Edson Krenak Naknanuk Cosmic Kinship. Indigenous Perspectives on Ownership and the Rights of Nature

(c) Ricardo Stuckert
Vimeo

By loading the video, you agree to Vimeo's privacy policy.
Learn more

Load video

How do indigenous legal imagination and ontology redefine the concept of ownership, not just for the Amazon, but for all biomes across South America? Rooted in Indigenous cosmologies and Amerindian perspectivism, the idea of ownership extends beyond human possession to encompass a reciprocal relationship with the land, water, and all living beings, posing a radical (to the West) form of kinship. For the Krenak people, for example, the Watu River— their ancestral grandfather—is not merely a body of water, but a living, wise entity that embodies this sacred connection. Indigenous peoples view nature as an active, living entity—imbued with spirit, agency, and rights—not merely a resource to be exploited, but part of an intricate web of relations. By embracing the concept of the Rights of Nature, Indigenous communities offer a translation and transformative legal and political framework that challenges the Western anthropocentric worldview. This multilevel approach positions nature as a subject with rights, drawing from a broader cosmic kinship that sees harm to nature as harm to the community itself. Through this lens, we can rethink environmental law and ownership based on relationality and our essential dependence on nature, fostering a more sustainable and equitable future for all species. Therefore, Indigenous perspectives are essential in addressing the crisis of the Anthropocene.

Part of Episode XXIX: “The Right to Flow. Water as Source of Life, Conflict, and Legal Utopias”
With Edson Krenak Naknunuk, Erena Rangimarie Omaki Ransfield Rhöse, Kathrin Röggla, Elisabeth von Samsonow & Florian Malzacher

21. September 2024 – Tangente Festival St. Pölten / Austria
In the frame of the exhibition “The Way of the Water”

Biography

Edson Krenak Naknanuk is an Indigenous activist, scholar, and writer. He is currently a doctoral candidate, completing his degree in legal anthropology, at the University of Vienna, Austria. He also holds a degree in Linguistics and Literary Theory from Brazil’s Federal University of São Carlos. Since 2013, Edson has been affiliated with the Brazilian Uk’a Arts and Culture Institute where he contributes his experience as a speaker and coach. In 2016 Edson became the 10th recipient of Brazil’s prestigious National Tamoios Award for Indigenous Writers for his book, The Borum’s Dream. His short story, “Kren and Pockrane: Why the Krenak People Lack Twins,” was featured in the 2018 UNICEF-recommended anthology, Nos: Anthology of Indigenous Stories.  In 2019, Edson Krenak assumed the position of Indigenous Rights Advocacy Coordinator at the U.S.-based Indigenous rights non-profit, Cultural Survival (CS). He also holds the role of coordinating CS’s programs in Brazil; these include advocacy, capacity building, and the Keepers of the Earth Fund. He is member-at-large of the SALSA Board (The Society for the Anthropology of Lowland South America) for 2024 – 2027.

Related Videos

YouTube

By loading the video, you agree to YouTube's privacy policy.
Learn more

Load video

"Connecting the Dots with Edson Krenak"
Azimuth World Foundation
YouTube

By loading the video, you agree to YouTube's privacy policy.
Learn more

Load video

"The Last Forest" (Trailer, 2021)

Related Talks on „The Art of Assembly“