Twentieth International Conference on Environmental, Cultural, Economic & Social Sustainability

Abstract

As the earth shakes, rumbles, pours, and scorches, Indigenous traditions and knowledges are being sought. Several key Indigenous concepts are receiving particular attention such as the relational nature of Indigenous beliefs, and reciprocity traditions. Yet, as more and more efforts to incorporate Indigenous knowledge into sustainability efforts and pursuits is occurring, key epistemological foundations and traditional principles need to accompany, and potential (re)align these recognitions and integration attempts. This work locates and grounds premises and engagements of ecological intimacy, which pulls from the ecology of intimacy understandings and applications, while applying and focusing it in relation and contingent to natural reason/natural law centerings. Wherein, natural reason/natural law is known as foundational to Indigenous cosmologies. Thus, ecological intimacy becomes a model of Indigenous epistemological practices with focus and intent on nature’s knowledge offerings and our contingent responsibilities. Also, this work flushes out the distinctions of fulfilling Nation/Indigenous responsibilities rather than relying on oft truncated notions of reciprocity. Lastly, a more deliberate telling of relationality will be provided as relationships are necessary to fulfill all aspects of Indigenous ways of being. In the current ever-present and heightened urgencies of climate change/climate crises, these concepts and frameworks are quickly being referenced and/or tokenistically employed. While they may seem self-explanatory, they are often over-generalized. Thus, this work, from an Indigenous epistemological grounding, engages Indigenous knowledge traditions to explain and provide insights and perspectives to these conceptual potentialities for sustainability.