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March 23, 2009
I had already prepared another posting for today when I attended a Water Conservation presentation at the local library on Saturday afternoon.
It was in connection with World Water Day on Sunday. When I got home, I had to write this one.
The usual films showing what was happening in our world were interesting and informative. The audience listened intently and, I believe, concluded that while they believed what is happening in our world is horrifying, there was little that they could really do.
And then Josephine Mandamin, a quiet-spoken 67-year-old Ojibway grandmother got up to speak.
For the last six years she has spearheaded the Water Walk — a walk around all of the five Great Lakes carrying her water-filled copper bucket, her staff and her message. The staff is now carried by the men who joined her walk after a couple of years.
She started the walk alone and did 10 miles on her first day. She walked 20 miles on her second day. This year she, and her growing following, will be doing the St. Lawrence River.
I could hardly do justice to her message or her story so I have provided you with links so you can hear her message in her own words and learn more about her "Mother Earth Water Walk".
We have shown that we can live without gods, but we can not live . . . without water!
Chi-Miigwetch!
www.motherearthwaterwalk.com
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gn5eEWWEc30
Interesting facts about the Mother Earth Water Walk:
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Photo captions: Top - Each day the walk starts at 5 a.m.
Above left - Josephine Mandamin with her copper bucket and her staff. Above right - Josephine Mandamin
Below left: Filling the bucket. Below Right: Josephine walking towards Lake Superior. (Terry Fox's journey took him along the same route) Bottom: Josephine with fellow walkers.
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Atheist
Quotes
“ Human beings will find a balanced situation when they do good things not because God says it, but because they feel like doing them.”
Olof Palme
1927 - 1986
Swedish Prime Minister
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My definition of morality . . .
“No one should expose another living entity to unwarranted pain, loss, or deprivation!”
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*Terms and Definitions
My articles may contain words or phrases that may infer different meanings to different readers, or the reader may be unfamiliar with the term or its definition. I feel it is important to know what the writer meant when he used a word or term.
cognitive dissonance —
Filtering out information that conflicts with what one already believes, in an effort to ignore that information and reinforce one’s beliefs.
Editors note: I will be repeating the “cognitive dissonance” definition for quite a while since it is practiced by so many — known by so few!
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Grandpa said . . .
“I am ashamed that the only things that we wanted to learn from the red man was how to hunt beaver!”
He believed there was much to learn but since the white man was so impressed with himself, he failed to see that the natives were doing quite fine before we showed up.
"They had a different value system and it worked a heck of a lot better than anything we have tried. They certainly didn't abuse the land, their children, or their old people. They had a special place in their lives for the mentally ill. Instead of locking them away, natives treated them as special people and helped them live with dignity!"
Since I was a young boy, I collected these words of wisdom from my Grandfather.
I share them with you.
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Return to the one-room schoolhouse!
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