As a corollary to “becoming indigenous to place,” I like to think of “becoming queer to place.” To be “queer to place” would mean that no line can be drawn between you and the wet earth around you. To be “queer to place” would mean that many things can be true at once: that you can be a migrant and still belong; that you, like every other being on this planet, can be full of unresolvable contradictions and still find acceptance. Becoming queer to place requires an active and humble commitment. And who better to turn to for inspiration than the eels—not as symbols but as teachers?
