On May 3, the RRS department, alongside the CPIOS program and the Pacific Islander Student Association at San Francisco State University, celebrated the book release of Indigenous Pacific Islander Eco-Literatures edited by Kathy Jetñil-Kijiner, Leora Kava and Craig Santos Perez. This anthology features contemporary eco-literature of a hundred emerging, mid-career and established Indigenous writers from Polynesia, Melanesia, Micronesia and the global Pacific diaspora. The launch will address the seven main themes from the book: "Creation Stories and Genealogies," "Ocean and Waterscapes," "Land and Islands," "Flowers, Plants, and Trees," "Animals and More-than-Human Species," "Climate Change," and "Environmental Justice."
The event featured readings by contributors, editors and our very own San Francisco State students who expressed the urgent voices within the book calling us to act on a time of great need. Pacific ecologies and the lives of Pacific Islanders are currently under existential threat due to the legacy of environmental imperialism and the ongoing impacts of climate change. While Pacific writers celebrate the beauty and cultural symbolism of the ocean, islands, trees, and flowers, they also bravely address the frightening realities of rising sea levels, animal extinction, nuclear radiation, military contamination, and pandemics.
Indigenous Pacific Islander Eco-Literatures reminds us that we are not alone; we are always in relation and always ecological. Humans, other species, and nature are interrelated; land and water are central concepts of identity and genealogy; and Earth is the sacred source of all life, and thus should be treated with love and care. With this book as a trusted companion, we are inspired and empowered to reconnect with the world as we navigate towards a precarious yet hopeful future.
The book is available here, and we want to share some of the photos captured during this event.
