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Page B9
APRIL 22, 1998
-------- ---------------------------------------------- Uje IJartlanft tf)hsc ruer
To (Hi j e j j n i*tíaxx ó
(Dbsex*ber Readers:
Thank you for this
opportunity to discuss our
environment and what i think
Earth Day means."
com m on cause in keeping our place a
healthy one in which to live.
U n til w e a ll r e c o g n iz e th is
c o m m o n p u r p o s e , th e e n v ir o n ­
m e n t w ill re m a in a b a ttle fie ld o f
s h o rt-te rm in te r e s ts in s te a d o f
w h a t it tr u ly is: a s h a re d r e s p o n ­
s ib ility .
T h e re is o n e o th e r id e a I w o u ld
Governor John Kitzhaber
lik e y o u all to th in k a b o u t in r e ­
la tio n to E a rth D ay a n d e n v ir o n ­
h e re h a s b e e n no is s u e
m e n ta lis m : th e r e a r e n o b a d
in O re g o n in th e la st
p e o p le - o n ly b ad p r a c tic e s .
d e c a d e th a t h a s b e e n
By that I mean that w e often rush to
as d iv is iv e an d c o n te n tio vilify
u s as peopleon the basisoftheirenviron-
h o w to tr e a t O r e g o n ’s e n v i r o n ­
mental practices. All this does is polarize
m e n t. It h a s p itte d u rb a n a g a in s t
us as a state and make it that much more
r u ra l, e n v ir o n m e n ta lis t a g a in s t
difficult to hold a meaningful conversa­
tim b e r w o rk e r.
tion about our environment.
And. unfortunately, the debate
I n s te a d , w e s h o u ld a c k n o w l­
which has really been m oreofa shout­
e d g e p e o p le w ith w h o m w e d is ­
ing m atch has failed to recognize the
a g re e , sh o w th e m re s p e c t an d
essential purpose and m eaning o f
th e n , i f w e fin d fa u lt w ith th e ir
Earth D ay: the Earth is our only hom e
p r a c tic e s try an d p e rs u a d e th e m
and regardless o f w here w e live or
to c h a n g e .
how w e earn our m oney, w e share
F in a lly , 1 b e lie v e th a t if ea c h
T
o f us d o e s o u r p a rt to p r o te c t
a n d p r e s e rv e o u r e n v ir o n m e n t,
no o n e ’s b u r d e n w ill b e to o
h e a v y to b e a r. A n d th e r e w a r d s
w ill b e lo n g to u s a ll.
A s p e o p le lu c k y e n o u g h to
liv e in th is b e a u tif u l s ta te , y o u
ca n m a n a g e y o u r lif e in a w a y
th a t m in im iz e s a d v e r s e im p a c ts
o n th e e n v iro n m e n t.
I f y o u liv e by a s tr e a m , a llo w
th e v e g e ta tio n to g ro w b e s id e it.
R e d u c e e ro s io n . R e d u c e y o u r
u se o f y a rd f e r tiliz e r s a n d p e s ti­
c id e s.
R e c y c le . C o n s e r v e w a te r .
C o n s e rv e e n e rg y . R e d u c e w a ste .
S o, as w e h o n o r a n o th e r E a rth
d a y , I w o u ld a s k y o u to s im p ly
re m e m b e r th a t o u r e n v ir o n m e n t
s h o u ld b e o u r c o m m o n c a u s e a n d
th a t w e ca n o n ly m a k e it so i f w e
sh o w r e s p e c t an d a c k n o w le d g ­
m e n t f o r e v e r y o n e in o u r c o m ­
m u n ity .
