10. TOUCH THE EARTH

HOLY MOTHER EARTH, THE TREES AND ALL NATURE ARE WITNESSES OF YOUR THOUGHTS AND DEEDS. YES, THE INDIAN WAS WISE. HE KNEW THAT MAN’S HEART AWAY FROM NATURE BECOMES HARD. HE KNEW THAT LACK OF RESPECT FOR GROWING, LIVING THINGS SOON LED TO LACK OF RESPECT FOR HUMAN BEINGS TOO. SO HE KEPT HIS YOUTH CLOSE TO ITS SOFTENING INFLUENCE.

DID YOU KNOW THAT TREES TALK? WELL THEY DO. THEY TALK TO EACH OTHER AND THEY’LL TALK TO YOU IF YOU LISTEN. THE TROUBLE IS, WHITE PEOPLE DON’T LISTEN. I WONDER IF THE GROUND HAS ANYTHING TO SAY? I WONDER IF THE GROUND IS LISTENING TO WHAT IS SAID? YET I HEAR THE GROUND SPEAK. IT SAYS, THE GREAT SPIRIT APPOINTED THE ROOTS TO FEED YOU ON. THE WATER SAYS THE SAME THING. THE GRASS SAYS THE SAME THING. WATER AND GRASS AND GROUND SAY, THE GREAT SPIRIT HAS PLACED ME HERE TO PRODUCE ALL THAT GROWS ON ME, TREES AND FRUIT. THE GREAT SPIRIT, IN PLACING MEN ON THE EARTH DESIRED THEM TO TAKE GOOD CARE OF THE GROUND AND TO DO EACH OTHER NO HARM

(I TOUCH THE EARTH – WILL SHE REMEMBER ME?
SWEET MOTHER EARTH, ALL THAT I LONG TO BE....
I TOUCH THE EARTH)

WHAT IS LIFE? IT IS THE FLASH OF A FIREFLY IN THE NIGHT. IT IS THE BREATH OF A BUFFALO IN THE WINTERTIME. IT IS THE LITTLE SHADOW WHICH RUNS ACROSS THE GRASS AND LOSES ITSELF IN THE SUNSET.

AS A CHILD I UNDERSTOOD HOW TO GIVE. I HAVE FORGOTTEN THIS GRACE SINCE I BECAME CIVILISED. I LIVED THE NATURAL LIFE, WHEREAS NOW I LIVE THE ARTIFICIAL. ANY PRETTY PEBBLE WAS VALUABLE TO ME THEN, EVERY GROWING TREE AN OBJECT OF REVERENCE. NOW I WORSHIP WITH THE WHITE MAN BEFORE A PAINTED LANDSCAPE WHOSE VALUE IS ESTIMATED IN DOLLARS.

THERE WAS NO WILDERNESS
WE DID NOT THINK OF THE OPEN PLANES, THE ROLLING HILLS
AS A WILDERNESS
THE WINDING STREAMS AND TANGLED GROWTH
AS A WILDERNESS
THE WHITE MAN SAW ALL NATURE AS A WILDERNESS
WILD ANIMALS AND SAVAGES
BUT EARTH WAS BOUNTIFUL AND FREE
A PART OF LIFE’S GREAT MYSTERY TO US
ITS BLESSINGS HELD NO FEAR UNTIL THE WHITE MAN FROM THE EAST
WITH BRUTAL FRENZY TURNED THE BEAST
OF GREED TO FEED AND RAVAGE HERE
AND THEN WE SAW THE WILDERNESS, AI AI, AI AI, AI AI

WHEN THE VERY ANIMALS OF THE FOREST FLED FROM THE APPROACH OF THE WHITE MAN, THEN IT WAS FOR US THAT THE WILD WEST AND THE WILDERNESS BEGAN.

(I TOUCH THE EARTH, A LIVING MEMORY
SWEET MOTHER EARTH, ALL THAT WE LONG TO BE....
AND AS SHE DIES, I TOUCH THE EARTH)

THE WHITE PEOPLE NEVER CARED FOR LAND OR DEER OR BEAR. WE DON’T CHOP DOWN THE TREES. WE ONLY USE DEAD WOOD. THE WHITE PEOPLE PLOUGH UP THE LAND, PULL DOWN THE TREES, KILL EVERYTHING. THE TREE SAYS, ‘DON’T, I AM SORE, DON’T HURT ME’
BUT THEY CHOP IT DOWN AND CUT IT UP. THE SPIRIT OF THE LAND HATES THEM. THEY SAW UP THE TREES, THEY HURT THEM. THEY BLAST THEM OUT AND STIR UP THE LAND TO ITS VERY DEPTHS. THE INDIANS NEVER HURT ANYTHING, BUT THE WHITE PEOPLE DESTROY ALL. THEY BLAST ROCKS OUT AND SCATTER THEM ON THE GROUND. THE ROCK SAYS, ‘DON’T, YOU ARE HURTING ME.’ BUT THE WHITE PEOPLE PAY NO ATTENTION. HOW CAN THE SPIRIT OF THE EARTH LIKE THE WHITE MAN? EVERYWHERE THE WHITE MAN HAS TOUCHED IT, IT IS SORE.

I WILL OPEN RIVERS IN THE WILDERNESS AND FOUNTAINS IN THE DRY VALLEYS. THERE I WILL PLANT THE CEDAR AND THE ACACIA TREE, THE MYRTLE AND THE OLIVE. FORESTS WILL GROW IN DESERT LANDS. FORESTS OF PINE AND JUNIPER, LARCH AND CYPRESS. I WILL FALL LIKE DEW ON MY PEOPLE. THEY SHALL BLOOM LIKE THE LILY AND THRUST OUT ROOTS LIKE THE CEDAR. THEY WILL HAVE THE BEAUTY OF THE OLIVE AND THE FRAGRANCE OF THE POPLAR. MY PEOPLE WILL COME BACK TO DWELL IN MY SHADE. I AM LIKE A CYPRESS, EVERYGREEN. ALL YOUR FRUITFULNESS COMES FROM ME

EVERYTHING AS IT MOVES, NOW AND THEN, HERE AND THERE, MAKES STOPS. THE BIRD AS IT FLIES STOPS IN ONE PLACE TO MAKE ITS NEST AND IN ANOTHER TO REST IN ITS FLIGHTS. A MAN WHEN HE GOES FORTH STOPS WHEN HE WILLS. SO GOD HAS STOPPED. THE SUN WHICH IS SO BRIGHT AND BEAUTIFUL IS ONE PLACE WHERE HE HAS STOPPED. THE MOON, THE STARS, THE WINDS HE HAS BEEN WITH, THE TREES, THE ANIMALS, ARE ALL WHERE HE HAS STOPPED, AND THE INDIAN THINKS OF THESE PLACES AND SENDS HIS PRAYERS THERE TO REACH THE PLACE WHERE GOD HAS STOPPED AND WIN HELP AND A BLESSING