Ando Prado

“In the Western tradition there is a recognized hierarchy of beings, with, of course, the human being on top—the pinnacle of evolution, the darling of Creation—and the plants at the bottom. But in Native ways of knowing, human people are often referred to as “the younger brothers of Creation.” We say that humans have the least experience with how to live and thus the most to learn—we must look to our teachers among the other species for guidance. Their wisdom is apparent in the way that they live. They teach us by example. They’ve been on the earth far longer than we have been, and have had time to figure things out.”
― Robin Wall Kimmerer, Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants

“It is after all very arrogant of humans to assume a beginning, to name it and set its date, when we are such minor beings in the universe, really only the earth’s caretakers and not its dictators.”
― Linda Tuhiwai Smith, Decolonizing Methodologies: Research and Indigenous Peoples

“Imperialism provided the means through which concepts of what counts as human could be applied systematically as forms of classification, for example through hierarchies of race and typologies of different societies. In conjunction with imperial power and with ‘science’, these classification systems came to shape relations between imperial powers and indigenous societies.”
― Linda Tuhiwai Smith, Decolonizing Methodologies: Research and Indigenous Peoples

“Now I understand,” said the last man.”
― Arthur C. Clarke, Childhood’s End