed in the process of braiding” (2019).

Braiding means accepting the reality of how these worldviews and ways of being have affected us as individuals, our communities, and our ecosystems, and finding ways to slowly move forward while healing. Within this process, braiding means opening spaces for creative, thoughtful, unconventional, inspiring and socially accountable experimentation that could create viable possibilities beyond what is imaginable for either brick or thread (2019). Braiding means making decisions together, in mutually defined processes, that center the people impacted and collective accountability. In braiding, our fragilities are put to the side while prioritizing action-oriented commitments that reduce harm, build resilience, and weave better worlds (2019).

Activity

The poem wanna be an ally?, published by GTDF shows what braiding by brick-oriented people could or should look like

Gestures…

Reflection

• how do these two sensibilities and ways of being (brick/thread) feel to you? Do you identify with one more than the other? Why? How do these ways of being feel tied to identity or how one grew up?
• How does bricks and threads represent the interactions between Indigenous and settler communities?
• In what way does it represent how we can engage with Indigenous communities and decolonization in general?
• Based on what we’ve learned about the Amazon, how does this relate to Amazonian communities and our connection to them?
• How could you be a bridge builder and a braider between these different sensibilities? What is your role within building these braids and bridges?
• Reflect on the wanna be an ally? poem for 2-5 minutes- what did it bring up for you?
• How can braiding bring us toward transformation?
• How may braiding may prepare us to address the collective problem of climate change while acknowledge our unevenly shared responsibility for creating it? How might we carry the burden of our increased responsibility to address the crisis in equitable ways?

Imperfection

As we determine how to move forward, we must remember that we are all, “both part of the problem and potentially part of the solution. We are all complicated, contradictory, and capable of both wonderful and horrible things. We can listen without getting defensive when people say that you have done something hurtful, and laugh at (and take responsibility) when we act out things we know are part of the problem and that we easily identify and critique in others” (Elwood et al, 2021).

The decolonization of our minds, as with every element of decolonization, is an act of fermentation, turning that which no longer serves us into newly available nutrients to cultivate something that, rather than destroying the diversity of life, tends to and sustains it. We are composting imaginations and values that do not tend to our holistic health and allowing them to decompose into fertile soil, in which we can foster the growth of ways of being that encourage the mutual flourishing of the land and people. The decolonization of the mind is like peeling an onion within an onion- we will continue to find new layers of unconscious colonialism within us and around us, and the work of unlearning and dismantling toxic imaginations while relearning and nurturing growth-oriented imaginations will not be easy. Give yourself grace throughout this process while also holding yourself accountable to growing up and showing up better. Often, we will unconsciously reproduce harm. This can look like (as shared by Elwood et al in Toward Braiding):

• Utilizing Indigenous knowledge for your own gain
• Expecting Indigenous communities to feel grateful for your “help”
• Move to innocence: e.g. “I am a good person because: I am inclusive of Indigenous cultures and ideas/I have a critique of colonialism/I want to dismantle colonialism”
• Dehistoricization: e.g. “The past is behind us and resentment for the past will get us nowhere, why can’t Indigenous people move on?”
• Universalization: e.g. “Indigenous knowledge is an important part of our collective human knowledge, and thus it should be made equally available to all of humanity”
• Weaponization of Indigenous critique: e.g. “To be able to appropriate something suggests property is being stolen, but the idea of property itself is a colonial concept”
• Self-transparency: e.g. “I have the best intentions, so I couldn’t possibly be harmful”
• Selective engagements and decontextualization: e.g. “I find this Indigenous idea or story useful for my purposes, so it doesn’t matter if this differs from its original meaning and context of use”
• Individualized sanctioning: e.g. “My Indigenous friend/ colleague/partner said it was ok”
• Aggressively seeking permission: e.g. “I’m sure I can convince someone to approve of my actions if they would only give me the chance to explain”
• Generalization: e.g. “I have experienced living three months with an Indigenous community in Nepal, so I understand Indigenous struggle.”
• Self-Indigenization: e.g. “We are all Indigenous to some- where” or “We have been here long enough that we have become Indigenous to this place”

