History of Earth Kinship

History & Evolution of Earth Kinship Conferences

"We abuse land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us.  When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect." --- Aldo  Leopold

A Tradition of Kinship: 

The Earth Kinship Conference was a series of two/three day gatherings held in the Northeast Florida Region between 1988 and 2005. Its intention and design was to understand the roots and evolution of human attitudes which affect the earth’s ecosystems within human and nonhuman societies.  Conference attendees explored the dynamics between the arts, sciences, psychology, ecology, social forces, and spirituality; and how they influenced cultural innovations, ethics and values. Future conference topics may move beyond the human experience and invite the concept of humans as a part of a greater community of Earth and how a change in awareness and consciousness may affect the Earth as a whole.

Originally the idea of a conference was conceived over a bottle of rum shared between a marine biologist, Joseph Halusky and a poet, John Hammond. Main topics of discussion was saving the Earth from the human condition. One realization is the Earth does not need saving, however the humans will from future extinction, if we continue to consume the natural resources at the rate we have been. Throughout the 16 years the conference evolved from a stewardship point of view to a Kinship understanding. Meaning we are apart of the Earth's community and not owners of the Earth and it's resources.

A formula was formed as a guiding principal: Knowledge + Emotion= Attitude

 EK Conference Timelines

1988 — 1st Earth Stewardship Workshop — Florida Coastal Topics for Creative Writers:  A Dialog between Coastal Scientists, Poets, Humorists, Song Writers, Novel & Short Story Writers, Story Tellers, Playwrights, Essayists, Journalists and Teachers.  Is there a need for scientists and artists to work toward a fundamental change in human attitudes and culture?

1990 — 2nd Earth Stewardship Workshop:  Environmental Issues, Ethics and Religion in the 1990's.  Is there a place for the Clergy in shaping environmental attitudes and ethics?

1993 — 3rd Earth Stewardship Conference:  Finding Appropriate Roles.  Are we mere consumers of natural resources, or is our role to understand & manage our behavior in a manner for maintaining (sustaining) the integrity of the biosphere (the creation) as stewards?

1994 — 4th Earth Stewardship Conference- A fifteen Generation Approach to Living Lightly on the Planet.  A discussion of the Six Nations Iroquois Confederacy’s 7th Generation Principle (which nearly became an article in the US Constitution); namely that all political decisions MUST consider its impact on seven generations into the future.

1995 — 5th Earth Stewardship Conference:  Neighborhoods as a Natural Resource.  Searching for real “community” in our neighborhoods.

1996 — 6th Earth Stewardship Conference:  Healthy Neighborhoods for a Healthy Earth.  “The community – a place and all its creatures – is the smallest unit of health.” — Wendell Berry

1997 — 7th Earth Kinship Conference:  Re-Connecting with the Natural World.  An exploration of the newly emerging field of ECOPSYCHOLOGY.  Does human sanity end at the city limits?

1997 — 8th Earth Kinship Conference:  Sustainable Economics – Earth as the Bottom Line.  Fulfilling our wants at the expense of those human or otherwise who cannot fulfill their needs.

1998 — 9th Earth Kinship (Youth) Conference: – Princess Place Preserve.  Stimulating a dialog between the youth and those in politics at the local level, about adult abuse of land development and its consequences.

1999 — 10th Annual Earth Kinship Conference 1999:  Educating for a Future – Learning to be Human in a More-Than-Human World.  Searching Indigenous and other cultures for experiential educational models for learning beyond public educational capabilities.

2000 — 11th Earth Kinship Conference 2000:  Coming Home – Discovering Our Sense of Place.  Learning and living in your bioregion.  Evolving a new Cosmology to continue “The Great Work” as defined by Thomas Berry.

2001 — 12th Annual Earth Kinship Conference:  A River Runs Through Us – Connecting with Our Bioregion.​

2002 — 13th Annual Earth Kinship Conference:  What is Your Ecological Foot Print? Visioning Our Future.  Personal actions make a difference.

2003 — 14th Annual Earth Kinship Conference:  A Gathering – Learning to Live Wisely.  Using story, song, poetry, science and celebration to foster positive action for Earth healing.

2004 — 15th Annual Earth Kinship Conference:  Earth, Sea and Spirit – Lighting & Nurturing the Fire Within.  Understanding the role of the religious community and “Eco-Theology” as a significant force of cultural change in our communities.

2005 — 16th Annual Earth Kinship Conference/Festival: The Frontier Within.  Nothing in our outer world will change for the better, until we change our inner worldview.  What we have in our outer-world today is a reflection and/or our inner-darkness.  Are we acting as adults or adolescents with regard towards Earth’s living systems?