ABSTRACT
In Chapter 25 of the Routledge Handbook of Ecocultural Identity, Stibbe explores linguistic devices used to perform ecocultural identities. Of the many possible ecocultural identities available, some have the power to influence people to care and protect other species and the ecosystems that life depends on, and these are considered in this chapter as ‘positive’ ecocultural identities. Stibbe analyses language features present in the book Land of the Spotted Eagle by Luther Standing Bear in the search of features that help to instantiate positive ecocultural identities. The methodology used is an adaptation of Positive Discourse Analysis, where texts are analysed for features that align with the values system (or ecosophy) of the analyst. The linguistic devices described in the chapter include metaphor, appraisal patterns, agency, pronoun use, and semantic inclusion. The purpose of Positive Discourse Analysis is to describe linguistic features that could be selectively combined, with careful consideration of the context, to promote particular value systems; in this case, to promote care for humans, other species, and wider ecological systems.
