Creative Time Summit 2024 | Fleur Ramsay

Summary

In a powerful narrative, the speaker recounts an encounter with Yasa, a volcano on Tanna Island in Vanuatu, emphasizing the deep connections between the land, its people, and their ancestral histories. Through personal reflections and storytelling, the speaker highlights the impact of climate change on vital crops like yam, illustrating the loss of cultural identity. The concept of 'vital spaces' challenges Western views of nature, asserting the importance of Indigenous knowledge and the agency of the land. This engaging account underscores the need to honor these relationships and the stories that preserve them.

Takeaways

• 🌍 The speaker pays respect to the LA, laap people, acknowledging the traditional custodians of the land.
• ⛰️ Yasa, a volcano on Tner in Vanuatu, is presented as both a physical presence and a spiritual entity with a distinct microclimate.
• 🚶‍♂️ The personal experience of climbing Yasa emphasizes the profound connection between humans and nature, as well as feelings of awe and fear.
• ⏳ The concept of ancestral time and space highlights the interconnectedness of the community with their environment and cultural heritage.
• 🍠 The yam is central to the community's identity, spiritual practices, and sustenance, symbolizing the relationship between people and their land.
• 💔 Climate change poses significant threats to traditional crops, leading to a sense of loss and disruption in cultural practices and livelihoods.
• 📖 Storytelling serves as a powerful tool for decolonization and Indigenous lawyering, preserving sovereignty and cultural knowledge.
• 🗣️ Indigenous narratives are crucial in expressing perspectives on the environment, challenging Western views of nature as neutral or universal.
• 🌊 The term 'vital spaces' encapsulates the richness and agency of inhabited places, affirming their role as living entities and ancestors.
• 🌌 The presentation concludes by emphasizing the ongoing relationship between the community and Yasa, framing it as a reciprocal connection.

Q & A

What does the speaker mean by paying respects to the LA, laap people?

The speaker acknowledges the Indigenous peoples whose lands they are on, showing respect for their culture, history, and ongoing connection to the land.

What is Yasa and where is it located?

Yasa is a volcano on Tner, an island in Vanuatu, located in the Pacific Ocean. It is considered a significant cultural and natural landmark.

How does Yasa affect the local microclimate?

Yasa creates its own microclimate, generating rain and smoke, which impacts the surrounding environment and local agricultural practices.

What is the significance of the yam in the context of the community described?

The yam is not only a crucial food source but also holds cultural and spiritual significance, serving as a central element in ceremonies and community identity.

How does the speaker describe their personal experience on Yasa?

The speaker shares an emotional encounter with Yasa, describing feelings of awe and terror during their experience of its breathing and eruptions while standing at the crater's edge.

What does the term 'ancestral time and space' mean in the context of this narrative?

Ancestral time and space refer to a conceptual framework where relationships and connections to the land, community, and spiritual world are emphasized, suggesting a holistic understanding of existence.

What challenges are posed by climate change to the local agriculture described in the transcript?

Climate change disrupts rainfall patterns, causes excessive heat, and alters the microclimate, leading to reduced crop yields and negatively impacting the growth of vital crops like yam.

How does storytelling serve as a strategy for decolonial and Indigenous lawyering?

Storytelling acts as a form of sovereignty and philosophy, centers Indigenous knowledge, and challenges Western concepts of nature and environment by revealing the intrinsic connections between people and their land.

What is meant by the term 'vital spaces'?

Vital spaces refer to places that are rich in cultural significance and ecological diversity, emphasizing their agency and life force rather than viewing them as neutral or universal.

How does the speaker illustrate the relationship between the community and Yasa?

The speaker emphasizes that Yasa is not a dead or inanimate entity but has its own life force and essence, deeply intertwined with the people of Tner and their cultural practices.