Provocation 4:
Tania Willard
Tania Willard
Provocation 4:
A Five-Step Site/ation
1. Take the Day off.
Take a day off, demand the right to just be. Cancel all zoom or online events. Give yourself permission.
2. Next go outside.
Know whose Indigenous territory you are on this website.
3. What can you learn from the land today? How do you read the land? How can the knowledge in and of the land be cited?
Write a site/ation of the knowledge you gained from the land today (cite me if you publish/ share it as well as the bushgallery art collective). See example below:
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Site/ation of Secwepemculecw, 2021, my home territory
Deer hair, weathered cedar, birchbark, charcoal, bone, stones, paper, grass
March weather as Spring approaches
4. Rest.
5. Once you have completed the above at some point in the near future please contribute to a cause, as a volunteer, through donating funds or attending a protest/signing petition/using your democratic rights. Activate, Amplify, Decolonize!
Thank you for your participation.
BIO:
Tania Willard, Secwepemc Nation and settler heritage, works within the shifting ideas around contemporary and traditional, often working with bodies of knowledge and skills that are conceptually linked to her interest in intersections between Indigenous and other cultures. Willard’s curatorial work includes the touring exhibition, Beat Nation: Art Hip Hop and Aboriginal Culture (2012-2014), co-curated with Kathleen Ritter. In 2016 Willard received the Award for Curatorial Excellence in Contemporary Art from the Hanatyshyn Foundation as well as a City of Vancouver Book Award for the catalogue for the exhibition Unceded Territories: Lawrence Paul Yuxweluptun. Willard’s artistic projects have been exhibited widely and collections of her work include the Vancouver Art Gallery, Kamloops Art Gallery, Burnaby Art Gallery and more. Her public Art projects include, Rule of the Trees, a public art project at Commercial Broadway sky train station, in Vancouver BC Canada and If the Drumming Stops, with artist Peter Morin and Cheryl L’Hirondelle, on the lands of the Papaschase First Nation in Edmonton, AB. Willard was awarded the VIVA art award for outstanding achievement and commitment in her art practice in 2020. Willard's ongoing collaborative project BUSH gallery, is a land-based gallery grounded in Indigenous knowledges. Willard is an Assistant Professor at UBC Okanagan in Syilx territories and her current research intersects with land-based art practices.
Responses:
Daniel H.C.
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Nic O.
Site-ation of Hohokam, 2021, My home:Net-leaf hackberry, Stag-horn cholla, Deserbloom. Cold morning air. It feels like one of last cool spring mornings before the summer heat of may.My Crossroads Altar.I can’t believe how much resistance my body felt to separating myself from my electronics. I feel like it was a withdrawal after the way that I have been tied to these electric rectangles. At first, the pangs were more apparent. It was most difficult to leave everything behind in the car and realize that I would absolutely be able to find my way back. I only meant to spend the morning on a nice long hike. I think that it’s so surprising to me that I have lived near these mountains for months and yet, this is the first time that I have allowed myself to rest and to truly enjoy the land that I have been living on. I took a moment to gather a few beautiful pieces of the nature around me and thank the ground for letting me live here. It’s so fascinating how often we take everything around us for granted. While I was up above the city, it really made me realize how small I truly am in this world sometimes. Up high in the clouds, its not easy to make out each distinguishable face on the streets down below. I could hardly see the cars. I am part of a single breath of time for this earth. This day away from the screen was so necessary, I did not realize how the day in the sun would so greatly influence a lighter mood.
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Maximiliano D.
Site/ations of Hohokam, 2021, Camelback Mountain.
Bark, dried leaves, pine needles, flowers, pointy bush branch, three different kinds of rocks
End of April beginning of Summer.
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Morganne Shelley
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Site/ation of Akimel Au-authm (“River People”) and Xalychidom Pipaash (“People who live toward the water”), 2021, Papago Park in the Sonoran Desert.Bowl, water, dried palm, collection of grass, wood, creosote bush, brittlebush, rocks, velvet mosquite flowers
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Site/ation of Akimel Au-authm (“River People”) and Xalychidom Pipaash (“People who live toward the water”), 2021, Sonoran Desert in Phoenix, Arizona.Bowl, water, dried palm, collection of grass, wood, creosote bush, brittlebush, rocks, velvet mosquite leaves and flowers.
Douglas Baily
1. An Dusky Dancer (Damselfly)
2. Cotton wood leaf
3. Eucalyptus bark
4. The Gila river
5. Rocks Arizona willow
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Jasmine R.-S.
This land was once owned by the Akimel O’otham, alsoknown as the Pima. In 1848,gold was discovered in California and many travelersused Southern Arizona as a route to theirtreasures. Many travelers came across the Akimel O’othamtribe, and the tribe gave refuge,water, and food to those damaged from battles betweenthe Apache and Yuma tribes that livedaround their land. The tribe was also taken advantageof and had their water supply, the GilaRiver, was cut off in the 1870s and 80s. The governmenttried to help by providing foods thatwere processed, but ultimately ruined the health ofthe tribe. They proved to be resourceful andstrong, and the creation of the Coolridge Dam andSan Carlos reservoir helped bring theirfarming practices back to life. The tribe has beenshown to be a peaceful and caring tribe anddeeply care about their community. Many of the AkimelO’otham ancestors that live today nowreside in the Gila River Indian Community reservation.Unfortunately, the land that I reside on that wasonce theirs now houses ugly andexpensive apartments that are littered with cigarettebutts and glass. Although the area is not aswell kept as it may have once been, I plan to cherishthis land for what it is and thank whoevermay be listening for allowing me to reside here. Myhope is to visit the community during thesummer and learn more about their history and experiencethe land that they reside on. Ifpossible, I also plan to donate or purchase from thenatives so the community can continue toflourish.
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Rawan N.
I chose this provocation because I like to explore the natural features in every place I go to, as a mean of adventure. So, I took a day off, went to Papago park in Phoenix, Arizona. I found this very nice combination of natural features, rocks of all sizes, sticks, plants, flowers, and tree bark along with non-natural things like plastic band, glass, and a piece of confetti. While I was taking the picture, my 4-year-old stumbled, and a small rock jumped into the paper as if it wanted to join the picture and make a statement of “little late and maybe pushed, but I am here”! and looking at the spot that little rock chose, it seems like it wanted to be far away from its kind and maybe a little closer to the non-natural features! Or maybe be it did not jump high enough to make it to the other side of the paper. Although I tried my best to collect different elements, on my way to my car I remembered that I did not include sand and gravel in my composition. The sound of gravel made by my shoes actually reminded me of that. Then as I was walking, I saw these amazing elements combination that did not need a paper; a compositing of land (earth and plants), water, air, and a beautiful gradient cloudy/clear sky. I can say that I am now more aware of the elements of my surroundings. I never paid this much attention to
nature details. I believe that this experience motivates me to look into the bigger picture, but not to ignore the details at the same time. I can see how all these elements unites together to create what we call territory. It is where we come from, and how our interests, passion, and values are shaped by.
