Art Center , the Historic Medley with the earth and each other and District , and the Barnesville School develop a more complex and complete understanding of how we can of Arts and Sciences . These opportunities to learn from and engage flourish together . with history and cultures , past and I sat down with Peter Brooks , present , are drops of knowledge from the Piscataway Indian Nation , and inspiration that can empower to provide readers with a more us to transform our relationship complete Maryland history below .
The land is not a resource to be used but is a relative to be honored . We call it mother . Our mother gave birth to us , and all the things around us that we see . She takes care of us , so we feel it is only common sense that we take care of her .
The Montgomery County Ag Reserve you describe is a sacred gift . The people , the animals , the fish , the plants , the insects , the trees are all gifts to us as human beings . Usually when you are given something you want to give something back in return and that is where the disconnect occurs between our nation and the others . From time immemorial we have always tried to be good neighbors to one another , take care of our parents , remain close to them , and share everything , but things are different now . Today , we must move beyond appreciation to action , from taking to giving back . That is why the ceremonies and reserves are important to raising generations of children who have a different relationship to the earth . It ’ s literally our spaceship , and we can ’ t live without it . That is why the way of balance , of harmony , is called “ walking in beauty ,” but what we have today is hedonism and greed . We are not walking in beauty as much as we are walking to work .
The concept of an “ Ag Reserve ” would have been foreign to our ancestors . The entire world was sacred , every inch of soil hallowed ground . We did not need to set aside land for preservation because our very way of life was structured around ecology . For American Indians , “ agriculture ” was uniquely indistinguishable from spirituality — instead it is an exchange of gifts .
That ’ s why I think it ’ s so funny working in sustainability today . All people talk about are “ tax credits ” and we leave all the spiritual gifts on the table ! We take it for granted , but planning , planting , and harvesting should be accompanied by song , dance , and other ceremonies .
But all is not lost , we are just waking up to these things . As you walk and live and love on the Ag Reserve , remember every rock , every blade of grass , the rivers , the trees , each sunset and the moon ; they all tell our story , the story of the Piscataway people , not so much in words , but through the heart which must be open , forgiving , and humble in order to hear the beauty of our ongoing story .
Therefore , in protecting and honoring this place , you are not just preserving a piece of land — whether you know it or not , you are preserving a piece of our collective soul . Our history , and future ; our earth are in your hands when you hold this soil . - Peter Brooks
How can we express our gratitude to and give back to our Mother , in the Ag Reserve and beyond ? First , nurturing an awareness of the cornucopia we are so blessed to live in and share with our neighbors of all kinds is a solid foundation for transformation . From there , taking action in the ways that we are able and gifted — raising awareness in families , neighborhoods , workplaces , and friend circles ; leaving no trace when outdoors and collecting litter and cleaning up waterways ; civic engagement to encourage political policies that treat the environment as the treasure it is ; and learning more about the species and peoples who share spaces with us and what they need to thrive . Receiving : understanding , awareness , beauty , and sustenance . Giving : attention , care , appreciation , and enrichment .
Peter Brooks demonstrates traditional indigenous American style dance .