Indigenizing Philosophy through the Land

Professor Brian Burkhart will give a talk on how reconceptualizing the land can be pivotal in addressing ecocide, but only when rooted in a dialogue that recognizes the land both as the foundation of settler-colonial operations and as the source of Indigenous liberation. By focusing on the land, Burkhart seeks to underscore its material, conceptual, and ontological significance for Indigenous peoples, as central to their knowledge systems, values, and ways of being. He will address Indigenous methods of resistance, such as the ’trickster’ approach to epistemic justice and the resurgence of land-based practices, which are central themes in Burkhart’s book Indigenizing Philosophy through the Land (2019). These practices reveal the deep relationality between humans and more-than-human kin, with the land serving as the grounding force for these relationships.  

After the talk, our expert panel will discuss the Indigenous critique on the colonial power dynamics that frequently obscure Indigenous environmentalism by imposing settler-colonial narratives that marginalize or erase Indigenous knowledge systems and relationships with the land. Entering into a meaningful dialogue with decolonial thought, they dive into the specific distinctions, positionalities and encounters between these different ways of knowing. Ultimately, the speakers will chart a path toward epistemic, ontological, and moral sovereignty for Indigenous peoples, offering a vision for self-determined Indigenous futures deeply rooted in a profound connection to the land. 

Professor Brian Burkhart is in the Netherlands under a fellowship for the Pathways to Sustainability Fellowship and Conceptualizing Ecocide project at Utrecht University.

About the speakers 

Brian Burkhart is an Associate Professor of Philosophy, affiliate faculty in Native American Studies at the University of Oklahoma, director of the Native Nations Center and author of Indigenizing Philosophy. His research specializes in Native American and Indigenous philosophy, specifically Indigenous land-based conceptions of well-being and environmental ethics. Burkhart is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma with roots in the Jaybird Creek community of Northeastern Oklahoma as well as the Indian Wells community of the Navajo Nation in Arizona. 

Carolina Sánchez-De Jaegher is a philosopher and ecofeminist scholar at Utrecht University ICON/Modern and Contemporary Literature. Her academic work focuses on environmental ethics and justice. Drawing from a range of intellectual traditions, she incorporates her Indigenous heritage and mixed Hispanic roots into her scholarship. She emphasizes that navigating these distinct cultural worlds is a complex yet enriching journey of existence and connection with the pluriverse. As a philosopher, she is deeply engaged in the task of fostering decolonial dialogues between different concepts, while honoring their cultural distinctiveness. She advocates critically for epistemic justice, viewing it as a vital intellectual effort and a path toward healing from the impacts of modern colonialism. 

Rolando Vázquez is a Professor of Post/Decolonial Theories and Literatures, with a focus on the ‘Global South’ at the department of Literary and Cultural Analysis & the Amsterdam School for Cultural Analysis (ASCA). He is regularly invited to deliver keynotes on decoloniality at academic and cultural institutions. Since 2010, he co-directs with Walter Mignolo the annual Maria Lugones Decolonial Summer School, now hosted by the Van Abbemuseum. In 2016, under the direction of Gloria Wekker, he co-authored the report Let’s do Diversity of the University of Amsterdam Diversity Commission.  

Susanne C. Knittel (moderator) is Associate Professor of Comparative Literature at Utrecht University. Her research centres on the question of how societies remember atrocities — specifically how they deal with the uncomfortable issues of guilt and responsibility — and what role literature, art, film, and other cultural representations play in this process. Her current research project Ecologies of Violence (funded by the ERC) explores how contemporary culture frames and remembers environmental violence. Specifically, the project explores how cultural representations can make visible the deep historical roots that tie eco-violence to other histories of violence and how culture reflects on questions of responsibility.