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We Are the Middle of Forever: Indigenous Voices from Turtle Island on the Changing Earth
A powerful, intimate collection of conversations with Indigenous Americans on the climate crisis and the Earth’s future
Although for a great many people, the human impact on the Earth—countless species becoming extinct, pandemics claiming millions of lives, and climate crisis causing worldwide social and environmental upheaval—was not apparent until recently, this is not the case for all people or cultures. For the Indigenous people of the world, radical alteration of the planet, and of life itself, is a story that is many generations long. They have had to adapt, to persevere, and to be courageous and resourceful in the face of genocide and destruction—and their experience has given them a unique understanding of civilizational devastation. An American Library Association Notable Book, We Are the Middle of Forever places Indigenous voices at the center of conversations about today’s environmental crisis. The book draws on interviews with people from different North American Indigenous cultures and communities, generations, and geographic regions, who share their knowledge and experience, their questions, their observations, and their dreams of maintaining the best relationship possible to all of life. A welcome antidote to the despair arising from the climate crisis, We Are the Middle of Forever will be an indispensable aid to those looking for new and different ideas and responses to the challenges we face.
Although for a great many people, the human impact on the Earth—countless species becoming extinct, pandemics claiming millions of lives, and climate crisis causing worldwide social and environmental upheaval—was not apparent until recently, this is not the case for all people or cultures. For the Indigenous people of the world, radical alteration of the planet, and of life itself, is a story that is many generations long. They have had to adapt, to persevere, and to be courageous and resourceful in the face of genocide and destruction—and their experience has given them a unique understanding of civilizational devastation. An American Library Association Notable Book, We Are the Middle of Forever places Indigenous voices at the center of conversations about today’s environmental crisis. The book draws on interviews with people from different North American Indigenous cultures and communities, generations, and geographic regions, who share their knowledge and experience, their questions, their observations, and their dreams of maintaining the best relationship possible to all of life. A welcome antidote to the despair arising from the climate crisis, We Are the Middle of Forever will be an indispensable aid to those looking for new and different ideas and responses to the challenges we face.
416 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2022
136 people are currently reading
8937 people want to read
About the author
Dahr Jamail
16 books99 followersDahr Jamail is an American journalist who is best known as one of the few unembedded journalists to report extensively from Iraq during the 2003 Iraq War. He spent eight months in Iraq, between 2003 to 2005, and presented his stories on his website, entitled Dahr Jamail's MidEast Dispatches. Jamail writes for the Inter Press Service news agency, among other outlets. He has been a frequent guest on Democracy Now!. Jamail is the recipient of the 2008 The Martha Gellhorn Prize for Journalism.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
April 18, 2022
An extraordinary chorus of indigenous voices that effectively educates the reader and delivers incredible notes of hope for the future of our planet.
This is a book that has compiled the voices of 20 influential individuals’ perspectives on our changing planet, concentrating specifically on the communities and cultures found on Turtle Island. Political leaders, elders, students, and scientists speak at length about a wide range of current global issues.
Jamail and Rushworth do an excellent job of organizing this collection of interviews into one comprehensive and relevant book. Both writers have a knack for keeping readers “in the moment” of the interview while knowing exactly when to step aside and let the speakers’ wisdom speak for itself.
What was truly remarkable about this book was that I walked away from it with a feeling of hope. I am thankful that these interviewees’ voices will be published, heard, and shared, and I am abundantly thankful for their insights. To compile a book that speaks so extensively on climate change but leaves a reader feeling heartened is no small feat!
This is a book that has compiled the voices of 20 influential individuals’ perspectives on our changing planet, concentrating specifically on the communities and cultures found on Turtle Island. Political leaders, elders, students, and scientists speak at length about a wide range of current global issues.
Jamail and Rushworth do an excellent job of organizing this collection of interviews into one comprehensive and relevant book. Both writers have a knack for keeping readers “in the moment” of the interview while knowing exactly when to step aside and let the speakers’ wisdom speak for itself.
What was truly remarkable about this book was that I walked away from it with a feeling of hope. I am thankful that these interviewees’ voices will be published, heard, and shared, and I am abundantly thankful for their insights. To compile a book that speaks so extensively on climate change but leaves a reader feeling heartened is no small feat!
November 10, 2022
A remarkable collection of interviews with 20 different indigenous people – students, elders, activists, scientists, and more – on how the climate crisis came to be and how we can move forward. There is a lot here, but I think what will stick with me most is the recurring theme of reciprocity, obligation, and kinship: many were concerned about how our individualistic culture obscures the relationships we are in with humans and nonhumans, and leads to us asserting rights without accepting responsibilities.
Update: I also interviewed the book’s editors for my podcast, some of you may enjoy: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...
Update: I also interviewed the book’s editors for my podcast, some of you may enjoy: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...
May 10, 2022
I chose this book because I believe it is always essential to plant your feet and take a few steps back to listen to the voices guiding us. I love interviews. I love the different perspectives and voices, where my take on climate change is brought to the forefront and spun on its head to insert other narratives.