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Cedar F.
How many hundreds of years old is Philadelphia (Lenni-Lepane land)? How many scraps of life can be sewn back together from uncovering the rubble?
I am already resting – I received surgery last week and took 2 weeks off work to heal. Acknowledging the beauty of nature in a concrete jungle feels like an oxymoron, but I shuffle my way outside to complete the task. I keep my circle small – a radius confined by the fences in my overgrown 8x8 backyard. I find a couple of rocks, and pocket them. I find an abundance ofdead vegetation. I pick a struggling flower off a stubborn vine and end its quick life quicker. A pumpkin, a surprising detection, in its prime in late November. A piece of fallen bark, moss growing over it like a hug. My reconnaissance grows morbid as I step over a mess of small bird’s feathers – from what species, I could not tell. I follow the breadcrumbs and find skeletons, of multiple animals, hiding by the stump of the maple that they cut down last year for being a “hazard when it storms”. I clean the jawbones in a bubble bath of hydrogen peroxide, and set them in the museum of my morning, with the rest of my stolen goods.
As I collect these items and squirrel them away inside my home, I realize I am practicing hereditary behaviors – I follow in the footsteps of my white ancestors who took without thinking of the consequences. This collection could be used for food, or, once decomposed, fertile soil for the life of next spring. These items tell me how a city holds many lives, and those lives hold many secrets – did a former tenant of my unit plant a pumpkin and wait for it to grow? Who – or what – chipped the bark off of the tree, if it wasn’t a collaboration between wind and time? How did the bird get its feathers plucked – was it the same perpetrator who’s amassing small bodies of rodents behind the tree stump? This provocation gave birth to more questions than answers, but I know that was the point. I come inside to my warm house and sit down, pensive. I’m unable to do community building as I’m house confined due to my surgery currently but I donated to the Lenape Nation of Pennsylvania, for recompense. I also moved the dead vegetation out of my backyard, and swept the dirt from the stone ground.
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Hermance L.
Fall, 2021. Site-Actions O’odham Jewed, Hohokam, and Akimel O’odham (Upper Pima). A nearby park I have wanted to visit for three months, I have never taken the time to go. During my visit, I took the time to learn about the trees around me. I did not grow up in Arizona, but I have lived here for half of my life, and I don’t think I can name a single plant other than the Saguaro Cactus. In trying to find a single name for a tree, I have found countless sources explaining how to identify trees, specific to Arizona. I have learned that most trees in the park I visited were not Native to Arizona. I didn’t just focus on trees, I focused on the biodiversity around me. I followed an ant, that led me to a feather moving in the wind, that led my eyes to fallen pollen, and so forth. I let the energies I felt flow through me, letting my curiosity wander, arriving at observations I didn’t think I would see. Yes I saw the ducks. But I also saw their ripples from their movements interacting with the other ripples from the other ducks. I saw the bugs on the surface of the water, being very careful to not break the surface. My site/action account below incorporates everything I learned from today. In summation, the land reminded me how interconnected everything is.
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Miriam B.
O’odham Jewed, Hohokam, and Aikmel O’odham (Upper Pima) Site/ation, 2021, El Mirage, Arizona
Palo Verde Branch, Pinecone, Bottle cap, Rocks, Stick, Lemon leaves, Lego, Mexican Bird of Paradise flowers, paper, pavement
November autumn weather
As I walk around my neighborhood, I can feel the warmth of the November mid-day sun. The breeze has a coolness that signifies the coming of cooler weather. I hear the leaves rustle as the gentle breeze blows, but it is interrupted by the sound of a car driving by. I am reminded that nature is disturbed by our modern modes of convenience. This walk is allowing me to appreciate minute details that get overlooked in the daily routine like the bees humming busily as the last warm days permit. My five-year-old son, whom I’ve brought along on this walk, presents me with his own collection; a lego piece, a pinecone, and some rocks. Without knowing, he is helping by doing his own site/ation. As I approach the lemon tree on our way back home, we are greeted by a hummingbird and I take it as a sign to include some leaves from the tree. I feel that by taking a moment to acknowledge our surroundings and our place in nature it can help guide us by uncovering what truly matters to us.
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Luke E.
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Steve L.
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**empty fuel container >> teucrium cossonii ‘carpet’ plant >> solar powered porch light >> native clearie marbles: player, peewee, ittybit size class. >> vintage but non-functional collector sprinkler head >> local sandstone with permanent ittybit marble storage.
Welcome to the Coastal Tamien Territory! It is okay if you do not speak in the Tamien tongue. The Tamien, or “Coastonian” people are fluent in both Spanish and English and they love to assist with anything.
This is what a brochure from my neighborhood might have sounded like around 1750. Walking around my suburban neighborhood, I realized that I enjoy the laid back pace of these quiet streets. I had the opportunity to live in San Francisco for many years and the street pace there was quite different. I could not help but compare city versus suburban life on my much needed day off.
I did take some time before my excursion to wiki dig and discovered that I rent from the Tamien Tribe. The tribe were originally a part of the Ramaytush Territory (Northern California) but eventually migrated south. Their reasons for relocating were rumored to be for better accommodations.
The Tamien suburban life seemed different from the busy north. The Tamien Territory did not have heavy agriculture nor large structures like the Ramaytush Territory. The burbs' life was by choice and not due to lack of skills, as proven when they helped the Spanish build the 8th California Mission.
My re-exploring felt more like exploring someplace new because I now know a bit more about the history. The “Coastonians” were here long before the 18th century. It is 2021. I find that even with the dramatic differences in technology and culture; we are all still people. That constant ensures familiar non-fictional stories are timeless.
Anonymous
Baby Birds
Today I took a hike on a trail that I am familiar with. It is very close to where I live, and because I do not particularly love to hike, it gives me that freedom to make me feel like I was productive
and got some vitamin D. This path is always peaceful and there are not many people that tend to take it - especially not at seven in the morning. I used this time to clear my head of some of the things stressing me out lately, and while it helped, I think the heat outside made me want to get the hike over with faster.
I just recently quit my job because of how toxic the environment became and how much damage it ultimately did to my mental health. I was reflecting a lot on my decision as it was my first day off of work and the first day that I had to myself for a while since school is almost over. As I was tearing up thinking about how much I was going to miss my coworkers, I watched a bird bring food to its babies in a nest near a cactus that I pass all the time. I learned in that moment that even in times of confusion, anger, or sadness, there is always a new start somewhere. Either it is within you or it's around you, but either way it will inspire you to change a negative mindset into a positive one.
