Living Responsibly… It’s Only Natural!

Sheryl Eaglewoman

Welcome! This week our chosen topic is "Land Stewardship". Or would that be "Land Tenure"? Now, there is a good question. How do you see it? Do we own the land or do we belong to the land? Admittedly, it has been here a lot longer than you or I. And of course, we all know, we are made of the same "stuff" the Earth is. But beyond the obvious physical comparisons, what can we learn about ourselves from our relationship we have with the land we live on? And through that knowledge, can we better our environment, our home, our Mother? And what of the respect we will cultivate for ourselves and others through the growth we incur in showing respect for the Earth?

Let’s talk "Land Tenure" for a moment. We own the land. Right? Who said? Where in history was this pattern established? Possibly, it began in Europe? Possibly, by the Papal Bulls decreed by The Pope, Kings? This pattern became an established way of consuming the land, even land where others were already living. It became acceptable to go and conquer, go and take what you can, in the name of "the Church". There are those who still feel it is an acceptable practice. For centuries you had to be a Christian to hold title to land. It was a good ‘ole white boys, land owners world. Anyway, history has moved into the future and now, around the world, land is bought and sold for individual use and / or gain. Except for when it is stolen. For instance, most of this country was taken from the Native Nations by force; either through war or by just the sheer numbers of Europeans moving across the continent. And yes, some Nations have been paid for the theft of their lands; severely low prices in retribution, pennies on the dollars. But what if they want the lands back? A payment of any size for land they didn’t sell would still be stolen land. Who has proper rights to the land? And who has "Naming Rights"? Do you realize that many of our land monuments are named after mass murderers? And even with papers…with Title, can we really ever own the land? One can train a wild animal, but there is no taming one. The Earth is the same. She is alive. It seems to me, with land tenure, land ownership; the majority’s of peoples’ mindset is of the individual and focused on a fairly short time period. Oftentimes, this focus is accompanied by a feeling of needing control of any other life forms living there, be it bears, buffalo or people. Just the facts, thank you very much. I’ve owned property before, too.

How about "Land Stewardship"? Land stewardship encourages respect for the land, as we are taught to recognize an innate wisdom in taking care of the place we are birthed from. And that there were many generations that went before us and that hopefully with proper care given to the Earth, many more generations are to come. One is reminded that the food that makes our bodies comes forth from the Earth. And so the notion is to feed and care and nurture the Earth, including the abundant biodiversity living there upon because that is how you insure abundant food, medicine and clothing. There is an inherent simplicity in the give and take of life on Earth. If more of us followed this path of simplicity in our daily living, thinking and doing, it again would become an innate part of our being. It would be normal to give back for what you have received. It would be normal to grow food with natural materials and sustainable methods. It would be normal to flow with the natural light cycles of the planet. It would be normal to be able to find our way in the night. We would have a recognizable place within the natural cycles and accept the responsibilities inherent in the understanding of them. A reminder to us all; there is no such place as away. Your "away" is close to somebody else. Additionally, if we lived more simply; used less electricity; used less water; quit wasting our resources, we wouldn’t have to keep confiscating land to build more dams to produce that power. And of course, with every dam, many animal species, often including people, lose their home. And most often, for those who do not relocate, they deal with ongoing health issues related to the accompanying pollution. So remember, simplicity, simplicity, simplicity. It can solve the world’s dilemmas!

So, can we work with the best of both worlds? We must, because this is what we have available to work with. We start with my question to Jesus (The Day I Met Jesus, Living Responsibly Media, 2005), "How do you fix what you’ve done wrong? His answer was, "You stop doing it." Simple. How novel. So, for starters, we stop taking land from others for our needs. In that one step we will find the answers needed to address all of the rest of the questions of land relations. Really! What else can we do? Treat the land that we do "own" with respect. Share a part of our "space" and allow animals a habitat. Don’t pollute!! Most of all enjoy it! For if you love it you will care for it!

Question of the week: What is GABA?

Answer: GABA is an amino acid used to aid the body in slowing down the firing of the neurotransmitters of the brain, resulting in less stress responses and better sleep.

Have a question you’d like to see addressed by Sheryl Eaglewoman? E-mail your question to sheryleaglewoman@livingresponsibly.com for "The Question of the Week".

Sheryl Eaglewoman is a Natural Health Consultant, Author and Publisher. Working in the Natural Health field for over 20 years, Sheryl has an extensive knowledge base, specializing in all areas of natural health, including herbal and homeopathic therapies, midwifery and organic lifestyle. Contact her at www.livingresponsibly.com or 406-892-1116.