Power of the Talking Stick

Indigenous Politics and the World Ecological Crisis

The Power of the Talking Stick makes the case that, reaching back to the beginning of the nation-state and all through the current period of corporate-led globalisation, our governments and social institutions have been engaged in activities that will ultimately extinguish the world's ecological life support systems. This book offers an alternative, listening to indigenous leaders and others whose voices often go unheard in the din of contemporary culture. Sharon Ridgeway and Peter Jacques offer a stark warning, but their insights are firmly grounded in traditional knowledge and provide a way to see past the politics and rescue the earth. An important resource for climate activists, students and academics.

PREFACE LESSONS IN LISTENING The Mi«kmaw people of contemporary
Nova Scotia, Canada, have a tradition of using a ®talking stick, ̄ and this tool is
used to ensure that anyone who has something to say is given the space and
deference to do so. In American Indian Quarterly, Laura Donaldson describes it
this way: Our Mi«kmaw ancestors used the Talking Stick to guarantee that
everyone who wanted to speak would have a chance to be heard and that they
would be allowed ...