There are a lot of great books on the topic of the land, climate, and the impact on people (inflamed is a great book to look at), but I like the intentionality of the essays and the perceptions introduced that aligned with my train of thought (crafted after much reading) that doesn't make you feel hopeless about the environment and the world,
Thank you, Netgalley and the New Press, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
There are a lot of great books on the topic of the land, climate, and the impact on people (inflamed is a great book to look at), but I like the intentionality of the essays and the perceptions introduced that aligned with my train of thought (crafted after much reading) that doesn't make you feel hopeless about the environment and the world,
Thank you, Netgalley and the New Press, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
October 26, 2022
very refreshing and uplifting which was a welcome change from how most climate books make me feel. I loved the interview format and am so glad I randomly found this
January 2, 2023
“It is hard to have true courage unless we take the time to shed the boxes that this world puts us in and arise as what we are. From what I understand, this is done by reviewing our lives and rejecting all the ways our childhoods and lives taught us something wrong about ourselves. And that is something each and every person has to address within themselves. It’s a microcosm of the larger phenomenon of intergenerational trauma. And it is through that healing of the self that we see through the lies and have deep courage and trust in the goodness of our being. I am not there yet, but this is what I have seen some others do.
Lyla June Johnston (Diné [Navajo], Tsétsêhéstâhese [Cheyenne])
The Kogi people of highland Colombia constantly remind all people to really think, to think about all of it, to use the mind in its largest sense. They repeatedly admonish to “Think, think, think of the Great Mother,” which they call the Mind inside of Nature. “At night, before you sleep … think what you’re going to do the next day. What things need to be done and how you’re going to do them. Think it through.”
“‘Why are you doing this [telling the old stories in classrooms, writing, speaking, recording stories, and teaching]?’ And he said, ‘Because it’s the right thing to do.’ This is an alien twist that our contemporary society doesn’t understand, where there is a hierarchy. There has to be a winner and a loser, and a large part of our Native societies aren’t concerned with any of that.”
Gregg Castro (Salinan/Ohlone)
There are mountains and planets and eons and infinities of wisdom in here, written beautifully in an interview pattern with some of the authors’ reaction to what they hear and experience in holiness with the people who are being interviewed. I feel eternity and gratitude as I read these, and they are definitely to be re-read again and again. And again. And then again. And shared. And thought about. And acted upon.
Mohawk leader Jake Swamp-Tekaronianeken said that people had lost the ability to listen because of the grief felt at the pain from what had happened. He said people had lost their voices from the grief and pain, so they could not come to agreement. The abilities to see, to listen, and to speak are the foundations of how to communicate and thereby find a future together. He said the people needed to take the stricken ones by the hand, and help them to “raise their eyes to Creation” and find “the purest cloud to wipe away the tears,” for vision to be restored.
Then they should look to Creation again and find “the softest feather for opening the ears,” so they could “hear the wind, the birds, and all the things that make sound in the world.” Then they should reach to Creation still again and “find the purest water to wash away the lump in the throat,” so they could speak again. To see, to listen, and to speak clearly are the essentials that brought agreement to his people a thousand years ago, and now we need this again. This is his message.
“During my first year as president, I was invited, during a television interview, to come up with a myth and a truth. One that came to mind through prayer was the myth that the Europeans believed upon first contact that we were primitive and we were savages. But then there is the truth that if you look at scholars and scientists and people like Abraham Maslow and the hierarchy of maturity, at the very base are selfish people, then as you climb up you get to the independent people, then finally the interdependent people.” President Sharp went on to point out how someone who is self-confident becomes independent, but only when they go on to care for other people have they arrived at the point at which they are considered to be a highly mature individual.
This is the truth she went on to share in contrast to the myth. “I relate this to how we as a people [Native Americans] were not only interdependent relative to our fellow humanity, but we were interdependent relative to the natural world … to the animals, to the trees, to our Creator, to the Great Spirit that lives in everything,” she explained. “That is what Chief Seattle referred to, that all things are connected. What we do to the Earth, we do to ourselves. We are just one strand in this intricately woven fabric.”
—President Fawn Sharp (Quinault)
“All this intolerance of others is a reflection of the intolerance for the planet. Look at this, look out your window,” she said. “We are in paradise. We are in Eden. We didn’t get kicked out. Our minds got kicked out. The mind became the all-powerful thing. I am not depressed or scared or have a lack of faith. Because for me, there’s been enough to show me, this isn’t permanent, this state, this condition isn’t permanent. It will get better in some areas, and maybe worse in others before it can get better. It’s cyclical. It’s a cycle. It’s a circle. It’s a spiral. It’s never ending, ever changing.”
Marita Hacker (Hunkpapa, Norwegian)
Melissa mentioned the movie Wiping the Tears of Seven Generations, and believes we need to “wipe the tears of the seven generations since Columbus arrived in North America,” and this needs to be done regularly. She cited the ancient Hawaiian practice for forgiveness and reconciliation, Ho’oponopono, as a perfect example of doing so. She sees this as starting at a personal level, then to be done locally, then at larger levels to promote the alchemical change. “And it is alchemical, literally. The chemicals in our bodies change when we are in that ‘fight or flight,’ or freeze, and in trauma and fear, and all the cortisol that goes with that. Then we break through, and the dopamine and serotonin and other chemicals flow through.”
