A Reverence for Nature

Mujer en Turquesa
G. E. Mullan

Native American poets through the ages have expressed their love for the natural world and how important it is for each of us to be reminded that we are connected to nature and not in nature to push it around.

The Onondaga Indians described it in this way: "In our way of life, in our government, with every decision we make, we always keep in mind the generations to come. It's our job to see that the generations still unborn, have a world no worse than ours and hopefully better. When we walk upon mother earth we always plant our feet carefully, because we know the faces of our future generations are looking up at us from beneath the ground. We never forget them."

This ideal of remembering the unborn generations, having reverence for nature is a very powerful message for us today as we think about our planet and how connected we need to feel to it.

A member of the Abenaki Tribe spoke of "A Sacred Hoop" this way, "To honor and respect, means to think of the land and the water and the plants and animals who live here as having a right, equal to ours, to be here. We are not the supreme and all knowing beings, living at the top of the pinnacle of evolution, but we are in fact members of the sacred hoop of life, along with trees, and rocks, the coyotes, and the eagles, fish and toads...and each fulfills a purpose. They each perform given task in the sacred hoop, as do we."
The Sacred Hoop is a wonderful reminder of our coexistence in nature.

A reverence for nature was also express in the prayer of the Ojibway in the following way:

"Grandfather, look at our brokenness. We know that in all Creation only the Human Family has strayed from the Sacred Way."

"We know that we are the ones, who are divided and we are the ones who must come back together. To walk in the Sacred Way"

"Grandfather, Sacred One"

"Teach us Love, Compassion and Honor..."

That We May Heal the Earth and each other"
The Ojibway Tribal Prayer is most appropriate for the times we now live in. To those of you fortunate enough to have cherished ones to spend this day with, I wish you great Joy, Happiness and Abundance. May you feel a deep sense of Gratitude for all the gifts that have been bestowed upon you by your Creator and for all of nature which surrounds us. The reverence for nature is something we can all have by being in a constant state of gratitude for all that is, in our world, our planet, and our universe.