ABSTRACT
Thinking in the American West occurs in a context of ecological crisis, radical pluralism, and impending change. With this situation in mind, this work of comparative philosophy chapter stages an encounter between philosophers from different cultural lineages, much as the American West perpetuates such juxtapositions. Specifically, I examine resonances between the work of French philosophers Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari, and contemporary Nuu-chah-nulth elder, hereditary chief, and philosopher E. Richard Atleo, exploring how they might open avenues for transformation towards more sustainable and ecologically just futures. I focus on three resonances: (i) both Deleuze and Guattari and Atleo challenge linear temporal narratives and raise the possibility of integrations of indigenous practices into contemporary contexts; (ii) all share a challenge of understanding reality as continuous without collapsing it into a monolithic whole that erases differences; and most provocatively, (iii) they consider vision quest techniques as viable means of exploring creative transformations at individual and societal levels.
