These two principles that Suzanne Simard explained she got from the Secwepemc and Salish people are fundamentally the same as similar principles of various North American indigenous groups. Simard endorses them (as do I). As Simard opined:
“I believe this kind of transformative thinking is what will save us. It is a philosophy of treating the world’s creatures, its gifts, as of equal importance to us. This begins by recognizing that the trees and plants have agency. They perceive, relate, and communicate: they exercise various behaviors. They cooperate, make decisions, and remember—qualities we normally ascribe to sentience, wisdom, intelligence. By noting how trees, animals, and even fungi—any and all non-human species—have this agency, we can acknowledge that they deserve as much regard as we according ourselves. We can continue pushing our earth out of balance, with greenhouse gases accelerating each year, or we can regain balance by acknowledging that if we harm, one species, one forest one lake, this ripples through the entire complex web. Mistreatment of one species is mistreatment of all.”
It is fascinating and vitally important to realize that these indigenous principles are exactly what Simard’s scientific research leads her to. Simard believes that her scientific research proves the truth of traditional knowledge. As she said, “the rest of the planet has been waiting patiently for us to figure that out.”
As Simard said,
“Making this transformation requires that humans reconnect with nature—the forests, the prairie, the oceans—instead of treating everything and everyone as objects for exploitation. It means expanding our modern ways, our epistemology, and scientific methodologies, so that they complement, build on, and align with Aboriginal roots. Mowing down the forests and harvesting the waters to fulfill our wildest dreams of material wealth just because we can has caught up with us.”
If Simard is right, and she has significant scientific research that points in this direction, it is truly transformative. It would be part of a new attitude to nature. If adopted, it could change the world. Sometimes we need a revolution in our thinking.