E Palu di Tamarein – Rethinking sustainability through the Tamarind tree’s embodiment of Culture

This thesis explores how the Palu di Tamarein (Tamarind tree) embodies Curaçaoan cultural heritage and how this embodiment can inform contemporary approaches to sustainable development on the island. Using a literature-based methodology and guided by multispecies ethnography, it examines the tree as both a cultural and ecological agent that reflects Curaçao’s intertwined human–nonhuman relationships. Drawing on theoretical frameworks from Anna Tsing, Arturo Escobar, and Sophie Chao, the research situates the palu di tamarein within Curaçao’s “patchy landscapes” of colonial history, spirituality, and environmental change. Through the integration of folklore, oral traditions, and cultural policy analysis, the study highlights how the tree functions as a living symbol of the yu di tera (the Curaçaoan identity deeply rooted in the land). It argues that sustainability on small islands like Curaçao must move beyond economic and environmental dimensions to include culture as a foundational...Show moreThis thesis explores how the Palu di Tamarein (Tamarind tree) embodies Curaçaoan cultural heritage and how this embodiment can inform contemporary approaches to sustainable development on the island. Using a literature-based methodology and guided by multispecies ethnography, it examines the tree as both a cultural and ecological agent that reflects Curaçao’s intertwined human–nonhuman relationships. Drawing on theoretical frameworks from Anna Tsing, Arturo Escobar, and Sophie Chao, the research situates the palu di tamarein within Curaçao’s “patchy landscapes” of colonial history, spirituality, and environmental change. Through the integration of folklore, oral traditions, and cultural policy analysis, the study highlights how the tree functions as a living symbol of the yu di tera (the Curaçaoan identity deeply rooted in the land). It argues that sustainability on small islands like Curaçao must move beyond economic and environmental dimensions to include culture as a foundational “fourth pillar.” By rethinking sustainability through pluriversal and multispecies frameworks, the thesis proposes that cultural knowledge and human–tree kinship can serve as vital strategies for building sustainable futures that honor both ecological well-being and cultural identityShow less

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E Palu di Tamarein – Rethinking sustainability through the Tamarind tree’s embodiment of Culture