First Advisor
Judy Bluehorse Skelton
Date of Award
Winter 12-20-2024
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Environmental Science and University Honors
Department
Indigenous Nations Studies
Language
English
Subjects
Indigenous, tending, land, re-Indigenize, Portland, greenspace
Abstract
This work details the active process of land tending with the intention of re-Indigenization in the Pacific Northwest at several Portland sites; The Native American Student Community Center, PSU Oak Savanna, and the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge. Land tending is an intuitive process, one rooted in love and respect for life of all forms as well as becoming the perpetual student; land tending is not a skill to be mastered, only practiced. Unlike environmental management, tending cannot be done separate from the earth, in a classroom or otherwise. Connections are what tending is built on top of: the foundation; effort must go into actively creating and maintaining our relationships, not through screens but with hugs, embraces, and close admiration.
Just like tending, my thesis is holistic in nature. There was no innate question I felt called to, as my collective experiences and lessons cannot be untangled and studied. I’d like to share the experience of learning the Earth and the projects that I’ve been fully involved in thanks to this new, profound know-how.
Recommended Citation
Adewale, Divinity N., "Re-Indigenizing and Collaboratively Tending Urban Greenspaces" (2024). University Honors Theses. Paper 1584.
Included in
African American Studies Commons, Biodiversity Commons, Cultural History Commons, Entomology Commons, Environmental Studies Commons, History of Science, Technology, and Medicine Commons, Indigenous Studies Commons, Native American Studies Commons, Other American Studies Commons, Other Plant Sciences Commons, Social History Commons, Social Justice Commons, United States History Commons, Urban Studies and Planning Commons
