This is exactly the kind of thinking and action we need to embrace in the environmental movement. Animistic beliefs (assigning agency to non-human beings or systems) can help to effect positive environmental change. We would be much less likely to harm or pollute a river if we were able to think of it as a living being - especially if that living being was considered one of their direct ancestors. I don't think westerners will be able to fully embrace these types of animistic beliefs as it is very counter to our dominant materialistic-scientific mindset (maybe less difficult for people that grew up in AU or NZ and were exposed to Maori or Aboriginal thinking and beliefs at a young age) but I believe it's a good exercise to at least start thinking about natural systems in this way.
In meetings at my workplace we often start with a Mihi - mine involves my river, mountain, place of birth etc. All spoken as though these are a part of me. It's quite nice, especially now I think of other people maybe not having that kind of connectiuon. in my area, we were certainly raised on the Maori culture and language regardless of who you were. I first learned to count to ten in Maori, according to my parents. This piping little voice going "tahi, rua, toru, wha.."
worse than little to no exposure... in the US, we spent 400 years exterminating, force migrating, and marginalizing our indigenous population. Then the next 90+ years demonizing and caricature-ing them in media. and we're not out of the woods yet.exposed to Maori or Aboriginal thinking and beliefs at a young age