Colonialism and Animism

Animism is an anthropological term, coined in colonial times by a christian-raised man. When I speak about animism we also need to consider the weight of this colonial past and often still ongoing neocolonial practices. It is far to easy to fetishize the epistemological treasures of indigenous people and communities.

They do it, and that’s part of their identity, not naming the practice. Naming the practice is part of our identity. We name, but don’t practice.