“To be in that river and flow of meaning and wisdom and teachings that we’ve been in here,” she said softly, “I’m just humbled and blessed to have a little slice of this on our journey. That’s what you’ll be offering with this whole collection. It’ll be beautiful. It’ll be a waterfall. It’ll be a gushing water well.”
—Melissa K. Nelson, PhD (Anishinaabe/ Métis [Turtle Mountain Chippewa])
“As Indigenous people, we are the only group that has to validate who we are ‘legitimately.’ How many times have you ever heard someone say, ‘Oh yeah, my mother is Asian and so I’m Asian American.’ ‘Oh? How much Asian are you?’ It’s quite frustrating that this is a mentality we navigate in both social and historical contexts, because if we acknowledge how we got here, we would start pointing out what we should prioritize in regards to teaching the next generation, but we don’t.
I’m in a lot of conversations where the ‘White’ Western settler perspective is very prevalent, and they say, ‘I didn’t do anything. I am a later immigrant. Why am I being blamed for the actions the colonists?’ I’m not asking you to bear the weight of all the history of what happened. What I am asking is that you advocate for those truths to be brought to the surface, and for you to share that we recognize that these occurrences have happened.”
Kanyon Sayers-Roods (Mutsun Ohlone/Chumash)
“When colonization happened, it didn’t just happen to the Earth. This happened to me, to women, and it happened to men as well. The sacred responsibilities were taken away from men. There was the idea of heteropatriarchy and misogyny, and all of these things thrown in that everyone had to follow in order to survive, and it has been a great devastation to our tribal people and our families. And now it’s time to bring that balance back.
You’re going to lose a lot of sleep, and you’re going to cause yourself a lot of stress if you think that you’re going to fix everything. We want to be in that place of fixing it all, but we need to remember to become interdependent with each other again, that we have to live in reciprocity with each other and this Earth again. “And what does that mean? That means doing it at home. That means learning how to take care of plants so that they can take care of you. It means having a relationship with even the smallest little beings.
Human beings think that they rule the Earth and forget things like that with bees and pollinators: if we don’t have them we’re all going somewhere else. We need them in order to survive. That means planting flowers and making your life beautiful. It means planting food enough to share with your neighbor, and learning those relationships with neighbors again. We forgot that skill of knowing who lives next door and checking up on each other, making sure that everybody has enough. It means creating community gardens and sharing food with people.
Corrina Gould (Confederated Villages of Lisjan)
“I hear people talking about ‘the environment,’ like it’s a separate thing, and it’s not. We are the environment. We are the sum total of everything that’s on Mother Earth and there’s no way around it. We drink the water, we eat the food, we breathe the air. Whatever we are is the environment. If you treat ‘the environment’ negatively, obviously you treat yourself negatively, but you just don’t realize it because you have been taught that it’s a separate thing. So it really is about the ability, from what you’re taught, to be in the wilderness, which to us was never wild. That was just home. Anonymous Elder to Dahr Jamail,Stan Rushworth
Lyla June Johnston (Diné [Navajo], Tsétsêhéstâhese [Cheyenne])
The Kogi people of highland Colombia constantly remind all people to really think, to think about all of it, to use the mind in its largest sense. They repeatedly admonish to “Think, think, think of the Great Mother,” which they call the Mind inside of Nature. “At night, before you sleep … think what you’re going to do the next day. What things need to be done and how you’re going to do them. Think it through.”
“‘Why are you doing this [telling the old stories in classrooms, writing, speaking, recording stories, and teaching]?’ And he said, ‘Because it’s the right thing to do.’ This is an alien twist that our contemporary society doesn’t understand, where there is a hierarchy. There has to be a winner and a loser, and a large part of our Native societies aren’t concerned with any of that.”
Gregg Castro (Salinan/Ohlone)
There are mountains and planets and eons and infinities of wisdom in here, written beautifully in an interview pattern with some of the authors’ reaction to what they hear and experience in holiness with the people who are being interviewed. I feel eternity and gratitude as I read these, and they are definitely to be re-read again and again. And again. And then again. And shared. And thought about. And acted upon.
Mohawk leader Jake Swamp-Tekaronianeken said that people had lost the ability to listen because of the grief felt at the pain from what had happened. He said people had lost their voices from the grief and pain, so they could not come to agreement. The abilities to see, to listen, and to speak are the foundations of how to communicate and thereby find a future together. He said the people needed to take the stricken ones by the hand, and help them to “raise their eyes to Creation” and find “the purest cloud to wipe away the tears,” for vision to be restored.
Then they should look to Creation again and find “the softest feather for opening the ears,” so they could “hear the wind, the birds, and all the things that make sound in the world.” Then they should reach to Creation still again and “find the purest water to wash away the lump in the throat,” so they could speak again. To see, to listen, and to speak clearly are the essentials that brought agreement to his people a thousand years ago, and now we need this again. This is his message.
