Ecology of Language & Place

In-Class Workshop Number 1: What is and Ecology of Language & Place?

March 30, 2009 With: Rebecca Chamberlain and Rick McKinnon

Goal: To create a context for understanding our experience of program themes.

Preparation: Divide into groups of 3-5 people and work on the following questions
together.

• Appoint one person to be the group's scribe. This person will keep track of the
discussion and report back to the entire group.
• Appoint another person to read the workshop questions aloud as the group moves
through the worksheet. Make sure that each question is taken in sequence and
discussed before moving on to the next.
• Appoint a third person to keep track of the time, so that you move through all
questions in the allotted time.

Recording your Group’s Discussion: Your “scribe” should begin by writing down all
group members' names. This sheet, which records a summary of your “group” responses,
will be posted to our program webpage at the end of the workshop. Everyone should also
take individual notes, which they will also post as their first entry on our webpage. Post
your notes and reflections at our class webpage at:
<acdrupal.evergreen.edu/languageandplace >.

• Group “scribes:” will list the names of all group members and a summary of the
group discussion. They should label their submission as follows: In-Class Workshop 1,
Group (1-10).
• Group Members: will record a brief statement of their thoughts or reflections about
the discussion. They should label their first post as follows: In-Class Workshop 1, Group
(1-10)

PART ONE: Working in Small Groups (40 min.)

What Is An “Ecology of Language and Place?:

For those who are returning to ELP this quarter, recall some of the themes and
readings from last quarter. Talk about your experience of last quarter, learning about the
power of stories and how they relate to place. Introduce new students to the work we did.
For example, how would you include or summarize ideas from Snyder, Abrahm, Kane,
Strauss, or other articles and texts that we read?

1. (5 min.) What experiences or values do you have that attracted you to this class?”

2. (15 min.) Think about the concepts “ecology, language, and place.” How do they
connect?
 a. What does the word “ecology” mean to you?
-What kinds of things have an “ecology”?
b. What does the word “language” mean to you?
-What is the difference between language and story?
-What is the difference between language and thinking?
c. What are the important places in the world for you?
-How can language connect a people to a place?

3. (20 min.) Discuss the film, “The Teachings of the Tree People,” about the work of
Bruce Subiyay Miller. What ideas or reactions come up for you?

a. What are some of the main themes or points of the film? For example,
how are the themes of the seasons, the role of elders and young people,
plants and people, portrayed, etc.?

b. How have you observed the way different cultural perspectives effect how we
think about ecology, language, and place?

c. How would you characterize humans’ relationship to the knowledge that is

contained in our environment plants, or and other species?

d. How do humans “tap-in to” or ignore a huge amount of knowledge that other
species contain?

e. How do you think our exploration of ecology, language, and place connect us to
issues of sustainability locally and globally?

PART THREE: Return for a final Group Discussion (10 min.)

Give a statement of some of your groups ideas and perspectives.