What does a place feel like? How do we share the relationships we hold with our changing environments between generations?
This piece showcases footage and sounds recorded on a section of Oak Creek, which runs through the MacDonald-Dunn Forest in so-called Corvallis, Oregon, which is located within the traditional homelands of the Mary's River or Ampinefu Band of Kalapuya. A projection of video footage taken by others of Taipei, Taiwan is overlayed with footage of a running stream; this pairs the city soundscapes my grandparents were familiar of with the images and sounds of water running through my body symbolizing my connectedness with these past environments through sound. The poem spoken aloud, inspired by connections with my peer and good friend Adrianna Nicolay, is a conversation with a future loved one, about the sounds and feelings associated with places important to me I hope they can seek out.
By highlighting the importance of the less-tangible, emotional and relational value of an ‘environment’, this piece hopes to decenter extractive relationships rooted in settler-colonial ontologies of land as capital that have driven anthropogenic climate change and instead recognize and affirm relationships to land rooted in respect and reciprocity to build a just climate future.
Note: the videos used in the projection footage are from Youtube, this is not original footage.
Transcription: To my future loved one Welcome I welcome you to this world I love I welcome you I welcome you to all the places that have shaped me I welcome you, to be shaped by these places too They try to tell us what these places mean So they can do with it however they please They have done with it, however they please
A single droplet of water on stolen leaves Long gone, the honey bee
Let me take you to the forest floor Wind rushing through the towering trees So loud you'd swear roaring water were all around, This is what it sounds like to be found
Let me take you to the river's edge Trembling tiny rocks tumbling towards eternity, Bubbling over a smooth fallen tree, Sweet melodies, This is from what all life sings
Let me take you to my concrete playground, Cars zoom past, too fast, billboards sing A million raindrops falling on the streets of Crenshaw This is what it sounds like - my grandfather's dream
I fear for you, future loved one for the ways changing ways you'll know these places Will you know the same forest songs we sing? Will you dance to the same river rock beat?
Future loved one, These places are nothing without the spirits that keeps them alive I ran for miles only finally to find There is nothing more divine
Ice melting A bustling street My mother's bamboo steamer whistling as she folds a thousand jiao zi High tide waning A flower weeps Typhoon rain drenching Taipei alley streets
Keep them alive, future loved one Seek the sounds that keep us alive Sing the songs that make our hearts beat This is where you'll always find me
A weary fish finds a new way to breathe So long, the winter finally leaves