08/05/2026
BEYOND FOOTPRINTS: MILITARISM, INDIGENOUS RELATIONALITY, AND ENVIROMENTAL HARM IN OKINAWA
This presentation examines how militarism impacts the natural environment by moving beyond dominant “footprint” approaches that document material damage and resource extraction. While previous scholarship has illuminated pollution, land degradation, and biodiversity loss associated with military bases, it often treats nature as a passive object. This talk introduces a relational perspective that foregrounds Indigenous epistemologies in which land, water, animals, and humans exist in reciprocal relationships. Drawing on emerging research and new fieldwork on the environmental impacts of U.S. military bases in Okinawa, I show how this perspective reframes environmental harm as a disruption of relationships rather than mere material destruction. This approach resonates with Indigenous studies, where land is understood as a living field of relationships and nonhuman subjectivity.
Akino Oshiro is a Lecturer in Japanese Studies at the University of Manchester. Holding a PhD in Japanese Studies, her research focuses on Okinawa, colonialism, and the socio-economic impact of U.S. military bases in the postwar era. She has studied across Japan, the United States, and Germany, and has published in leading international sociology journals. Her work combines historical perspective with critical analysis to rethink power and development in East Asia.
📅 Tuesday, 19th of May 2026
💬 CONFERENCE
🕥 2:00 - 3:30 p.m. (CET)
📍Aula MF3, San Basilio
and Online on GMeet
The participation is possible upon reservation until April 18th 2026 at 8 p.m. (CET) through link in bio.
🔤 This event will be held in English.
Organized by Stella Rizzuti, GESSHIN Student Association, Ca’ Foscari University of Venice
- This initiative has been financed through Ca Foscari University’s funds for student activities -
