Tuning Into our Ancestral Memory in Tumultuous Times
And why is it so important, to remember and acknowledge that all of our ancestors, whoever they may be, whether we know them or not, at one point in time held and practiced cultural and place- specific ways of being with the natural world?
Because it validates the resurfacing of a deep, collective yearning to reclaim our relationship with the earth. This in turn, is a reflection of our birthright as humans: that we all carry the ability to connect with the natural world, as an integral part of its ecosystems.
Over the years of my interactions with folks around explorations of ancestry, the diaspora, of being a settler, and connecting with the earth, I have noticed a deep undercurrent of collective loss, that many of us do not know where we come from and desire to connect to the wisdom and ways of our ancestors. The popularity of researching family trees, genetic testing and pervasiveness of cultural appropriation attests to this. And as a refresher, cultural appropriation is when someone sees traditional Indigenous practices, and, intuiting their wisdom, inappropriately borrows, steals and emulates them out of context and without permission for personal gain or profit.
People long for “home,” and yet, don’t know how or where to find such a place, regardless of their efforts. Many cannot even return to “home.” Many are on territories that are not their ancestors’. Or perhaps through forced relocation, displacement and migration brought about by slavery, conflict, and environmental disasters, we’re bringing our place-specific teachings to different areas. Many are also unable or uninterested in tracing their lineage, and aren’t in a position to learn the traditional, land-based teachings of their forebearers. Many more have a diverse tapestry of ancestors from across the globe.
This is our lived reality in today’s times.
And so, it’s important to tease out and identify some core principles and practices for which we can access our collective birthright as humans to connect with the natural world, regardless of our upbringing, ancestry and location. There are indeed some core practices that act as a bridge, or the solid warp of a weave, to hold in place our connection with the natural world. And we can engage in such things while honouring the place-specific wisdom inherent in the locations we find ourselves in, which is held by the Indigenous peoples of those lands.
Honouring our collective birthright to connect with the natural world is the very medicine we need to transform, adapt and innovate in our communities for these tumultuous times.
- Excerpt from my forthcoming book, With Intention, With the Land
Image description: Coiled serpent, green with purple spots. A sacred animal for many of our ancestors across the globe. Painted in watercolour and ink, by Sarah West.
