Katie Raney

A Return to Eden and Native American Roots: Common Themes in Multicultural Utopias

Wondering whether the utopian drive really does exist in societies other than the Western world, I decided to Google “Utopia + Japan” just to see what would pop up. One of the searches that I explored was a blog in which someone was describing Japan as a utopia; the main argument that they were utilizing was the claim that Japan was a utopia because of the beauty and warmth of the ocean that surrounded it. This instantly made me think of one of the common themes running through our utopian literature: the idea that nature is a thing of abundant productivity and beauty in a utopian society. This led me to examining Objective 3h which asks, “What is utopia’s relation to time and history?” and “Does the utopian society model itself on past, present, or future?” I decided to examine this objective in regard to how nature is portrayed in some of the multicultural works and Ecotopia this semester to see if there really is a strong connection between the texts. Not only did I discover that many of these works have an emphasis on the richness of nature, I also saw a distinct link in how Ecotopia is connected with Native Americans specifically, focusing on objective 3i.

The primary way that these works are connected with one another is through the idea that a utopian society emphasizes the return of the earth to perfection and fruitful abundance. Written thousands of years ago, the book of Genesis employs the idea of a fertile earth along with several other texts that we have read this semester. In Genesis 1, the Lord creates a verdant, thriving garden in which He looks around and states, “it [is] very good” (Genesis 1:31). Unfortunately, the land cannot sustain its perfection for long, and this utopian vision quickly turns dystopian as Adam and Eve sin against the Lord’s command. As a part of the punishment that Adam and Eve assent for their sins, the earth loses this natural ability to thrive on its own which is depicted when God says that the ground is “cursed” and that it will now produce “thorns and thistles” (Genesis 3:17-18).  The once flourishing garden is now a place that must be worked with “sweat” and “sorrow” (Genesis 3:17-19). Yet, the utopian garden is restored in Revelation 22 when the “pure river of water of life, clear as crystal” flows from the city which also contains the “tree of life.” Here we see the idea of the restoration of this original garden, an idea seen in other readings, as well. Utopias seem to naturally gravitate towards the idea of restoring the earth to the perfection that Genesis 1 and 2 describes. In Ovid’s Metamorphosis, the earth “produce[s] all things spontaneously” and displays “a season of everlasting spring” (Ovid). This idea of eternal abundance for the earth is also presented in Equiano’s narrative when discussing the land he was taken from describing it as “uncommonly rich and fruitful” producing “all kinds of vegetables in great abundance.” Even in Hesiod’s work the earth is exhibited as “fruitful,” and the land bears fruit “unforced” by human hands.  All of these descriptions seem to overlap with the idea in the Biblical narrative, showing that despite the differences in time and culture, the vision for a renewed earth exists.

Though the idea of the earth producing copiously is seen in these works, it is also utilized in the utopian novel Ecotopia.  Several things in the novel demonstrate the desire the Ecotopians have for the earth to thrive.  In the civilization, the Ecotopians move away from industrializing the ground and its surroundings and desire for “the land [to be] returned to grassland, forest, orchards, or gardens” (Callenbach 30). Additionally, “the true love of the Ecotopians is their forests,” something that they are constantly attempting to better.  Whenever Marissa and Will get together he notices how she begins muttering to the trees, which he identifies as “a prayer of some kind,” illustrating their devotion to nature, especially the trees (58). Ecotopians spend intense time cultivating the land which is observed in the school where the kids take part in tending to the gardens since the gardens “supply the food for the midday meals” (127). Interestingly enough, the Ecotopians even admit that the earth will “sustain itself on a steady-state basis – unless men come along and mess it up” (34). This parallels closely to what occurred in the Garden of Eden, which showed the earth as self-sustaining and prosperous until Adam and Eve sinned.  These texts seem to answer the questions posed in objective 3h which asks, “What is utopia’s relation to time and history?” and “Does the utopian society model itself on past, present, or future?”  From these texts, readers can see these works are from several different time periods and backgrounds all seem to contain the idea of the restoration of the physical earth, making them strongly connected. They may even be modeled after the oldest text of Genesis.

Multicultural influence is also seen in Ecotopia in regard to the influence the Native Americans have on the Ecotopian society. Objective 3i asks, “Are utopias limited to Western Civilization, rationalism, and social engineering, or may they exemplify multiculturalism?” One specific question taken from that objective is: “If utopias or millennia are detected in non-Western texts or traditions, are such terms appropriate, or do we simply project our identities and values on cultures that are in fact doing something else altogether?” While reading Ecotopia, one thing I noticed is not how Callenbach intentionally crafted the Ecotopians to model the Native Americans.  In describing how their Native American dead still walk among the land, Chief Seattle asserts that “Our dead never forget this beautiful world that gave them being. They still love its verdant valleys, its murmuring rivers, its magnificent mountains, sequestered vales and verdant lined lakes and bays, and ever yearn in tender fond affection over the lonely hearted living, and often return from the happy hunting ground to visit, guide, console, and comfort them” (Seattle).  Here, he depicts how the Native Americans are connected to the land, and he expresses the beauty and wonder of the earth itself.

This love for the land and the relationship with the earth that the Native Americans display is an attitude that many citizens of Ecotopia also hold. When Will first enters Ecotopia and is wondering about the time, some Ecotopians respond that “You’d never catch an Indian wearing a watch,” and Will notes that “many Ecotopians” are “sentimental about Indians” even envying them (31). Furthermore, he believes that the Ecotopian clothing may even be “directly” inspired by Indians (32). After meeting Marissa, Will documents that Marissa’s name is “Brightcloud,” “a self-adopted Indian-inspired name,” which apparently many Ecotopians have (54).  He even acknowledges that the Ecotopians must have felt “a little as the Indians must have felt; that the horse and the teepee and the bow and arrow all sprang, like the human being, from the womb of nature, organically” (51). All of these examples reveal the multicultural connection between the two groups. The language that Will employs even seems to parallel with something that Europeans would have applied to Native Americans several years ago.  When describing some of their ceremonies, like the war games, Will says that they are “barbaric” and “tribal.” In addition to this, after waking up from a dream in which he was participating in the war games, he writes that the Ecotopians are “savages!” (83). However, this opinion of them will not last as he makes his conversion of becoming one of them, even entering into the war games himself. From these examples, it seems that Callenbach is not trying to project Ecotopian culture on the Native Americans but rather Native American culture on the Ecotopians.

          In conclusion, multicultural texts seem pivotal to demonstrating how the utopian drive has existed in cultures throughout time. They seem to parallel one another in the idea that there should be a return Eden and the abundance fertility of the land.  To quote Bryon Smith from 2005, “it does seem that utopias, in order to be utopias, must be ecotopias to some extent.” The idea of the earth being restored to its original beauty and fertility has corresponded with so many of our readings. Also, though some Western texts may try to force their definitions and culture onto others, in Ecotopia, readers can see that this really is not happening, at least with the work Ecotopia.  If anything, Callenbach is relying on the historical background of the Native Americans for inspiration. He calls upon their history and connection with the land to create his fictional society.  Overall, these multicultural works have enriched the learning experiencing in providing a frame of works to show that the utopian drive goes beyond Western civilization.