“Communication is nothing more than the exchange of information. Hence, at its broadest sense, environmental communication is necessary for the survival of every living system, be it an organism, an ecosystem, or a social system.”
-Alexander G. Flo (Environmental Communication, 2004)
The interdisciplinary field of environmental humanities weaves together research from the natural, applied, and social sciences with storytelling, art, creativity, and community building. It values indigenous ways of knowing as well as non-human perspectives.
Violencia y Conquista
In this piece, David Pech Cardos interprets the violence of Latin America’s conquest through choreography.
David explains he chose the song “Still Don’t Know My Name” by Labrinth since the lyrics resonated with the sentiments expressed in the indigenous texts we’d read in class, including the Nahuatl poem “Sed de Inmortalidad” by Netzahualcóyotl.
David, a professional skater, says it’s usually his coach who comes up with his choreographies. This was the first choreography David designed on his own.
David’s movements are meant to evoke the violence towards and the silencing of the indigenous peoples of present-day Latin America. He explains, “Por partes abría mis brazos y tenía una cara que no podía creer lo que pasó. A esto me refiero: cómo cambió su lugar de vivir, varios muertos, enfermos y mucho destruido.”