Caring for Our Planet
An Ancient Indigenous Concept
Only after the last tree has been cut down....
Only after the last river has been polluted....
Only after the last fish has been caught....
Only then, will you discover, that money cannot be eaten.
- Cree Wisdom
Only after the last river has been polluted....
Only after the last fish has been caught....
Only then, will you discover, that money cannot be eaten.
- Cree Wisdom
Excerpt from the authentic text of Chief Seattle's Treaty Oration - 1854
[Originally published in the Seattle Sunday Star, Oct. 29 1887]
The text was produced by one "Dr." Smith, an early settler in Washington State, who took notes as Seattle spoke in the Suquamish dialect of central Puget sound Salish (Lushootseed), and created this text in English from those notes.
"Every part of this soil is sacred in the estimation of my people. Every hillside, every valley, every plain and grove, has been hallowed by some sad or happy event of days long vanished. Even the rocks, which seem to be dumb and dead as they swelter in the sun along the silent shore, thrill with memories of stirring events connected with the lives of my people, and the very dust upon which you now stand responds more lovingly to their footsteps than yours, because it is rich with the blood of our ancestors, and our bare feet are conscious of the sympathetic touch. Our departed men, fond mothers, glad, happy hearted maidens, and even the little children who lived here and rejoiced here for a brief season, will love these somber solitudes and at eventide they greet shadowy returning spirits. And when the last Red Man shall have perished, and the memory of my tribe shall have become a myth among the White Men, these shores will swarm with the invisible dead of my people, and when your children's children think themselves alone in the field, the store, the shop, upon the highway, or in the silence of the pathless woods, they will not be alone. In all the earth there is no place dedicated to solitude. At night when the streets of your cities and villages are silent and you think them deserted, they will throng with the returning hosts that once filled them and still love this beautiful land."
~ Chief Seathl (Seattle)
[Originally published in the Seattle Sunday Star, Oct. 29 1887]
The text was produced by one "Dr." Smith, an early settler in Washington State, who took notes as Seattle spoke in the Suquamish dialect of central Puget sound Salish (Lushootseed), and created this text in English from those notes.
"Every part of this soil is sacred in the estimation of my people. Every hillside, every valley, every plain and grove, has been hallowed by some sad or happy event of days long vanished. Even the rocks, which seem to be dumb and dead as they swelter in the sun along the silent shore, thrill with memories of stirring events connected with the lives of my people, and the very dust upon which you now stand responds more lovingly to their footsteps than yours, because it is rich with the blood of our ancestors, and our bare feet are conscious of the sympathetic touch. Our departed men, fond mothers, glad, happy hearted maidens, and even the little children who lived here and rejoiced here for a brief season, will love these somber solitudes and at eventide they greet shadowy returning spirits. And when the last Red Man shall have perished, and the memory of my tribe shall have become a myth among the White Men, these shores will swarm with the invisible dead of my people, and when your children's children think themselves alone in the field, the store, the shop, upon the highway, or in the silence of the pathless woods, they will not be alone. In all the earth there is no place dedicated to solitude. At night when the streets of your cities and villages are silent and you think them deserted, they will throng with the returning hosts that once filled them and still love this beautiful land."
~ Chief Seathl (Seattle)
Native American Earth
Indigenous people are connected to the earth. Not in some dreamy, romanticized way, but in reality. What Seathl said about our bare feet being conscious of the sympathetic touch of the earth is true. It is not hyperbole. Native people have always possessed an innate sense of our deep connection to the earth, fire, water and wind. We have always known that a tree is alive, and has children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. We have always known that the waters and the winds are our lifeblood, and that the power of the fire is to be respected. We have always known how important it is to our future generations that we live our lives humbly, and in balance and respect with Mother Earth. Over five centuries have passed since the arrival of the Italian profiteer Christopher Columbus brought a dark cloud of destruction to this ancient continent. And in that short span of time, we have watched as our once mighty primeval forests have been razed, our pristine rivers and water sources have been poisoned, the air has been polluted and landfill mountains have risen out of the earth. Today - now - humanity must seek to finally understand Indigenous wisdom, and at last learn to live in harmony with Mother Earth. Our very future on this planet hangs in the balance.
Indigenous people are connected to the earth. Not in some dreamy, romanticized way, but in reality. What Seathl said about our bare feet being conscious of the sympathetic touch of the earth is true. It is not hyperbole. Native people have always possessed an innate sense of our deep connection to the earth, fire, water and wind. We have always known that a tree is alive, and has children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. We have always known that the waters and the winds are our lifeblood, and that the power of the fire is to be respected. We have always known how important it is to our future generations that we live our lives humbly, and in balance and respect with Mother Earth. Over five centuries have passed since the arrival of the Italian profiteer Christopher Columbus brought a dark cloud of destruction to this ancient continent. And in that short span of time, we have watched as our once mighty primeval forests have been razed, our pristine rivers and water sources have been poisoned, the air has been polluted and landfill mountains have risen out of the earth. Today - now - humanity must seek to finally understand Indigenous wisdom, and at last learn to live in harmony with Mother Earth. Our very future on this planet hangs in the balance.
