"White man does not understand... One portion of land is the same to him as the next, for he is a stranger who comes in the night and takes from the land whatever he needs. The Earth is not his brother, but his enemy and when he has conquered it, he moves on. He leaves his father's graves behind, and he does not care. He kidnaps the Earth from his children, and he does not care.
"His father's grave, and his children's birthright are forgotten. He treats his mother, the Earth, and his brother, the same, as things to be bought, plundered, sold like sheep or bright beads. His appetite will devour the Earth and leave behind only desert.
"The air is precious...for all things share the same breath - the beast, the tree, the man, they all share the same breath. The white man does not seem to notice the air he breathes. Like a man dying for many days, he is numb to the stench.
"What is man without the beasts? If all the beasts were gone, man would die from a great loneliness of the spirit. For whatever happens to the beasts, soon happens to man. All things are connected. You must teach your children that the ground beneath their feet is the ashes of our grandfathers. So that they will respect the land, tell your children that the Earth is rich with the lives of our kin. Teach your children...that the Earth is our mother. Whatever befalls the Earth befalls the sons of the Earth. If men spit upon the ground, they spit upon themselves.
"This we know - the Earth does not belong to man - man belongs to the Earth. This we know. All things are connected like the blood which unites one family. All things are connected. Whatever befalls the Earth, befalls the sons of the Earth. Man did not weave the web of life - he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself.
"Our god is the same god. You may think now that you own him...but you cannot. He is the god of man and his compassion is equal for [all man]. The Earth is precious to him, and to harm the Earth is to heap contempt on its creator."
Purportedly written by Chief Seattle. True author: Ted Perry, 1972
For information on what's going on with our environment, visit forest.org and Ecoportal.
Posted by Maria at March 26, 2004 12:26 PM | TrackBackThe worst examples are countries without the technology to harvest resources with minimal impact on the environment. One of the biggest driving forces behind this is labor is far cheaper than technology there.
Posted by: Geoffrey at March 26, 2004 07:56 PMThat is so thought provoking..Thank you for shareing it =)!
Posted by: Hope at March 31, 2004 12:07 AM