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How Native Americans understand their responsibility for the Earth today |
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We are related to all the Earth, to all the Creatures. This is the reason why we have some duties towards them. It’s like with our elderly parents – we have a mortal duty to take care of them and nothing can change this.
Our knowledge derives from observing Nature – it is It who taught us how to heal the wounds, how to regenerate, what is restored and when, and what cannot be restored if you take too much out of it. We do not negotiate with Nature, we can only take that much from it as much it can regenerate. If we exceed – an irreversible damage occurs.
We must all obey the laws of Nature: if we pollute water – we will drink it ourselves; if we pollute air – we will inhale it ourselves; if we arm anybody – there will be more violence in the world.
Balance is fundamental – there is no taking without giving. The main point in the Nature protection issue is excessive consumption – and forests extinction, genetic modifications, imbalanced industry development, transportation projects consuming green areas in the cities, energy production, fumes, toxic gases. Greenhouse effect is what follows. So the “who-will-earn-more-on-consumption” race results in damaging natural balance of the world.
Do you know how many animals have become extinct in your area, district, country in the last 100 years? We had bisons and sturgeons extinct, and you? We are trying to restore their populations despite risks.
We have become lazy, we prefer short-cuts, trust high technology. We used to cut natural foods, now we eat emulsifiers, acidity regulators, aromas similar to natural, preservatives, dyes, fats, and sugars instead. And our children suffer obesity, heart disease and allergies of all kinds.
Let us try to live the life of sustainability. For us our natural food (like rice) is sacred, not commercial (like bread for Poles).
Respecting all life has nothing to do with its commercialization by global concerns. They have announced their right to rule the nature, all the people, The Earth in the name of money and technology.
Natural laws are superior to national laws. To exist – we have to respect them. Not to do it would be stupid.
Let us live in such a manner as to secure happy and healthy life up to the 7th generation of our children, and further.
(by es)
A leaflet to be distributed in Polish by the Polish Association of Indian Friends during “The Day of the Earth”, Warsaw – Poland, April 27, 2008, partly based on the works by Winona LaDuke. Information on the Longest Walk 2 will also by available there.
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