Matthew Dedes Week 5 - Concept – Ec(h)ology – Holocene State
Text: Leslie Marmon Silko – From the emergence place
Netflix: Meat Eater
Humanity has dealt with the representation of natural worlds and eco-systematic concepts as a progressive yet destructive means to an end. Historiography delves through the moral and ethical understandings of humanity and their ongoing treatment of the natural landscape throughout time. Modernism and the advancement of technology has created an eco-system within itself relinquishing the connection to the land and animals whilst circumventing any actions necessary to save our dying world. Literature has documented the ongoing shift toward the neglect of our natural world in order to continually grow and aid humanity’s needs and wants. Indigenous societies have often been at the forefront of such extinctions surrendering their cultural histories and connection to our natural world due to the development of humanity’s newly formed eco-systems. Humanities, relationship with nature can be shown through all forms of indigenous literature invoking a sense of connection and realism toward the incumbent use of the land. Humanities efforts within the 21st century and the technological shift toward a greater future, have in essence forwarded humanity quickly along a Holocene state. 21st century ideals and the representation of humanity has led to the rapid proliferation and urban expenditure which humanity now calls home. The overarching question serves along the overall significance of whether or not it is too late. Indigenous communities and their beautiful connection with the land has been neglected and phased out throughout time. Indigenous communities use the beauty of storytelling and art, in order to pass down generations worth of knowledge and understanding on how to live harmoniously within their natural landscape. Indigenous communities often culminated a fruitful connection to their eco-system taking only what was needed in order to allow all forms of life to survive and live-in sync with one another. In other words, a means where all prosper.
The representation of natural worlds can be shown throughout literature as a pure and soul like connection to the land in comparison to the modern aggressive shift toward a Holocene state. Eco-concepts such as a Holocene state are often explored and represented through 21st century ideologies such as greed and power, whilst old indigenous societies and their cultural historiography is neglected even though their connection to the natural world is a complete eco-system.
Australian Indigenous poetry explores the very representations of natural worlds and the impact civilisation has had on their connection with the land. The Aboriginal people of Australia lived within their means and were ushered out of their cultural habitats due to white civilisation. It can be argued that such white civilisation is at the forefront to the significant growth in a Holocene state as their land they once knew is no longer there. Australian indigenous poet Oodgeroo Noonuccal and his poem municipal gum explores the dangers civilisation poses on the natural world and its existence. The indigenous community within Australia lived harmoniously within the necessities of a friendly eco-system however now encounter “hard bitumen around your feet” (line 2 stanza 1). Oodgeroo Noonuccal examines the connection to the natural world and its ambience through “rather you should be, in the cool world of leafy forest halls and wild bird calls” (line 3 stanza 1). Noonuccal then juxtaposes such old ideals through the comparative analysis to the natural world and the image of a “poor cart horse” (line 7 Stanza 1) portraying the disconnection to the eco-system and its animals.
Similarly, Leslie Marmon Silko’s text ‘from the emergence place’ explores an indigenous community who live harmoniously with the land, where their eco-system survived through their ability to connect with the natural world within the form of everyday life. Both Australian Aboriginals and the ancient Pueblo people’s connection with the natural world and animals created an eco-system which linked all forms of death, life, food and inhabitancies to one soul and understanding on how each certain inhabitant survived. Noonuccal continues to draw comparisons between the connections of old and the harsh realities of today’s age through the rhetorical question, “What have they done to us?” (line 16 Stanza 1). Noonuccal enlightens responders to the importance which the natural world portrays on everyday eco-systems and the helplessness of the indigenous people to continue to connect with the land in the variety of ways necessary. Exactly like Silko’s rendition of the Pueblo people, eventually the indigenous populations are unable to survive such technologically advanced societies due to greed and power which societal class and hierarchy intimately has over such populations. Introducing the concept of a Holocene state implores humanity to understand the connection of old indigenous communities in order to stop the inevitable from happening. The difficulty however is that, if we are holding value toward our progressive society, the extinctions of societies or indigenous cultures of old couldn’t keep up to the harsh realities of humanity’s disengagement with the natural world.
Digging further within 21st century literature beyond the realms of poetry, Netflix have orchestrated a TV show called ‘Meat Eater’ which represents Indigenous colonies and there use and connection to the land. The show illustrates the realities of what humanity are doing to the natural world and we are currently becoming conditioned to over hunt and overcompensate which will eventually mean extinction or a Holocene state to freshwater food sources or forest’s animals. Representing natural worlds within literature can be shared throughout poetry, books or even TV shows that represent the issues which we are now faced with due to the ongoing neglect or understanding of people before us. Looking at old pieces of literature, poetry or even Tv shows, humanity needs to understand the impacts they have on everyday eco-systems and the natural landscape.
Concept development – Eco-soul