Well, I find it easier reading, but I have been told that it conserves battery life for device users.
Saturday, May 31, 2014
Monday, May 26, 2014
Ward Chuchill-In A Pig's Eye
I received this two CD lecture from a friend. It is not one that is easy to hear. Granted, I knew very well, what I could find out for myself, about the five hundred year history of oppression and resistance that has been played out on this continent as well as the others around the world. He spoke eloquently about a prisoner, currently detained in Federal Prison, Leonard Peltier. On the Pine Ridge Reservation, June 26, 1976 a pair of conflicting lines were crossed, which bring us to a point of reference that overshadows anything we can say about them. Nearly five hundred years before, a lost man washed ashore completely ignorant of where he was and is known by history as the Great Navigator. The dominant (settler) society absconded with virtually all the continent, leaving native people a mere 50 million acres (about 25 acres per capita) Upon these acres, 2/3 of the nation's uranium deposits lie, 25% of the low-sulpher coal, 20% of the oil and natural gas, bauxite ore, copper, iron ore, industrial grade diamonds timber, 50% of the salmon harvest and water rights exist. On paper, the "value" of these resources, which the oppressors deem to be of a very real value, would make all native people very wealthy. However, the plenary relationship between the U. S. Government and the native people assures that they will never be remunerated adequately for their use.
I could go on and on about the injustices that native people continue to suffer. Let it be said that I will not stand for the government continuing to practice genocide against native people of these lands. The extraction and burdens of ecological catastrophe must stop.
Much wisdom resides in tribal culture. Many features of the most advanced societies ever formed were of native tribes and bands. Far from "primitive" the more we understand, the more we find them to be amazing architects, engineers, designers, scientists and artists whose work would be as relevant today as it was thousands of years ago. It has only been in the last nanosecond, relative to geologic time, that we have developed everything since white men stepped ashore in the Caribbean, the lines that carve up our sacred Mother Earth. The concept of "right to own" discreet parts of the beating breast of Mother Earth, these are all fallacies foisted upon us by relatively recent ideas. The truth about Mother Earth is that we do not own her, at best, she owns us. We learn her rhythms and work at her pace. The seasons change and the same rituals play out year to year and on forever. We listen with our hearts as well as our ears and nature speaks our words, calling us back to pray, to sing and to dance to the beat of ancient drums and patterns. Developing this pattern language facilitates a great leap in both our abilities and our effectiveness.
Living by the seasons and recognizing unique attributes of our discreet microclimates will have to occur as the costs of transportation continue to increase. Native people the world around share the understanding that the Mother Earth is sacred. It is well beyond high time that we all take that seriously. Utilizing carbon in newly "rediscovered" old ways is our only hope. I have put several hundered pounds ofcarbon into my soils and the results are nearly unbelieveable, until one realizes that in each handful, there are fourteen acres of surface area! This may seem far afield from Ward Churchill, but it really is not. The most revolutionary act that we can partake of is to change the paradigm. Instead of consuming the lies, deceit and repercussions of the corporate welfare whores in our nations, we need to stand as a worldwide tribe of people who refuse to allow our nations to be squandered for short term gains that are doled out to the oligarchs, the corporate elites who criss-cross the skies with their own fleets of jetliners, all underwritten by easy tax law and subsidized fuel.
We the people need to reassert our control over any government that has run hopelessly amok. In the new paradigm, there will be massive prisoner releases in my country, for all non-violent drug offenders, legalization of all plants, funding for schools and education and far less waste fraud and abuse because corporate criminals will be held to account for their recklessness, rather than placated with ever more comfortable regulations. We need a leadership class of diplomats who know how to speak truth and not knuckle under to expediency for the 1% nor their threats. Many of the current recipients of our tax dollars do not deserve them and lying to cover their tracks is a form of treason. It is hurting not only our country, but the planet!
I could go on and on about the injustices that native people continue to suffer. Let it be said that I will not stand for the government continuing to practice genocide against native people of these lands. The extraction and burdens of ecological catastrophe must stop.
 |
| For an introduction to or information on creating Council Of All Beings workshop, please contact Tony C. Saladino c/o ECO-Tours at tnsaladino42@hotmail.com or use snail mail by sending contact info. to ECO-Yours of Wisconsin Inc. at 1445 Porlier Street Green Bay, WI 54301-3334 USA This artwork generously provided by Beehive Collective and this tiny fragment is but a miniscule part of a much larger work. it is part of the creative commons. |
Much wisdom resides in tribal culture. Many features of the most advanced societies ever formed were of native tribes and bands. Far from "primitive" the more we understand, the more we find them to be amazing architects, engineers, designers, scientists and artists whose work would be as relevant today as it was thousands of years ago. It has only been in the last nanosecond, relative to geologic time, that we have developed everything since white men stepped ashore in the Caribbean, the lines that carve up our sacred Mother Earth. The concept of "right to own" discreet parts of the beating breast of Mother Earth, these are all fallacies foisted upon us by relatively recent ideas. The truth about Mother Earth is that we do not own her, at best, she owns us. We learn her rhythms and work at her pace. The seasons change and the same rituals play out year to year and on forever. We listen with our hearts as well as our ears and nature speaks our words, calling us back to pray, to sing and to dance to the beat of ancient drums and patterns. Developing this pattern language facilitates a great leap in both our abilities and our effectiveness.
Living by the seasons and recognizing unique attributes of our discreet microclimates will have to occur as the costs of transportation continue to increase. Native people the world around share the understanding that the Mother Earth is sacred. It is well beyond high time that we all take that seriously. Utilizing carbon in newly "rediscovered" old ways is our only hope. I have put several hundered pounds ofcarbon into my soils and the results are nearly unbelieveable, until one realizes that in each handful, there are fourteen acres of surface area! This may seem far afield from Ward Churchill, but it really is not. The most revolutionary act that we can partake of is to change the paradigm. Instead of consuming the lies, deceit and repercussions of the corporate welfare whores in our nations, we need to stand as a worldwide tribe of people who refuse to allow our nations to be squandered for short term gains that are doled out to the oligarchs, the corporate elites who criss-cross the skies with their own fleets of jetliners, all underwritten by easy tax law and subsidized fuel.
We the people need to reassert our control over any government that has run hopelessly amok. In the new paradigm, there will be massive prisoner releases in my country, for all non-violent drug offenders, legalization of all plants, funding for schools and education and far less waste fraud and abuse because corporate criminals will be held to account for their recklessness, rather than placated with ever more comfortable regulations. We need a leadership class of diplomats who know how to speak truth and not knuckle under to expediency for the 1% nor their threats. Many of the current recipients of our tax dollars do not deserve them and lying to cover their tracks is a form of treason. It is hurting not only our country, but the planet!