Governor John Kitzhaber
•
**'-*
•HOW T O T A K £ A W A LK
B y J a m ês T hornton
A w a l k is a c h a n c e Io im b ib e
A la tw r e 's w is d o m .
m e d ita tio n
w hen
becom es
we
w a lk
a p p r o a c h e s , th e s e c lo s e n in g s
W e b e g in to k n o w t h a t o u r
to w h a t liv es , m ig h t s tr ik e y o u a s
o w n e v e r y d a y m in d is ju s t o n e
g a m e s , ¿7f g a m e s , th e y a r e p r o ­
s p e c ia liz e d
fo r m
fo u n d o n e s .
w h ic h t h e r e
a re
o f m in d ,
of
m a n y o th e r.
s lo w ly , c o n c e n t r a t in g o n o u r
A s w e le t o u rs e lv e s fe e l th e
W h e n w e le t th e so u l c o m e f o r ­
b r e a th , fe e lin g o u r b o d y m o v e ,
liv es o f o t h e r o rg a n is m s , w e g e t
w a r d , th e s e o t h e r fo rm s o f m in d
fe e lin g o u r fe e t in c o n t a c t w ith
into r e a l c o n t a c t w ith th e m , a n d
b e c o m e m o re o p e n to us. K n o w ­
th e ¿ s a rth . W e c a n e a s ily let
w ith
in g th e m , w e a r e m o r e a t h o m e .
t h e ir
p e r c e p tio n s .
T h e ir
o u rs e lv e s o p e n , a n d b e p e r m e ­
p o in t o f v ie w o p e n s to us a n d w e
W h e n yo u h a v e h a d c o n ta c t
a t e d b y th is w is d o m . ¿Jt h a p ­
c a n re c e iv e t h e ir te a c h in g s . W e
w ith a n o t h e r m in d f o r a w h ile / let
p e n s in o u r b o d ie s .
b e g in to s e n s e o u r in te r c o n n e c ­
y o u r s e lf s e n s e th e tim e to m o v e
tio n w ith th e m . W e m a y b e g in b y
o n . T h e r e is a l w a y s a r ig h t tim e
W a l k in s lo w m o tio n . A s y o u
w a lk , d o y o u r f e e t to u c h th e
fe e lin g
h o w a lie n th e s e o th e r
to m o v e o n , in e v e r y t h in g w e d o .
G a r t h , o r d o e s th e G a r t h rise,
b e in g s a r e . W e e n d b y h a v in g a
W e o fte n m iss it. L e t y o u r s e lf
to m e e t y o u r fe e t?
s e n s e o f b e lo n g in g to th e s a m e
s e n s e it, t h a n k th e o t h e r s e n tie n t
fa m ily . W e fe e l less lo n e ly .
b e in g , a n d m o v e o n .
B e c o m e a w a r e o f a ll th e life
a r o u n d yo u : th e c o m p a c t , c o n ­
c e n t r a t e d life o f in s e c ts , f lo w ­
e rs , a n d b ir d s . W h e n y o u c o m e
IN >M 6TRIAL POLLUTION
HMRT6 OMR
NEIGHBORHOOD^
to a n in s e c t, to a t r e e , o r to
a n y th in g e ls e , le t y o u r a t t e n ­
tio n g o o u t to it, w h ile r e m a in ­
in g a w a r e o f y o u r a w a r e n e s s .
A s y o u le t y o u r s e lf b e o p e n
to th e w o r ld o f th e o th e r, y o u
b e g in to g e t a
A N D IT ’6 A EIN
s e n s e o f th e
s tro n g tr u e life it liv e s . l_e.t y o u r
im a g in a tio n g o o u t to th e life o f
“The earth lies polluted under its inhabitants; for they have
transgressed laws, violated the statutes, broken the
everlasting covenant. Therefore a curse devours the earth.”
Isaiah 24:4-6
th e o th e r. ¿Tf a t r e e , to its p a ­
tie n t g r o w t h ,
its fe e l fo r th e
S u n , th e ta s te o f w a t e r in its
soil. ¿Tf y o u a r e in c o n t a c t w ith
a n a n t, le t y o u r s e lf fe e l th e life
Join us in fighting for
environmental justice.
o f th a t a n t, a n d th e life o f its
c o lo n y . L e t y o u r s e lf k n o w th e
in te llig e n c e o f the. c o lo n y a n d
th e s e n s e o f b e lo n g in g to it. L e t
y o u r s e lf k n o w w h a t it is lik e io
A NATIVE ELDER’S EARTH A
SPIRIT-BASED PR08@N PROGRAM
B y T om A tlee
stick they speak for as long as they
wish. “Everyone else will listen and
give the speaker his attention and re­
spect. N o one will interrupt, and no
one will argue with a previous speaker,
or with any other individual. You re­
spect him by listening and keeping
your m ind open to hear his words, as
M anitonquat ( an Indian elder o f
the A ssonet band o f the W am panoag
Nation) em phasizes that w hat he does
is not religious, although anyone from
any religion may participate.
