Living Mirrors with Dr. James Cooke Graham Harvey on Animism | Living Mirrors #127
May 24, 2024
Graham Harvey, a respected religious studies professor, dives deep into animism and its transformative impact on our perception of the natural world. He recounts a pivotal experience at a powwow that reshaped his understanding of Indigenous perspectives. The conversation critiques the historical dismissal of animism and emphasizes our interconnectedness with all beings. Harvey challenges human exceptionalism through fascinating examples of animal behavior, fostering a call for respect and empathy in our relationships with nature and one another.
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Eagle at Powwow Sparked Interest
- Graham Harvey attended a traditional First Nations powwow in Newfoundland and witnessed an eagle fly around the drum arbor during a ceremony.
- This event sparked his interest in indigenous animist practices and relationships with the larger-than-human world.
Animism Misunderstood as Primitive
- The colonialist view mistakenly defined animism as primitive belief in spirits and dismissed it for centuries.
- Modern animism focuses on relationships with the larger-than-human community rather than false metaphysical beliefs.
Animism Centers on Relations
- Animism is about relationships with beings, not categories like alive or dead.
- Among the Anishinaabe, rocks are grammatically animate depending on their relational significance.
