Solastalgia

by Kyyen Shigley

Displacement is more than a mere representation of literal physical movement; it constitutes an emotional process that evokes eco-grief and profound alterations of identity. The term that explains this phenomenon is solastalgia, which accounts for this amalgamation of psychological and physical indigenous conditions. Solastaglia asserts that the experience of indigenous environmental dispersal produces significant psychological byproducts. Explicitly, it has been described as “the lived experience of negative environmental change,” frequently generated by the increasing rapidity of “development” and human distress connected to disrupted relationships with "home" and landscape. (Albrecht) However, contemporarily, this term and its purely physical alternative, diaspora, are confronted with contending ideals of “authenticity” and rigid denotations of identity that underpin the stigmatization of hybridity relating to impurity. Cultural identity preservation maintains varying degrees of interpretation yet often fails to recognize indigenous meanings and understandings, as some scholars push an essentialist notion that identity is static rather than shifting/unstable. (Gopinath 67) This occurrence instills profound distress among communities navigating the complexities of cultural/ethnic blending or experiencing a sense of disorientation as individuals struggle to adapt to surrounding cultures while endeavoring to safeguard their identities.

Hence, the argument persists that within the scope of Native American and Indigenous Studies, solastalgia significantly shapes the developing identities of displaced Indigenous communities, highlighting the profound impact of both changing environments and emotional ties to “homeland” contributing to their collective cultural identity’s continuity/preservation. Accounting for Albercht’s pessimistic claim, "We now live in a new era, an era of pervasive change, where the old languages, like the wisdom of the elders, have diminishing relevance and traction concerning how we should live for the future.” Things are changing, so recognizing the theoretical and psychological implications of solastalgia, how it influences shifts of cultural identity, its contending ideals of static and fluid identity, and finally, exploring proposed suggestions for reiterating new methods to recognize indigenous definitions of sovereignty and understandings may develop a more genuine apprehension of solastalgia and indigenous futures. In light of this, to better understand solastalgia within Native American and Indigenous Studies, bring effort in examining its theoretical implications and psychological influences.

A philosophy professor named Glenn A. Albrecht created the term itself and described solastalgia as a contrast to the popular denotation of nostalgia; alternatively, it manifests the brutal attack of a sense of place—an erosion of the sense of identity and belonging which disrupts a sacred connection between an individual and land. Solastalgia is a form of homesickness one gets when one is still at "home,” enabling added eco-grief to an already devastating relocation. Albrecht emphasizes that when referring to "pain" and "distress," he primarily addresses the decline in mental well-being, comparable to the grief experienced when loving someone experiencing suffering or a fatal illness. This implies that solastalgia not only encapsulates the distress from dispossession and displacement but also recognizes the emotional distress of witnessing colonial systems ravage the land, exerting control, ownership, and governance for economic, political, and social gains (as stated by Morton Ninomiya et al.). In this context, the deterioration of psychological well-being expands the scope of loss, encompassing broader ramifications like the impacts of dispossession.

Dispossession means a loss of language and culture, leading to a demanding source of severe intergenerational trauma. Often, external and settler colonialism are the culprits who exploit the land beyond repair. For example, industrial resource development, such as mining, agriculture, and petroleum industries, has significantly damaged native lands. (Morton Ninomiya et al.) The elevation of deteriorating environmental conditions decreases physical and mental health, often resulting in even more displacement. Albrecht's original analysis describes this loss of control; “the environmental loss of ecosystems caused by either natural or man-made events.” Solastalgia does not always necessitate physical relocation; however, it has similar effects when ecosystems or climate change are at risk. An illustration of this is the potential tragedy that would follow if the Dakota Access Pipeline were to rupture, resulting in widespread poisoning of both human populations and ecosystems. Such an event could compel the displacement of many communities, and the possibility of returning to the “homeland” would be nearly impossible, instigating distress on those victimized. Within the academic sense, solastalgia has adapted to modern circumstances, as mass relocation is frequently connected to natural disasters.

The term in contemporary literature is frequently accompanied by environmental shifts caused by extreme weather events/natural disasters (e.g., floods, droughts, hurricanes). These emerging concepts are called “psychoterratic” or earth-related states,” and several academic studies focus on how to measure solastalgia through surveying through a subset of empirical studies, such as qualitative interviews (n = 17), which is the total number of individuals or cases in the population. The most common were (n=12) and the Environmental Distress Scale (EDS), which was developed and validated by Higginbotham et al.(Galway et al.). Aside from scientific implications, there are theoretical applications to political decision-making and governance. Solastalgia necessitates a governance framework mirroring the workings of life—a non-hierarchical, collective enterprise that integrates the most valuable aspects of previous notions of more inclusive governance drawn from deliberative democracy, green politics, and Deep Ecology. (Galway et al.) That attention to inclusion allows the term itself to develop into a genuine version for addressing a diasporic population’s fluid cultural identities. Indeed, ensuring separate from absolutist meanings, plenty of factors manipulate one’s sense of identity, and as supported here, the shaping of identity plays an essential role within a population who experience solastalgia.

