Colonial and Non-colonial Water

Okanagan Okanogan

As we work to free ourselves from the constrictions placed on the Earth by colonial understandings and allow it to come to life again, it’s good to remember that the very concept of water is no less colonial than the concept of land. To illustrate the point, here are two forms of water transfer technology.

The Earth’s version is in the back. The colonial version, which turns water into a lifeless form so it can pass roads without turning them into living environments, is in the foreground, ready to be applied. Stepping forward, we get a clearer view of the Earth’s mechanisms: big eroded cuts that transfer water, and pools of water below the concentrating faces of hangs.

This is not new knowledge. The Norse goddess Hlín was a protectress, linked to an overhanging cliff, which was described as a tree. In short, even as late as 1,000 years ago…

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