Indigenous Peoples have known how to live off the land since time immemorial. They acknowledge that nature is the provider of all that is pure and good for our bodies and our spirits.
We have been hurting Mother Earth for far too long. These times are unprecedented for us but we have inflicted onto Mother Nature numerous unprecedented things that have had detrimental impacts on her and in turn, on us. COVID-19 is a response. We harm her to the extent where we make ourselves sick too.
In these hard times, while we are scared, isolated, and wracked with uncertainty for what the future holds, we can’t help but look for some kind of silver lining in it all. We are seeing articles about reduced air pollution in China, crystal clear canals in Venice, and wildlife roaming the streets. However, it is important that we acknowledge that this is only temporary. That in fact, once this crisis ends, we could see even more environmental degradation than before while economies are undertaking their recovery plans.
This pandemic has brought to light even more, just how much of an impact we have on the Earth, through how much nature is blooming and unconstrained with our [temporary] absence.
Even though the positive impact on the environment is evident, but not at all long-lasting, we can still see this COVID-19 crisis as a renewing, a transformation and even a whole revival for all of us. Let’s open our eyes to what’s true, what’s holy, and what’s pure. Let’s take it upon ourselves to learn from Indigenous Peoples, being caretakers of Mother Earth and realize and respect her gifts of water, air and fire.
Nature provides, and Indigenous Cultures globally, live out this truth. If you take from her, you always give back. That is a way to respect all of our relations. We are all connected and that’s why we are hurting ourselves when we pollute, extract, and corrupt the Earth. If it has taken being in quarantine for us to realize the detrimental role that human beings have in climate change, I surely hope that once things get back to “normal” we live a little differently; a little more conscious, mindful, and closer with the Earth, than we did before.
When will we choose giving over greed and value our true nature and organic ways of being, more than money? Do we not think about the generations that will come after us?
Now is the time.
Only after the last tree has been cut down
Only after the last river has been poisoned
Only after the last fish has been caught
Only then will you find money cannot be eaten.
– Cree Prophecy