The coast of South Africa’s Eastern Cape, near the Dwesa-Cwebe Nature Reserve, is a picture of calm. Clouds rest on the horizon, and gentle waves turn the sand into a reflection of the blue sky. But this serenity faces a threat—one driven by the demands of a warming climate and an economy rooted in fossil […]
Tag: indigenous people
Past Due: Queering the Democratic Party
In an inspirational feat this past summer, a lesbian Native American attorney bested five other Democrats to secure the Party nomination in Kansas’ 3rd district. Her background is nothing short of remarkable: a Cornell Law graduate raised by a single mother and Army veteran, Sharice Davids went on to be a key political player whose […]
Multiculturalism in Europe: The Sami
Indigenous: the very word brings to mind Native Americans or Australian Aborigines. It is quite difficult to disentangle this word from the notion of “non-indigenous” Europeans colonizing “indigenous” people on a distant continent. There is, however, a group of people in Europe who can claim to be indigenous: the Sami. These nomadic people from the […]
Development: A Dam Problem
It seems odd to juxtapose “environment” with “refugee”. The environment is a set of conditions that cultivate the life of beings. By definition, it is suited to the livelihoods of certain humans, just as humans are suited to their environments. Both participate in a symbiotic relationship, so the term “environmental refugee” indicates a very […]
Statue Statutes: Will Renaming Bring Reconciliation?
In the town of Kitchener, Ontario, the statue of Sir John A. MacDonald is struggling to find a permanent home. The bronze likeness of the nation’s first Prime Minister, created by famous Canadian sculptor Ruth Abernethy, was initially commissioned to be featured alongside other statues of past statesmen in a new city park celebrating Canada’s […]