Thursday, May 22, 2014
Yesterday's Tour
I am one of the first to become frustrated by the day after stories that often get on the news. The day after a concert, protest or rally is the worst time to learn about it. On the other hand, when an event is so interesting, spectacular or memorable that people just have to talk about it, there is some solace in knowing that it took place. With luck and a bit of imagination, one can see just far enough into the past to come away with a sense of what went on and what it must have been like. To set the stage for this story, you have to understand a few things. First, I had a major root ball with some new growth, but the main trunks of this plant had been cut down a few weeks ago. There are probable around thirty new shoots coming out of a root ball bigger than I could lift. You see, this particular plant is an elderberry and it had grown too big for the part of the garden it was in.
This is one of the funny things about permaculture...It has the prefix perma, even though everything changes with time. A few years ago, when this plant was put in my garden, we had just a few beds and the area was not fenced, so having a large plant that helped to define the back edge of my yard was necessary. Our production of vegetables was perhaps modest at best and the elderberries that were produced were an important part of our winter diet. Several things have changed since then. We have 100% access to the yard across the street, where our rental is, the elderberries over there are coming into their own (reaching full production) so we don't need the big one in our yard as much. We continue to build raised beds and add plants, other fruit trees, grapes and asparagus and the shade produced by the ten by ten by ten (3X3X3m) elderberry was starting to cast shade over plants that will produce even more food for us. As the garden grows, the space available for a large plant shrinks and from the start, we were only going to provide a nursery for this plant, using it as a source of clones and smaller babies that we have been planting out for several generations.
So, to remove this relative giant, I set to work as soon as the ground had dried out enough to shovel. First I cut a ring about two feet away from the trunks. We continued to pot up babies that were scattered around the main plant. Finally, when I had dug well below the deepest roots, the prying began. I would lever the root ball up, at first by tiny bits, then by inches at a time, blocking it up with other boards as I went. When I got it clear of the earth, I kept using long levers to raise it to the height of our wagon. The wagon alone is a microcosmic story about how we do things around here. The parts for it are salvaged from a junk pile and the plywood top that forms a flat bed and holds the wheel units together is painted with chalkboard paint so that it can be used in the field as a teaching tool. Not only has something dubbed waste gained new life through our program, but the utility has been enhanced by giving the tool more than one purpose.
This event needed to have especially powerful ritual associated with it, because part of the event was to welcome our first apprentice healer and guide. A few weeks ago, I met a young lady who was seeking knowledge about herbs and healing using natural remedies. As part of her training, I though it would be important to the process for her to understand the elderberry straight away. Developing relationships with members of the plant kingdom is the best way I know to understand the healing powers and traits that these important friends share with us. In my work guiding ECO-Tours, I often speak for the plant kingdom anyway, but as an herbalist, I often find myself trying to let the herbs express themselves by providing what they have to offer the human community. One of the challenges for me in sharing the knowledge that I have of herbs, and staying healthy using them exclusively, is to try to explain that we have a birthright to an open dialog with members of other species and phyla. Broadening the scope of our understanding of the world around us often requires stepping back, looking around and trying to create new mental maps to help us navigate new terrain. A rite of passage can help make a break from the past and begin anew with a more or less clean slate. This plant in did triple duty as a class (it included an herb walk as well), a nurturing event at a sacred space, and a way to bond inexplicably with a very important species in the herbal apothecary.
Because of uneven terrain, we were a bit limited in our choices for planting sites, but just off the trail a few hundred yards from the vehicle, we found a great spot. The blossoms and fruits will be close enough to the trail to be of use to folks walking there but not too close to the trail as to become an eye poke hazard. The elderberry likes moisture and will get enough where we put it and the shade will help cool and slow the water coming in from an unnamed rivulet that feeds the creek after tumbling down the side of a steep ravine. This, in turn, should lead to less erosion and a more stable rim along the edge of the ravine.
The weather was perfect. Other than a few very high cirrus clouds, it was clear. The temperature was wonderful, just warm enough that while working we would not overheat, but still cold enough that there were no bugs. The soil was perfectly moist, easy to dig and dry enough to not get mushy or gooey. We were planting into pretty heavy clay, but in our efforts we were able to mix in some richer topsoil from the hole we dug and aerate the area around the plant. After a good watering in, we stepped back and appreciated the magnitude of our efforts with great satisfaction. After just a few hours, not only had we transformed the possibilities for a little part of the planet, but we had begun a process of changing the way we relate to that part of it forever. We met a few great people who feel invested in our process and took another hopeful step toward a sustainable future. This particular tour has several interesting aspects. It is the largest root ball we have ever moved to a distant location (we took this one about ten miles) (16 km) It helps to stem the flow of one of the highest elevation tributaries that we have been reforesting (creating the one of the largest downstream benefit zones) This site has one of the highest populations of humans downstream and the entire area that is being reforested around this site has some of the most highly erodible soils in our county which, in turn, has the highest potential for helping to keep streams clear and silt free.
We will continue to plant this area, albeit with smaller elderberries, other trees and seedlings. We also got our second canoe painted and ready to be included in future ECO-Tours. Book yours today! We are moving into our busiest season, but are still booking tours for those that will be coming through Northeast Wisconsin this summer. We always graciously accept donations through either our Paypal account. (You can use our e-mail address as our account number: tnsaladfino42@hotmail.com) If you prefer to send a check by snail mail, avoiding the Paypal charges, we are located at 1445 Porlier Street Green Bay, WI 54301-3334. If you need to call directly, for info. or booking your ECO-Tour you can reach our land line at area code nine2zero-double eight 4-triple two 4.
Blessed Be and Namaste'.
This is one of the funny things about permaculture...It has the prefix perma, even though everything changes with time. A few years ago, when this plant was put in my garden, we had just a few beds and the area was not fenced, so having a large plant that helped to define the back edge of my yard was necessary. Our production of vegetables was perhaps modest at best and the elderberries that were produced were an important part of our winter diet. Several things have changed since then. We have 100% access to the yard across the street, where our rental is, the elderberries over there are coming into their own (reaching full production) so we don't need the big one in our yard as much. We continue to build raised beds and add plants, other fruit trees, grapes and asparagus and the shade produced by the ten by ten by ten (3X3X3m) elderberry was starting to cast shade over plants that will produce even more food for us. As the garden grows, the space available for a large plant shrinks and from the start, we were only going to provide a nursery for this plant, using it as a source of clones and smaller babies that we have been planting out for several generations.
So, to remove this relative giant, I set to work as soon as the ground had dried out enough to shovel. First I cut a ring about two feet away from the trunks. We continued to pot up babies that were scattered around the main plant. Finally, when I had dug well below the deepest roots, the prying began. I would lever the root ball up, at first by tiny bits, then by inches at a time, blocking it up with other boards as I went. When I got it clear of the earth, I kept using long levers to raise it to the height of our wagon. The wagon alone is a microcosmic story about how we do things around here. The parts for it are salvaged from a junk pile and the plywood top that forms a flat bed and holds the wheel units together is painted with chalkboard paint so that it can be used in the field as a teaching tool. Not only has something dubbed waste gained new life through our program, but the utility has been enhanced by giving the tool more than one purpose.