“During my first year as president, I was invited, during a television interview, to come up with a myth and a truth. One that came to mind through prayer was the myth that the Europeans believed upon first contact that we were primitive and we were savages. But then there is the truth that if you look at scholars and scientists and people like Abraham Maslow and the hierarchy of maturity, at the very base are selfish people, then as you climb up you get to the independent people, then finally the interdependent people.” President Sharp went on to point out how someone who is self-confident becomes independent, but only when they go on to care for other people have they arrived at the point at which they are considered to be a highly mature individual.
This is the truth she went on to share in contrast to the myth. “I relate this to how we as a people [Native Americans] were not only interdependent relative to our fellow humanity, but we were interdependent relative to the natural world … to the animals, to the trees, to our Creator, to the Great Spirit that lives in everything,” she explained. “That is what Chief Seattle referred to, that all things are connected. What we do to the Earth, we do to ourselves. We are just one strand in this intricately woven fabric.”
—President Fawn Sharp (Quinault)
“All this intolerance of others is a reflection of the intolerance for the planet. Look at this, look out your window,” she said. “We are in paradise. We are in Eden. We didn’t get kicked out. Our minds got kicked out. The mind became the all-powerful thing. I am not depressed or scared or have a lack of faith. Because for me, there’s been enough to show me, this isn’t permanent, this state, this condition isn’t permanent. It will get better in some areas, and maybe worse in others before it can get better. It’s cyclical. It’s a cycle. It’s a circle. It’s a spiral. It’s never ending, ever changing.”
Marita Hacker (Hunkpapa, Norwegian)
Melissa mentioned the movie Wiping the Tears of Seven Generations, and believes we need to “wipe the tears of the seven generations since Columbus arrived in North America,” and this needs to be done regularly. She cited the ancient Hawaiian practice for forgiveness and reconciliation, Ho’oponopono, as a perfect example of doing so. She sees this as starting at a personal level, then to be done locally, then at larger levels to promote the alchemical change. “And it is alchemical, literally. The chemicals in our bodies change when we are in that ‘fight or flight,’ or freeze, and in trauma and fear, and all the cortisol that goes with that. Then we break through, and the dopamine and serotonin and other chemicals flow through.”
“To be in that river and flow of meaning and wisdom and teachings that we’ve been in here,” she said softly, “I’m just humbled and blessed to have a little slice of this on our journey. That’s what you’ll be offering with this whole collection. It’ll be beautiful. It’ll be a waterfall. It’ll be a gushing water well.”
—Melissa K. Nelson, PhD (Anishinaabe/ Métis [Turtle Mountain Chippewa])
“As Indigenous people, we are the only group that has to validate who we are ‘legitimately.’ How many times have you ever heard someone say, ‘Oh yeah, my mother is Asian and so I’m Asian American.’ ‘Oh? How much Asian are you?’ It’s quite frustrating that this is a mentality we navigate in both social and historical contexts, because if we acknowledge how we got here, we would start pointing out what we should prioritize in regards to teaching the next generation, but we don’t.
I’m in a lot of conversations where the ‘White’ Western settler perspective is very prevalent, and they say, ‘I didn’t do anything. I am a later immigrant. Why am I being blamed for the actions the colonists?’ I’m not asking you to bear the weight of all the history of what happened. What I am asking is that you advocate for those truths to be brought to the surface, and for you to share that we recognize that these occurrences have happened.”
Kanyon Sayers-Roods (Mutsun Ohlone/Chumash)
“When colonization happened, it didn’t just happen to the Earth. This happened to me, to women, and it happened to men as well. The sacred responsibilities were taken away from men. There was the idea of heteropatriarchy and misogyny, and all of these things thrown in that everyone had to follow in order to survive, and it has been a great devastation to our tribal people and our families. And now it’s time to bring that balance back.
You’re going to lose a lot of sleep, and you’re going to cause yourself a lot of stress if you think that you’re going to fix everything. We want to be in that place of fixing it all, but we need to remember to become interdependent with each other again, that we have to live in reciprocity with each other and this Earth again. “And what does that mean? That means doing it at home. That means learning how to take care of plants so that they can take care of you. It means having a relationship with even the smallest little beings.
Human beings think that they rule the Earth and forget things like that with bees and pollinators: if we don’t have them we’re all going somewhere else. We need them in order to survive. That means planting flowers and making your life beautiful. It means planting food enough to share with your neighbor, and learning those relationships with neighbors again. We forgot that skill of knowing who lives next door and checking up on each other, making sure that everybody has enough. It means creating community gardens and sharing food with people.
Corrina Gould (Confederated Villages of Lisjan)
“I hear people talking about ‘the environment,’ like it’s a separate thing, and it’s not. We are the environment. We are the sum total of everything that’s on Mother Earth and there’s no way around it. We drink the water, we eat the food, we breathe the air. Whatever we are is the environment. If you treat ‘the environment’ negatively, obviously you treat yourself negatively, but you just don’t realize it because you have been taught that it’s a separate thing. So it really is about the ability, from what you’re taught, to be in the wilderness, which to us was never wild. That was just home. Anonymous Elder to Dahr Jamail,Stan Rushworth
February 22, 2022
(Note: I received an advanced reader copy of this book courtesy of NetGalley)
Even with climate change increasingly on everyone’s mind, it’s still not often that I get to encounter indigenous voices on the topic. However, whenever I have gotten the chance, I have always found myself greatly welcoming the new perspectives. They are often thought-provoking and usually wedge me right out of my mental comfort zone in the best way possible. These perspectives also often carry heavy undercurrents of resilience and overt visions of a new relationship with the earth, which I have particularly appreciated as someone who has frequent bouts of climate anxiety.
