Description
This presentation examines how Indigenous philosophies of relationality and responsibility provide an ethical foundation for contemporary conservation advocacy. The central objective is to explore how Indigenous worldviews frame plants, land, water, and non-human beings not as resources, but as living relatives within a web of reciprocal relationships.
In contrast to dominant Western frameworks that separate humans from nature and reduce conservation to technical management, Indigenous philosophy begins with the understanding that all beings are interconnected. Concepts across Turtle Island, such as Mitákuye Oyás’iŋ (all our relations) in Lakota, Juchari Uinapekua (our shared strength or collective life force) in Purépecha, for example, express the view that humans are not stewards over nature, but participants in a network of mutual obligation and care.
Through storytelling, cultural examples, and reflection on youth-led conservation efforts, this presentation will demonstrate how Indigenous youth are embodying these philosophies in their work. Their advocacy is not simply activism; it is a continuation of ancestral responsibility to land and kin.
The purpose of this work is to offer an alternative ethical lens for conservation, one grounded in relationality, respect, and cultural continuity. Attendees will gain insights into how to engage with Indigenous knowledge systems not as supplementary content, but as foundational worldviews that can reshape how we protect and relate to the land in a time of ecological crisis.
Presenter Bios
Giselle Alvarez
University of California, Berkeley
Giselle Alvarez is a first-gen alumna from UC Berkeley with an interdisciplinary focus on computer science, ethnic studies, and philosophy. Currently, Giselle is focused on learning her native language and reclaiming traditional ways and knowledge. She is passionate about land stewardship and conservation, traditional medicine, and plants.
DateSaturday, February 7