I try my best to not be the victim in my own story because I know that the universe is not against me. I hate the saying “everything happens for a reason”, but I like to say that everything happens for the better. So in this case, the reason is always for the better. It makes everything instantly that much more positive. Just being out in the open on my own with no intention of how far I will go was so liberating, and now it reads to me as a place that I can just keep going and going to see where it takes me. I know this sounds pretty dramatic to relate it to a job that I just quit, but if I am anything I am an extremely loyal person. This job was incredibly labor intensive and I gave a lot of myself to it in order to keep up with everything. It was great for the experience, but the company expected us to put the job before ourselves. That was where I drew the line and decided enough was enough. I cried three times, but I knew it was for the better.
The cause that I decided to donate to was The Trevor Project because it has been something near and dear to my heart for so long. I donated a one time amount of $30, but I will be donating again soon.
Geoffrey S.
1. Take the day off
Life has a crazy way of working itself out at times, typically I have an extremely busy week, with work and other obligations of everyday life. But today was different. The date is 4/26/2022. I started my day as I always do, woke up, got some homework done before work. After getting a few things done I start getting ready for my shift tonight, as I’m doing this I get a text from my job saying “Would you like to have voluntary time off?”. “I absolutely do!” I say to myself, mind you it is extremely rare for me to get a weekday off from work. I go back to working on a “Provocations” assignment which I had started earlier today. I came across one that seems interesting enough to me to explore a bit more: “A five step site/ation”. The first instruction on this list of things to do for the assignment states “Take the day off”. Well here we are.
2. Go outside to survey the territory/ what can I learn?
This is when the assignment gets a bit emotional/interesting for me. When I look around, the first thought which comes to mind is “The yard needs TLC”. I see the grass, not quite as green and nurtured since you left, but it still passes as “nice”. Mom and I try our best to make sure the sprinklers wet the dry spots every morning. My eyes begin to gaze upward, I see the trees, I see the flowers that you and mom planted when you moved us into the house, the rose garden looks good, you know those are mom’s favorite. Surprisingly the Petunias that were so stubborn before are more than flourishing. They almost look as good as they did when you used to water them. The oranges on the tree you planted are ripe and delicious, a few have fallen to the ground to let us know they're in season. I hear the birds chirping in the eucalyptus trees singing their praises, they bring a peaceful joy. Mom still keeps the hummingbird feeder filled with sugar water, and that little green bird with the blue belly that you loved so much comes by every morning, sometimes I think it’s you stopping by to see how things are going. There’s still beauty in this place the way you left it, although you were known to have a “green thumb” and you’d have every inch of the yard meticulously manicured the way that only you could. I’m trying, mom and I are trying. I realize that I could do more, I can do better. I realize that I need to invest more time here at home, with mom, with the family. As I look up on this harmonious day I’m blinded by the sun’s mighty ray of light, at that moment I realize that you and I just had a moment, it’s been a while since we’ve had a moment like this, I can feel you in the moistness of the soil, I can hear you in the song by the birds, I can smell you through the fragrance of the flowers, I can see you through the brightness of the light shining upon me. I miss you dad.
Jessica V.
I learned from the land today that I'm on borrowed land. Technically no one ownes the land that I'm on. I'm placed on this land temporarily. There was others on this land before me and there will be others after me using the same land. The indigenous people of this land are the Chumash. Today I'm in a park near my home in the coast of Santa Barbara. It's spring and the weather outside is warm and breezy. My site/ations includes a rock, a leaf, an orange, and a sharpie. The rock is not like a rock I've seen at the beach but a smaller rock. The leaf that I found is dry from the sun. I also found an orange that fell from an orange tree and is a little brown from the sun. I found a sharpie that was dented and the ink is dried up.
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Reva G.
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Site/ation of Niitsítpiis-stahkoii (Blackfoot/Niitsítapi), 2022
Rocks with moss, rocks with quartz veins, sage brush, sage blossoms, prairie grass, elk shed.
Danielle W.
Site/ation of Surbanan Miami, home of the Seminole Tribe, 2022, my backyard
Rich soilAvacado SeedSnail ShellOld Mango PitBaby Mango Seedling
I live on land that was once the home of the Seminole people. The Seminoles have lived in Florida for thousands of years, and here I stand in my suburban neighborhood without any indication of it being native land. As I sat in my backyard, I couldn't help but think about all of the ways that the land has changed since the Seminole people were pushed from these lands in 1832. We have a railroad just a few blocks East, major roadways, and even the new park one block West. Homes have been built, and families have grown here and moved on. So much has changed. Yet, at the same time, there are so many things that feel like they could be exactly the same. The rich soil under my feet is the same soil they used to grow their crops. Shells still litter the area. Avocado trees still flourish, and just like the mango pit and the baby mango seedling- life continues.
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Laura E.
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The land that I live on used to be called Multnomah, even still the county is called
Multnomah county. These were my site/ations from my time reflecting on the nature around me.
I feel they represent the area I live in. Oregon is so beautiful and while it is infamous for the downpour, it also has a tulip festival and a gorgeous coastline. These citations show that Oregon is full of life and color. This is the story I read:
Oregon is a strong provider. She provides rain for the flowers and grass, she provides an abundance of water necessary for life. She provides beauty as the trees change for spring, and lets the spring blossoms fall away into the summer leaves. She lets the evergreens color her land all year. Her fickle weather catures to the little lives that rely on her. Oregon may be difficult at times, but her beauty makes it worth it. Most of all, her elegant texture and intricate design reflect her original Creator.
This week, I hosted a group for a time of bonding and creativity. I cooked and provided paints and such in order for everyone to relax and have a good time. As I get older I realize how important these things are, and when you give to a group that you love it makes it better. I didn’t contribute to an organization, but I contributed to a group of people that I love and that is a beautiful cause.
Nhat-Thi B.
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Stephanie R.
Site/ation of Tempe Arizona, 2022, Neighborhood Street
Lemon, Rocks, Grass, Fallen Leaves
I am typically not one who is inclined to walk around mindfully and pick up the things I see in order to examine them. However, this site/ation proved to be really interesting for me. I chose to walk around my apartment complex as well as the neighboring roads, and I found some amazing things that I never would have expected. I really appreciated the mindful experience of being electronics free and having the sole focus of finding things in nature. My most surprising find was the lemon, accompanied by two or three full grown lemon trees… something I would have never expected to find in Tempe, Arizona.
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1. Take the Day off.
Take a day off, demand the right to just be. Cancel all zoom or online events. Give yourself permission.
2. Next go outside.
Know whose Indigenous territory you are on this website.
3. What can you learn from the land today? How do you read the land? How can the knowledge in and of the land be cited?
Write a site/ation of the knowledge you gained from the land today (cite me if you publish/ share it as well as the bushgallery art collective). See example below:
Site/ation of Secwepemculecw, 2021, my home territory
Deer hair, weathered cedar, birchbark, charcoal, bone, stones, paper, grass
March weather as Spring approaches
4. Rest.
5. Once you have completed the above at some point in the near future please contribute to a cause, as a volunteer, through donating funds or attending a protest/signing petition/using your democratic rights. Activate, Amplify, Decolonize!