So with all that being said, it’s probably no surprise whatsoever when I say that I was an instant fan of We Are the Middle of Forever and its numerous interviews with no less than 20 different native voices from a wide array of backgrounds. Every person given the opportunity to speak here not only provided me with a great deal to mentally chew on, but their combined based takes on what changes can and should be made in the face of the ongoing climate crisis have infused me with much-needed hope for the potential future.
Even with climate change increasingly on everyone’s mind, it’s still not often that I get to encounter indigenous voices on the topic. However, whenever I have gotten the chance, I have always found myself greatly welcoming the new perspectives. They are often thought-provoking and usually wedge me right out of my mental comfort zone in the best way possible. These perspectives also often carry heavy undercurrents of resilience and overt visions of a new relationship with the earth, which I have particularly appreciated as someone who has frequent bouts of climate anxiety.
So with all that being said, it’s probably no surprise whatsoever when I say that I was an instant fan of We Are the Middle of Forever and its numerous interviews with no less than 20 different native voices from a wide array of backgrounds. Every person given the opportunity to speak here not only provided me with a great deal to mentally chew on, but their combined based takes on what changes can and should be made in the face of the ongoing climate crisis have infused me with much-needed hope for the potential future.
April 6, 2022
Generally speaking, my values are closer to those expressed in this book than they are to the mainstream society I’ve lived in. So these interviews were soothing even as they spoke of climate change, and societal failings, and attempts to destroy indigenous people, but I found it best to let some time pass between reading the different interview summaries. Often dealing with similar ideas, they could blur together if read in too short a time period. Their strength shows more clearly as individual respites from dealing with days of modern life.
Thanks to The New Press and NetGalley for the early copy to review.
Thanks to The New Press and NetGalley for the early copy to review.
June 5, 2022
Every interview in this collection is important and introduces old concepts in new ways. For anyone who is feeling the disconnect of our time and Western ways, this book provides insights on how to get back in touch with the earth, and through that connection, everything else. Highly recommended reading for everyone right now.
December 24, 2024
Profound, Educating, Eye-opening and Encouraging. This was my favorite book I read this year. There’s been a concern lately about whether we as a country will continue our efforts towards bettering the planet with the climate change crisis or once again, step away from acts that will help us reach the goals and changes we absolutely need to make. Some think it’s not important, it’s a waste of time and money or the idea that climate change is “made up” but in the long run, the planet will survive, with or without us.
Each chapter is an interview between the authors and a different Native American activist, where they discuss specific subjects, such as Strength, Balance, Stewardship, etc. What I really liked and respected from their responses was their honesty and knowledge. And what they have shared with us is sacred and has been working for them and their ancestors for millennia. Though each subject and response is different, their common conclusion is that we have lost our connection to Mother Earth and we must regain that relationship with her because the reality is this; there’s not much more time for us to make the changes we need for our future generations.
What I gained most from reading this amazing book is the different perspective I now have of the world and society we live in. I have always been one that cares so deeply about the Earth and all of its inhabitants, whether that’s the abundance of wildlife, plants, or humans we share this planet with, but I have a better understanding now of how we are all truly connected and how everything we do affects one another. We are connected simply by the planet we live on. And so much more. There’s more I want to learn and understand from these important words, such as the discussion of Medicine in Native American culture, the way of thinking with your Heart and not with your Mind and ways we can do better to take care of Mother Earth. Like the last line of the book states, “And what else do we really have to do anyway?” Thank you to all those that shared their stories, thoughts and knowledge in this book and to the authors that have composed and shared their information. 🪶🙏🏽🤎
Each chapter is an interview between the authors and a different Native American activist, where they discuss specific subjects, such as Strength, Balance, Stewardship, etc. What I really liked and respected from their responses was their honesty and knowledge. And what they have shared with us is sacred and has been working for them and their ancestors for millennia. Though each subject and response is different, their common conclusion is that we have lost our connection to Mother Earth and we must regain that relationship with her because the reality is this; there’s not much more time for us to make the changes we need for our future generations.
What I gained most from reading this amazing book is the different perspective I now have of the world and society we live in. I have always been one that cares so deeply about the Earth and all of its inhabitants, whether that’s the abundance of wildlife, plants, or humans we share this planet with, but I have a better understanding now of how we are all truly connected and how everything we do affects one another. We are connected simply by the planet we live on. And so much more. There’s more I want to learn and understand from these important words, such as the discussion of Medicine in Native American culture, the way of thinking with your Heart and not with your Mind and ways we can do better to take care of Mother Earth. Like the last line of the book states, “And what else do we really have to do anyway?” Thank you to all those that shared their stories, thoughts and knowledge in this book and to the authors that have composed and shared their information. 🪶🙏🏽🤎
August 28, 2022
This was a great read. 20 interviews about climate change, how we got here, the general state of the world, how we should respond/what to do next. I really enjoyed learning a little bit about so many different Indigenous cultures, and am also humbled by how united they all are on so much. We have so much to learn!
