Dene land relations frame reciprocal obligations between humans and nonhumans.

Evidence

Consider the following example from my people, the Dene Nations of what is now the Northwest Territories, Canada. In the Yellowknives Dene (or Weledeh) dialect of Dogrib, land (or dè) is translated in relational terms as that which encompasses not only the land (understood here as material), but also people and animals, rocks and trees, lakes and rivers, and so on. Seen in this light, we are as much a part of the land as any other element. Furthermore, within this system of relations human beings are not the only constituent believed to embody spirit or agency. Ethically, this meant that humans held certain obligations to the land, animals, plants, and lakes in much the same way that we hold obligations to other people. And if these obligations were met, then the land, animals, plants and lakes would reciprocate and meet their obligations to humans, thus ensuring the survival and well being of all over time. — Max Haiven, Cultures of Financialization, 243

Categorization

• XREF: This reciprocal-obligation cosmology parallels Janet Abu-Lughod or a gift-economy lens; connects conceptually to the ‘solidarity’ framing in later chapters and to deWaard’s cultural counterweight to finance. — connects to: The Andean principle ayni requires balanced reciprocal giving to earth and community — , A Year of World Stories, 10687; Andean peoples bound humans, animals, land, and earth in a sacred web of reciprocity — , A Year of World Stories, 10887; Viewing humans as separate from nature enables resource exploitation without conscience. — James D. Kirylo (ed.), Reinventing Pedagogy of the Oppressed:…, 1009 (+7 more)
• DEEPTHINKING: The relational model of land-as-encompassing-before-material offers a genuinely paradigm-shifting alternative to the commodity/market metaphysics that financialization imposes.

Broader Connections

• Andean peoples bound humans, animals, land, and earth in a sacred web of reciprocity #exemplifies (0.92) — , A Year of World Stories, 10887
• The Andean principle ayni requires balanced reciprocal giving to earth and community #exemplifies (0.88) — , A Year of World Stories, 10687