Have you ever been to Mexico and seen the beautiful turquoise waters embraced by fine white sand? Taken a long appreciating look at the clear blue of the sky? Walked out into your backyard to breathe in the smells of an earth renewing itself? Stopped to listen to the croaking of the frogs alerting us to the coming change in weather? We have so much natural beauty around us. Why then are we are failing to appreciate and be responsible for what has been placed under our care? We need to take the time to respect the cycles of life and renewal.
Every spring brings us the new blooms of flowers, the sweet smell of lilacs wafting on the warm air and the soft songs of animals wooing their mates. The earth is awakening from its winter slumber and becoming ready to once again provide us with sustenance. Mother Earth prepares her womb to accept the seeds that will give birth to our nourishment and continued survival. The plants that grow yield food to live on, trees to continue giving us breathable air, and invaluable medicines to repair our bodies. The creatures of Turtle Island once more begin the perpetuation of their kind for the animals also depend on these cycles of life for their well-being. Being true to who we are is essential to the ongoing existence of all. For one of the truths of who we are is that we are protectors of this earth, which makes us responsible for all infractions that occur here.
The safekeeping of this world is a duty assigned to all who live Native or non-Native. Society has created special places for the preservation of wildlife, sanctuaries for endangered species and parks to preserve the growth of now rare plants. Our ecosystem is precious and endangered and yet we see the persistent destruction to our Mother from corporate greed and disregard. How many times have you driven on the roads of our community and found the ditches littered with garbage? We see the animals slaughtered by the passing of cars because they too have been disregarded and displaced from their homes. We have all seen the construction of housing, retail outlets, warehouses and much more where little or no attention has been paid to the irreversible damage being done.
We here at Six Nations are lucky to have available to us many locations that are for the most part untouched by backhoe or bulldozer. A multitude of medicines still grow on the ‘rez’ here and need protection too. We need to be careful of the repercussions of our actions. As the steadily advancing machine of industry chugs forth we are losing vital parts of our anatomy. We need air that is unpolluted, water that is drinkable, food free from GMO’s and other chemicals. Animals are entitled to live without intrusion into their habitats the same as we are. The Onkwehon:we have long sought to be these protectors and have been working hard to accomplish these goals. There needs to be a more active approach taken to shield and shelter the infinite cycles of life that are being extinguished. Thought needs to be given to the importance of our own personal activities. Being true to the core of our responsibilities is important. Without working in accordance to what has been ‘given’ to us we leave nothing for the future generations. We leave no future.
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