The Prefigurative and Settler-Colonial Politics of Relational Commons

Ethnographic insights from an urban grower collective in Alberta

Abstract

In an era of environmental degradation and social inequality, the concept of the ‘commons’ offers a framework for reimagining resource management through shared stewardship and collective care. This article, co-authored by an agrarian anthropologist and a guiding Mapuche Elder, examines the prefigurative politics of a Grower Activist Collective in Calgary, Canada, where critical urban gardening functions as both ecological care and political resistance. Using participatory methods, the study explores how everyday acts of sharing seeds, labour, and knowledge cultivate relationality as the foundation of communal solidarity. We argue that practices of seed saving, gift economies, participatory governance, and intercultural knowledge exchange enact alternative socio-political relations rooted in the commons, challenging capitalist enclosure and market-oriented food systems. Integrating intersectional and anti-colonial approaches, the research highlights how grassroots initiatives can transform food systems, foster mutual aid, and build resilience, contributing to broader struggles for social justice and environmental regeneration.