“We seek justice, not just for ourselves, but justice for the whole creation.”
— Audrey Shenandoah (Onondaga)
Featured Post:
What a Turtle Knows
BY TRACY BASILELast week I witnessed a snapping turtle get terribly injured in the middle of rush-hour traffic. Getting her across the street and on to a facility where she can heal wasn’t easy. It made me realize what people like Natasha Nowick of Turtle Rescue League in Massachusetts go through every day. It’s surprising to learn that injured turtles can often recover to a life in the wild if given proper care and time to heal, something her organization excels at. Her interview begins right here.
Featured Post:
Beaver Medicine
BY TRACY BASILEWith wildfires and droughts surging as global temperatures soar, how much more can we endure before the North American beaver can be seen as a creator of valuable wetlands habitat and a steward of life, instead of a pest?
Recent Post:
A More Connected World
BY TRACY BASILEA new website asks what would happen if social justice weren’t just a human thing. Follow us and find out.
“Begin anywhere.” — John Cage
Cage’s quote is a reminder that just the act of starting something takes courage. Still, no matter where this blog begins, I want to get it right, but already I sense a problem with the word “animal.” Indeed, animals is what this blog is about, but the word carries with it a sense of othering that needs to be exposed.
Recent Post:
Decolonizing the World in Turtle Time
BY TRACY BASILETurtles* date back an incredible 230 million years to a time before the dinosaurs, before most mammals, and before birds. Before there were even continents. Their evolutionary history goes so far back, in fact, that we could almost begin their story with these three words:
Our Mission:
Animal Footnotes grew out of an idea for a book about the impact of colonization on the animals of Turtle Island, more commonly known today as North America. At its core, it’s about animals, but it’s also about Indigenous worldviews, the devastating impact of colonization, and what’s being done today. We seek to draw lessons from the Indigenous peoples of Turtle Island who have built ties with their animal relatives lasting thousands of years.
This website is dedicated to all who have ever wondered about shifting away from a colonial mindset and learning what it means to live here on Turtle Island together.
