There was a lot of fascinating stuff. But I think the most relevant topic to this blog is about language. The author was learning to speak Potawatomi.
It's amazing how the structure of a language reflects how cultures think. For example there is no word in Potawotami for "thank you." Sounds rude, right? Exactly the opposite. The thanks is implied. It is expected that you are grateful for everything you receive.
There are also very few nouns in Potawatomi. Things we usually consider as nouns are structured like verbs. For example a bay, along an ocean or lake. A bay is not a thing. It is "the process of being a bay." This is because the bay is never the same. Water is always moving through it. Tides change, plants and animals come and go. It is not static and dead. It is a fluid thing that changes with time.
American Indians had such a deep understanding and respect for the land. They relied on the land after all. If they abused it, they would run out of resources and die.
Compare that to the people that took over the country. They destroyed most of the native people (especially their cultures), wiped out the forests and animals, and now we're destroying the climate along with so many other natural systems.
Anyway, I'll try not to go down that path.
What do we do? Respect the world! If you need to buy something, find out where it comes from. Respect the source. Do what you can to make your actions as Earth-friendly as possible.
In the meantime. I'm going to try to find myself some sweetgrass to plant this spring.
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