An author and social scientist explores intersections of race, colonial power, the environment, and identity through the lens of the Karuk tribe.
Kari Marie Norgaard, author of "Salmon and Acorns Feed Our People: Colonialism, Nature, and Social Action," joins the Exchange to discuss the research in her book.
Ron Reed also joins the conversation. He's a co-founder of the Karuk-UC Berkeley Collaborative and cultural biologist for the Karuk Tribe of California.
Norgaard's scientific approach is laid out in detailed research and analysis that examines the cross cultural long-term impact of a massive clash of ideologies when Europeans arrived on this continent and engaged the native Karuk peoples through each successive generation.
From the commoditization of lands and resources to dispossession, destruction and disregard, colonialism wasn't merely a past historical event, Norgaard reminds us. Colonialism is an ever-present active mindset that is ongoing today, manifesting in myriad ways that's unseen through the lens of colonialism but continues to have a devastating impact on Native peoples.
In a well-researched and deeply documented book, Norgaard weaves together (through the lens of the Karuk tribe) the connective tissues of our collective humanity, and the lands, resources and environment that sustains us all.