This event needed to have especially powerful ritual associated with it, because part of the event was to welcome our first apprentice healer and guide. A few weeks ago, I met a young lady who was seeking knowledge about herbs and healing using natural remedies. As part of her training, I though it would be important to the process for her to understand the elderberry straight away. Developing relationships with members of the plant kingdom is the best way I know to understand the healing powers and traits that these important friends share with us. In my work guiding ECO-Tours, I often speak for the plant kingdom anyway, but as an herbalist, I often find myself trying to let the herbs express themselves by providing what they have to offer the human community. One of the challenges for me in sharing the knowledge that I have of herbs, and staying healthy using them exclusively, is to try to explain that we have a birthright to an open dialog with members of other species and phyla. Broadening the scope of our understanding of the world around us often requires stepping back, looking around and trying to create new mental maps to help us navigate new terrain. A rite of passage can help make a break from the past and begin anew with a more or less clean slate. This plant in did triple duty as a class (it included an herb walk as well), a nurturing event at a sacred space, and a way to bond inexplicably with a very important species in the herbal apothecary.
Because of uneven terrain, we were a bit limited in our choices for planting sites, but just off the trail a few hundred yards from the vehicle, we found a great spot. The blossoms and fruits will be close enough to the trail to be of use to folks walking there but not too close to the trail as to become an eye poke hazard. The elderberry likes moisture and will get enough where we put it and the shade will help cool and slow the water coming in from an unnamed rivulet that feeds the creek after tumbling down the side of a steep ravine. This, in turn, should lead to less erosion and a more stable rim along the edge of the ravine.
The weather was perfect. Other than a few very high cirrus clouds, it was clear. The temperature was wonderful, just warm enough that while working we would not overheat, but still cold enough that there were no bugs. The soil was perfectly moist, easy to dig and dry enough to not get mushy or gooey. We were planting into pretty heavy clay, but in our efforts we were able to mix in some richer topsoil from the hole we dug and aerate the area around the plant. After a good watering in, we stepped back and appreciated the magnitude of our efforts with great satisfaction. After just a few hours, not only had we transformed the possibilities for a little part of the planet, but we had begun a process of changing the way we relate to that part of it forever. We met a few great people who feel invested in our process and took another hopeful step toward a sustainable future. This particular tour has several interesting aspects. It is the largest root ball we have ever moved to a distant location (we took this one about ten miles) (16 km) It helps to stem the flow of one of the highest elevation tributaries that we have been reforesting (creating the one of the largest downstream benefit zones) This site has one of the highest populations of humans downstream and the entire area that is being reforested around this site has some of the most highly erodible soils in our county which, in turn, has the highest potential for helping to keep streams clear and silt free.
We will continue to plant this area, albeit with smaller elderberries, other trees and seedlings. We also got our second canoe painted and ready to be included in future ECO-Tours. Book yours today! We are moving into our busiest season, but are still booking tours for those that will be coming through Northeast Wisconsin this summer. We always graciously accept donations through either our Paypal account. (You can use our e-mail address as our account number: tnsaladfino42@hotmail.com) If you prefer to send a check by snail mail, avoiding the Paypal charges, we are located at 1445 Porlier Street Green Bay, WI 54301-3334. If you need to call directly, for info. or booking your ECO-Tour you can reach our land line at area code nine2zero-double eight 4-triple two 4.
 |
| This shows our burgeoning garden before we added an espallier apple tree, several blueberries and two aronia bushes. |
Blessed Be and Namaste'.
Monday, May 19, 2014
Spring 2014
We have had several developments this Spring that will increase our exposure, impact and membership that were beyond our imagination just a few short moons ago. In the depths of Winter, we were still trying to come up with fund-raising ideas to buy broadforks. Because the land we rehabilitate has often been compacted so thoroughly, getting air and water to penetrate deeply enough to be of use to soil organisms can be difficult. The broadfork is the single most effective tool at opening up soils to these important life giving substances. Just in the past moon or so, we have had offers of radio advertizing, a You tube commercial (which will be finished soon) and we have had several ECO-Tourists show up and ask to be included on our plant-ins. The message that we have been putting out in the world for over a decade is beginning to resonate for people who are exposed to information daily that reminds them of the need to do the best they can with what they've got, to live more lightly on the planet and to enhance their community for the good of all of us rather than ripping and tearing at the planet we call home.
One donor has come forward who is offering substantial quarterly donations for the next couple years and with their support, we will be able to reforest several dozen acres. Now, the difficult tasks remain, to find the best places for seedlings, places that will need soil remediation first and critical staging areas for our volunteers to meet and greet, have our lunches and distribute tools and water. The process has slowed because of limited funds, but we have been running skeleton crews for years, this larger donation will allow us to increase both our effectiveness and scope of our next several dozen ECO-Tour events.
Also this Spring, a generous donor has supplied a video projector which will enable us to share information more effectively to larger groups. Much like the Beehive Collective, our work is far more difficult to explain than is is to get done. There is a continuing groundswell of public support for doing the right things, but sharing the millions of tiny interactions and billions of discreet stories that lead to an ecology of mind can be difficult.
At the beginning of this moon, our director participated in the Green Bay Garden Blitz. This event lasted an entire weekend and we put in 111 (one hundred and eleven) 4 X 8 foot (1.3 X 2.6m) raised beds, and filling them with soil. Even though this effort only increased the number of gardens available for local residents by a tiny fraction of an acre, the beds are situated where people can grow their own food close to home. It was amazing to see hundreds of volunteers coming together for one purpose and these people will make great contacts for making future ECO-Tours possible, just by helping us to find participants, ECO-Tourists and folks who are interested in long term sustainability.
We have been spreading the volunteer elderberries, black and red raspberries and many dozen more cup plant seedlings as well as many hundreds more milkweed seeds in areas that will help wildlife to make their way. We have also created many more brush piles so that cover is available for creatures that might otherwise make easy prey. We have also been experimenting with biochar more and more, adding it to garden beds as well as areas that will later be planted with trees. This miracle substance was well-known to many "primitive" cultures, but because it can be made anywhere by anyone for a few pennies per quart, the mega-ag corporations that guide our current agricultural direction have not been interested in it. In speaking to South and Central Americans, Hmong people and other Asians, I have found that the tribal societies, wherever they have come from are quite familiar with using biochar, terra preta, or what is more commonly known as carbon as an amendment to soil. The problem that we are experiencing with these cultures is that many of the gardeners that come to America feel the need to assimilate and therefore they seek the "modern" ways of practicing their agriculture that we have in abundance here which poison the soil, kill off beneficial organisms and sterilize the soil ecosystem.
We will be offering to mentor new gardeners as well as continuing our tree planting efforts, this way we can bridge the gap between our own backyards and the neighborhoods that we find ourselves within.
