Remembering Plant-Human Kin Relations & Supporting Indigenous Youth Wellbeing

• In Event: Climate Emotion, Agency, and Justice in Formal and Informal Settings

Abstract

Purpose. This study examines how three Indigenous youth developed relationships with Stinging Nettle through nine years of participation in an Indigenous summer program, focusing on how these plant-human relationships supported their emotional wellbeing.

Perspectives. Indigenous knowledge systems emphasize respectful and reciprocal kin relations with more-than-human beings (Coulthard & Simpson, 2016). Personal and cultural stories move this knowledge through generations (Archibald, 2008). The process of storytelling and storylistening is a process of teaching and learning (Author & other, 2015). This paper shows how teaching with personal and cultural stories about plants that are situated in place: 1) supports youth relationships with these plants and 2) supports youth emotional wellbeing.

The study occurred within ISTEAM (Indigenous STEAM), a program co-designed with intergenerational Indigenous community members since 2002. Originally a Chicago-based summer program, ISTEAM has expanded to multiple Indigenous communities with year-round programming. Central to its pedagogy is storytelling, which initiates activities and connects learning goals throughout programs.

Stories are embedded with complex thought about social and ecological worlds, teaching engagement with nature from humility and respect. These narratives help cultivate kin relations with more-than-humans, forming the foundation for understanding human-plant relationships.

Methods. This longitudinal and latitudinal case study analyzed relationships between three Indigenous siblings -- Nuki, Mea, and A'nii -- and Stinging Nettle over nine years (2014-2023) across locations from Seattle to Chicago. Stinging Nettle, culturally significant to many tribes, has territories across Turtle Island.

Data and Analysis. Primary data came from semi-structured interviews (30 minutes each) conducted in 2023 with focal participants, supplemented by documents, field notes, and audiovisual data from nine years of ISTEAM activities. Analysis involved organizing data, writing analytical memos, and identifying traditional and personal Nettle stories. Interview protocols were designed based on these findings, with responses coded using Dedoose software.

Results. The program's Indigenous Storywork pedagogy and embodiment of Indigenous stories about Nettle supported kinship between youth and Stinging Nettle. This plant-human kinship also enhanced youth wellbeing.
Listening to and telling Nettle stories helped youth understand Nettle as their relative. The embodiment of story teachings created closeness, bringing youth physically and socially closer to Nettle through understanding Nettle as healers. This process helped youth apply teachings from Nettle in their own lives, thus supporting their emotional wellbeing.

Significance. When children learn surrounded by their stories, they embody the values these stories teach. For A'nii, Mea, and Nuki, this supported positive Indigenous identity development, taught them coping strategies, and strengthened relationships with human and more-than-human relatives. The findings demonstrate what happens when Indigenous youth grow up in educational programs that are rooted in their stories and knowledge systems.
This research animates how Storywork and kinship with more-than-humans matter for Indigenous youth and potentially for us all as we move toward sustainable and just environmental behaviors and decision-making. The study suggests that when educational programs align with Indigenous cultural practices and pedagogies, they can effectively support both individual wellbeing and broader environmental consciousness, offering insights for developing more holistic approaches to education.

Authors

• Nicole Barry, University of California - Los Angeles

• Megan Bang, Northwestern University