Thank you for your participation.
BIO:
Tania Willard, Secwepemc Nation and settler heritage, works within the shifting ideas around contemporary and traditional, often working with bodies of knowledge and skills that are conceptually linked to her interest in intersections between Indigenous and other cultures. Willard’s curatorial work includes the touring exhibition, Beat Nation: Art Hip Hop and Aboriginal Culture (2012-2014), co-curated with Kathleen Ritter. In 2016 Willard received the Award for Curatorial Excellence in Contemporary Art from the Hanatyshyn Foundation as well as a City of Vancouver Book Award for the catalogue for the exhibition Unceded Territories: Lawrence Paul Yuxweluptun. Willard’s artistic projects have been exhibited widely and collections of her work include the Vancouver Art Gallery, Kamloops Art Gallery, Burnaby Art Gallery and more. Her public Art projects include, Rule of the Trees, a public art project at Commercial Broadway sky train station, in Vancouver BC Canada and If the Drumming Stops, with artist Peter Morin and Cheryl L’Hirondelle, on the lands of the Papaschase First Nation in Edmonton, AB. Willard was awarded the VIVA art award for outstanding achievement and commitment in her art practice in 2020. Willard's ongoing collaborative project BUSH gallery, is a land-based gallery grounded in Indigenous knowledges. Willard is an Assistant Professor at UBC Okanagan in Syilx territories and her current research intersects with land-based art practices.
Responses:
Daniel H.C.
Nic O.
Site-ation of Hohokam, 2021, My home:Net-leaf hackberry, Stag-horn cholla, Deserbloom. Cold morning air. It feels like one of last cool spring mornings before the summer heat of may.My Crossroads Altar.I can’t believe how much resistance my body felt to separating myself from my electronics. I feel like it was a withdrawal after the way that I have been tied to these electric rectangles. At first, the pangs were more apparent. It was most difficult to leave everything behind in the car and realize that I would absolutely be able to find my way back. I only meant to spend the morning on a nice long hike. I think that it’s so surprising to me that I have lived near these mountains for months and yet, this is the first time that I have allowed myself to rest and to truly enjoy the land that I have been living on. I took a moment to gather a few beautiful pieces of the nature around me and thank the ground for letting me live here. It’s so fascinating how often we take everything around us for granted. While I was up above the city, it really made me realize how small I truly am in this world sometimes. Up high in the clouds, its not easy to make out each distinguishable face on the streets down below. I could hardly see the cars. I am part of a single breath of time for this earth. This day away from the screen was so necessary, I did not realize how the day in the sun would so greatly influence a lighter mood.
Maximiliano D.
Site/ations of Hohokam, 2021, Camelback Mountain.
Bark, dried leaves, pine needles, flowers, pointy bush branch, three different kinds of rocks
End of April beginning of Summer.
Morganne Shelley
Site/ation of Akimel Au-authm (“River People”) and Xalychidom Pipaash (“People who live toward the water”), 2021, Papago Park in the Sonoran Desert.Bowl, water, dried palm, collection of grass, wood, creosote bush, brittlebush, rocks, velvet mosquite flowers
Site/ation of Akimel Au-authm (“River People”) and Xalychidom Pipaash (“People who live toward the water”), 2021, Sonoran Desert in Phoenix, Arizona.Bowl, water, dried palm, collection of grass, wood, creosote bush, brittlebush, rocks, velvet mosquite leaves and flowers.
Douglas Baily
1. An Dusky Dancer (Damselfly)
2. Cotton wood leaf
3. Eucalyptus bark
4. The Gila river
5. Rocks Arizona willow
Jasmine R.-S.
This land was once owned by the Akimel O’otham, alsoknown as the Pima. In 1848,gold was discovered in California and many travelersused Southern Arizona as a route to theirtreasures. Many travelers came across the Akimel O’othamtribe, and the tribe gave refuge,water, and food to those damaged from battles betweenthe Apache and Yuma tribes that livedaround their land. The tribe was also taken advantageof and had their water supply, the GilaRiver, was cut off in the 1870s and 80s. The governmenttried to help by providing foods thatwere processed, but ultimately ruined the health ofthe tribe. They proved to be resourceful andstrong, and the creation of the Coolridge Dam andSan Carlos reservoir helped bring theirfarming practices back to life. The tribe has beenshown to be a peaceful and caring tribe anddeeply care about their community. Many of the AkimelO’otham ancestors that live today nowreside in the Gila River Indian Community reservation.Unfortunately, the land that I reside on that wasonce theirs now houses ugly andexpensive apartments that are littered with cigarettebutts and glass. Although the area is not aswell kept as it may have once been, I plan to cherishthis land for what it is and thank whoevermay be listening for allowing me to reside here. Myhope is to visit the community during thesummer and learn more about their history and experiencethe land that they reside on. Ifpossible, I also plan to donate or purchase from thenatives so the community can continue toflourish.
Rawan N.
I chose this provocation because I like to explore the natural features in every place I go to, as a mean of adventure. So, I took a day off, went to Papago park in Phoenix, Arizona. I found this very nice combination of natural features, rocks of all sizes, sticks, plants, flowers, and tree bark along with non-natural things like plastic band, glass, and a piece of confetti. While I was taking the picture, my 4-year-old stumbled, and a small rock jumped into the paper as if it wanted to join the picture and make a statement of “little late and maybe pushed, but I am here”! and looking at the spot that little rock chose, it seems like it wanted to be far away from its kind and maybe a little closer to the non-natural features! Or maybe be it did not jump high enough to make it to the other side of the paper. Although I tried my best to collect different elements, on my way to my car I remembered that I did not include sand and gravel in my composition. The sound of gravel made by my shoes actually reminded me of that. Then as I was walking, I saw these amazing elements combination that did not need a paper; a compositing of land (earth and plants), water, air, and a beautiful gradient cloudy/clear sky. I can say that I am now more aware of the elements of my surroundings. I never paid this much attention to
nature details. I believe that this experience motivates me to look into the bigger picture, but not to ignore the details at the same time. I can see how all these elements unites together to create what we call territory. It is where we come from, and how our interests, passion, and values are shaped by.
Cedar F.
How many hundreds of years old is Philadelphia (Lenni-Lepane land)? How many scraps of life can be sewn back together from uncovering the rubble?
I am already resting – I received surgery last week and took 2 weeks off work to heal. Acknowledging the beauty of nature in a concrete jungle feels like an oxymoron, but I shuffle my way outside to complete the task. I keep my circle small – a radius confined by the fences in my overgrown 8x8 backyard. I find a couple of rocks, and pocket them. I find an abundance ofdead vegetation. I pick a struggling flower off a stubborn vine and end its quick life quicker. A pumpkin, a surprising detection, in its prime in late November. A piece of fallen bark, moss growing over it like a hug. My reconnaissance grows morbid as I step over a mess of small bird’s feathers – from what species, I could not tell. I follow the breadcrumbs and find skeletons, of multiple animals, hiding by the stump of the maple that they cut down last year for being a “hazard when it storms”. I clean the jawbones in a bubble bath of hydrogen peroxide, and set them in the museum of my morning, with the rest of my stolen goods.
