“What I stand for is what I stand on.” ~ Wendell Berry
Leave it to Wendell Berry to hit the nail on the head when it comes to making a clear cut statement about the importance of a healthy landscape. I mean, I don’t give a damn what you claim to be…in political persuasion, ideology, or opinion. If you miss the point in the appreciation (and protection) of the land you are simply an ignorant fool. And a dangerous one at that.
We can only poison and taint the water and land so long until we pay a price for it. I suspect we are already suffering the ill affects of such abuse today, but we are too jaded or numbed to recognize it.
For all of our technological wisdom, we far too often shortchange the approach for something cheaper, or something more profitable in the short term, while sacrificing the well-being of our predecessors over the long term.
The Iroquois Indians of the Northeast United States, and many other tribes as well, have adhered to something called the Seven Generations principal in much of their decision making. It goes something like this.
“In our every deliberation, we must consider the impact of our decisions on the next seven generations.”
In our culture today a generation might be around 25 years…for many tribes like the Lakota for instance, a generation would span 100 years.
Quite the contrast if you ask me….and what’s more, it would be hard to fault any Native American for not appreciating and understanding the value, and ultimate importance of the land and waters…which is something many of us today, just never seem to grasp.
In the end, our mistreatment and lack of respect for our natural resources will all be to our own detriment, but perhaps what’s more sad, is the generations that follow will pay an increasingly steep price…for our ignorance, our greed, and the terrible examples of poor stewardship that we leave for them.