Be m i nd ful o f the Earth and “al 1 our
relations.”O ne o f the great losses o f
our m aterialist-industrial culture
is that m ost o f us ju st go about our
business w ithout any sense o f be­
ing situated w ithin the natural
aliveness o f our world.
M anitonquat puts things back
into context by inviting everyone
in his program , each tim e, to greet
“our com m on m other, the Earth.
Then w e greet her children, that
big family o f M other Earth, those
that put dow n roots into her, those
that crawl under her skin, those
that sw im in her waters, and those
that fly on her w inds. Each has a
different gift that they bring to the
Manitonquat
w eb o f life, w hich depends on all
well as to feel his heart and what lies
these gifts. Therefore w e also send our
between the words.
thanksgiving to these relatives all over
“Each man holding the stick is asked
the Earth.”
only to be honest. It’s so simple, yet so
“T he w eb o f life” o f each ecosys­
profound, and its effect is so powerful.
tem, each living com m unity and, ulti­
Most o f these men have never in their
mately, ourplanetary biosphere. There
lives been listened to with respect. For
is com fort and pow er in com ing hom e
to the fact that w e are part o f this living
community. Especially ifw e are locked
aw ay in som e punitive fortress o f stone
and metal.
People in prison know about re­
spect, if only by its absence. A nother
native elder w ith w hom M anitonquat
has w orked, Slow Turtle, tells the pris­
oners: “Y ou are special. Each one o f
you has an im portant place in the C re­
ation. Each one o f you has special and
unique gifts. N o one w as ever like you
in all the universe, and there will never
be another one like you again. T here­
fore only you have your special gift,
and you are the only one w ho can give
it aw ay. The rest o f us need to receive
your gift and hear your story.”
O ur people noticed long ago that
the circle is the basic form o f Creation.
How starkly this contrasts with the
rows, lines, boxes, and hierarchies -
w hat M anitonquat calls “pyram ids o f
dom ination” o f W astem m echanistic
thought and culture.
T he order o f speaking in a talking
circle is determ ined by a special ob­
ject, usually a “talking stick,” w hich is
passed around the circle. An elder
speaks first. W hen som eone holds the
I
them to hold the talking stick and feel
respect, supportive attention, is a re­
ally powerful, liberating experience.
“As the stick progresses, others who
have been touched open their hearts,
old w ounds open, and tears flow that
heal them. At the end o f the circle the
bonds, understanding, safety, and trust
have grown. The circle is stron­
ger.” The prisoners frequently ex­
press deep gratitude that they are
“treating each other like human
beings” in thecircle. For once, they
aren ’t dehum anizing them selves or
others. And no one is hum iliating
them.
In a N ative A m erican sweat
lodge, people sit together in total
darkness in a low dom ed structure
m ade o f “saplings set in the ground
in a circle and bent over and tied to
each other in pairs” and then cov­
ered with blankets and canvas.
Pouring water over red-hot stones
in a central pit creates the steam
O ther than this, the specifics o f the
ritual differ considerably from one
native culture to another. But the in­
tention is shared:
“M ost o f the teachings w hich we
have been given concerning this ritual
For more information contact:
fo llo w a t r a il o f s c e n t to a s o u rc e
o f fo o d , a n d b rin g b a c k a p ie c e
o f it f o r y o u r s is te rs , a p ie c e a s
la r g e a s y o u rs e lf.
G e t c lo s e to th e in n e r life o f
th e b e in g s y o u
Good News fo r God's Creation
m e e t. T h e s e
6308 NF 88th St
Vancouver, WA 98665
360-574-8230
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c o m p o s tin g a n d n a tu ra l g a rd e n in g
sa fe r a lte rn a tiv e s fo r h o m e a n d g a rd e n
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C ontinued T o P age B8
J o in C h e
P o r tla n d
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