Valerie G. Barnes Connell Jordan
Northern Advocate
Spending a weekend with a group of womyn who have a commitment to the land, preserving it’s integrity, keeping is safe and healthy for children growing up and future generations, was a blessing in my life.
The passion with which we put into the time together, each sharing their own ideas and commitments, gave me a real sense of hope.
I just read something on Facebook indicating Hope is a science. That’s an interesting perspective I will follow up on. Don’t know what I think of that, not being a particularly scientific person.
It does tweak my interest.
With the construction going on here, I fear we are in the process of losing our connection, or, at least, our ability to connect with the land in the way we are used to here at present and from the past.
I was filled with gratitude when I watched our younger participants exploring ways to keep water clean and safe.
My hope is they will be able to continue learning, even to a day, it might not be necessary to do anything, because it will be kept safe all along.
Right now, as we also look at what’s happening with the interest in extending pipelines and other environmentally unfriends choices, it seems a long way off.
My piece of actively keeping the environment healthier right now is the garden. It has had its ups and downs this year, particularly with the evacuation.
I had purchased some interesting plants to place in the garden with the intention of having some healthy food in the freezer over the winter months.
Well, that hasn’t happened. They were lost over the evacuation time.
But, a friend came to the rescue and brought me some of her starters. It has developed into an interesting collection of good results.
Something that is nice, but also concerns me, my asparagus is sending up new shoots in the last couple of weeks. Unheard of by anyone I know, who grows asparagus!
Is it a sign of climate change? Probably. Hopefully it doesn’t affect next year’s harvest.
I’ve been seeing a quote from Margaret Mead, an American anthropologist, author and speaker, more often than I’ve seen it for a number of years.
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”
Another speaker I heard recently referred to the traditional Indigenous practice of making decisions based on the seven generations. Consider into the future the impact of that decision you are making on a length of time, seven future generations.
How will life be affected if we just consider the present time, if we look into the future a bit or seven generations into the future?
As we are by and large a immediate society. We want something yesterday. Something hurts; we seek immediate results, no matter the cost.
Looking at the impact of a decision seven generations ahead may be difficult; but one sense of what we can do to change the outcomes of or current decision-making practice.
If we do look closely at the world around us, we need to change our practice if we want to see our children and future generations healthy. There’s no doubt about that; it’s our choice.
It brings me to a question I had recently and something to explore in another column.
When are we going to learn to love each other and all that we share on this earth?
