Sustainability Crises Are Crises of Relationship - Learning From Nyikina Ecology and Ethics

Summary

A contrast between two sciences, from Nyikina Country in Australia. Western ecology studies what humans depend upon; Nyikina science asks what belongs, with animals, plants and waters as kin holding custodial responsibilities. So “a relational lens sees ecological crises as signs of broken relationships”; maintaining good ones “requires attending to these relationships, and caring about and for them.”

Rationale

The authors ask researchers to apply this ethic of care to their own knowledge-making. Our version of that question: what dispositions are we living through how we do the work?