Monthly Archives: March 2016

Miscellaneous Writings, and Thoughts of The Day

Silent Voices

Silent Voices

The silent voices are those voices we choose not to hear. They are the cries, the prayers, the ceremonies for healing, the horrors and the atrocities of indigenous peoples and their cultures all around the world who have been ignored, shunned and demonized by the rest of the world because they believe and choose to live their ancient traditional ways. For many indigenous peoples, their lands, their traditions, their cultures, their ceremonies, their languages taken away and strip them of their very souls – stolen by outsiders. When their sacred lands are forever violated by others, no one cares or listens when they try to speak for their lands and what makes them who they are. The governments and churches have tried to silence their voices by forces assimilation, punishment, death and genocide. One famous saying in America was, “Kill The Indian, Save The Man.” How barbaric is such an idea? Who gives anyone such a right against another culture or people? As Americans we were taught about democracy and the rights for all men and yet we did to the Native People what Hitler did to the Jews and worse. Hitler, a man most despised for his brutality against the Jews and Gypsies by most people in the world has forgotten that this very thing Hitler had done, has been done to indigenous peoples throughout the world by our governments and the Christian church. Hitler got the idea of concentration camps from America – reading about the Indian Reservations. In fairly recent times, multi-national corporations have contributed to the brutality of indigenous peoples. Even when we are aware of it now through the information on the internet or from human rights groups who want to protect the rights of these peoples, we still choose to cover our ears, to ignore their voices. We call ourselves civilized and yet we continue to commit these atrocities against innocent people. Our governments cry to its people that we must fight terrorism, when in reality, we are the terrorist.

What will it take for us to wake up and treat all peoples equally? What will it take to realize human lives are more important than progress or materialism? These Silent Voices are important  for our very survival as a peoples because we can learn valuable teachings from these people and cultures. We, the modern day societies have become so disconnected from the very things that give us life – our true connection with all life.

Today, indigenous peoples all around the world have come together to sow an alliance to protect Mother Earth, sacred lands and to protect their cultures and traditions for their children. Some are beginning to listen to them, but most are still blind to the crimes against these peoples and to their ways of life. I do not understand this.

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Miscellaneous Writings, and Thoughts of The Day, Uncategorized

