We are all physically connected to the land. The Earth provides the materials from which living things are composed. It provides the air that we breathe, the food that we eat, and the water that we drink. It provides materials for shelter, and fire for heat. Though technology has disconnected many of us from the basic tasks of survival, such as farming, fishing and foraging, the Earth still provides all materials for life….
LIFE IS, AND ALWAYS HAS BEEN, SUSTAINED BY THE EARTH.
For Indigenous people, connection to the land is more than just physical. It is also spiritual, emotional, and mental. Before settlers arrived in North America, all Indigenous people lived entirely off the land. They fished, hunted, and gathered; they derived all their necessities from the Earth. Stephen Augustine, Hereditary Chief of the Mi’kmaq Grand Council and guest speaker in our class, explained how Indigenous people believed they were owned by the land, and not the other way around. They took only what they needed. They didn’t stock-pile furs or food; there was no need to because “the forest was their reservoir”. Still today, Indigenous people hold a deep respect for Mother Earth, and many communities still maintain a sustenance lifestyle. Connection to the land is a core aspect of Indigenous identity and well-being.
Last month, the co-creator of Two-Eyed Seeing, Albert Marshall, visited our class. In reference to the Earth, he said, “What we do onto her, we do onto ourselves.” This short statement has profound meaning. Earth, as resilient as it is, has limits; destruction is occurring at a rate that is much faster than repair. When the condition of the Earth deteriorates, so too does the condition of the life it sustains.
While humans are busy consuming needlessly, disposing of excessive wastes, and burning fossil fuels, greenhouse gases are accumulating in the atmosphere, trapping ultraviolet rays, increasing temperatures and changing climates. Effects are already evident. Dr. Cunsolo Willox et al. published an article detailing the impacts of global warming on an Indigenous community in Nunatsiavut, Canada.
“…People are increasingly exposed to changes in weather patterns, wildlife and vegetation, and water and food quality, access and availability in their local regions. These changes can impact human health and well-being in a variety of ways: increased risk of foodborne and waterborne diseases; increased frequency and distribution of vector-borne disease; increased mortality and injury due to extreme weather events and heat waves; increased respiratory and cardiovascular disease due to changes in air quality and increased allergens in the air…”
-Cunsolo Willox et al., 2012
In addition to physical impacts, the intense connection between Indigenous people and the land makes them particularly susceptible to solastalgia – “the pain, distress, and sadness that emerges when a place to which individuals and groups are deeply and intimately attached changes in a manner that disrupts opportunities for place-based solace, comfort, and familiar activities (Cunsolo Willox et al., 2012).”
Environmental stewardship is an important aspect of my own identity. Indigenous guest speakers’ thoughts and feelings about environmental relations were powerful, wise, and admirable, and could offer valuable knowledge to anyone interested in environmental ethics.
“Embedded within the Aboriginal world view is the concept of collective responsibility for tending the land and using only that which is needed for sustenance. Important, as well, is the interconnectedness and interdependence of all life forms — humankind, flora and fauna, and all that exists on the Earth. The concept of sustainability is not new to Aboriginal people; they are very aware of the growing need for all humans to show greater respect for the environment — respect for Mother Earth — if we are to continue to coexist in this world.”
–Manitoba Education and Training, 2000, as cited by Manitoba Education
Two-Eyed Seeing for Health 