After reading LaDuke’s article about Akwesasne and the contamination of PCBs from the GM plant and other industrial plants, I wasn’t surprised to learn about the Mohawk people’s dedication to preserving the land that they live upon. Throughout this semester in this course, we have talked repeatedly about the ties to the land that Native Indians have. That spiritual, cyclical relationship that Natives have can be a hard concept for Americans to grasp. This is evident in LaDuke’s article and her brief history of industrialization in this land. Back in 1903, when the Aluminum Company of America (ALCOA) first established a factory, I’m sure the people who were running that factory were not worried about the damage that they were causing to the land surrounding them. From my understanding of industrialization, it seems that making money and progressing forward was probably first and foremost the most important thing. It’s reminiscent of the whole “outta sight, outta mind” mantra. Environmental pollution is a tricky situation especially because in the past, people were not aware of the damage that was being done. By the time, it was made aware, it was almost certainly too late to undo the damage.
It was inspiring to read about Katsi Cook’s efforts. She certainly is a strong woman to battle with major corporations and to ask for help from the Environmental Protection Agency.
I enjoy how LaDuke ended her essay. In the last paragraph she states, “the welfare of the entire planet is at stake” (23). I think with the recent “Green Movement” that people are becoming more and more aware of the dire state of need that our planet is in. We, as a human race, need to come together and really start believing in that reciprocal relationship that every human has with the earth.
· LaDuke W. 1999. All Our Relations: Native Struggles for Land and Life. Cambridge, MA:South End Press.
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Reading these articles, the LaDuke in particular reinforced much of what we have talked about in class all semester. However, it is still difficult to hear just how badly industrial plants have destroyed the Mohawk people. Now that we understand the harm caused by PCBs, factories have to respect the land around them. In return, the Mohawk people can hopefully make a comeback by preserving their land and bodies.
This is Dan,
I think that reading these articles also makes me think of how to best convince Americans, who have trouble with American Indian Philosophy, to at least acknowledge the legitimacy of the 'spiritual, cyclical' relationship of the land. I think the great danger is dismissal as unrealistic or illogical. I think, as you point out, that LaDuke uses a great deal of quantifiable evidence in order to convince Americans in their usual, linear way.
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