July 24, 2023
We are the Middle of Forever: Indigenous Voices from Turtle Island on the Changing Earth is a fascinating and thought provoking collection of 20 conversations with 20 Indigenous scholars, activists, and leaders on how the earth is changing and what we can do in response. I did this one on audio and it felt like the perfect format for this - you get a sense of the flow of the conversations and it was really a way of engaging with the concepts and themes discussed effectively. In these conversations, the editors look at various considerations on how we got to where we are today, what do people see as the primary challenges facing our societies, and what are some of the paths forward. There were so many themes in here that resonated for me, but here are a few that particularly stuck out — the idea that we should think seven generations in the future, it’s not just about what something means today - what will it mean 7 generations from now, the importance of listening - to other points of view, to the wisdom of the elders, to your own sense of what is right, the ideas of reciprocity and obligation and what this means for our decisions and actions. There is very much a contemplative, thoughtful feel to this collection of essays and I very much appreciated the opportunity to hear these voices brought together in one collection.
January 23, 2023
It’s a shame that this book is in an interview format. The format just makes it less impactful than it could be for me. Otherwise, this is an incredible collection and showcases a great diversity of Indigenous voices which makes it a must read for learning more about Indigenous Americans and climate change.
June 13, 2023
this was a deeply moving, grounding, and humbling read. a powerful collection of thoughts on how deeply removed white society is from what it means to be human and from any true sense of spirituality. and i learned so much about colonization as the true climate disaster and what it looks like to actually live in relationship to land and plant + animal kingdoms. i couldn’t recommend this book enough 💚
January 27, 2023
This book needs a much bigger audience, considering how timely it is (my mom asked where Turtle Island was, apparently having never heard the phrase before)! Reading some of these essays was like a spiritual experience. My favorites were 1, 3, 9 & 16. I preferred Dahr’s composition style & he happened to edit my 4 favorite ones.
February 14, 2023
a tough but necessary read.
December 16, 2023
This book is not exactly enjoyable but that’s the point; the subject matter itself is a tough pill to swallow. Otherwise THESE are the people we need to be listening to - they are native to our land and closer with the earth than we will ever be.
September 22, 2025
It’s okay to read this one one interview at a time. Knowledge is there. Requires humility to listen and learn.
March 6, 2025
the only way to review this is to reread. I'll hopefully find time to pick it up again and revisit certain interviews. it's going to take time to know what it all means to me but the change is immediate already.
a rare book that feels like a friend and a gift, in the way that each is always also the other at their best. everyone should know it
a rare book that feels like a friend and a gift, in the way that each is always also the other at their best. everyone should know it
March 31, 2022
Unlike other media about climate change, I actually walked away from this one with a hopeful/positive feeling. I feel like it’s one of those books that really sparks something in you to try to do what you can, where you can. Which is also one of the main overarching points in all these interviews: it’s not about what one thing that needs to be done that will fix this. Each of the people interviewed mentions different approaches and different problems that all contribute to climate issues, or just general disrespect of the Earth and all of the beings on it.
Each of the interviewees felt very intentionally picked (they were well qualified!), I really enjoyed reading all of their specific backgrounds, and how it lead them to work with what or who they work with today. I think marginalized voices (especially Indigenous voices) need to be heard on this topic because they are the ones impacted the most by climate change, even though they contribute the least. Would wholly recommend giving this a read.
Big thanks to The New Press publishing for providing me with an advanced copy!
Each of the interviewees felt very intentionally picked (they were well qualified!), I really enjoyed reading all of their specific backgrounds, and how it lead them to work with what or who they work with today. I think marginalized voices (especially Indigenous voices) need to be heard on this topic because they are the ones impacted the most by climate change, even though they contribute the least. Would wholly recommend giving this a read.
Big thanks to The New Press publishing for providing me with an advanced copy!
April 23, 2022
This book is both a sharp wake-up and heart medicine at once. As a young person I am frequently debilitated with climate despair, and the voices in this book each had a message I needed to hear. They put our lives as humans in perspective--integrated into the family of all life on this planet, not above or below it--a perspective which brings both humility and a reason to keep going. Even if humans are on their way off this planet, it matters how we treat each other and our living environment in the time we have here; it matters that we work towards right relationship. Amazing how each interviewee speaks from their own hyper-local context and distinct cultural heritage, and yet the themes of grief, resilience, and kinship resound and build like a growing chorus of drums from chapter to chapter. This book is packed with wisdom. A must-read!
November 15, 2023
twenty interviews of indigenous peoples of (primarily the western part of) turtle island. listening to the audio made me think and feel and grieve and grow my sense of hope and connection. such important knowing shared. beautiful and touching.
dnf
July 22, 2025Dropping this after Chapter 9, the subject veered way off from what I was expecting, and many of the talking points brought up (particularly in chapters 7 and 9) are full of the sort of phrases and mindsets that I tend to see in people on a slide into the modern right-wing 'crunchy' extremism trend. I was hoping for more of a conversation and deep-dive into how each person approaches the climate crisis, but this book definitely tends more towards "here's your 15 minutes, just talk at us and if you don't bring up relevant topics on your own we'll halfheartedly spin the wheel in that direction". Some of the interviews were fantastic, up until chapter 7 I was truly enjoying my time with the people in this book, even if I don't agree with everything they say or believe in the exact same things they do, their love for the planet and for community is still universal.
