Every Action Against Earth Has A Consequence

A Zuni opinion regarding the Flagstaff Fires, BP Oil Spill, etc., etc.:

You really don't have to go back that far in time to recount many other human-caused incidences that have wreaked havoc upon the earth as well as humankind all over the world. The Rodeo-Chediski Fire in Arizona, the Cerro Grande Fire in New Mexico, Chernobyl, Three Mile Island, the Exxon Valdez ... the list goes on ... and on ... and on.

Long ago, according to legend, my people - the A:shiwi (Zuni people) - took one of our most precious natural resources (salt) for granted, and nearly lost an important part of their culture.

Many centuries ago, Salt Mother lived near the Zuni villages, providing salt to our ancestors. After a time, our ancestors started abusing and disrespecting Salt Mother. They would waste the salt and not leave proper offerings. Because of this, Salt Mother became dismayed and left our homelands to her present location.

When it was discovered that Salt Mother was missing, our ancestors searched far and wide and eventually found her. They begged her to return, but she refused, saying that if there was ever another time we showed disrespect to her, she would leave forever and never return. To this day, the A:shiwi follow the proper rituals when harvesting salt from the sacred salt lake. It is out of respect for the earth and for Salt Mother that we continue to follow this practice.

The great Chief Seattle once stated, "The earth does not belong to man, man belongs to the earth. All things are connected like the blood that unites us all. Man did not weave the web of life, he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself."

In short, what this basically means is that as we slowly destroy the earth and plunder all of its natural resources, we are slowly destroying ourselves in the process. Will humankind ever come to realize that every action has a consequence? That remains to be seen, that is, if we survive long enough.