Parts of these modules might reproduce harms in this way, despite our best attempts not to. Reproducing harm, messing up, falling into systemic power imbalances, and renegotiating how we show up to this work is all a part of the work. It truly is decolonization in action. Like peeling onions, it is not pretty or comfortable or a perfectly packaged deliverable to be presented to others. Reproducing harm is not an “individualized problem, but rather is rooted in historical and colonial structural patterns that are normalized and rewarded in society” (Elwood et al, 2021). There are ways to acknowledge its historical presence while still holding ourselves accountable to growing up and showing up in better ways. There are ways to humble ourselves by thanking those who point these things out, while still giving ourselves grace when we mess up. When things fall apart, we must be open to being held accountable by one another and should work to proactively hold ourselves accountable as well, while avoiding the anger, guilt, and shame that the colonial world has conditioned us to feel when we mess things up.

Remind yourself that learning to repair and engage differently is a long and challenging journey and we will continue to build skills to engage in this process. “this is not just about changing how we know, it is about changing how we hope, how we feel, how we form relations — this process takes time and is not linear (it is often “one step forward, two steps back”)” (Elwood et al, 2021). You’re not alone in your feelings of confusion, of hopelessness, of hope, of inspiration, of yearning for something better. Reach out to those who are also in this journey, connection & community are essential to decolonizing in effective ways.

Addiction

Decolonizing the mind is actually like a withdrawal from an addiction. We, as individuals and a society, are addicted to the superficial feelings of comfort that the foundational colonial value systems provides; we’re addicted to the control of anthropocentrism and hierarchy, the consumption of individualism, the convenience of power and wealth, and the unaccountable autonomy intrinsic to combative conflict. Our addictions within these broad values are clots of smaller addictions- to drugs, to sugar, to caffeine, to the latest trends- to all of the many, many things within colonial society that keep us attached to its broader values and practicing its customs.

These addictions will not go easily, and even if we say we are getting sober and dis-engaging from colonial imaginations, our practices must reflect that too*.* Jimmy Elwood writes that, “having a stated intellectual critique or moral commitment to decolonization/ Indigenization does not always equate to a shift in one’s affective investments in colonial desires and perceived entitlements. ****In other words, saying we are doing something is not the same as actually doing it; and generally, it is a lot easier to say we are committed to change than to actually change” (2021). For this reason, while decolonizing the mind is an important first step, a significant thought experiment and a critical foundation to decolonization, it is not something to be done solely on its own and should be paired with decolonization of land and body as much as possible.

Resources to aid in the decolonization of the mind

• The intersectional environmentalist → a website and book that shares toolkits, trainings, and resources about how all social justice issues are intersectional, meaning that they are worsened by the existence of other inequities and that the solution to one issue is interconnected to the solutions to other environmental and social justice crises. This resource will help change your perspective from seeing siloed issues of environmental degradation, poverty, land theft, etc, to understanding the spiderweb-looking, interconnected nature of social and environmental inequities.
• Ishmael → A book that explains the history of humankind from the perspective of a telepathic gorilla. Helps the reader get out of their conditioned frame of reference and see mankind from other, non-human perspectives that point out the strange and evolutionarily unstable ways of colonial civilization
• Braiding sweetgrass → This book is an endless source of Indigenous wisdom on how we could live in better relation and reciprocity with the natural world. The 400 page book reads like poetry and flies by as you are exposed to an outside perspective on western ways of being and an insider perspective to how Indigenous wisdom and traditional ecological knowledge can light the path forward.
• Nature of design → This book points out the multifaceted flaws of design in the western world and how shifting our perception of and relationship with nature can change how we design the world around us to be more sustainable, just, and beautiful.
• Fern gully → This 90s children movie follows a community of fairies living in a pristine forest who face the destruction of their homes from humans and their evil partner, Hexxus, an amalgamation of oil and toxic chemicals that destroys everything it touches. The movie shows an alternative perspective of Western ways of being and can help viewers unlearn the conditioned status quo of cutting things down and relearn the significance of stewardship.
• For the Wild→ this podcast exposes the colonial value system and ways of being that we have been raised on and shares the work of activists, authors, and artists who are working to shift away from this status quo and toward more gentle ways of being for the collective liberation for all beings
• Crossing the River podcast →This podcast focuses on sharing Indigenous knowledge that can provide the wisdom and guidance humanity needs to shift away from conditioned colonial value systems and create a live-able future for all.
• Gesturing Toward Decolonial Futures Collective → This website has an abundance of materials on the colonization/decolonization of our minds and bodies, and how we can find ways forward that hold us accountable while giving ourselves grace.

