music
ambience: Yumari Song, male vocal with rattles
In the mountains of Mexico, the Raramuri people say that they are as closely connected to the land and all of its inhabitants as they are to each other. I’m Jim Metzner and this is the Pulse of the Planet. Enrique Salmon is a Raramuri anthropologist who describes his people’s relationship to the natural world is kincentric ecology.
“Kincentric ecology is the way that traditional native folks look at our relationship to our environment, it’s the same model we use for our human relatives that we place upon nature, all the plants, the animals, the wind, the earth and all these things are relatives as well, and we often refer to them in terms of grandmother and uncle and so on.” Kincentric ecology was a way for me to try to express that notion so that non-native peoples might be able to understand it, because non-native peoples, think of their families in terms of ‘this is my kin’ – and so I was thinking’ well that’s how we look at everything around us”. As for native peoples we’re a part of it, and it’s a part of us, and who we are is directly related to our kin, our relatives, including the plants and the animals and the land, and so it’s this kincentric relationship.”
According to Salmon kincentric ecology affects more than just the Raramuri’s relationship with the land. It fosters a strong cultural identity, and is taught to the younger generations through stories and rituals.
Pulse of the Planet is presented with support provided by The National Science Foundation. I’m Jim Metzner.
music