Considering the shocking events of the past months in the United States, particularly in relation to the Earth, I believe we need to talk about Mother Earth's laws versus the practices of Empire. They are radically different. Mother Earth's Laws are Life-centered and honor all people and all life on Earth; Empire is death-centered, favors a narrow demographic of people, and believes the Earth should be plundered for her resources for individual gain. Empire exalts social Darwinism and believes "those who have are those who deserve"; to the contrary, Mother Earth's Laws function from the reality that everyone here deserves to have their needs completely met and everyone matters. The highly-evolved, sophisticated cultures of Native Americans historically and currently function at every level of engagement (governmental, socioeconomically, and in gender practices) in ways that reflect and honor the inherent laws of this planet, Mother Earth's Laws. These Laws come from a profound and ancient relationship to the Earth. There is no "food chain" that functions from a belief in human exceptionalism, no hierarchy that allows humans to take and all other beings and elements expected to give. There is no one-way "Giving Tree" relationship (like Shel Silverstein's book), where human beings constantly take and Mother Earth gives, to the ultimate sacrifice of her very life.That's Empire.
Mother Earth's Laws do not function from a twisted belief that some human beings are more important than other human beings. Mother Earth denies no one anything, ever. She has never said, "You cannot drink from my river because of the color of your skin" or "You cannot breathe my air because of your religious beliefs" or "You cannot dig medicine because you are poor". That is not how this planet works, and Native American nations functioned from that reality for millennia before the Europeans arrived and started individual ownership of land, killing Native people and animals, and pillaging the Earth. Tragically, these beliefs and practices of Empire set up the system that defines the United States now, despite vehement opposition by people of all identities.
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