As I collect these items and squirrel them away inside my home, I realize I am practicing hereditary behaviors – I follow in the footsteps of my white ancestors who took without thinking of the consequences. This collection could be used for food, or, once decomposed, fertile soil for the life of next spring. These items tell me how a city holds many lives, and those lives hold many secrets – did a former tenant of my unit plant a pumpkin and wait for it to grow? Who – or what – chipped the bark off of the tree, if it wasn’t a collaboration between wind and time? How did the bird get its feathers plucked – was it the same perpetrator who’s amassing small bodies of rodents behind the tree stump? This provocation gave birth to more questions than answers, but I know that was the point. I come inside to my warm house and sit down, pensive. I’m unable to do community building as I’m house confined due to my surgery currently but I donated to the Lenape Nation of Pennsylvania, for recompense. I also moved the dead vegetation out of my backyard, and swept the dirt from the stone ground.
Hermance L.
Fall, 2021. Site-Actions O’odham Jewed, Hohokam, and Akimel O’odham (Upper Pima). A nearby park I have wanted to visit for three months, I have never taken the time to go. During my visit, I took the time to learn about the trees around me. I did not grow up in Arizona, but I have lived here for half of my life, and I don’t think I can name a single plant other than the Saguaro Cactus. In trying to find a single name for a tree, I have found countless sources explaining how to identify trees, specific to Arizona. I have learned that most trees in the park I visited were not Native to Arizona. I didn’t just focus on trees, I focused on the biodiversity around me. I followed an ant, that led me to a feather moving in the wind, that led my eyes to fallen pollen, and so forth. I let the energies I felt flow through me, letting my curiosity wander, arriving at observations I didn’t think I would see. Yes I saw the ducks. But I also saw their ripples from their movements interacting with the other ripples from the other ducks. I saw the bugs on the surface of the water, being very careful to not break the surface. My site/action account below incorporates everything I learned from today. In summation, the land reminded me how interconnected everything is.
Timothy H.
Site-ation of a Yankton territory. The traversing of my neighborhood is a common theme in my family. We frequently walk aimlessly to take in natural life and breath freely. A life without wires, electricity, or expectation. The venture out on my ‘day-off’ was enjoyed with my boys. A 2-year-old who picks up every rock he finds, and a 4-year-old that runs through nature fantasizing about fighting off evil spirits.
Leaving the modern life behind, we took in the life lost to tar and lumber. Basking in the rays of a distant form, we felt the spirits of past lifeforms blowing on our faces. Of past beast stampeding away from a charging predator, only out to fulfill a life sustaining hunger. “This land was once completely free of housing, streets, and business” I tell the boys. The older being fascinated with a bow-and-arrow toy he once played with at a friend’s house, I demonstrated how the tool was used long before gunpowder. His imagination shifted into overdrive as he began hunting for bison in the field we explored.
As we explored, I taught the boys what we could learn from the land. How the trees have moved to be closer to the water and away from the wide-open plots of land. Of how the water that fell on our coats would soak into the ground and find friends, a lake nearby. We felt the change of season approaching and loved every minute of it.
We enjoyed the way land and water comforted us. Gave us shade from the drops falling onto us, thrill as we watched the rocks skip across the lake, and joy as we laughed and played running about.
Fallen Ash tree branch – hay bale twin – maǧá feather – bark (4yo) – pebble (2yo)
Site-ation of a Yankton territory. The traversing of my neighborhood is a common theme in my family. We frequently walk aimlessly to take in natural life and breath freely. A life without wires, electricity, or expectation. The venture out on my ‘day-off’ was enjoyed with my boys. A 2-year-old who picks up every rock he finds, and a 4-year-old that runs through nature fantasizing about fighting off evil spirits.
Leaving the modern life behind, we took in the life lost to tar and lumber. Basking in the rays of a distant form, we felt the spirits of past lifeforms blowing on our faces. Of past beast stampeding away from a charging predator, only out to fulfill a life sustaining hunger. “This land was once completely free of housing, streets, and business” I tell the boys. The older being fascinated with a bow-and-arrow toy he once played with at a friend’s house, I demonstrated how the tool was used long before gunpowder. His imagination shifted into overdrive as he began hunting for bison in the field we explored.
As we explored, I taught the boys what we could learn from the land. How the trees have moved to be closer to the water and away from the wide-open plots of land. Of how the water that fell on our coats would soak into the ground and find friends, a lake nearby. We felt the change of season approaching and loved every minute of it.
We enjoyed the way land and water comforted us. Gave us shade from the drops falling onto us, thrill as we watched the rocks skip across the lake, and joy as we laughed and played running about.
Fallen Ash tree branch – hay bale twin – maǧá feather – bark (4yo) – pebble (2yo)
O’odham Jewed, Hohokam, and Aikmel O’odham (Upper Pima) Site/ation, 2021, El Mirage, Arizona
Palo Verde Branch, Pinecone, Bottle cap, Rocks, Stick, Lemon leaves, Lego, Mexican Bird of Paradise flowers, paper, pavement
November autumn weather
As I walk around my neighborhood, I can feel the warmth of the November mid-day sun. The breeze has a coolness that signifies the coming of cooler weather. I hear the leaves rustle as the gentle breeze blows, but it is interrupted by the sound of a car driving by. I am reminded that nature is disturbed by our modern modes of convenience. This walk is allowing me to appreciate minute details that get overlooked in the daily routine like the bees humming busily as the last warm days permit. My five-year-old son, whom I’ve brought along on this walk, presents me with his own collection; a lego piece, a pinecone, and some rocks. Without knowing, he is helping by doing his own site/ation. As I approach the lemon tree on our way back home, we are greeted by a hummingbird and I take it as a sign to include some leaves from the tree. I feel that by taking a moment to acknowledge our surroundings and our place in nature it can help guide us by uncovering what truly matters to us.
Luke E.
Steve L.
**empty fuel container >> teucrium cossonii ‘carpet’ plant >> solar powered porch light >> native clearie marbles: player, peewee, ittybit size class. >> vintage but non-functional collector sprinkler head >> local sandstone with permanent ittybit marble storage.
Welcome to the Coastal Tamien Territory! It is okay if you do not speak in the Tamien tongue. The Tamien, or “Coastonian” people are fluent in both Spanish and English and they love to assist with anything.
