Brainstorm Week 9, Grace Burchett

Million’s understanding connects with the idea of bien vivir and Mother Earth because the holistic way of indigenous life places value on good relations with the earth. This is an instrumental part of bien vivir, as it focuses on a philosophical understanding that a community not only lives in harmony with one another, but with their environment and the earth as well. In the Ecuadorian context of Millions writings, she connects with the idea of bien vivir by emphasizing that “the well-being of all entities relies on the interdependency and balance of relations in a place”. This way of living incorporates not only the community of people, but Mother Earth as well. In addition, this is related to the anti-capitalist themes of past readings because Million argues that a place is not determined by arbitrary boundaries drawn by colonizers or other people, but the area in which one’s family, friends, and larger community reside without “imposed political boundaries”. Ybarra’s article “Writing the Goodlife” also connects to the idea of bien vivir because goodlife writing allows for discussions around ecological issues to come to the forefront. Ybarra also provides a history of Mexican-American’s interactions with the land and how it was influenced by colonization, including how Chicanas continue to interact with the earth in a positive relationship.