Just wanted you to know that the
trees have been talking to me. We had an
ice storm yesterday, and last night around nine o’clock when I took the dog
outside, there was an intense cracking chatter that filled the air as the tree
branches jiggled in the wind. At 4:30 am, when I got up to make coffee for
my husband who had to leave on an early flight, the trees were still loudly
rattling their branches probably in protest of the 20 degree temperatures.
Now, as the sun is up and the ice
on the ground has melted enough for the horses to be safely allowed into the
pasture, I walked back towards the house with the gentle cracking of the trees,
still murmuring softly to me. I thought
about how much I’ve learned in the past year, and how connected I feel to
everything around me. It is a direct
thread between the horses, my friendship with Pam and Paul at Blue Star, which
led to my friendships with Native Americans that they know, and what these
remarkable teachers have helped me see about the world around me. “Mitakuye
oyasin”, they say – “All are related”.
It seems like either you
understand this or you will miss out on some of the most important things that
might happen to you during your time here on earth. I read a speech recently that Chief Phil Lane
gave at the United Nations over ten years ago.
He talked about how his
grandfather had a conversation with another elder who was an old friend and
explained to him that scientists and researchers were beginning to become
“ecologically conscious”:
“They have spent great amounts of
money and studied Mother Earth for many, many years and they have recently made
a new discovery. They found out that everything is interrelated.
They found out that when you pollute the air which all living things breathe
and pollute the water which all living things drink, you pollute all living
things. What do you think about that?”
The old man smiled knowingly and
shook his head. “I was wondering when they would get around to
that! Just look at what we do to our Mother Earth. We cut her hair
where it should not be cut up and rip up her skin where it should not be ripped
up, then we drill holes inside her and suck all of her blood out and put things
inside of her and blow her bones up.” He then looked deeply into the eyes
of my grandfather, shook his finger and said, “And what would
happen if you did that to your mother? She would die! And this is
exactly what is going to happen to all of us if we do not learn to respect and
understand the spirit and teachings of our Mother.”
Yet, here we are ten years after
he gave that speech, and we are still busy destroying our dearest
treasure. How do you teach more people
to listen to the trees? Or protect and
honor the horses and other creatures? Or show kindness and care for one another
like we are all part of the same family?
My friend, George, talks about building a “tiyospaye”, a family that goes beyond blood
relations and includes friends who have become relatives too. And I watch those relations meet and join with
other groups of people whose friendship I value, more people who listen to
trees, love animals and care about each other.
As blind, foolish and narrow-minded as some folks might be, I believe
that there are also many circles, many “tiyospayes” continuing to intertwine
all around the world so that we can all feel the spirit, learn the teachings
and look after our Mother. I think
that’s what the trees were telling me.
