Decolonizing Futures: Conceptions of the Good Life in Cree Indigenous and Islamic Worldviews

This paper explores alternative epistemological and ontological frameworks for responding to the looming ecological crisis by comparing the Cree and Anishinaabe concept of Minopimatisiwin (the good life) with the Islamic notion of Ihsan (doing what is beautiful or good), particularly as developed within Sufi traditions. Modern responses to the environmental crisis often focus on technical solutions, such as renewable energy, while leaving unchallenged the deeper assumptions that shape human relationships with the natural world. In contrast, Minopimatisiwin emphasizes holistic well-being and relationality among humans, animals, and the environment, grounded in reciprocity and collective responsibility. Similarly, Ihsan calls for the cultivation of moral excellence and spiritual awareness, encouraging individuals to act with goodness and maintain accountability before God. This paper seeks to consider how these traditions offer relational and ethically grounded visions of the good life that can contribute to more sustainable and decolonizing futures.