One donor has come forward who is offering substantial quarterly donations for the next couple years and with their support, we will be able to reforest several dozen acres. Now, the difficult tasks remain, to find the best places for seedlings, places that will need soil remediation first and critical staging areas for our volunteers to meet and greet, have our lunches and distribute tools and water. The process has slowed because of limited funds, but we have been running skeleton crews for years, this larger donation will allow us to increase both our effectiveness and scope of our next several dozen ECO-Tour events.
Also this Spring, a generous donor has supplied a video projector which will enable us to share information more effectively to larger groups. Much like the Beehive Collective, our work is far more difficult to explain than is is to get done. There is a continuing groundswell of public support for doing the right things, but sharing the millions of tiny interactions and billions of discreet stories that lead to an ecology of mind can be difficult.
At the beginning of this moon, our director participated in the Green Bay Garden Blitz. This event lasted an entire weekend and we put in 111 (one hundred and eleven) 4 X 8 foot (1.3 X 2.6m) raised beds, and filling them with soil. Even though this effort only increased the number of gardens available for local residents by a tiny fraction of an acre, the beds are situated where people can grow their own food close to home. It was amazing to see hundreds of volunteers coming together for one purpose and these people will make great contacts for making future ECO-Tours possible, just by helping us to find participants, ECO-Tourists and folks who are interested in long term sustainability.
We have been spreading the volunteer elderberries, black and red raspberries and many dozen more cup plant seedlings as well as many hundreds more milkweed seeds in areas that will help wildlife to make their way. We have also created many more brush piles so that cover is available for creatures that might otherwise make easy prey. We have also been experimenting with biochar more and more, adding it to garden beds as well as areas that will later be planted with trees. This miracle substance was well-known to many "primitive" cultures, but because it can be made anywhere by anyone for a few pennies per quart, the mega-ag corporations that guide our current agricultural direction have not been interested in it. In speaking to South and Central Americans, Hmong people and other Asians, I have found that the tribal societies, wherever they have come from are quite familiar with using biochar, terra preta, or what is more commonly known as carbon as an amendment to soil. The problem that we are experiencing with these cultures is that many of the gardeners that come to America feel the need to assimilate and therefore they seek the "modern" ways of practicing their agriculture that we have in abundance here which poison the soil, kill off beneficial organisms and sterilize the soil ecosystem.
We will be offering to mentor new gardeners as well as continuing our tree planting efforts, this way we can bridge the gap between our own backyards and the neighborhoods that we find ourselves within.
Friday, April 25, 2014
Beehive Collective
www.thebeehivecollective.org/ sent a couple of emissaries to Green Bay last night. They brought two of their giant works of art. These phenomenal 10 X 20 foot (3.3 X 6.6 meter) collaboratively produced parables exist as a testament to thought provoking ideas and the deep and abiding commitment to solving problems, not just shying away from them. The overwhelmingly positive messages that they send are vital to the survival of humanity and perhaps our specias as a whole. They will be showing their work again tonight at 6 PM at UWGB (University Wisconsin Green Bay) in MAC Hall, room 208. In addition to the works as a whole, they have a slideshow that focuses the attention of attendees on the myriad vignettes within each piece. They are physical manifestations that prove that each of holds the power to change the world in our hands and hearts.
About sixty people showed up to see their work and hear some of the stories that their art illustrates. Their presentation was not only about our current situation, but how the art is inspired by actions being taken by people (both individuals and groups) around the world to make necessary changes to support and find a path to sustainability. Their original artworks are accomplished by a complex dialog between and with the artists, native people, local residents and scientists who understand, sometimes all too well, the destructive capacities of "developers", mining interests and the energy giants who crush local economies and ecological systems in pursuit of ever decreasing benefits for the highest echelons of our culture. As their name implies, many workers make light work and the production of beehive collective art requires many people investing large amounts of time to create salient and moving pictographs about old way versus new way thinking.
Repeatedly during the presentation one issue was made clear. Life is tenacious. In the face of profound assault from corporate entities, the consumptive mind set of the oppressors and the paradigm that sanctions desecration of the planet, laying waste to her (Mother Earth's) organisms and natural processes for the sake of cash. Citizens of the world are united in their quest to find a path to not only survival, but retaining their humanity, their culture and ways of life. The income distribution has become such a top heavy contraption that the top wage earners have incomes that would support millions of their "lesser" countrymen. Contrary to what we have been told, the crucible of creativity is heated by the friction of old way versus new way thinking. I discuss this issue in most of my writing, but often we forget that in Earth's history, several mass extinctions have occurred, several ages have come and gone, but these young artists confirm the facts of our history in a rather interesting and most impressive way. What many believe to be "old way" thinking is what has been the dominant thinking for the past several thousand years. I refer to the old ways as that of tribal people, natives that had found ways of living on the planet that were not extractive in the sense that we know today. More and more however, we are closing the door on what was known as "new way" thinking or perhaps a "modern/industrial" mind set. The concept of bigger always being better is relatively new, but for most of us having grown up within that thought structure, it is just the current paradigm. Wrestling with the future will require that our "modern" approach will need to fall by the wayside of history and a new, new way thinking will need to take hold. The irony for many is that the old ways, those of tribal people everywhere, ones that sanctify the Earth, understand the unique gifts of the "gods and goddesses", as our ancestors did and operate within the "I am because you are" world view.
What the hippies were onto, was not just a drug induced dream, it was a very pragmatic worldview that peace and love really could heal the planet. Now we know that to a very large extent, we have found them to be right on the money. Spewing toxic compounds about can only lead to death, organics, renewable energy and a better land ethic can only enhance our quality of life, right? Many of us see daily the detritus of humankind, the vast wastelands that have been perpetrated against Mother Nature, against our people. For the sake of what? Vast wastelands that have had their worth shipped elsewhere, our cities are now hollow shells, the warehouses have gaping hollow eyes for windows. The mural that these people paint about my world would have miles of vacant buildings staring out at desperate consumers, looking to top off their buzz with the next acquisition.
To the peaceful loving people, the growing majority...
Each bend of the stream is sacred, every wing beat of every bird echoes their music in harmony with Great Spirit, every rock and stone literally sing, in the Church of Mother Earth (or whatever you want to call it) We all learn to open ourselves differently. Some may delight in stories that trees have to tell, or perhaps hear the echo of Om in forest glens, some tune in to the slithering creatures that love sunning themselves in fen. If we pay attention, we can learn to speak the language of the sacred spheres. We can find a truer sense of self than by living in the built up world.
