EVERDAY IS EARTH DAY – right Indian Country?

We fight alot of fights across Indian Country.  We, as a Peoples, are the stewards of the land.  Our women are the protectors of our waters.  In my teachings I’ve learned many things about Mother Earth and the importance of our connection to her.  I’ve been told over and over again about our connection to her.  I live these teachings the best way I know how.  I’m obsessed with recycling, I compost BUT I drive an SUVan (it’s a van okay, it just sounds cooler when I say SUVan).  I’m not perfect, but I really do try.

But here’s my beef (s) with Indian Country:

The Powwow Trail

I love going to gatherings across Indian Country.  It fills my heart with joy to see our people together.  It also enrages me to see a couple thousand pop cans sitting in a garbage can waiting to be sent to the reserves dump.  In general, I’ve seen this time and time again at various gatherings.  I think it’s time for Powwow Committee’s to take a serious look at the footprint they leave in hosting their event.  The pop can problem is but one problem that I see.  We could also talk about the styrofoam plates/cups that get used at feasts and then end up in our landfills.  We need to start giving thought to these things moving forward.  We ARE the stewards of the land – right?

The Conference Trail

In Indian Country – we love conferences.  Sometimes, we HAVE conferences ABOUT having conferences.  The “Indian Industry” tells us we have to spend money this way (funded programs, NGO’s, non-profits, etc.) and so weekend to weekend thousands of people from communities across Turtle Island fly all over the place to attend various conferences on various topics.  I almost want to RANT about how most of these conferences are just “complaining sessions” that rarely cover new topics/address issues in fresh ways, but that is a post for a another day.  I want to look at the carbon footprint flying leaves behind.  Are there new ways to meet?  Can we hold meetings/conferences using technology?  I know the easy answer is YES, absolutely.  The challenge is large, of course, but isn’t it AT LEAST worth talking about?

I know in the big picture – these can be viewed as some pretty petty complaints relative to other challenges we face on a daily basis in our communities.  I don’t mean to just complain/criticize just to do so.  I feel strongly that we always have to look at ourselves before we look “out there” and I think taking a look at these two areas would be a good place to start.

What say you?  Am I an arsehole for pointing the finger back at ourselves?  Can we do more?  Is your community recycling at gatherings?

community earth day