This is what a brochure from my neighborhood might have sounded like around 1750. Walking around my suburban neighborhood, I realized that I enjoy the laid back pace of these quiet streets. I had the opportunity to live in San Francisco for many years and the street pace there was quite different. I could not help but compare city versus suburban life on my much needed day off.
I did take some time before my excursion to wiki dig and discovered that I rent from the Tamien Tribe. The tribe were originally a part of the Ramaytush Territory (Northern California) but eventually migrated south. Their reasons for relocating were rumored to be for better accommodations.
The Tamien suburban life seemed different from the busy north. The Tamien Territory did not have heavy agriculture nor large structures like the Ramaytush Territory. The burbs' life was by choice and not due to lack of skills, as proven when they helped the Spanish build the 8th California Mission.
My re-exploring felt more like exploring someplace new because I now know a bit more about the history. The “Coastonians” were here long before the 18th century. It is 2021. I find that even with the dramatic differences in technology and culture; we are all still people. That constant ensures familiar non-fictional stories are timeless.
Anonymous
Baby Birds
Today I took a hike on a trail that I am familiar with. It is very close to where I live, and because I do not particularly love to hike, it gives me that freedom to make me feel like I was productive
and got some vitamin D. This path is always peaceful and there are not many people that tend to take it - especially not at seven in the morning. I used this time to clear my head of some of the things stressing me out lately, and while it helped, I think the heat outside made me want to get the hike over with faster.
I just recently quit my job because of how toxic the environment became and how much damage it ultimately did to my mental health. I was reflecting a lot on my decision as it was my first day off of work and the first day that I had to myself for a while since school is almost over. As I was tearing up thinking about how much I was going to miss my coworkers, I watched a bird bring food to its babies in a nest near a cactus that I pass all the time. I learned in that moment that even in times of confusion, anger, or sadness, there is always a new start somewhere. Either it is within you or it's around you, but either way it will inspire you to change a negative mindset into a positive one.
I try my best to not be the victim in my own story because I know that the universe is not against me. I hate the saying “everything happens for a reason”, but I like to say that everything happens for the better. So in this case, the reason is always for the better. It makes everything instantly that much more positive. Just being out in the open on my own with no intention of how far I will go was so liberating, and now it reads to me as a place that I can just keep going and going to see where it takes me. I know this sounds pretty dramatic to relate it to a job that I just quit, but if I am anything I am an extremely loyal person. This job was incredibly labor intensive and I gave a lot of myself to it in order to keep up with everything. It was great for the experience, but the company expected us to put the job before ourselves. That was where I drew the line and decided enough was enough. I cried three times, but I knew it was for the better.
The cause that I decided to donate to was The Trevor Project because it has been something near and dear to my heart for so long. I donated a one time amount of $30, but I will be donating again soon.
Geoffrey S.
1. Take the day off
Life has a crazy way of working itself out at times, typically I have an extremely busy week, with work and other obligations of everyday life. But today was different. The date is 4/26/2022. I started my day as I always do, woke up, got some homework done before work. After getting a few things done I start getting ready for my shift tonight, as I’m doing this I get a text from my job saying “Would you like to have voluntary time off?”. “I absolutely do!” I say to myself, mind you it is extremely rare for me to get a weekday off from work. I go back to working on a “Provocations” assignment which I had started earlier today. I came across one that seems interesting enough to me to explore a bit more: “A five step site/ation”. The first instruction on this list of things to do for the assignment states “Take the day off”. Well here we are.
2. Go outside to survey the territory/ what can I learn?
This is when the assignment gets a bit emotional/interesting for me. When I look around, the first thought which comes to mind is “The yard needs TLC”. I see the grass, not quite as green and nurtured since you left, but it still passes as “nice”. Mom and I try our best to make sure the sprinklers wet the dry spots every morning. My eyes begin to gaze upward, I see the trees, I see the flowers that you and mom planted when you moved us into the house, the rose garden looks good, you know those are mom’s favorite. Surprisingly the Petunias that were so stubborn before are more than flourishing. They almost look as good as they did when you used to water them. The oranges on the tree you planted are ripe and delicious, a few have fallen to the ground to let us know they're in season. I hear the birds chirping in the eucalyptus trees singing their praises, they bring a peaceful joy. Mom still keeps the hummingbird feeder filled with sugar water, and that little green bird with the blue belly that you loved so much comes by every morning, sometimes I think it’s you stopping by to see how things are going. There’s still beauty in this place the way you left it, although you were known to have a “green thumb” and you’d have every inch of the yard meticulously manicured the way that only you could. I’m trying, mom and I are trying. I realize that I could do more, I can do better. I realize that I need to invest more time here at home, with mom, with the family. As I look up on this harmonious day I’m blinded by the sun’s mighty ray of light, at that moment I realize that you and I just had a moment, it’s been a while since we’ve had a moment like this, I can feel you in the moistness of the soil, I can hear you in the song by the birds, I can smell you through the fragrance of the flowers, I can see you through the brightness of the light shining upon me. I miss you dad.
Jessica V.
I learned from the land today that I'm on borrowed land. Technically no one ownes the land that I'm on. I'm placed on this land temporarily. There was others on this land before me and there will be others after me using the same land. The indigenous people of this land are the Chumash. Today I'm in a park near my home in the coast of Santa Barbara. It's spring and the weather outside is warm and breezy. My site/ations includes a rock, a leaf, an orange, and a sharpie. The rock is not like a rock I've seen at the beach but a smaller rock. The leaf that I found is dry from the sun. I also found an orange that fell from an orange tree and is a little brown from the sun. I found a sharpie that was dented and the ink is dried up.
Reva G.
Site/ation of Niitsítpiis-stahkoii (Blackfoot/Niitsítapi), 2022
Rocks with moss, rocks with quartz veins, sage brush, sage blossoms, prairie grass, elk shed.
Danielle W.
Site/ation of Surbanan Miami, home of the Seminole Tribe, 2022, my backyard
Rich soilAvacado SeedSnail ShellOld Mango PitBaby Mango Seedling
I live on land that was once the home of the Seminole people. The Seminoles have lived in Florida for thousands of years, and here I stand in my suburban neighborhood without any indication of it being native land. As I sat in my backyard, I couldn't help but think about all of the ways that the land has changed since the Seminole people were pushed from these lands in 1832. We have a railroad just a few blocks East, major roadways, and even the new park one block West. Homes have been built, and families have grown here and moved on. So much has changed. Yet, at the same time, there are so many things that feel like they could be exactly the same. The rich soil under my feet is the same soil they used to grow their crops. Shells still litter the area. Avocado trees still flourish, and just like the mango pit and the baby mango seedling- life continues.
Laura E.
The land that I live on used to be called Multnomah, even still the county is called
Multnomah county. These were my site/ations from my time reflecting on the nature around me.
