Year of Award
2022
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Type
Master of Science (MS)
Degree Name
Environmental Studies
Other Degree Name/Area of Focus
Traditional Ecological Knowledge & Environmental Sustainability
Department or School/College
Environmental Studies
Committee Chair
Mark Sundeen
Commitee Members
Rosalyn LaPier, Salena Beaumont Hill
Keywords
Paradigms, Colonialism, Environment, Decolonization, Anthropology, History
Subject Categories
Comparative Literature | Environmental Studies | History | Latin American Languages and Societies | Nonfiction | Philosophy | Race, Ethnicity and Post-Colonial Studies | Social and Cultural Anthropology
Abstract
Traumatic life experiences altered the way I perceive the world. As a result, I embark on a journey to reshape my relationship to self, the built and natural world; to environment. In this thesis I ask: How do I want to relate to the environment? Considering I am a doubly colonized agent, I also aim to decolonize my relationship to environment along the process. Therefore, this work aims to formulate a new, personal, relationship to environment through academic literature, history, psychology, Indigenous knowledge and science, and literary studies, among other fields of knowledge. This work is interdisciplinary in nature; life is interconnected and so is this work. I look to theoretical concepts like the prose of countersovereignty, colonial discourse, violence, and the ethics of care to aid in the reshaping of relationship. Through this work, a healthier mode of relationship has been possible for myself. The work is not over as I aim to implement this in everyday life, as is the case with intentional communities and intentional living—practices I was a part of whilst at The University of Montana. Continuing along the lines of decolonization, the thesis closes with a chapter looking into decolonizing canon and Academia, as well as community based participatory research as a way to further aid in decolonizing canon and Academia.
Recommended Citation
Ceja Mejia, Martin, "Traversing Paradigms: An Environmental Journey to Body and Mind" (2022). Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers. 12038.
https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/12038
Included in
Comparative Literature Commons, Environmental Studies Commons, History Commons, Latin American Languages and Societies Commons, Nonfiction Commons, Philosophy Commons, Race, Ethnicity and Post-Colonial Studies Commons, Social and Cultural Anthropology Commons
© Copyright 2022 Martin Ceja Mejia