The perception of the world around a displaced people significantly influences the identity of a population. Hence, the phenomenon of diaspora, rooted in the Greek term meaning "to sow over or scatter, " involves an identity crisis and identity searches (Gopinath 67). The culture and societal norms are left behind, and pressure exists to adapt and preserve—especially the progress of generations and hybridity may occur when they navigate two or more cultures. “Hybrid identity results from the tension between the desire for affiliation and the need for ethnic identity in the younger generations. It creates conflict between parents who hold on to cultural ethnicity and children who want to be like the children from the new place.” (Thomas 697) Ashwin Venkatarkrishnan explores this notion by classifying children’s reactions to diaspora; the first child is embarrassed and shunned by their peers, and the second is the obsessed one. The obsessed child resists this mockery, completely rejects this hybridity, and may push a rigid sense of “authenticity.” On the other hand, as described before, the absolutist notion tends to stigmatize diaspora as a sign of impurity. When diaspora experiences fragments of an individual's identity, they must seek to reconstruct their sense of self. Faced with these contending ideals of identity and “authenticity,” is as so their right over that identity is stripped despite having experienced eco-grief and forced assimilation. However, solutions to this dilemma deviate from a static understanding of solastalgia and indigenous adaptations.

According to Galway, there is a lack of scholarship on gender studies, which allows rigid interpretations of identity as proposed by Gopinath’s piece on diaspora; gender studies provides “new methods of contesting traditional family and kinship structures—of reorganizing national and transnational communities based not on origin, filiation, and genetics, but on destination, affiliation, and the presumption of a common set of social practices or political commitments.” (68) The lack thereof limits the perception of indigenous values, and the deconstruction of colonial inclusion becomes even more complex, especially regarding Albrecht’s failure to take advantage of said indigenous decolonized understandings.

Despite pioneering the term, there are several critiques of his interpretation of solastalgia as it often needs a decolonized indigenous perspective and scope. In this scoping view, author Mercy Thomas contributes by referring to Indigenous-led research methodologies that prioritize Indigenous knowledge systems, perspectives, values, and traditions. So, instead of using a conventional Western review process, use autonomous perspectives derived from lived experience, cultural backgrounds, and prior cultural teachings and hold virtual "yarning circles" to discuss the concept of solastalgia from a lived experience, indigenous perspectives to determine the best course of action for this review. Using Indigenous ontological and epistemological constructs and engaging in co-design to include the insights and experiences of Indigenous Peoples may prove beneficial and genuine when describing the fluidity of identity and displacement.

In conclusion, exploring displacement, solastalgia, and diaspora within Native American and Indigenous Studies unveils a complex interplay of environmental, emotional, and cultural dimensions shaping the identities of displaced communities. Coined by Glenn A. Albrecht, solastalgia emerges as a pivotal concept, symbolizing the erosion of one's sense of place, identity, and belonging amid indigenous environmental dispersal. It not only recognizes the distress from dispossession and displacement but also acknowledges the emotional turmoil of witnessing colonial systems exploit the land for economic gains. Solastalgia's contemporary relevance extends to mass relocations associated with environmental upheavals, calling for a non-hierarchical, collective governance framework mirroring life's interconnectedness. Diaspora introduces challenges, contending with authenticity ideals and struggles with rigid identity definitions, exacerbating the dilemmas faced by communities navigating cultural blending. Despite Albrecht's pioneering efforts, a decolonized indigenous perspective is crucial, ensuring authenticity through lived experiences and cultural backgrounds. Solastalgia's transformative role within Indigenous Studies guides us toward a genuine understanding of the fluidity of identity and the profound impact of displacement. The future of Native American and Indigenous studies relies on that co-effort in developing these terms and solutions. Then, the indigenous communities can learn to successfully heal from a history of colonialism as the world of scholarship seeks to recognize its influences.

Citations

Thomas, Mercy. "Diaspora Identities." International Journal of Creative Research Thoughts (IJCRT), vol. 6, no. 1, Jan. 2018, pp. 696–701, ISSN: 2320–2882.

Upward, Kisani, et al. " Understanding Solastalgia from a Decolonised, Indigenist Lens: A Scoping Review." Frontiers in Public Health, vol. 11, 2024, doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1261247.

Galway, Lindsay P et al. “Mapping the Solastalgia Literature: A Scoping Review Study.” International journal of environmental research and public health vol. 16,15 2662. 25 Jul. 2019, doi:10.3390/ijerph16152662

Gopinath, Gayatri. “Diaspora.” Keywords for Gender and Sexuality Studies, edited by the Keywords Feminist Editorial Collective et al., NYU Press, 2021, pp. 19–22. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctv2tr51hm.23.