After reading last week’s Ecuadorian texts, I have come to
understand that buen vivir refers to the harmony between humans and nature. Dian
Million through “Indigenous Matters” emphasizes the need for the integration of
indigenous knowledges and practices in order to deconstruct and overcome
colonial powers. Moreover, she acknowledges the need to use the knowledge
responsibly and how “indigenous people have resistd giving away knowledge of
their medicines and even of their bodies (DNA), because they are wary of
Western researchers’ record of abusive strategies (TallBear 2013)” (Pg. 106,
Indigenous Knowledge). She refers to how past instances have used Indigenous
knowledge in order to boost mining and oil production, harming the environment
around them. This goes directly against the idea of “buen vivir” as it harms
nature. This brings us back to the overall message Million wants to convey in “Indigenous
Matters” – indigenous knowledge has a lot of potential applications, but to
practice buen vivir, the consequences of applying this knowledge need to be
kept in mind. According to Priscilla Solic Ybarra, “Goodlife writing celebrates
traditional and environmentally sustainable agricultural practices in northern
New Mexico” (Pg. 17, Writing the Goodlife). Therefore, “Goodlife writing” is a
direct mechanism of spreading the message of the “buen vivir” philosophy. Both
of these texts indicate that the concept of buen vivir can be extrapolated to
become relevant to minority issues and the environment; overall, the final outcome
of these knowledges and practices is dependent on our actions.
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