Reflection on a Course Reading

In these three readings, Kimmerer focuses on the symbiotic nature of the world and the fact that humans have greatly disturbed this by living in a culture of greed instead of gratitude. By living in this culture of gratitude, by having a reciprocal relationship with the world, "... the world itself is renewed" (Kimmerer 243); gratitude to and respect for the natural world is what allows us to keep living on this earth. It seems that we have been losing that connection, causing a decline in the environment and, by extension, ourselves. Kimmerer mentions that settlers "... thought they could make salmon without rivers," which I think is an apt metaphor for how things are treated in Western culture (Kimmerer 246); we, as humans, think that we have control over nature and can do with it as we please, but this has never been the case and it is just now that we are beginning to recognize this fact.

This doesn't exclusively pertain to the natural world and its peoples, but also to other humans; the destruction of native cultures by colonizers is just one example. She mentions that "the language that first gave voice to ideas like democracy, women's equality, and the Great Law of Peace became an endangered species" (Kimmerer 255); if this is the case with our own species, then what's to say we won't destroy any other life without a second thought? It is reciprocity that sustained the small pockets of culture, Kimmerer states, and I believe that it is that which will be able to retain all of life - not just humanity. It's important to note that language is so much more than simply words; it carries weight, ideas, and the way in which we view the world and our lives. If a language goes extinct, so too do all the small details and nuances that come with it. However, as much as we try to restore what was lost, "... there [are] some things [we can't] make whole" (Kimmerer 264). This is important to understand; we become so eager to try and give back what was lost, hoping to make amends, that we ignore the experiences that were had and the grief that occurred. We need to understand that some things can never go back to what they were in order to move forward and build a world of renewal.

The important thing is that we understand the need for a symbiotic relationship with not only the earth, but also one another; when it comes to living, "in a world of scarcity, interconnection and mutual aid become critical for survival" (Kimmerer 272). We can see this in almost every aspect of the natural world, so why is it that we are so reluctant to follow their example when the peoples of the earth have been here so much longer than ourselves? The last line of this section is as follows: "Redemption lives in knowing that you might also hear our hymns of joy when we too marry ourselves to the earth" (Kimmerer 276). I think that this is the only way we can sustain ourselves and the earth - mutual flourishing.