[ECO]Indigenous Ways of Knowing: A Conversation with Carolynne Crawley About Natural Relationships

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Indigenous ways of knowing: Carolynne Crawley, founder of Turtle Protectors, discusses Indigenous-led conservation stewardship and her connection with nature

Article by: Brielle Kameni

Visualize a world where the boundaries between humans and the natural world dissolve, and every tree, river, and creature is embraced with the same love, respect, and kinship typically reserved for close relatives. I had the opportunity to speak with Carolynne Crawley, co-founder of 

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, or Mishiikenh Gizhaasowin in Anishinaabemowin, who is actively making that vision a reality. 

Carolynne grew up with a deep relationship to the land fostered in her through her mother, who is of Mi’kmaw and ****** descent. Her grandmother knew the medicines of the land, and her grandfather burned the land every spring to support plant and tree relatives. She recalls fondly her uncle, who would fish, and her grandfather, who would grow food from the land, which would be harvested, reinforcing the importance of deeply reciprocal and respectful relationships with the land.

In childhood, Carolynne moved to Tkaronto, known today as Toronto, in Scarborough at a time when it was surrounded by forest and farms. She remembers a sense of deep loss and grief when fences were erected, most of the trees were cut down, and she could no longer go into the forest because it simply was no longer there. Throughout her life, Carolynne has assisted and cared for countless animals with the mindset that they were an extension of herself; as family.

She has since co-founded 

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 in 2022 with Jenny Davis, as they realized there were no efforts at the time to protect the endangered species in the city. Turtle Protectors/Mishiikenh Gizhaasowin is the only Indigenous-led initiative in Toronto protecting and advocating for turtles, and Indigenous Elders and community members support their stewardship program. 

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 teaches their stewards the “Indigenous Ways of Knowing” as a guiding principle in turtle conservation and encourages deep connection with these beings.

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Carolynne Crawley, founder of Turtle Protectors. Image: @soulchute

Can you tell me a bit more about Indigenous ways of knowing and what teachings we can apply to animal protection?

“Since time immemorial, my ancestors and nations of people from coast to coast have been in this deep, meaningful relationship with the land, with the waters, with the beings that were filled with respect and love and gratitude, and there are so many teachings in our cultures that speak about that importance of being in a healthy reciprocal relationship with the land. They are constantly offering, constantly teaching, and constantly sacrificing in order for us to survive.

The Earth doesn’t need us, but we cannot survive without these relations. The Indigenous way creates an opportunity for people to deconstruct that colonial way of seeing the land as a commodity, something to extract from or profit from, and to see the land and all these beings as kin. As related.”

How should we refer to animals in the Indigenous way of knowing?

“I personally don’t like to use the words “it” or “thing”. That’s not how I would reference my human loved ones. So really being mindful. I share the importance of being mindful of how we speak because our words hold energy and these words create biases, you know. It’s just thinking about how we speak with respect, love, and gratitude about that individual, right? I would never reference a person as an “it” to a “thing”.”

How can people be more mindful of the nature around them and adopt Indigenous ways of knowing in their day-to-day lives?

‘Well, it really boils down to building relationships, you know. I can’t get to know you unless I spend time with you, right? And so actually, spending quality time with the land like maybe going somewhere on a weekly basis, just like someone would make the commitment to go see a friend or another loved one and go to that place; always that same place. And you know, if you can commit to that at different times of day and different kinds of weather, what will happen is you start to become familiar with the plant relatives, you’ll start to recognize the different beings that are there and, you know, noticing their slight characteristics and their markings on their bodies.

While going there, you know just tuning into one senses? Noticing the smells, noticing who are you seeing? Who are you hearing? Just to be fully present, maybe even leave the cell phone at home or turn off the cell phone and over time, what will happen is you’ll start to develop a relationship with the land and if people develop an intimate relationship with the land, they’re going to be more likely to stand up, defend and protect that land. They’ll see that land as kin, as family. And so, I always suggest to people to get outside and to learn. 

Even Western science shows the benefits of being outdoors for a minimum of two hours a week. It can alleviate symptoms of depression, anxiety, and PTSD. It can increase our creativity and our memory and so forth. But it’s not just about what we can get from the land, it’s about a relationship and what we can offer back to those relations for all that we’re receiving.”

Having had a glimpse into the world of Indigenous ways of knowing, I invite you to consider how you can incorporate these perspectives into your daily life, nurturing a sense of reciprocity, respect, and kinship with the natural world. By embracing Indigenous ways of knowing, the understanding of a world where there are no boundaries between humans and the natural world is made a reality. We can walk more gently on this earth, and our relationships with the land, the inhabitants living on land, and each other can be transformed in profound and beautiful ways. What can you do today to connect more deeply and start forming a deep relationship with the natural world around you?

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Carolynne Crawley and Jenny Davis, founders of Turtle Protectors. Image: @turtleprotectors

For more information on the Indigenous guided work Carolynne Crawley does, along with co-founder Jenny Davis, at Turtle Protectors/Mishiikenh Gizhaasowin please see their links below:

Website: 

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: @turtleprotectorshighpark

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