Living Autonomy

Sifting through the multitude of journals, articles, and blogs that emphasize the entanglement of challenges humans find themselves in with regards to the globalized food system can feel daunting:  a myriad of verbal iterations attempting to name and define that which feels broken, corrupt, and unjust.  Amidst this determined polylogue, one occasionally comes across a term, a phrase, or a notion that resonates deep within.  Such is the power of language.

In his article Turtle Island First Foods Devon C. Peña writes of the “living autonomy” he witnessed while taking part in a Skokomish First Foods Ceremony:

“Ceremony is the daily lived practice of the Skokomish people as enduring constituents of their own power in the exercise of their sovereignty. First Foods are the constitutive force that nurtures this sovereignty because the sacred six are rooted in deep histories of cultural practices that are much, much older than any European barley fields. They directly connect people to the ecological sources of right livelihoods” (Peña, 2010).