Decolonizing the Body

Another crucial part of decolonization is decolonizing our practices. As previously mentioned, our conditioned values have led to colonial practices, and we are addicted to the feelings of comfort and convenience that those practices provide. In order to overcome our addictions and decolonize our practices (and thus our physical bodies), we will have to engage with the stages of withdrawal. This includes:

1. a realization that change is needed
2. denial of the extent of change needed
3. anger, shame, guilt and grief at how our actions within our addiction have affected others
4. attempts to change
5. setbacks and obstacles
6. acceptance of previous addiction and a disciplined commitment to sobriety

Of course, when we live in a western world where it’s not simple to escape the comforts and conveniences of colonialism & capitalism, or the systems of exploitation that provide it, withdrawal does not lead to a clear cut line of sobriety. Instead, our actions in modernity must be constantly re-evaluated and re-framed to guide us toward the kinds of worlds we want to live in.

Reflection

• Which stage of withdrawal are you currently in? How are you dealing with this stage?

Changing Our Practices

Decolonizing our bodies and practices involves dis-engaging from the harmful practices we’ve grown up on. This includes everything from the status quo of buying plastic covered items at the grocery store to relying on death (fossil fuels) to fuel our future. By dis-engaging from colonial practices that create harm, we have the space to re-engage with sustainable and regenerative alternatives, like growing our own food, connecting with community, making art, etc. This process will not be easy, as the colonial practices we’ve grown up in purposely make everything more comfortable and convenient. However, by fighting these addictions, you will find much more meaning and fulfillment through the process of changing your practices for the better.

Rather than the divide, control, exploit of the colonized body, decolonized bodies operate under the notion of “connect, relate, belong” (Villanueva, 2018). Decolonized bodies practice these values in every element of their life- from engaging deeply in their relationships to buying local and gardening. Decolonized bodies recognize the myth of comfort and convenience and opt for what may seem “harder”, knowing it will grant deeper fulfillment and connection.

Changing tangible practices that reflect this might look like:

• shopping only at farmer’s markets and/or taking a hard look at where your food is actually coming from and the impact it has
• starting your own garden
• shopping at thrift stores or starting clothing swaps with friends
• supporting local businesses
• buying from BIPOC+ businesses
• swapping out your toiletries for sustainable alternatives (no plastic, no chemicals)
• volunteering for community initiatives
• donating to Indigenous-led organizations (some suggestions are Selvagem, NDN Collective, and Amazon Watch)

Of course, we must acknowledge the layers of privilege that prevent many people from decolonizing their practices. Many people do not have the time, energy, or space to decolonize their practices because all of their time has to be spent playing catch up and surviving in a system that does not value them. For this reason, it is integral for those with privilege to decolonize their practices while simultaneously giving others grace in how they show up. If those of us with privilege push these practices into the realm of normalcy, they will become easier for everyone to engage in, nudging us closer to the kinds of worlds we want (and need) to build.

Decolonizing Relationships

A core part of decolonizing bodies is also decolonizing our relationships. In the western world, relationships are often grounded in what you can “get” from the other person, whether that be in connections, materials, or experiences. This transactional nature can often perpetuate superficial relationships that keep individuals feeling isolated and disconnected from others on the spiritual level that is instinctual to humans. We are meant to live in community with our lives deeply interwoven and entangled with one another.

