Animal relations and the ethics of living a good life

Abstract Interconnected health between humans, animals, and the land is a concept held by many Indigenous Peoples. Systematic problems such as climate change, zoonotic diseases, environmental contamination, and commercialized food systems threaten the collective health of creation. This article explores Indigenous perspectives of One Health through the concepts of well-being taught from Cree and Secwepemc perspectives. The ethics of living a “good life” are embedded in both Secwepemc and Cree languages and hold a responsibility to be in good relation with your food system. Being well is more than meeting nutritional requirements for survival, but also caring for the connections between the land, food systems, culture, and knowledge. Indigenous scholars have critiqued One Health research for not fully encompassing collective health and breaking relationships into parts, such as the narrowed focus on zoonotic disease transmission. The Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs released a statement rejecting factory farming due to its disrespect toward animals and its impacts on the environment. Given the disrespect, oppression, and violence commercialized farms possess, they cannot be a part of living a good life. If One Health research focuses on the relationships between the land and food systems, we could address the cause of the imbalance rather than mitigating its symptoms. One Health impact statement Indigenous peoples have been practicing the philosophies encompassed in One Health through their worldviews and land laws since time immemorial. Relational eating, as explored in this article, and One Health are inherently interconnected, as relational eating incorporates all aspects of self (spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical); therefore, it requires people of all backgrounds and knowledge systems to achieve. Systematic problems such as climate change, zoonotic diseases, and the resulting issues in our food systems suggest that everyone is impacted by and dependent on the land. Shifting to relational eating, as guided by Indigenous ways of knowing, doing, and being, will help all humans live a good life, where we can achieve collective health among humans, animals, and the environment.