September 2022 Philosophy Symposia Series: Gaia & Indigenous Perspectives on Nature

In this symposia series, led by guest scholars Martin Ogle and Lailani Upham we explored our relationship with nature as viewed by Gaia Theory & Indigenous worldviews, respectively.  Conversational & interactive in format, each symposium covered different terrain in different venues.  Events involved discussions and reflections about the inter-connectivity of earth (and its numerous inhabitants), mythology, science, literature, and ethics.

• The first in the set — “Gaia & Beer: Signs of a Living Planet” — was held at Ten Mile Creek Brewery and explored the connections between the brews we drink and Mother Earth.  This will be an informal, fun symposia to open up the weekend.
• The second in the set — “Gaia Meets Indigenous Perspectives” — was held at the Holter Museum of Art and served as a formal introduction to Gaia Theory and Indigenous Perspectives on nature.  The evening kicked off with a mingling meet-and-greet over appetizers and bevies, and live music by local musicians Spare Change.  After happy hour, Lailani and Martin spoke to various aspects of Gaia & Indigenous ways of thinking, knowing, and moving through the world and how those relate to our relationship with and an in the natural world.
• The third in the set — “Implications & Applications” — was held on Merlin Nature Preserve and involved a combination of presentation, discussion, and exploratory wanderings by foot and hayride.

Audio-video recordings, images, and other resources from the series are provided below.

Audio and video recordings from our symposia series will be added here soon.  In them meantime, here is a video highlighting the program and what kinds of thing we explored each day.

Opening Song (by guest Naomi M. Billedeaux Holcomb)

Flag Song, Chief Earl Old Person, ceremony, and coming together/relationships/community-building

Traditional knowledge, sources, and healing (Lailani Upham)

Indigenous Perspectives

• Iron Shield Creative

• The Piegan Institute

• Indigenous Vision

• Chief Earl Old Person — An article in NY Times about the legacy of Chief Earl Old Person

• “The Buffalo Stone” — Article by Lailani Upham (Modern Hunstman, 2022)

• American Indian Thought: Philosophical Essays, ed. Anne Waters (Wiley/Blackwell, 2003) — A collection of works by a diverse group of American Indian thinkers to discuss traditional and contemporary philosophies and philosophical issues.

• Wisdom of the Elders: Sacred Native Stories of Nature, eds. David Suzuki and Peter Knudtson (Bantam Books, 1993) — A book that contains sacred stories and traditions on the interrelationships between humans and the environment as well as perspectives from modern science.

• Podcast: The Ezra Klein Show:  Best of This Conversation with Richard Powers is a Gift — A wonderful discussion that looks at our relationship with nature; the perspectives shared have deep resonance with both Gaia Theory and Indigenous perspectives on nature.

Podcast: Life in the Land: Blackfoot Nation (Jesse DeRosier, on Stories for Action)

Lailani Upham 

(ironshieldcreative@gmail.com)

Amskapi Pikuni (Blackfeet Nation) tribal member, and Aaniiih, Nakoda, Dakota tribal descent and an adventure explorer, photographer, videographer, writer, storyteller who travels throughout Montana to tell stories from an Indigenous perspective.

Lailani, grew up on the Blackfeet and Fort Belknap Indian reservations where she explored her home landscapes as a kid and got into trouble for taking off into the mountains (without notice) on “adventures.” She grew up hearing the stories and history of her tribal people and was grounded in identity through the passing down of oral traditions from her grandparents on both sides of her family and tribal lineage.

Thank you to our symposia series grantors Humanities Montana, The National Endowment for the Humanities, and The Philosophy Learning & Teaching Organization, to our community sponsors BWP Helena Great Northern Hotel and  Helena Civic Television, and to our community partners Holter Museum of Art & Ten Mile Creek Brewery.  Thank you also to our guest speakers Martin Ogle and Lailani Upham, to hosts extraordinaires Marie Z. Bourgeois & Ross P. Nelson, to event volunteers Mike Chapman & Mitch Conway, and to the Helena community.