To mediate this, we can begin decolonizing our relationships by grounding them in trust, respect, reciprocity and accountability (Andreotti, 2018), rather than in what we are getting from them. When you begin to find people that speak to your soul, ask yourself how these qualities show up in the relationship, rather than what kind or amount of material that is being exchanged. When we begin to show up fully in relationship to one another, grounded in our commitment to each other’s flourishing rather than what’s being exchanged, we are better able to collectively confront the traumas of the past and heal together while cultivating a more just and sustainable future. While we are transforming how we are in relationship with one another, remember that we should “not expect or feel entitled to marginalized community members holding space for you to work out what it means to be in good relation. Learning and unlearning processes may cause more harm, and though it is wonderful to attempt genuine repair, marginalized community members may not want it right now, and that’s okay. Give space and give yourself grace while holding yourself accountable to further learning” (Elwood et al, 2021). Building networks of responsibility in which those who have the time and space hold each other accountable during the processes of decolonizing body and mind may be the best path forward to truly decolonize relationships.

Resources to aid in the decolonization of bodies

Showing up differently- Gesturing Toward Decolonial Futures → This collective provides a multitude of resources to aid in the decolonizing process. This page centers activities and readings of the ways we can show up differently to effectively decolonize our practices and relationships

Selvagem Living Schools → The Living Schools initiative started by Selvagem shows a path forward of how we can decolonize our bodies by reconnecting with ancestral wisdom and practices. Another example of this is Kumano I Ke Ala in Hawai’i, which provides traditional Hawaiian education to youth. We encourage you to read about these schools and reflect on how you could support these initiatives, or what something similar in your region would/could look like

Living Resistance → This book provides insight and wisdom into how we can practice resistance to colonial systems in our everyday life. In the book, Curtice explores the four realms of resistance- personal, communal, ancestral, and integral- and how these realms of resistance can lead to more embodied understandings of belonging, connection, and collective liberation

The Rounds → This American startup provides a perfect example of what decolonized practices could look like in cities. They provide zero waste delivery of all your household goods while favoring local and sustainable products, as well as pick up recycling, compost, and donations, all by e-bike. Think Amazon and Costco meets the milkman. They’re located in DC, Philadelphia, and Atlanta.

Farmer’s Markets → Attending your town or city’s weekly farmer’s markets is the easiest way to decolonize practices by shortening the supply chain, encouraging food sovereignty and security, and supporting local businesses. Not only will you find new favorite products that are locally made, farmer’s markets are also bound to help in the decolonization of the mind by cultivating community and connection. To get started, simply look on Google where local farmer’s markets are, or ask some friends.

Thrift shops, locally made clothing, and repair stores → Repairing, buying used and buying locally made clothing that uses organic materials are all ways to decolonize our relationship with the fashion industry. In case you weren’t aware, the fast fashion industry is responsible for almost 10% of global carbon emissions, numerous cases of human rights abuses, and extreme amounts of waste. In 2013, a fast fashion factory in Bangladesh, Rana Plaza, collapsed due to unsafe working conditions, killing 1,134 and injuring 2,600 more. The collapse was a pertinent example of the juxtaposition of the fashion industry, in which elegant clothing is made at the expense of young women and girls’ lives. You can watch this interactive documentary by the Guardian to gain a greater understanding of the effects of the fashion industry.

Slow fashion, making local clothing using organic materials, is said to be the best alternative, though it’s high prices often make it inaccessible to the masses. A great alternative to both systems is thrift stores, which prioritizes a “seconds first” model that curates styles using clothes that are already in the system (i.e donations). Thrift stores are often very cheap, saving you money while also prioritizing sustainability and justice.

Viori → This shampoo and conditioner brand partners with the Red Yao tribe in Longsheng and buys their Longsheg Rice water at a premium to produce incredibly rich shampoo and conditioner bars that are good for you, the environment, and Indigenous communities. Buying products from Indigenous communities is one of the best ways to encourage Indigenous sovereignty and decolonized supply chains.

Grove→ This delivery company provides you all sustainable options for your everyday items like wellness, cleaning, bed & bath, pet and more. The website is easy to use, making it easy to switch to sustainable options! Find bamboo toothbrushes, no-tube toothpaste, lifetime steel razors and zero-waste cleaning products here.

