From: duneman7484@iscsvax.uni.edu
Newsgroups: talk.environment
Subject: Re: Native People's leadership (!!)
Date: 28 Jul 92 01:37:54 GMT
Organization: University of Northern Iowa

I think that something the people who responded to my post "Native People's
Leadership" missed was what I was trying to say about holding the Earth as
sacred and the EXTENT of our enviro-destruction. Yes, many cultures around the
world raped the Earth just as we have. I'm not arguing against that (I always
wonder why when someone speaks of, say, native American history and they
disagree with the idea that they *might* have been right on in some aspects
they throw in examples of other cultures that worked against nature instead of
sticking to who specifically we're talking about. In this case, Europeans and
Americans.) What I think is something we have to REALLY think about is why the
only enviromental "leadership" making headlines are people like Germany and
Japan's leaders when they go against the US at Rio. ".... Strong environmnetal
stand by Germany ...."  ??  I welcome any and all people, western, eastern,
northern, southern, central, who will really live this. I wish I could to a
much higher extent. What I'm talking about is living "in the absence of the 
sacred" as Jerry Mander called it in his book by the same title. Only since the
WEST'S technology got hold of the world have we been at the brink of 
destruction. I am well aware that there have been enviromental disasters since 
"the beginning of time." But nothing can come close to what has happened in the
last 200 years. We now have the toys to really make this place disgusting and 
we're doing a real fine job at it. I'm not blaming the "west," or the 
industrial revolution for this; it was a cycle begun long ago. But I must speak
out when the same leaders who have hurried it along so much are being praised 
for their so-called environmentalism. There are people who have lived it for 
real. This brings me to another question: why, when speaking of how some native
people's found a close balance between themselves and nature, is it pointed out
that they had all these diseases and only lived to be 50 and had very hard 
lives... ?? Really now, tell me, do we really think that our QUALITY of life 
has become so beautiful that "it was worth it?" I see SO much psychological and
other damage BEACUSE of this lifestyle we've created. STRESS.....!! Sure, we
live to be 100 -- unable to walk, talk and in a old folks home. Great. 
"In the  absence of the sacred." I'm talking about the Great Spirit and anyone 
who has really felt it in the warm breeze of summer. Leadership, heroes ...
   Sorry to ramble. These thoughts are scattered but I'm kind of piecing
this together as I learn more about this subject. Anger is self-defeating in
the end, but it also the spark that gets people to act and learn and change. It
is not the same as hate. Communication is how we get to the middle that is the
truth. I think ....

PEACE!
Jeff Duneman
Duneman7484@iscsvax.uni.edu              |--------|
                                         |  VOTE! |
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Xref: sparky talk.environment:2860 sci.environment:9656 alt.politics.marrou:90