International Journal of Education & the Arts

Citation: Stefanyshyn, M. (2024). The ancestral strengths of my Ukrainian family through the lens of an ecofeminism: a collaborative arts-based phenomenological project. International Journal of Education & the Arts, 25(si1.3). http://doi.org/10.26209/ijea25si1.3

In this article, I will explore the lived experience of being connected to the cultural strengths of the ancestors in the context of ecofeminism, specifically the works of Betty Roszak’s (1995) essay “The Spirit of the Goddess” and Lesya Ukrainka’s (1911/2018) poetic play “The Forest Song.” Roszak and Ukrainka explore the union between the ancestors and the individual, and how this integration brings us closer to the values propounded by ecofeminism, such as cooperation and care. I will present a collaborative arts-based phenomenological project as an example of the lived experience of being connected to ancestral strengths—here, of Ukrainian culture. I will elaborate on how this connection helps us deal with life tasks and adversities. Individual themes extracted from short anecdotes and art pieces demonstrate the co-existence of family heritage and individuality within a person, and the overarching existential themes highlight the universal essence of the phenomenon of being connected to ancestral strengths. The chapter will conclude with showing how uncovered existential themes in this project emphasize the importance of cherishing generational inheritance as well as nurturing our own and each other’s assets as a way of healing collective traumas and forming strong communities, societies, and ecosystems where we dwell—the grails of both ecofeminism and care ethic.