Decolonizing Land

Finally, the last layer of decolonization mentioned here is decolonizing land.

By far the most complex yet simple statement one could put here is land back.

Land Back, which began as a campaign hosted by the NDN Collective, a nonprofit working across Turtle Island to build Indigenous power, has turned into a worldwide campaign for the return of unceded Indigenous lands. But, as stated on the website, land back is more than just land, it is the return and reclamation of culture, land, language, power- everything that makes a people what it is- back to Indigenous communities. Land Back is decolonization in its purest form, making it the most effective, yet also the most complicated, solution that exists when it comes to decolonization.

How do you give land back to a community that it was stolen from centuries ago? How do you repair the trauma that comes from stripping a people of its culture? What happens to colonial law? To taxes? Do we have passports anymore? How about our food system? All of these questions, big and small, are integral to the process of land back.

In Hawai’i, Dr. Keanu Sai has taken the illegal occupation of the Kingdom of Hawai’i to The Hague, where the UN, US, and the International Court of Arbitration all confirmed the Kingdom of Hawai’i to be a sovereign nation and UN experts and the International Lawyers Guild all sent letters to the State of Hawai’i urging the governor to acknowledge the illegal occupation and create a Treaty of Peace to restore sovereignty in the Kingdom. The State hasn’t been opposed to doing this, given that it’s one of the most progressive states in the country, but due to the international law of postliminium, this acknowledgement of a Treaty of Peace would mean that everything that the US has done in Hawai’i since annexation would be void. The conversations that would need to be had to figure out what this means and how to move forward in Hawai’i alone could take years- for updates on what this process is looking like so far, press here to access the Kingdom of Hawai’i Blog.

Thinking about Land Back on a global scale means a mind boggling amount of debates, discussions, and negotiations about reparations and how to move forward, all of which need to be given the proper amount of time, patience, and intentionality. These conversations are starting, and there are some things we can think about as individuals to begin having conversations in our communities and getting on the same page.

Reflection

For Indigenous folks: What would reparations and reconciliation look like to you, on your lands? As an example, Dr. Sai has announced that if a Treaty of Peace is signed, the following reparations would need to be enacted for Kānaka Maoli (Native Hawaiians) as a bare minimum:

• a drastically decreased cost of living
• free healthcare
• land at $20/acre
• full access fishing rights

For non-Indigenous folks: Remember that Land Back does not mean that youʻre going to be kicked out of the place you call home, but rather governance will be transferred back to the rightful owners of the land you live on. Given this, what do you think or expect your role to be in facilitating Land Back in your own community? How do you see the transformation of spaces and organizations in your region to reflect the local Indigenous culture, interdependence, reciprocity, and relationship?

• Research if there is (or has been) an active Land Back campaign in your region. What is its current status and why?

Conclusion

Thank you for reading this module and engaging with the layers of decolonization. For better or for worse, you can engage with these modules and not do anything with it. In fact, most people will set down, take a deep breath and get back to the status quo. Maybe some sort of vague responsibility for the world around you will linger in the back of your mind, but the distractions and reinforcements of colonial culture will quickly sweep in and keep you from implementing any real change in your values and practices. But the status quo can only continue to keep you captive if you let it. We can’t keep allowing ourselves to get distracted, to set ground-breaking ideas down and say we’ll pick them back up later. After reading this, you must work to change the way you interact with the world. Only through that will we begin to find a new path forward.

Activity

Please read *The Transformation of Silence into Language and Action *****by Audre Lorde

https://electricliterature.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/silenceintoaction.pdf

We hope these modules helped you learn, unlearn, and feel more entangled with your surroundings. We hope you can look at the Amazon and the world around you through a new lens, a new frame of reference that showcases our entanglement with systems of destruction and systems of revival. To wrap up, please answer these last few questions.

Reflection

• Which layers of decolonization do you connect with the most? How does it fit with your skillset and passions?
• How do you plan to engage with/support each layer in your own life? Which layer do you plan to prioritize working on?
• How will you transform silence into language and action?
• Please write down 2 lessons you took away from this module, why these lessons were significant, and how you will carry them into your daily life

Bibliography

Abrahamson, Lenny. Room. Universal Pictures, 2016.

