Sovereignty, Children & The Anthropocene
~ an inquiry

The word sovereignty has been stuck on my tongue since the year 2001. I was pregnant and my eldest was a toddler and I read the Kabat-Zinn’s book, Everyday Blessings. The authors shared their desire to raise sovereign children and as soon as I saw the word, I knew I wanted it for my own kids.

(It must be said that my use of the word sovereignty isn’t the same as Qanon et al… think more Vandana Shiva than the horned insurrection guy.)
 
Curiously, it wasn’t a word I applied to myself until I allowed myself to feel the pain of our world and was confronted with the futility of maintaining status quo. When I claimed my sovereignty, there were no fireworks, I actually felt hopeless and overwhelmed.
 
I knew that doing what was expected of me was easier than putting myself forward. It was easier to bask in the potential of my gifts than ever have to put them to the test.
 
I’ve spent many years meditating on the word and dove deep into the heart of the Sovereign searching for insights. I asked her several questions. What is it to rule oneself? What are the boundaries of my domain? Can anyone be sovereign? And — why oh why is it so difficult?

As my contemplation went deeper and my grief over ecological destruction frequently had me on my knees, I discovered that in Celtic traditions, Sovereignty was known as the goddess of the land.

I want to believe that the call towards sovereignty comes from the land and as the land. I want to believe that sovereignty is a basic life principle. Life demands we be what we are.

Understood this way, sovereignty isn’t something we pursue for personal gain, but is a duty and responsibility to the flourishing of life.
 
 

about Sandy Ibrahim

Sandy is a so-called Canadian of Egyptian and German descent who lives uninvited on the unceded territory of the Lekwungen peoples, and the Songhees, Esquimalt and W̱SÁNEĆ First Nations (Victoria, B.C..). Her essays, short stories and poetry have appeared in The Malahat Review, Arc Poetry, Prairie Fire Magazine, Geist, Dark Matter, Asparagus Magazine, and others. She was short-listed for the Constance Rooke Prize in creative non-fiction and was a 2024 finalist for a National Magazine Award in personal journalism. She isn’t sure if her grandmothers are cheering her on or rolling over in their graves.

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