This collective is aware that times are changing and a new phase of existence is required if we are to stop the oppressive and abusive ways of those who wish to turn our planet into Servoglobe. The paradigm that we are living under today is based on the tallest pyramid ever conceived. The rarefied atmosphere at the top is dizzying, the wealth virtually unbounded, the greed insatiable and the corruption thorough. Life itself is ground under the wheels of this sort of "progress" and now at the dawning of the Age of Aquarius, we are beginning to realize that after a certain point, the ever increasing height of the pyramid has made it unstable. Every major resource, nutrient and even water itself are becoming harder and harder to get. more and more energy is required each year to even stay at a "steady state". The unending quest for more has taken us to places that even the most hideous fictional dystopia could not hint at. As the "reserves" become lower and lower quality, those on top deem more and more dangerous, more and more destructive methods necessary for their recovery. The flip side of this corporate marauding is that the poorest and "most desperate" have been sold a bill of goods even before they know that they are enslaved. The mystic web, as if of a great spider, has reached into all pof our lives and the beast must be done away with. This is just a relatively recent blip on the screen, a pixel if you will, within the panorama of life on Earth, our historical reference point and the future of humanity on the planet, will matter not one whit. Our species could die off just as many have before. The Earth, ultimately will go on of course until the Sun supernovas and engulfs the planet in His corona.
Technocrats often overlook the anthropological truth behind the myth of increased leisure. Every technology has a down side and only some of them are revealed by the collective. It is easy to say that "If we just exploited one more resource...that would solve this or that problem." However, the truth of the matter is that abuse and neglect of the planet can never yield benefits, without holding hidden cost overruns that make the value questionable at best. So what if you can send three BTUs of energy to wrest five from the Earth, does it make sense if you have to write off thousands of acres forever? The resources are a gift from the Great Spirit, it is high time we started acting like it!
When native people burned off forest, it was to select for tree species that fed the creatures that they relied upon to maintain their food stores. The beasts were roving food storage units if you like and the forest was maintained in unique ways to facilitate the continuation of many different species. An interesting side note that I thought was interesting was when one of the presenters was talking about frac sand mining removing entire bluffs and leaving great scars upon his homeland, in Southwestern Wisconsin. He said that for at least three generations, his people removed nothing but milk from that landscape and the effects of that did not change the topography one iota compared to the removal of the forest, the creatures and the hills that used to be his family's local landscape. This may be true, in a broader context, but the soil has nutrition taken that was not returned. The nutrients that were in that milk got carted away, gone forever. The cycles exist whether we can see them or not. We are currently faced with a situation in which we almost have to pray that no resource of any consequence will be found nearby where we live. It is, in fact, the only way to avoid having your part of the world destroyed.
Luckily, there are people like those involved with and supporting Beehive with their efforts, their donations and their impulse to further the mission of bringing on the change from Servoglobe to Gaia. As frequently happens with our people, the artists are the most forward thinking of the tribe. Being from a state that has "Forward" as it's motto, I humbly submit that we need to take a step back to see a way forward in this case. Like a rock climber, if we cling desperately to the precipice, we will never find our next hand or foot hold. These works, and their massive scale, allow us to gain vital perspective on what can seem to be overwhelming issues and for that I am both thankful and proud. I am because they are and that relationship is sacred.
About sixty people showed up to see their work and hear some of the stories that their art illustrates. Their presentation was not only about our current situation, but how the art is inspired by actions being taken by people (both individuals and groups) around the world to make necessary changes to support and find a path to sustainability. Their original artworks are accomplished by a complex dialog between and with the artists, native people, local residents and scientists who understand, sometimes all too well, the destructive capacities of "developers", mining interests and the energy giants who crush local economies and ecological systems in pursuit of ever decreasing benefits for the highest echelons of our culture. As their name implies, many workers make light work and the production of beehive collective art requires many people investing large amounts of time to create salient and moving pictographs about old way versus new way thinking.
Repeatedly during the presentation one issue was made clear. Life is tenacious. In the face of profound assault from corporate entities, the consumptive mind set of the oppressors and the paradigm that sanctions desecration of the planet, laying waste to her (Mother Earth's) organisms and natural processes for the sake of cash. Citizens of the world are united in their quest to find a path to not only survival, but retaining their humanity, their culture and ways of life. The income distribution has become such a top heavy contraption that the top wage earners have incomes that would support millions of their "lesser" countrymen. Contrary to what we have been told, the crucible of creativity is heated by the friction of old way versus new way thinking. I discuss this issue in most of my writing, but often we forget that in Earth's history, several mass extinctions have occurred, several ages have come and gone, but these young artists confirm the facts of our history in a rather interesting and most impressive way. What many believe to be "old way" thinking is what has been the dominant thinking for the past several thousand years. I refer to the old ways as that of tribal people, natives that had found ways of living on the planet that were not extractive in the sense that we know today. More and more however, we are closing the door on what was known as "new way" thinking or perhaps a "modern/industrial" mind set. The concept of bigger always being better is relatively new, but for most of us having grown up within that thought structure, it is just the current paradigm. Wrestling with the future will require that our "modern" approach will need to fall by the wayside of history and a new, new way thinking will need to take hold. The irony for many is that the old ways, those of tribal people everywhere, ones that sanctify the Earth, understand the unique gifts of the "gods and goddesses", as our ancestors did and operate within the "I am because you are" world view.
What the hippies were onto, was not just a drug induced dream, it was a very pragmatic worldview that peace and love really could heal the planet. Now we know that to a very large extent, we have found them to be right on the money. Spewing toxic compounds about can only lead to death, organics, renewable energy and a better land ethic can only enhance our quality of life, right? Many of us see daily the detritus of humankind, the vast wastelands that have been perpetrated against Mother Nature, against our people. For the sake of what? Vast wastelands that have had their worth shipped elsewhere, our cities are now hollow shells, the warehouses have gaping hollow eyes for windows. The mural that these people paint about my world would have miles of vacant buildings staring out at desperate consumers, looking to top off their buzz with the next acquisition.
To the peaceful loving people, the growing majority...
Each bend of the stream is sacred, every wing beat of every bird echoes their music in harmony with Great Spirit, every rock and stone literally sing, in the Church of Mother Earth (or whatever you want to call it) We all learn to open ourselves differently. Some may delight in stories that trees have to tell, or perhaps hear the echo of Om in forest glens, some tune in to the slithering creatures that love sunning themselves in fen. If we pay attention, we can learn to speak the language of the sacred spheres. We can find a truer sense of self than by living in the built up world.
This collective is aware that times are changing and a new phase of existence is required if we are to stop the oppressive and abusive ways of those who wish to turn our planet into Servoglobe. The paradigm that we are living under today is based on the tallest pyramid ever conceived. The rarefied atmosphere at the top is dizzying, the wealth virtually unbounded, the greed insatiable and the corruption thorough. Life itself is ground under the wheels of this sort of "progress" and now at the dawning of the Age of Aquarius, we are beginning to realize that after a certain point, the ever increasing height of the pyramid has made it unstable. Every major resource, nutrient and even water itself are becoming harder and harder to get. more and more energy is required each year to even stay at a "steady state". The unending quest for more has taken us to places that even the most hideous fictional dystopia could not hint at. As the "reserves" become lower and lower quality, those on top deem more and more dangerous, more and more destructive methods necessary for their recovery. The flip side of this corporate marauding is that the poorest and "most desperate" have been sold a bill of goods even before they know that they are enslaved. The mystic web, as if of a great spider, has reached into all pof our lives and the beast must be done away with. This is just a relatively recent blip on the screen, a pixel if you will, within the panorama of life on Earth, our historical reference point and the future of humanity on the planet, will matter not one whit. Our species could die off just as many have before. The Earth, ultimately will go on of course until the Sun supernovas and engulfs the planet in His corona.
