CommonS Sense Episode 3: The Earth Has the Final Say
Jul 26, 2025
Rita Wong, a Canadian poet and professor at Emily Carr University, brings her unique perspective to the discussion on environmental stewardship. She emphasizes the profound connection between humans and water, advocating for gratitude and respect towards natural resources. Wong also explores Indigenous teachings and historical injustices related to land management. The conversation delves into the need for communal responsibility and democratic engagement in tackling the climate crisis, urging a shift towards reciprocity with the earth and a collective vision for the future.
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Commons As Practice And Place
- The commons is both shared resources and shared practices of management and care, not merely property to own.
- Thinking of the commons as "commoning" emphasizes relationships, responsibility, and democratic governance.
Colonial Limits Of The Commons
- European commons narratives can erase indigenous stewardship systems and histories of colonization.
- The podcast urges blending perspectives rather than uncritically reclaiming a European-framed commons.
Enclosure Destroyed Commons Livelihoods
- Carolyn Lesjack recounts the Enclosure Acts that privatized open fields and destroyed communal lifeways.
- The loss removed subsistence rights and autonomy, forcing many into wage labor and depopulating the countryside.
