“Let me fix you.” “I’m not interested in a long-term relationship.” Are those auspicious perspectives you’d want to hear in a Define-The-Relationship talk with your crush? I don’t think so. Why do we bring these perspectives to our relationship with the land? Western perspectives of restoration view humans as separate from the land, and view restoration actions as short-term interventions. This contrasts with the indigenous perspective of humans as part of the ecosystem, and it’s this relationship that needs restoration. Viewing restoration as an ongoing, long-term relationship can help shape how we develop effective strategies for restoring specific ecosystem properties.
