The Apocalypse is Ongoing— Abolition Amongst Growing Annihilation. How Life Promotion is Guiding Indigenous Communities' Beyond Survival

Abstract

Guided by the theories of Abolition Praxis and Arts-Based Research, I explore Life Promotion in Indigenous communities through poetry. This collective work sheds light on the cultural revitalization and preservation that has and will occur in Indigenous communities using the principles of Life Promotion. It documents traditional stories, teachings, and visions as Indigenous futurism. It hopes to foster a sense of confidence in our knowledge systems while highlighting and celebrating the individuals who have contributed to Life Promotion initiatives. Where we have faced unimaginable disasters, we have found ways to overcome. The ongoing apocalypse refers to the colonial systems that have oppressed Indigenous people since contact. Abolition praxis is defined by its ability to build worlds beyond what was previously conceivable. Western knowledge has long sought to extract, exploit, and eradicate Indigenous knowledge, this research seeks to instead highlight its perseverance. Life Promotion acts as a practice of World Building.