Technocrats often overlook the anthropological truth behind the myth of increased leisure. Every technology has a down side and only some of them are revealed by the collective. It is easy to say that "If we just exploited one more resource...that would solve this or that problem." However, the truth of the matter is that abuse and neglect of the planet can never yield benefits, without holding hidden cost overruns that make the value questionable at best. So what if you can send three BTUs of energy to wrest five from the Earth, does it make sense if you have to write off thousands of acres forever? The resources are a gift from the Great Spirit, it is high time we started acting like it!
When native people burned off forest, it was to select for tree species that fed the creatures that they relied upon to maintain their food stores. The beasts were roving food storage units if you like and the forest was maintained in unique ways to facilitate the continuation of many different species. An interesting side note that I thought was interesting was when one of the presenters was talking about frac sand mining removing entire bluffs and leaving great scars upon his homeland, in Southwestern Wisconsin. He said that for at least three generations, his people removed nothing but milk from that landscape and the effects of that did not change the topography one iota compared to the removal of the forest, the creatures and the hills that used to be his family's local landscape. This may be true, in a broader context, but the soil has nutrition taken that was not returned. The nutrients that were in that milk got carted away, gone forever. The cycles exist whether we can see them or not. We are currently faced with a situation in which we almost have to pray that no resource of any consequence will be found nearby where we live. It is, in fact, the only way to avoid having your part of the world destroyed.
Luckily, there are people like those involved with and supporting Beehive with their efforts, their donations and their impulse to further the mission of bringing on the change from Servoglobe to Gaia. As frequently happens with our people, the artists are the most forward thinking of the tribe. Being from a state that has "Forward" as it's motto, I humbly submit that we need to take a step back to see a way forward in this case. Like a rock climber, if we cling desperately to the precipice, we will never find our next hand or foot hold. These works, and their massive scale, allow us to gain vital perspective on what can seem to be overwhelming issues and for that I am both thankful and proud. I am because they are and that relationship is sacred.
Thursday, April 24, 2014
Earth Day 2014
If you listened to the talking heads, you might have missed this important celebration completely. There are tens of thousands of events going on around our nation and the world that reflect Ecological awareness, teach-ins and protests that reaffirm our commitment to ecological integrity. many are demanding an end to the poisoning of the planet, her people and the creatures that need clean air and untainted water. Even our food supply is being changed, primarily by everyday people as we embark on our rediscovery of what non-food and food-like materials we have been putting in our mouths. Thousands massed in Washington D.C. for example, to say "NO!", in no uncertain terms, to the Keystone XL pipeline. Pipelines leak. Even as we celebrate the Earthweek events, there has been a blowout in a natural gas pipeline that required the evacuation of an entire town. Thousands are still calling for the clean up of Fukushima's ongoing tragedy. The oil sands of Canada continue to ooze poison into the environment and the climate continues to shift. Dolphins are still dying in the Gulf of Mexico and even the oil that remains in Alaska from the Exxon Valdez spill twenty five years ago continues to wreak havoc on the environment there.Talking heads say the it is "too hard" for most people to understand what part they can play in solving a global catastrophe, but the data contradicts them.
Ecological efforts are being made across the board. To conserve and utilize energy in more efficient ways, to create more liveable environments by utilizing local resources and sustainable materials and to become aware of the life cycle costs of both the products we select as well as the services that we rely on. Buying local is a huge and growing field, organic yard care and produce are both growing iby leaps and bounds and people are finally finding out that their own health id dependent on making better choices for the environment that we rely on for clean air, water and safe food supplies.
State after state are finding this to be true. Many are trying, in a variety of ways, to get money from those that are finding ways to make their carbon footprints smaller. Many of our tax dollars are based on either income or our use characteristics and as we learn to live better on less, the costs fall to those who continue to consume without regard to their impacts on the planet. The public is finding ways to be far more efficient than the corporate elites ever thought possible, but the ways that we used to raise funds, by taxing energy consumption are falling short of projections as we use less and less fuel. Many of us are driving 55 MPH by choice, even though many states are increasing the speed limits that had been lowered to save fuel. Sweaters are coming back, much like they did under threats of higher energy prices back in the seventies. Thermostats are being turned down all over the country and the air conditioners will be set higher than ever before just to cut the humidity a bit. Instead of trying to refrigerate our homes this summer, more and more people will be opening windows at night and letting the cooler air in that they don't have to pay for, then closing them when they wake up in the morning to keep the steamy summer outside. We are re-using more than ever before, fixing things again, rather than replacing them and doing our part by raising more food in out kitchen gardens, or at the very least, attending local farmer's markets. Keeping our dollars local and avoiding the corporate pickpocketing that we had become used to.
It is easy to see why the powers that be wish to tell us that we are unable to grasp what needs to be done. Think how quickly they would lose their fortunes if we were to solve our looming ecological catastrophe. I understand that there are pockets where people have been duped into believing what the corporate outlaws have told them, but it is not the case in my neck of the woods. In addition to driving more fuel efficient cars, driving less miles and both walking and riding bikes more, people seem to be making better choices about their homes, their yards and gardens that contribute to better long term health and often consider the welfare of the environment as well. Tonight, the Beehive Collective will be in Green Bay, Wisconsin. If that is not enough, there have been events all week that ranged from a waterwalk, where people came from all around to reaffirm the sacred nature of our waters, to tabling events, clean-up efforts, and reforestation efforts, designed to teach the next generation and some adults about the values associated with a land ethic, to teach-ins, and building more gardens across our city (and probably yours). Eco-tours is currently working to produce a You tube video that should be posted within the next few weeks and a radio advertizement to share what we are doing to remediate, recover and reestablish ecological integrity and we expect a great outpouring of support for our efforts as news about our work grows.
