Anna's Trash Can
Writing
I graduated from the University of Montana in 2021 with a major in Environmental Studies and a minor in English. My writing focuses on the intersection of humans and nature. This capstone project is a sample of my work.
Disrupting Settler Stories: Learning to live with respect, intimacy, and reciprocity on colonized land
These essays and illustrations are informed by the question of how to form meaningful connection to place and care for a place when that land is colonized; when the creation of this place is rooted in harm. The purpose is to explore questions that have arisen during four years of Environmental Studies education. I want to learn what it means to be an environmentalist – to have a deep respect for the land and its inhabitants in a manner that extends beyond conservation – a relationship centered around respect, intimacy, and reciprocity. I want to understand if it’s possible to have that relationship to the land in this society – in which our current relation – of greed, misunderstanding and individualism is underscored by violence and genocide. How might we learn to live without furthering harm?