But chapter 7...put a bad taste in my mouth and lost me a lot of faith in the interviewers. The interviewee, Terri Delahanty, is a Cree women who speaks on her experience with ceremony, focusing on traditional women's ceremony. Throughout her chapter, she continuously talks about the sacred feminine and the sacred masculine; the roles that each individual should play. I have no issue with women who want to be homemakers and feel complete by raising a family and tending to matters of the home, and want a male partner to be a breadwinner and protector. But I also have no issue with a woman who wants a career, or a man who wants to stay home, or any other mix of gender and roles. Where Delahanty's chapter took a true turn for me is a moment near the end where she says the climate crisis will never be corrected and the earth will continue to suffer because women refuse to accept their assigned role. And then there is no further questioning from either interviewer about what this might look like for anyone who doesn't fit Delahanty's mold.
Chapter 9 was the nail in the coffin, leaning into the world of faith healing and "magic" with Marita Hacker. Alternative schooling, spirit healing, and distrust of conventional medicine is a pipeline which I have unfortunately watched too many people fall down end up in an extremely right-wing spot. Yes the education system is extremely flawed, but I don't think teachers should be educating students on how to do 'telepathy'. Yes, the American medical system is a disaster, medical racism is a very real thing, and distrust of the institution as an entity is valid and supported by centuries of crimes...but I draw my line at a book purporting faith healing over medical intervention. There can be nuanced conversation about why people make the choices they make, and how modern medicine is always going to be imperfect. This isn't that. It's revealed that one of the authors was healed of his kidney stone by Hacker(after already receiving some treatment through more conventional medical means).
At best, the talking points in these two chapters flirt with mindsets shared by right-wing extremists, and at worst the interviewers themselves are supporting these people and the harmful narratives they put forward. DNF for me, I'm really not interested in reading more from this collection.
But chapter 7...put a bad taste in my mouth and lost me a lot of faith in the interviewers. The interviewee, Terri Delahanty, is a Cree women who speaks on her experience with ceremony, focusing on traditional women's ceremony. Throughout her chapter, she continuously talks about the sacred feminine and the sacred masculine; the roles that each individual should play. I have no issue with women who want to be homemakers and feel complete by raising a family and tending to matters of the home, and want a male partner to be a breadwinner and protector. But I also have no issue with a woman who wants a career, or a man who wants to stay home, or any other mix of gender and roles. Where Delahanty's chapter took a true turn for me is a moment near the end where she says the climate crisis will never be corrected and the earth will continue to suffer because women refuse to accept their assigned role. And then there is no further questioning from either interviewer about what this might look like for anyone who doesn't fit Delahanty's mold.
Chapter 9 was the nail in the coffin, leaning into the world of faith healing and "magic" with Marita Hacker. Alternative schooling, spirit healing, and distrust of conventional medicine is a pipeline which I have unfortunately watched too many people fall down end up in an extremely right-wing spot. Yes the education system is extremely flawed, but I don't think teachers should be educating students on how to do 'telepathy'. Yes, the American medical system is a disaster, medical racism is a very real thing, and distrust of the institution as an entity is valid and supported by centuries of crimes...but I draw my line at a book purporting faith healing over medical intervention. There can be nuanced conversation about why people make the choices they make, and how modern medicine is always going to be imperfect. This isn't that. It's revealed that one of the authors was healed of his kidney stone by Hacker(after already receiving some treatment through more conventional medical means).
At best, the talking points in these two chapters flirt with mindsets shared by right-wing extremists, and at worst the interviewers themselves are supporting these people and the harmful narratives they put forward. DNF for me, I'm really not interested in reading more from this collection.
September 7, 2022
There are a lot of interesting and valuable perspectives in this book, but I think I would've enjoyed it a great deal more if I'd experienced these interviews directly, maybe via podcast, instead of in print, where I often found it difficult to catch the tone and the rhythm of the speakers' stories and ideas.
I also would've loved to see a map of where the ancestral lands of the speakers lie in Turtle Island, since their perspectives about the land and Mother Earth find anchor in those places. There are also so many resources mentioned in the interviews—speeches, books, documentaries, etc.—that it would've been helpful to have those collected into a Resources or Further Reading section at the end of the book. But I am reading an ARC, so perhaps these things can be found in the final publication.
Overall, I'm grateful for the information shared in this book, and I hope to put a number of its perspectives into practice in my life. I can also think of a few other people who would benefit from exploring these interviews, and I look forward to discussing this with them.
I also would've loved to see a map of where the ancestral lands of the speakers lie in Turtle Island, since their perspectives about the land and Mother Earth find anchor in those places. There are also so many resources mentioned in the interviews—speeches, books, documentaries, etc.—that it would've been helpful to have those collected into a Resources or Further Reading section at the end of the book. But I am reading an ARC, so perhaps these things can be found in the final publication.
