Environmental Communication and Conciliation - (Environmental Communication and Nature: Conflict and Ecocult) by Geo Takach (Hardcover)

About the Book

This book explores methods of bringing environmentalist, art-based and Indigenous ways of knowing and being into dialogue to improve relationships with the Earth and Her First Peoples.

Book Synopsis

This book explores methods of bringing environmentalist, art-based and Indigenous ways of knowing and being into dialogue to improve relationships with the Earth and Her First Peoples.

Geo Takach argues that two of the greatest crimes committed by humanity - environmental devastation and the continued dishonour, dispossession and attempted eradication of Indigenous peoples - are entwined and need to be addressed together. Rooted in communication and cultural studies, this book explores ways to bring environmental, arts-based, and Indigenous ways of knowing and being into dialogue towards improving relationships with the Earth and Her First Peoples.

Through this multimodal exploration, the book builds an analytical foundation for that alliance by considering causes and challenges common to ecological and human colonization. Joined by a generous array of Indigenous and non-Indigenous knowledge-keepers, artists, scholars and citizens, Takach then demonstrates how we can interweave environmental, arts-based and Indigenous perspectives and collaborative meaning-making in our communications to inspire what he calls environmental conciliation.

Review Quotes

"Environmental Communication and Conciliation: Exploring Arts-Based and Indigenous Approaches by Geo Takach is an important and timely book for all those concerned with the fate of our planet and humanity. The bridging of environmentalist, arts-based, and Indigenous ways of knowing makes this book unique. This book is both a wake-up call and a hopeful call to action. A passionate and compassionate text!" --Patricia Leavy, Editor of Handbook of Arts-Based Research (Second Edition), USA

"Fostering healthier relationships with Indigenous peoples and the Earth through humour, art, and self-location, this book is a conversational meditation on creating a kinder, fairer society and a healthier planet. Spending time with Geo's ideas helps cultivate greater hope for our shared futures" --John Borrows, Loveland Chair in Indigenous Law, University of Toronto, Canada

"To read Geo Takach's words is to encounter him as the dynamic, self-actualized and energetic scholar that he embodies. From his first hearty greeting to his last best wishes for our collective journey forward, Takach demonstrates himself as a masterful storyteller, an incisive philosopher, and most importantly as a respectful and thoughtful listener. While the heart of his work seeks pathways to building ethical and healthy relationships with both the Land and with Indigenous peoples, particularly in the Canadian context from which he writes, his inquiry also explores the intersections of arts-based, environmental and Indigenous approaches to research. While such a broad canvas might be unwieldy for some, Takach draws on a myriad of scholarship to provide nuance to the Big Picture thinking his work conveys.

Environmental Communication and Conciliation draws the reader into multiple perspectives on both our historic and contemporary relationships with the Earth and First Peoples, not only through its exploration of literature, but also through the way in which the author is transparent in sharing his research process by offering us direct and intertwined discussions with colleagues and other researches. Having participated in some of these conversations, I can attest to the care that has been taken in presenting and reflecting on what we shared. His heartfelt approach to this process is evident on every page of the book, as is his deep care for the wellbeing of our planet and all its inhabitants.

Perhaps the best indicator of my appreciation for this work stems from the number of times I thought of colleagues, students and friends whom I knew would relish the ideas being explored in this text. His openness to the self-reflection necessary for the process of decolonizing, and his commitment to finding language to speak about his dreams and work that is inclusive and carries the seeds of both Indigenous and Eurocentric thought, offers an excellent example of two-eyed seeing in action, and of what is possible when we take the time to engage in meaningful ways and embody the intent of the four Rs of Respect, Relationship, Reciprocity and Relevance. Geo Takach has much to offer all of us who seek to protect our Mother Earth and to live in balance and good relations with one another." --Shannon Leddy, Associate Professor of Art Education, University of British Columbia, Canada

About the Author

Geo Takach is Professor in the School of Communication and Culture at Royal Roads University, and an uninvited visitor to the lands of the Lekwungen-speaking peoples, the Songhees and Esquimalt Nations, on so-called Vancouver Island, Canada.