THE PEOPLE OF THE LAND

When I think of Canada, I imagine her majestic mountains, her pristine glacial fed lakes, her flowing rivers, her lush green untouched boreal forests stretching across the land and the Northern Lights dancing in the winter night skies. I think about her abundant wildlife and the pure wildness of the land. It is a land I see myself connecting once again with nature. From my early memories I dreamed of riding the Canadian trails on horseback, canoeing the abundant lakes and rivers, and walking the woodlands for wildlife. And one cannot forget about the original peoples of Canada – the First Nations, who’s traditions, cultures and ways of life spurs the imaginations of so many who dream of living with the land as the First Nations have for thousands of years.
Archie Belaney (Grey Owl) was one such person from England and dreamed of living with the Indians of Canada. His dream was fulfilled and eventually became a spokesman for the beaver and conservation. His love and connection with the land was learned from his stay with the Ojibwe People.
I think for the dreamers who dreams of the wilderness, a part of this experience would be to live with the aboriginal people of the land because they know and have the knowledge of the rhythms and flow of nature and our relationship with her. These traditional peoples makes up what Canada truly is. Like the grizzly bear, the black bear, the caribou, the moose, the beaver, the eagles and all that is Canada, so are the First Nations, Canada – as the Native Americans are America, The Native Hawaiians are Hawaii, the Maori are New Zealand, the Australian Aboriginal are Australia and the list continues with all indigenous peoples and their home lands.
Since Europeans arrival in North America, a steady decline has occurred to the original peoples and their traditions through disease, war, genocide, forced assimilation and the taking of their lands. And even today, there is a silent genocide occurring against these indigenous peoples that the majority of people who occupy their lands choose to blindly ignore.
In Northern Alberta in the Athabasca Lake region above the Alberta Tar Sands mines there are First Nations communities consisting of Athabasca Chipewyan, Cree and Metis peoples. These peoples who have been in the region for over 10,000 years and have lived traditionally from the land are still getting their food from Athabasca Lake, Athabasca River and from the forest. Their drinking water also comes from the lake and river. This area was once pristine until the Tar Sands began polluting the river and lake with toxic sludge consisting of high levels of lead, mercury and other toxins and high levels of arsenic in the air. It was soon after high rates of cancer were developing within the Native community. As mentioned, these communities relied on the natural resources for sustenance. Meat from game animals, drinking water and fish from the lakes and rivers, waterfowl, as with other game. They also relied on plants for food and medicines. The toxic poisons from the Tar Sands are in the air, land, water and in the animals, fish and plants, so the people of these communities are being exposed to these toxins daily and in everything they consumed. The oil companies and government are not taking any responsibility for this toxic pollution nor the illnesses and deaths attributed to the high levels of toxins in the environment caused by the Tar Sands. More development and expansion are planned for the Tar Sands that will wipe out these Native communities that have been there for over 10,000 years and making the once pristine waterways, lakes and forests, waste lands, scaring this fragile ecosystem for many years to come.
This is not an isolated event, it is happening in other parts of Canada, in America, impacting the Native Americans, in Hawaii, in Australia, South America, in Africa, and in the rest of the world impacting the indigenous communities who have no voice. Multinational corporations from the oil, gas, mining, logging and chemical industries are killing people, devastating their communities, their cultures and destroying the environment and it seems the rest of the world does not care. These are crimes against humanity by governments and corporations and we better start caring because it could happen to us.
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Miscellaneous Writings, and Thoughts of The Day

How May I Serve?

Revised: November 13, 2022
 
I often go over this question in my mind, and in my heart everyday, when I am searching for answers on how I can contribute to the world. Unfortunately, I seldom find the answers that I am seeking when asking this question.
 
I read a book a while ago, and in this book a phrase resonated with me. The phrase is “being in service to the planet.” How may I serve the planet? What a beautiful mantra to create a new relationship with our home, our plant, and to all life that we share with on our home, planet Earth. I believe by doing this we will shift our relationship with the planet, with a greater appreciation, and gratitude for all that she provides to us – the beautiful, and wondrous gift of life itself. We can bring a healing to the planet and to ourselves, and for that matter, too all life.
 
Chief Oren Lyons said in an interview, “we have learned to see the land as a right to use as we see fit, rather than seeing her with reverence and respect.” (very loosely quoted). The “Land,” refers to all life forms in the seen, and unseen.
 
Having a relationship with our planet gives us a strong, and deep spiritual connection with her and with all life. It will give us a greater purpose in life and the importance in all life. If we destroy our planet with our continued  total disconnectedness with her, we will destroy much of the human race, and much of all life that exists today. All because we refused to see, and listen to the voices of Nature. And through our endless and addictive consumption of taking, and taking some more, without seeing the impacts we have on our plant, and to All Life.
 
We cannot survive without a healthy planet. We all know this, and maybe it is time, right now, to do something about it. If not for us, then for our children and their children.
 
Many of the traditional people of the world have been trying hard to keep and maintain their strong traditions, and relationship with the natural world, but with the powerful resistance against them by the greed machine, driven by the mighty dollar, always pushing against them. This useless piece of paper for the few, has more power than life itself. They have become lost in their own delusion of what is truly important.
 
This is my prayer to the Planet and to all of Creation.
 
How may I be of service to the Creator?
How may I be of service to the Universe?
How may I be of service to the Planet?
How may I be of service to the Human Species?
How may I be of service to the Animal Beings?
How may I be of service to the Trees Beings?
How may I be of service to the Plant Beings?
How may I be of service to All Life?
How may I be of service through unconditional Love, for All Things?
(This is the answer I finally received)
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