What Can We Do?
Here are some things to think about when considering what action we can take to soften our footprint on Mother Earth.
Recycle Recycle Recycle!
It only takes a little effort. Find out where to take your recyclables, or if your local waste management folks offer recycling options, and let your family know that you are serious about it. Find out what items your local service accepts for recycling and then let your family know that those items are not going out in your garbage any more! Find a place outside to put the bins for your recyclables. You will amaze yourself at how much stuff you are saving from the landfill!
BIODEGRADING TAKES TIME
Paper...................30 days
Cotton rags.........6 months
Wood.......................4 yrs
Painted wood..........15 yrs
Steel cans.............100 yrs
Aluminum cans......500 yrs
Plastic & glass..... Too long to even guess
Don't use styrofoam!! It NEVER biodegrades!
USE LESS.... & RECYCLE IT!!!!
Americans throw away over 2.5 million
bottles every HOUR of every day.
One third of Americas garbage is packaging.
Over a billion trees a year are used to make
disposable diapers.
It takes over 500,000 trees to make Americas
Sunday newspaper.
Some Simple Steps You Can Take:
Recycle
Walk or Bike (vs. drive)
Turn off lights
NEVER burn plastic or foam
Don't leave water running when it is not in use
Take quick showers
Use the clothes-line
Don't wash clothes needlessly
Don't leave refrigerator door open
Run heater/air only when needed
Use less detergent
Use natural cleaning agents
Car pool
Learn to compost
Buy recycled products (then recycle them!)
Plant a tree
Pass toys & clothes on
Learn, change & grow....!
STOP 'Junk Mail'!
The junk mail Americans receive in one year
is the equivelant of over 100 million trees.
If only 100,000 people stopped their junk mail, we could save
about 150,000 trees per year. If a million people did, we could
save 1.5 million.
Some BIG Steps You Can Take:
Buy an electric car
Equip your house with Solar Panels
Equip your home with a residential wind turbine
Take part in earth conscious activism
Write and call your political representatives
The cry of our relations - HELP!
Giant Panda, Whooping Crane, Ivory Billed Woodpecker, California Condor, Bridled Nail-tailed Wallaby, Snow Leopard, Orangutan, Tiger, Asiatic Cheetah, Mountain Gorilla, American Crocodile, Black Rhinoceros....
All.... ENDANGERED
Here are some things to think about when considering what action we can take to soften our footprint on Mother Earth.
Recycle Recycle Recycle!
It only takes a little effort. Find out where to take your recyclables, or if your local waste management folks offer recycling options, and let your family know that you are serious about it. Find out what items your local service accepts for recycling and then let your family know that those items are not going out in your garbage any more! Find a place outside to put the bins for your recyclables. You will amaze yourself at how much stuff you are saving from the landfill!
BIODEGRADING TAKES TIME
Paper...................30 days
Cotton rags.........6 months
Wood.......................4 yrs
Painted wood..........15 yrs
Steel cans.............100 yrs
Aluminum cans......500 yrs
Plastic & glass..... Too long to even guess
Don't use styrofoam!! It NEVER biodegrades!
USE LESS.... & RECYCLE IT!!!!
Americans throw away over 2.5 million
bottles every HOUR of every day.
One third of Americas garbage is packaging.
Over a billion trees a year are used to make
disposable diapers.
It takes over 500,000 trees to make Americas
Sunday newspaper.
Some Simple Steps You Can Take:
Recycle
Walk or Bike (vs. drive)
Turn off lights
NEVER burn plastic or foam
Don't leave water running when it is not in use
Take quick showers
Use the clothes-line
Don't wash clothes needlessly
Don't leave refrigerator door open
Run heater/air only when needed
Use less detergent
Use natural cleaning agents
Car pool
Learn to compost
Buy recycled products (then recycle them!)
Plant a tree
Pass toys & clothes on
Learn, change & grow....!
STOP 'Junk Mail'!
The junk mail Americans receive in one year
is the equivelant of over 100 million trees.
If only 100,000 people stopped their junk mail, we could save
about 150,000 trees per year. If a million people did, we could
save 1.5 million.
Some BIG Steps You Can Take:
Buy an electric car
Equip your house with Solar Panels
Equip your home with a residential wind turbine
Take part in earth conscious activism
Write and call your political representatives
The cry of our relations - HELP!
Giant Panda, Whooping Crane, Ivory Billed Woodpecker, California Condor, Bridled Nail-tailed Wallaby, Snow Leopard, Orangutan, Tiger, Asiatic Cheetah, Mountain Gorilla, American Crocodile, Black Rhinoceros....
All.... ENDANGERED