How to Build Nothing

Christian Nakarado • Wesleyan University

February 16 @ 5pm • Room 100 of The Frank Center for Public Affairs

Every year, climate disasters grow bigger, more numerous, and more painful for people in hazardous places around the world. The destruction of homes, landscapes, and lives has become so dramatic, and so common, that the instinct to rebuild after hurricanes, floods, and wildfires has started to give way to more radical alternatives. Many are moving away, seeking shelter in locations thought to be less vulnerable to climate change. The viability of such climate havens remains under debate, but scientists, policymakers, and real estate investors all seem most concerned with answering one basic question: “Where should everyone go?” Not enough are asking: “Who already lives there?” or perhaps most importantly: “How should we live when we arrive?”

This talk examines the role that the built environment plays in the creation of the climate crisis and in adaptation to its consequences. It explores the notion that the Great Lakes might serve as a refuge for millions of migrants in the climate-changed era ahead. It proposes that ten thousand years of Indigenous habitation should serve as a model for growth in the region, and that the impermanent material culture of the Anishinaabeg is a fitting alternative to the destructive patterns of dwelling and land use that have proliferated globally over the past century. Finally, it argues that Indigenous leadership and strengthened Tribal sovereignty must be central to any plan for its future.

Doing Nothing/Nothing Doing
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