I feel they represent the area I live in. Oregon is so beautiful and while it is infamous for the downpour, it also has a tulip festival and a gorgeous coastline. These citations show that Oregon is full of life and color. This is the story I read:
Oregon is a strong provider. She provides rain for the flowers and grass, she provides an abundance of water necessary for life. She provides beauty as the trees change for spring, and lets the spring blossoms fall away into the summer leaves. She lets the evergreens color her land all year. Her fickle weather catures to the little lives that rely on her. Oregon may be difficult at times, but her beauty makes it worth it. Most of all, her elegant texture and intricate design reflect her original Creator.
This week, I hosted a group for a time of bonding and creativity. I cooked and provided paints and such in order for everyone to relax and have a good time. As I get older I realize how important these things are, and when you give to a group that you love it makes it better. I didn’t contribute to an organization, but I contributed to a group of people that I love and that is a beautiful cause.
Nhat-Thi B.
Stephanie R.
Site/ation of Tempe Arizona, 2022, Neighborhood Street
Lemon, Rocks, Grass, Fallen Leaves
I am typically not one who is inclined to walk around mindfully and pick up the things I see in order to examine them. However, this site/ation proved to be really interesting for me. I chose to walk around my apartment complex as well as the neighboring roads, and I found some amazing things that I never would have expected. I really appreciated the mindful experience of being electronics free and having the sole focus of finding things in nature. My most surprising find was the lemon, accompanied by two or three full grown lemon trees… something I would have never expected to find in Tempe, Arizona.
Andrea B.
The Arizona sunsets are mesmerizing to watch, I typically soak these in and appreciate it as natural artwork closing out the end of the day, giving birth to the beauty of the night’s sky. Appreciating the shapes of the clouds and various hues splashed throughout the sky while accepting that they are fleeting images that cannot be captured by photographs. I think we can learn from the land by considering our natural resources and how to use each of these in many different ways. Collecting these items from my backyard I appreciate that the flowers are pretty and bring bee’s by to pollinate my garden. The flowers that sprouted off the basil can be used in tea and the basil can be used in many dishes like pesto or spaghetti sauce. The Aloe came off a huge plant that was given to me by my great aunt after my grandmother died. She would love that I’ve managed to keep this alive and how many times we’ve plucked a piece to sooth a burn or wound. The wood is mulch which help keep my garden alive through our brutal summers and the petrified rock is one of the dozen that are different than the gravel lining my backyard, stupefying me how it got here. The territory I acknowledged today was not native grounds, but it is sacred ground to me. My house is my pride and joy, happy place, calm zone, sign of independence and success. I bought it at a time when bringing together my family was the most important thing to me and it has served us well being the backdrop for our lives continuing following a period of darkness. This house is my light at the end of our tunnel.
Teanna O.
The first thing I notice from going outside is the open sky. The stark blueness of the sky reminds me of how small I am and reminds me that things will be okay. I would probably go to my backyard and look at the trees and the rocks. We have gravel in our backyard, each tiny stone tells me that despite our similarities as a whole we have individuality. The crunchy leaves under my feet tell me that the seasons are changing and this constant cycle is relieving within our world of instability. The gravel of rocks are placed in a circle to reflect the wholeness of life and how we are all connected together by the earth. The flower represents us, the individual. The acorns/seeds represent our potential.
Anonymous
My day off began with a five hour drive back up to the place I was born and raised. Three years ago I moved away from home and do not get to visit as often as I would like to. On my day off I began with a walk around the property I had spent my entire childhood on. It seemed much larger back then. Upon walking around I came across a Frisbee Golf Disc, I unfortunately did not get a picture because I went walking without my phone. This disc may not seem like anything special but for me it brought back instant memories. I used to always have to run into my back yard and collect frisbee golf discs that were thrown over the fence. These disks to me represent the community of people I met growing up while I returned them. I used an image of a disk I found on google to represent how it would look when I came across it in my backyard. I have found hundreds of disks laying around my yard and they may not be a piece of nature to all but for me it would almost be unnatural to walk around my yard and not find one of them. Next I decided to venture over to the pond about half a mile down the road from my house and I spotted some turtles sunbathing. I have always loved coming to this pond to see the different wildlife. I have found snakes, lizards, turtles, frogs, and spiders while exploring here. Seeing these animals and being reminded of the memories that I made has inspired me to help out in my new community. Myself and a few of my friends have reached out to a local dog park and are going to start volunteering there when they need extra help. We have already been asked to help out this coming weekend and I could not be more excited.
H. Sumlin
Gustavo Alegria
I read the land by watching the war between shadows and light , by listening for the noises that most of the time go unnoticed and by keeping my nose up in the air, waiting to sniff for something unusual.
The light and shadows dance on the trees as the sun sets only a mile or two away on the ocean. One tree in particular catches my attention from afar. It has already taught me that rain has been plentiful in the past few days as it hums with activity and life. It is home to a variety of fungi and insects. The number of white Pleurotus ostreatus (oyster mushrooms) inform me that the decaying hardwood may no longer live, but that it continues to support life even in its dead state.
Next, the barking coming high above in the canopy of redwoods is like no barking I have heard before. It is guttural and lacks the bass found in a bark from a large mammal. Nevertheless, it alerts and teaches me that not too far away there is a squirrel nest and a proactive mother squirrel. Although the barks may be direct towards my location near a fallen and decaying tree, the alarm is meant to scare off a much more precise predator, a hungry hawk.
After the commotion dissipates and all is well, my nose catches a faint smell. The unexpected scent is filled with lemony goodness and decayed deliciousness. I hunt around, move forest fluff out of the way and finally find the patch that wafts with gratifying scents. The patch is made up of bollette mushrooms (Boletus edulis), red capped and probably similar in size to the infant squirrels in a nest above me.
Lastly, the gratitude vamp at the end of my time in nature.
“I stand here alone, but not lonely I stand here with everything I have and everything that has been given to meI say thank you to self,thank you to all that have come before me, thank you to the ones who tend the land, and thank you to the ones yet to come”. The above vamp was gifted to me by an old Navajo friend back in Arizona, close to ten years ago. But it comes with me everywhere I go, my lips and heart recite it at the end of all my adventures. Be them physical, mental or emotional adventures.
Modified gratitude vamp for the The Kashia Band of Pomo Indians
“I stand here at home, but not within four wallsI stand here with everything I have and everything that has been given to me,thank you to the Kaisha people,thank you from the Gualala river to the Russian river , thank you to the ones who share these lands”
Chloe M.
- Mondays are usually a free day for me, so I was able to take the time today to go outside to my backyard and be with nature.
- According to the website, I live on land that is home to three local nations: O’odham Jewed, Akimel O’odham (Upper Pima) and Hohokam.
- Site/ation
Pictured: quartzite, small purple bush flower, rosemary-like plant, hibiscus-like flower, and small red-orange bush flowers.
- Thank you for this opportunity to be with nature and rest!
- I will for sure research organizations to donate to!