We still ask those of you who support this sort of work to make a financial commitment and donate through our Paypal account.(use the link above) or send donations to our headquarters at 1445 Porlier Street, Green Bay, Wisconsin U.S.A. 54301-3334. 100% of our donations buy trees, pots, dirt to plant the trees in and protection for the seedlings once they are put in their final locations. The administrative tasks and other costs associated with our work planning, preparing and planting are made by generous donations made by our all-volunteer staff, hard working ECO-Tourists and those who believe in a future that we can see only with our mind's eye. The thousands of people working for positive change in our community have reforested hundreds of acres that used to be prone to flooding and drought. This in turn has provided habitat for millions of creatures, perhaps billions if you count the microbes and creepy crawlers. when we pass by properties that we have interceded on behalf of, it is not hard to see that the world around us has become a better place. This is one time during the year when no matter how hard the opposition tries to paint us as "bleeding hearts", "tree huggers" or "do-gooders", they cannot say that we are not making positive change that will last for generations. A few of the sites that we have reforested have been bull dozed in their youthful budding, but for the most part, nearly every place that we have put our hands, hearts and minds to reforesting, a myriad of species find homes, and humans can find shade on a hot summer day, a refuge from the harsh winds of winter and a place to smell the fresh air that trees provide. Thank-you in advance for your continued interest, your help in making our dreams reality and for the changes that you have been willing to make to give peace with the planet a chance.
Ecological efforts are being made across the board. To conserve and utilize energy in more efficient ways, to create more liveable environments by utilizing local resources and sustainable materials and to become aware of the life cycle costs of both the products we select as well as the services that we rely on. Buying local is a huge and growing field, organic yard care and produce are both growing iby leaps and bounds and people are finally finding out that their own health id dependent on making better choices for the environment that we rely on for clean air, water and safe food supplies.
State after state are finding this to be true. Many are trying, in a variety of ways, to get money from those that are finding ways to make their carbon footprints smaller. Many of our tax dollars are based on either income or our use characteristics and as we learn to live better on less, the costs fall to those who continue to consume without regard to their impacts on the planet. The public is finding ways to be far more efficient than the corporate elites ever thought possible, but the ways that we used to raise funds, by taxing energy consumption are falling short of projections as we use less and less fuel. Many of us are driving 55 MPH by choice, even though many states are increasing the speed limits that had been lowered to save fuel. Sweaters are coming back, much like they did under threats of higher energy prices back in the seventies. Thermostats are being turned down all over the country and the air conditioners will be set higher than ever before just to cut the humidity a bit. Instead of trying to refrigerate our homes this summer, more and more people will be opening windows at night and letting the cooler air in that they don't have to pay for, then closing them when they wake up in the morning to keep the steamy summer outside. We are re-using more than ever before, fixing things again, rather than replacing them and doing our part by raising more food in out kitchen gardens, or at the very least, attending local farmer's markets. Keeping our dollars local and avoiding the corporate pickpocketing that we had become used to.
It is easy to see why the powers that be wish to tell us that we are unable to grasp what needs to be done. Think how quickly they would lose their fortunes if we were to solve our looming ecological catastrophe. I understand that there are pockets where people have been duped into believing what the corporate outlaws have told them, but it is not the case in my neck of the woods. In addition to driving more fuel efficient cars, driving less miles and both walking and riding bikes more, people seem to be making better choices about their homes, their yards and gardens that contribute to better long term health and often consider the welfare of the environment as well. Tonight, the Beehive Collective will be in Green Bay, Wisconsin. If that is not enough, there have been events all week that ranged from a waterwalk, where people came from all around to reaffirm the sacred nature of our waters, to tabling events, clean-up efforts, and reforestation efforts, designed to teach the next generation and some adults about the values associated with a land ethic, to teach-ins, and building more gardens across our city (and probably yours). Eco-tours is currently working to produce a You tube video that should be posted within the next few weeks and a radio advertizement to share what we are doing to remediate, recover and reestablish ecological integrity and we expect a great outpouring of support for our efforts as news about our work grows.
We still ask those of you who support this sort of work to make a financial commitment and donate through our Paypal account.(use the link above) or send donations to our headquarters at 1445 Porlier Street, Green Bay, Wisconsin U.S.A. 54301-3334. 100% of our donations buy trees, pots, dirt to plant the trees in and protection for the seedlings once they are put in their final locations. The administrative tasks and other costs associated with our work planning, preparing and planting are made by generous donations made by our all-volunteer staff, hard working ECO-Tourists and those who believe in a future that we can see only with our mind's eye. The thousands of people working for positive change in our community have reforested hundreds of acres that used to be prone to flooding and drought. This in turn has provided habitat for millions of creatures, perhaps billions if you count the microbes and creepy crawlers. when we pass by properties that we have interceded on behalf of, it is not hard to see that the world around us has become a better place. This is one time during the year when no matter how hard the opposition tries to paint us as "bleeding hearts", "tree huggers" or "do-gooders", they cannot say that we are not making positive change that will last for generations. A few of the sites that we have reforested have been bull dozed in their youthful budding, but for the most part, nearly every place that we have put our hands, hearts and minds to reforesting, a myriad of species find homes, and humans can find shade on a hot summer day, a refuge from the harsh winds of winter and a place to smell the fresh air that trees provide. Thank-you in advance for your continued interest, your help in making our dreams reality and for the changes that you have been willing to make to give peace with the planet a chance.
Wednesday, April 23, 2014
ECO-Tours, What are they?
When we pass through the world with a sense of respect for the living systems that blanket the earth and honor the wisdom and insights of local cultures who have made their way in discreet ways, based on principals of co-existence, the give-back, and humility. As travelers, we too often pass through areas without seeing them for what they are. Instead of experiencing the depth and joy that is encompassed in each place, we see the road as a ribbon, when truly each step would reveal a rich and complex local flavor.
Occasionally, it is easier to describe what something is not, to get at the heart of what it is. Ecotours are not for folks who “know it all”, the basic structure and principles of ecotours is that the traveler becomes a student, learning and letting go of preconceived ideas about the place they are visiting, as well as themselves, their own concepts of home, comfort, scheduling, and direction. Ecotours cannot be highly regimented or scheduled, because usually the environment is characterized by change. Being aware of this change, and respecting the unfolding of our experiences requires roadmaps that are changeable. Reflecting and honoring the unique experiences of the travelers as they interact with the ecology of place is part of why ecotours are qualitatively different than what we have come to know as tourism. Ecotours cannot be a series of shopping trips, punctuated by natural wonders, and commemorated with the appreciation of trinkets (cheap plastic crap from China) with the names of places you had gone printed upon them. More than likely, the change of heart that ecotours bring will be your most precious keepsake, punctuated with a rock, feather, handcrafted local textile or drum that embodies the energy of the place it was created.
The practice of ecotouring is a discipline of discovery. Respecting the earth, her flora, fauna, local cultures and unique gifts of Creator. Fortunately, we all have it within our power to begin the process of retooling our own travel to accommodate this new way forward, re-envisioning what it means to be “on the road”, and recreating new ways to perform our own intimate dance with place, raising the bar for what we are willing to learn from and see within all life on the planet.
