Property lines
Disclaimer: Each of the First Nations had their own customs, traditions, values and beliefs. My intent is not to generalize or speak with any sort of expertise, but to share my personal thoughts. My apologize if I misspeak or overstep my bounds as a non-indigenous person. My intent is to be respectful.
Fox & Dove sits on land that is the ancestral lands of the Anishinaabe and Dakota nations and tribal communities. This acknowledgement is made to recognize and honor the indigenous people who were the original stewards of the land that I now feel so responsible for.
Source: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100081592471796
I am not of American Indian decent and I am no expert on the cultures or traditions of any of the First Nations, but what very little I’ve been exposed to resonates. It seems the one thread spun through all world indigenous cultures is a deep respect for and spiritual connection with nature.
Perhaps if we adopted the philosophies of the Anishinaabe people we could return to a sustainable balance. For example, the land doesn’t belong to people, but rather we to the land. The wolf isn’t our enemy, but our brother. Hunting and gathering should be done so as to limit environment impacts. Do not overuse the land today because tomorrow your grandchildren will need it. Be grateful to the land and nature so as to recognize them as the gifts they are necessary for survival. Humans are not the most important being on the plant and to act as if we are is to negatively impact the sensitive ecosystem we live in. (1)
If Dakota spirituality guided us we would better appreciate that everything is connected and what one does today will impact something somewhere at some time tomorrow. We should not try to shape or conquer land and wildlife, but rather live in harmony with both. Taking from the land should be handled with reciprocity. All deserve to live with dignity. (2)
My hope in tending to the land that my house lives on is to treat it and the creatures that inhabit it with dignity and respect. For each non-native flower that I plant, I will plant at least 2 native perennials. I will not use chemicals unless absolutely necessary (only buckthorn and only if necessary) and will seek natural remedies if need be (DUCKS! they love bugs). I will adopt as many regenerative garden practices as I can. I will lead by example and support others as best I can on their own path to sustainability.
This land I’m on has never been about owning it to own it, but rather to be a steward and ultimately leave it better than I found it.
Today 5 acres, tomorrow…?
"We will be known forever by the tracks we leave."
- Dakota Tribe
Cheers!
(1) Hunt, Margaret, "Combating the Climate Crisis: Anishinaabe Philosophy and Environmental Justice" (2023). Combating the Climate Crisis: Anishinaabe Philosophy and Environmental Justice Student Theses 2015-Present. 149. https://research.library.fordham.edu/environ_2015/149
(2) Peterson, Teresa and LaBatte, Walter Jr., (2022, March 4) The Land, Water, and Language of the Dakota, Minnesota’s First People https://www.mnopedia.org/land-water-and-language-dakota-minnesota-s-first-people
