Natives gather in Mexico in bid to save planet
Published Tuesday, March 11, 2008
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Stumble It!PALENQUE, Mexico — Indians from Mexico, the United States and Canada gathered before dawn Monday to light incense, pray and sing in the shadow of ancient Mayan pyramids, asking the contaminated earth for forgiveness.
More than 200 leaders from 71 American Indian and Alaska Native nations were joining in this jungle town to offer indigenous wisdom about ways to save the polluted planet.
“Our Mother Earth is being polluted at an alarming rate, and our elders say that she is dying,” said Raymond Sensmeier, a Tlingit leader from Yakutat. “The way the weather is around the world ... a cleansing is needed.”
The pre-dawn ceremony that launched the conference included fire, copal incense, chants in Lacandon Maya and blasts from a conch shell to the four cardinal points.
Mexico’s environment secretary, Juan Elvira Quesada, said the gathering is meant “to present the teachings of the original peoples of North America.”
“In this way, the indigenous communities can become the natural guides to restoring balance and harmony in the world,” he said.
The lessons they have to teach are simple — based on reviving Indian notions about ownership, use, compensation and respect.
“I sometimes talk to scientists,” Sensmeier said, “and they compartmentalize things, put things in boxes and disconnect them, and doing so promotes disharmony and imbalance.”
Kuetlachtli Texotik, a Nahuatl healer from Mexico whose name means “Blue Wolf,” agreed.
“Our grandfathers taught us to have an integrated vision,” he said. “The important thing is to look for balance. We should take care of what does not belong to us, for the future, because it is only ours temporarily.”
Kayum Garcia’s Lacandon people plant small, dense, rotating fields of jungle-friendly crops in southern Mexico and avoid pasture-hungry cattle, helping preserve the jungle without cutting it down.
“Cutting down a tree just because you want to, I just can’t understand that,” said Garcia, 31.
Some of the lessons are even simpler.
“You’d catch one fish, just one, and you never played with your food, never wasted it,” Sensmeier said. “We used everything.”
Community Discussion
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LMAO!!! WOW!!! anyone wanna bet it doesnt work?
unfortunately for the native north americans and south americans their world view left them vulnerable. cultures with more aggressive tendancies and a bent towards technological development came and took away their land as soon as the technology became available to do so. if it hadn't been the europeans who got that technology first, the asians would have done so later. or perhaps it would have been the africans even later. being in balance and harmony with the planet and nature is very admirable. but it is wise to stay in balance with your own species too. humans are aggressive, growth oriented animals that can and does use a variety of resources.
the planet earth has never been alive. therefore, it can not die. it can change, like any rock or gas giant planet large enough to have climate regimes, but it can not die.
Full_Metal_Militia whether it "works" or doesnt is a preception, but bottom line if the events change a person's awareness that we need to stop poluting the earth and individual change is a result from this awareness .. then it "worked". Like it is said "for those who believe - no proof is necessary, for those who do not - no amount of proof is possible".
I say .. Blessed are those who come together in spirit to bring about positive change in this world, for they are the forerunners and leaders of spirit (God).
Full_Metal_Militia--its a shame how much ignorance still exists in this world. What are you waging? Nonsense. The fact is that the the Native American people have instilled these beliefs and teachings with them for many years and to think it will suddenly fall apart because of of your silly "LMAO" comment is absurd.
Your offer means nothing to the Native American people, jokes and all. These teachings have been passed all the way up to present generations, so laugh it up because you already lost this bet!
Polar Mark has an interesting comment.
Metal Militia is plain dumb and lacks respect.
I see this gathering as an interesting show of
cultures gathering and sharing their knowledge and
perceptions of realities.
Either way, the Earth has been through much worse than us Humans, regardless of race and superior technology. The Earth will be rid of us eventually and will spawn new life, even if it takes a 100 million years; it is probable. There were once dinosaurs, they lasted longer than we will. We are just passing through, a blink in the eye of time.
I salute those who practice and honor the meaning of respect, such as found at this gathering. AT LEAST THEY ARE TRYING to make the world a better place for all our future grandchildren rather than laughing from the side lines such as jack asses.
PolarMark is right on!
Having just attended a conference where Native speakers addressed this very issue, I learned that incorporating 21st century technology is NO problem and not inconsistent with Native ways. If we can use WISDOM with technology, we can have a fabulous world and life with sustainable resources right here and now.
We just need to use better common sense and think of all life in a holistic view. Thank you to the Native leaders for showing the way with the knowledge and wisdom of thousands of years.
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