Overall, I'm grateful for the information shared in this book, and I hope to put a number of its perspectives into practice in my life. I can also think of a few other people who would benefit from exploring these interviews, and I look forward to discussing this with them.
September 19, 2022
I found it difficult to get into initially, but it was much easier after switching to the audiobook. The book consists of detailed accounts of interviews with 20 different individuals who were of Indigenous or mixed backgrounds. Much of the descriptions include direct quotations, thus the audio format is a superior means to understanding what was discussed. Ages varied quite a bit, as well as people from different locations, some living in the communities other who have moved away and maintained their connections. There were many similarities in philosophy relating to the environment and deep respect. It was eye opening when learning more details about how poorly the indigenous people were treated and pushed out of their own lands and living structure. Historic records and what is taught in schools have been whitewashed about the abuses imposed on them.
dnf-d
August 22, 2023I think that most of the content in this story is vital to any reader. But when nonfiction books push "truths" that have been scientifically proven to be incorret, I lose not only respect for the writer but also the publisher. I get that things change all the time, but using "facts" about contentious issues that have been disproven isn't - I suspect - going to win you readers, so please stop including your personal opinion about hot button topics that don't contribuate anything meaingful to the premise of your text.
That being said, in the grand scheme of things, I'm no one. So take the information in this "review" with a grain of salt.
If you enjoy reading outdated, scientifically inaccurate information (now called "misinformation" or "disinformation") which has nothing to do with the main topic of the text, then this might be for you.
That being said, in the grand scheme of things, I'm no one. So take the information in this "review" with a grain of salt.
If you enjoy reading outdated, scientifically inaccurate information (now called "misinformation" or "disinformation") which has nothing to do with the main topic of the text, then this might be for you.
April 24, 2025
For me, the most valuable aspect of this collection of discussions about North American indigenous people’s perspectives on human interconnectedness with the environment, the history of that perspective’s silencing after colonization and industrialization’s destruction of the planet’s health was the references mentioned by each interviewee of their own mentor’s and influencer’s works.
While my own beliefs are in line with those professed in this collection, I had caveat’s to some universal statements made.
The effort to document the thoughts and lessons herein is extremely worthwhile; collected shortly after COVID-19 lockdown, the hope of a transition to a cleaner way of living with the natural world was still prevalent. With some hindsight now that the political winds have changed, the new hope may be that our current trade war with its invariable price increases may hopefully force us into less consumption, practicing more conservation on an individual basis, as well as spur direct individual responsibility to help fill the gap that cuts to EPA funding have endured.
While my own beliefs are in line with those professed in this collection, I had caveat’s to some universal statements made.
The effort to document the thoughts and lessons herein is extremely worthwhile; collected shortly after COVID-19 lockdown, the hope of a transition to a cleaner way of living with the natural world was still prevalent. With some hindsight now that the political winds have changed, the new hope may be that our current trade war with its invariable price increases may hopefully force us into less consumption, practicing more conservation on an individual basis, as well as spur direct individual responsibility to help fill the gap that cuts to EPA funding have endured.
March 6, 2024
Interviews with various people representing the many indigenous tribes of "Turtle Island" (our continent). Each of them share a terrible sadness for the failure of we who are considered Americans to recognize the needs of Mother Earth and to care for it properly as the indigenous would, using practices that are centuries old of protecting the earth's ability to regenerate and produce and by using restraint in "taking" from the earth what cannot easily be replaced. So far, it is an extremely moving and excellently written book that shows clearly the danger we are in when we decide to tamper with nature's way. A slow read, only because each chapter requires some serious thought.
January 11, 2026
I made so many notes while listening that I ran out of space in my reading journal. 😅
This book had so many great insides in indigenous knowledge and wisdom. I wish this knowledge would be more common. I really appreciate that books like these exist now though.
Only reason why it's not five stars for me is that at some point it felt a bit repetitive and lengthy. And in the last chapter I was quite lost with the writing/interview style. I wasn't sure I understood the message the last interviewee was trying to get across.
Aside from that though a really good book and I liked the writing style overall. 😊
This book had so many great insides in indigenous knowledge and wisdom. I wish this knowledge would be more common. I really appreciate that books like these exist now though.
Only reason why it's not five stars for me is that at some point it felt a bit repetitive and lengthy. And in the last chapter I was quite lost with the writing/interview style. I wasn't sure I understood the message the last interviewee was trying to get across.
Aside from that though a really good book and I liked the writing style overall. 😊
November 19, 2022
I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in learning more about indigenous issues, history, ways of connecting with culture, language, plants and land. I feel us colonizers have so much to learn from indigenous peoples and reading books like this goes a long way to understanding and learning.
I was familiar with about 1/2 of the people interviewed in this book, a few I've heard speak either in person or online. Hoping someday to actually meet at least one of them in person. So much respect for all of them.
I was familiar with about 1/2 of the people interviewed in this book, a few I've heard speak either in person or online. Hoping someday to actually meet at least one of them in person. So much respect for all of them.
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