- Statement:
Most of the items I found in my backyard, save the quartzite, are living things, part of a bigger living thing. I find that quite interesting; it’s like a little metaphor for a single person like myself amongst a society as a whole. Every flower is a person and has support through their leaves, or their supply. They are connected together into one big plant, or society, by many stems and even more leaves. From these bush flowers I can better understand myself as a person. Even if I feel small compared to my peers, deep down I know I am beautiful and part of something bigger than myself.
Hayley H.
The Land Around Me
An unexpected day off. Forced relaxation…kind of an oxymoron, but I will embrace time off anyway I can get it!
When the world begins to spin off-kilter, I immediately head to my safe space, outdoors. My backyard is my oasis, my sanctuary; a place to get away from the world and immerse myself in nature. My backyard is special to me. The bamboo that rims the fence line froze in February 2019 and every plant died. My father and I worked the soil, nurtured it with organic fertilizer and stinky compost, and now there are close to 200 new bamboo stalks, some over 25 feet tall. When I see the bamboo I realize the value of hard work, love, and dedication. I think of time with my dad, bonding over the smells (none which were very good), the feel of the soil, and the dirt under our nails. I also see the flower beds in the distance and think of my dogs, who love to wander and explore. Up until last month we had five rescue dogs. Last month, two of my dogs (ages 15 and 16) passed away after long illnesses. Saying goodbye and rearranging the dynamics of our pack has been so hard, but their presence is still felt. Their ashes have been spread across the yard they once patrolled. Wind chimes hang in their memory and the daily breeze is a gentle reminder of their lingering presence in our hearts. The fern in the foreground is a plant I grew from a transplanted cutting. I nurtured it into a full-fledged plant. It looks a little rough right now due to the change in seasons, but when I see it, I remember how it looked when it started. I feel proud and satisfied that I gave it new life. The rocks at the bottom of the picture are all native Texas river rocks. I have taken many of them, broken them open, and used my rock tumbler to bring a beautiful shine and finish to them. Some of them are filled with beautiful quartzite that shines in the sun. Everywhere I look, I see memories and attachments to people and to the land. I feel peace and calm when I immerse myself in the land around me and am grateful for the lessons I have learned along the way.
Madylin S.
I was a Junior in high school when the pandemic started. Now I am a sophomore in college. Time for me now flies by in a blur. So, this was a good exercise to look back and reflect my experience in the pandemic. I drew my map using a digital art software with my mouse. Drawing it with my mouse represents online school. I am studying 3d computer animation at an art school at a public university. So, this was also nice to dumb down a drawing for once. I decided to draw my map like you are reading an English book from left to right. The beginning of the lines starts as simple paths. Then in the summer of my junior year in 2020, I discovered what I wanted to pursue as a career path. The yellow color of the circles represents my spark. The zigzag line next to it represents my smooth sailing through the pandemic. Then suddenly, I got COVID a few months ago before my second year at college. And I have been dealing with the side effects ever since. School has been a nightmare because now I have heart and lung problems that keep me from being as active as I used to be before COVID. I have a higher heart rate, less oxygen levels, and now I am needing to use an inhaler like I have asthma. It sucks because I don’t feel young and healthy. And I’m only 20.
Joel C.
1) I took the day off, which was a calming experience to finally be able to slow down and get away from an online life.
2) I went outside, starting with my backyard, and then through the house to the front of my yard. After some research, I learned that where my house is located in Tempe once belonged to the Akimel O’odham tribe.
3) I can learn from the land by understanding what I am surrounded by. The climate and the terrain I reside in is hot and dry. It makes me wonder what life was like in an indigenous tribe in the heat of the summer. I read the land as mainly flat, with gorgeous mountains and hilly desert terrain to the north of me. I went outside during the evening, so the sun was about to set. The Western sky is marvelous and I have always under appreciated it.
4) After seeing the sunset and collecting parts of the terrain for my site/action paper, I was able to unwind and understand the true beauty of life and how precious it is. I feel lots of individuals get lost in their daily routine and forget the amazing place we live in.
5) After thinking of ways to contribute to a cause, I found a few environmental projects that I would consider contributing to. These include The Nature Conservancy and the NRDC.
Sam P.
I took the day off from work and decided to have a rest day. I followed the link on the provocation page and found out that I am living on Hohokam land. I found that to be very interesting because while I am ashamed of admitting this, that is not something that I think about often. Knowing specifically which tribe my home is on made me think a lot more about the land that was stolen from these people and how we, and myself, are not appreciative enough for it and often take it for granted. I walked around the park across the street from my house and found items that I usually overlook. My site/ations were pinecones, a feather, a pine tree branc that had fallen, a broken flower, a piece of what looked like wrapping paper (?), an airpods case, and a jolly rancher lollipop wrapper. At first I was noticing all of the items of nature scattered throughout the park, but then I began to see a lot of trash. The lollipop wrapper and airpod case were only two pieces among many more. It was upsetting to see the amount of times people just leave their trash on the ground, probably without any thought most of the time. We as humans treat the land so unfairly, especially when it does so much for us. What once was luscious forests and beautiful deserts have now become gentrified cities full of litter and pollution. It is just so disappointing that we have done this to land that isn’t even rightfully ours. I learned so much about the land that I visit so often, but don’t pay enough attention to. The land around us has so much to teach us if we just stop to listen to it. After doing this provocation I am going to look for petitions to sign and programs to volunteer with, which is something I have been wanting to do for a while.
YanineToday, around 6:30 pm, I decided to venture out to explore the territory in Tumbaco,Ecuador. Despite living in a residential area, my complex has green spaces that I had overlooked until now. During my exploration, I collected a variety of items that reveale the beauty and diversity of the nature surrounding me in this place. Among my findings were a coconut palm, a feather, a white leaf, a geranium, a pair of
dried leaves, a lemon verbena twig, and a pine twig. Each of these elements seemed to have its own story and contributed to my appreciation of the natural environment that we often overlook in our daily lives. The weather at this time feels cold, indicating that we are entering the winter season. Although in my country, we don't have seasons as clearly defined as in other parts of the world, the coolness in the air and the changing atmosphere are evident. This experience reminded me of the importance of connecting with the land and valuing
the small wonders that surround us, even in urban settings. While my community may be far from its original natural state, these small natural treasures remain a vital part of our surroundings. My hope is to continue exploring and learning more about the land I live on and perhaps sharing these discoveries with others to foster a greater appreciation of our natural environment.
Belen T.My expectations were right. I really like to connect with nature and it is important to respect nature a lot at my university we connect a lot with the earth and also with friends and colleagues. Living with students is very important and in my university i have not seen any type of racism in fact the university promotes coexistence and respect for other cultural cultures. If this was my first class project the most important thing i can rescue from this is creativity, perception and respect. the ideas that emerge from the earth are textures and colors. What i expect from this project is to experience more and know the history of this land of our roots which i visited and above all to help the population of this site.