When I was young, I made a pilgrimage to the site of ancient Pipestone beds in Minnesota. This site, mined by locals for centuries, was (according to Native American tradition) where “The Blood of Mother Earth” was made physical for human beings to use. This red stone is a yielding material for carving peace pipes, because it’s spirit is of earth, giver of so many great gifts, gives birth to the smoldering coal of fire, and carries our prayers and the energies of sacred tobacco to the spirit realm, in offering of our thanks, this stone has great power. My pilgrimage to this site was to honor the spirit of the place. I had no intention of removing any of the sacred stone, just to see it in place and know the spirit of the earth as it is expressed in that location. This was many years before the word ecotours was coined, but I was definitely on one. With reverence, I approached the place where the stone is mined. I could literally feel the stone, pulling me toward it. It was uncanny. The last hundred feet before I saw an actual mine was as transformative as the whole trip up to that point had been. We came over a rise, and the pit became visible to us. It was not much to see at the time, just a small hole really. I remember thinking, “my bedroom isn’t much bigger than this place.” Some trash and cigarette buts littered the area, and in the bottom of the “mine” there was some stagnant water with mosquito larvae in it. I remember thinking, “What have we done?” It astonished me that one of the most sacred sites that I had been to would be so desecrated. I guess that I expected to see native people quarrying the stone, and blessing the chunks as they pulled them from the ground. In that moment I was overwhelmed by an urge to take a bit of the red rock, if only a tiny piece, just a few bits of the red gravel that was nearby. Then, and without warning, I turned to see the largest Snapping turtle I have ever seen. It was a messenger, and it brought with it a silent testimony to many things that cannot be expressed in words that I know. It spoke of the Water Spirit, of course. The long dormant spirit of the earth and her people was reflected in that turtle. It told of the great energy that rises each spring with the return of Father Sun. It spoke of the healing ways, the security of “home” and tenacious grip with which we hold onto things that are dear, or sustaining to us. (This was reflected in the great beast’s fearsome jaw.) Even the juxtaposition of the hulking behemoth associated with water in this dry sun-baked and desolate place was at odds with my vision of what it might be like here. Without thinking I saw more in that moment than I could explain in a book of any length. My path had fallen away within, and all around me. I was immersed in place and had to go no further to receive the blessings of the ancestors and earth’s, turtle’s and the stone’s messages.
Since this time, Pipestone has come and gone from my life. Small bits, fist-sized pieces, and once a great slab graced the threshold of my tipi. As an adult, I was given the opportunity to carve my own sacred pipe from this stone; the power of this treasure is that it can carry my spirit back to my great teachers at the quarry. This same implement can also carry my prayers to Great Spirit. When the Earth gives you a gift, as long as you respect it and honor the gift with one of your own, the circle completes itself rewarding the future with even more than was there in the past. May the circle be unbroken, may your days be blessed, and may the path you are on bring you insight to the great mystery.
Peace, Tony “Saladman” Saladino Director- ECO-Tours of Wisconsin Inc.
Occasionally, it is easier to describe what something is not, to get at the heart of what it is. Ecotours are not for folks who “know it all”, the basic structure and principles of ecotours is that the traveler becomes a student, learning and letting go of preconceived ideas about the place they are visiting, as well as themselves, their own concepts of home, comfort, scheduling, and direction. Ecotours cannot be highly regimented or scheduled, because usually the environment is characterized by change. Being aware of this change, and respecting the unfolding of our experiences requires roadmaps that are changeable. Reflecting and honoring the unique experiences of the travelers as they interact with the ecology of place is part of why ecotours are qualitatively different than what we have come to know as tourism. Ecotours cannot be a series of shopping trips, punctuated by natural wonders, and commemorated with the appreciation of trinkets (cheap plastic crap from China) with the names of places you had gone printed upon them. More than likely, the change of heart that ecotours bring will be your most precious keepsake, punctuated with a rock, feather, handcrafted local textile or drum that embodies the energy of the place it was created.
The practice of ecotouring is a discipline of discovery. Respecting the earth, her flora, fauna, local cultures and unique gifts of Creator. Fortunately, we all have it within our power to begin the process of retooling our own travel to accommodate this new way forward, re-envisioning what it means to be “on the road”, and recreating new ways to perform our own intimate dance with place, raising the bar for what we are willing to learn from and see within all life on the planet.
When I was young, I made a pilgrimage to the site of ancient Pipestone beds in Minnesota. This site, mined by locals for centuries, was (according to Native American tradition) where “The Blood of Mother Earth” was made physical for human beings to use. This red stone is a yielding material for carving peace pipes, because it’s spirit is of earth, giver of so many great gifts, gives birth to the smoldering coal of fire, and carries our prayers and the energies of sacred tobacco to the spirit realm, in offering of our thanks, this stone has great power. My pilgrimage to this site was to honor the spirit of the place. I had no intention of removing any of the sacred stone, just to see it in place and know the spirit of the earth as it is expressed in that location. This was many years before the word ecotours was coined, but I was definitely on one. With reverence, I approached the place where the stone is mined. I could literally feel the stone, pulling me toward it. It was uncanny. The last hundred feet before I saw an actual mine was as transformative as the whole trip up to that point had been. We came over a rise, and the pit became visible to us. It was not much to see at the time, just a small hole really. I remember thinking, “my bedroom isn’t much bigger than this place.” Some trash and cigarette buts littered the area, and in the bottom of the “mine” there was some stagnant water with mosquito larvae in it. I remember thinking, “What have we done?” It astonished me that one of the most sacred sites that I had been to would be so desecrated. I guess that I expected to see native people quarrying the stone, and blessing the chunks as they pulled them from the ground. In that moment I was overwhelmed by an urge to take a bit of the red rock, if only a tiny piece, just a few bits of the red gravel that was nearby. Then, and without warning, I turned to see the largest Snapping turtle I have ever seen. It was a messenger, and it brought with it a silent testimony to many things that cannot be expressed in words that I know. It spoke of the Water Spirit, of course. The long dormant spirit of the earth and her people was reflected in that turtle. It told of the great energy that rises each spring with the return of Father Sun. It spoke of the healing ways, the security of “home” and tenacious grip with which we hold onto things that are dear, or sustaining to us. (This was reflected in the great beast’s fearsome jaw.) Even the juxtaposition of the hulking behemoth associated with water in this dry sun-baked and desolate place was at odds with my vision of what it might be like here. Without thinking I saw more in that moment than I could explain in a book of any length. My path had fallen away within, and all around me. I was immersed in place and had to go no further to receive the blessings of the ancestors and earth’s, turtle’s and the stone’s messages.
Since this time, Pipestone has come and gone from my life. Small bits, fist-sized pieces, and once a great slab graced the threshold of my tipi. As an adult, I was given the opportunity to carve my own sacred pipe from this stone; the power of this treasure is that it can carry my spirit back to my great teachers at the quarry. This same implement can also carry my prayers to Great Spirit. When the Earth gives you a gift, as long as you respect it and honor the gift with one of your own, the circle completes itself rewarding the future with even more than was there in the past. May the circle be unbroken, may your days be blessed, and may the path you are on bring you insight to the great mystery.
Peace, Tony “Saladman” Saladino Director- ECO-Tours of Wisconsin Inc.
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