Andreotti, Vanessa et al. Beyond Doomism and Solutionism in Response to Climate Change. University Affairs, 2022.

Clean Clothes Campaign. Rana Plaza. Clean Clothes Campaign, 2024. https://cleanclothes.org/campaigns/past/rana-plaza

Crossing the River podcast, 2024. https://open.spotify.com/show/5bqAsGBn6XHoGIqoV6KRrQ?si=1335a173e0a442cb

Curtice, Kaitlin B. Living Resistance: An Indigenous Vision for Seeking Wholeness Every Day. Brazos Press, 2023.

Elwood, Jimmy et al. Towards Braiding. Musagetes Foundation, 2019.

For the Wild, 2024. https://forthewild.world

Freire, Paulo. Pedagogy of the Oppressed: 30th Anniversary Edition. Continuum, 2000.

Gesturing Toward Decolonial Futures. Compass Questions. Gesturing Toward Decolonial Futures, 2024. https://decolonialfutures.net/compass-questions/

Gesturing Toward Decolonial Futures. Showing Up Differently. Gesturing Toward Decolonial Futures, 2024. https://decolonialfutures.net/project-type/showing-up-differently/

Gesturing Toward Decolonial Futures. The 4 Denials. Gesturing Toward Decolonial Futures, 2024. https://decolonialfutures.net/4denials/

Gesturing Toward Decolonial Futures. Wanna Be An Ally? Gesturing Toward Decolonial Futures, 2024. https://decolonialfutures.net/portfolio/wanna-be-an-ally/

Grove, 2024. https://www.grove.co/g/our-mission

Hernandez, Jessica. Fresh Banana Leaves. North Atlantic Books, 2022.

Hickel, Jason et al. Rich countries drained $152tn from the global South since 1960. AlJazeera, 2021. https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2021/5/6/rich-countries-drained-152tn-from-the-global-south-since-1960

hooks, bell. All About Love: New Visions. William Morrow, 1999.

Intersectional Environmentalist, 2024. https://intersectionalenvironmentalist.com/about

Kumano I Ke Ala, 2024. https://kumanoikeala.org

Land Back. NDN Collective, 2024.

Lorde, Audre. The Transformation of Silence into Language and Action from Sister Outsider: Essays and Speeches. Crossing Press, 2007.

Quinn, Daniel. Ishmael. Random House Publishing Group, 1992.

Lisa, Andrew. 20 Products You Might Not Know Are From the Amazon Rainforest. Stacker, 2021.

Machado de Oliveira, Vanessa. Hospicing Modernity. Penguin Random House, 2021.

Maiti, Rashmila. Fast Fashion and Its Environmental Impact. Earth.org, 2024. https://earth.org/fast-fashions-detrimental-effect-on-the-environment/

NDN Collective, 2024. https://ndncollective.org/es/

Orr, David. The Nature of Design: Ecology, Culture, and Human Intention. Oxford University Press, 2002.

Poulton, Lindsay et al. The Shirt on Your Back. The Guardian, 2014. https://www.theguardian.com/world/ng-interactive/2014/apr/bangladesh-shirt-on-your-back

Sai, David Keanu. Hawaiian Kingdom Webblog. The Hawaiian Kingdom, 2024. https://hawaiiankingdom.org/blog/

Takuá, Cristine. The Living Schools Initiative. Selvagem, 2024. https://selvagemciclo.com.br/en/colabore/

The Rounds, 2024. https://www.therounds.co

Villanueva, E. Decolonizing Wealth. Berrett-Koeheler Publishers, 2018.

Viori, 2024. https://viori.com

Volkert, Willow. Cultural Conditioning. Substack, 2024.

Wall Kimmerer, Robin. Braiding Sweetgrass. Milkweed Editions, 2013.

Watts, Jonathon et al. The Multinational Companies that Industrialized the Amazon Rainforest. The Guardian, 2023.