After watching that disturbing 45 minutes of Earthlings a few days ago, I couldn't help but wonder about my own standards when it comes to respecting not just those people around me, but also the environment in which we live and everything in it. Black Elk Speaks seemed to fit in pretty nicely with my questions. While it didn't really answer them, it definitely got me thinking. I have to preface this entry by saying that I know little to nothing about Native American culture. It has always seemed mystical and frankly, a little strange and even silly at times to me. This is my effort to glean from a rich culture that is far from my own.The most interesting part of Black Elk Speaks for me by far occurred right after the narrator had recovered from his vision inducing illness. Upon recovering, Black Elk goes for a walk carrying the bow and arrow that his grandfather had given him. He said that he was overcome with a "queer" feeling, followed by a desire to shoot something in an effort to forget himself.
"There was a bush and a little bird sitting in it; but just as I was going to shoot, I felt queer again, and remembered that I was to be like a relative with the birds. So I did not shoot. Then I went on down toward a creek, feeling foolish because I had let the little bird go, and when I saw a green frog sitting there, I just shot him right away. But when I picked him up by the legs, I thought: "Now I have killed him," and it made me want to cry" (The Bison Hunt, Black Elk Speaks).
This whole scene struck me as odd, but at the same time very truthful. America, as a society, is notorious for it's wasteful living. I've been living it for the past 21 years, and I feel like I do it as much as anyone. For the most part, we are people of luxury. When we want something, we go get it. If we don't want it anymore, we toss it out. That is just the way we operate. I don't remember the last time I stopped to think about the implications of way I lived, or the effect I was having on my environment. I'm not entirely sure if Black Elk was upset over his wasteful actions, or if it was just the loss of life that made him want to cry, but I definitely think there is alot to learn from the way he reacted. Killing the frog obviously was something that upset Black Elk deep down. Given the context, it was not a natural and respectful thing to do, just like shooting the bird would not have been the right thing to do.
Before Black Elk's incident with the Bird and Frog, he falls ill and experiences a sort of vision in which he speaks to six different beings of power. One of these figures gives Black Elk two unique gifts, which stand out to me above the rest:
"Now there was a wooden cup in his hand and it was full of water and in the water was the sky. "Take this," he said. "It is the power to make live, and it is yours."
Now he had a bow in his hands. "Take this," he said. "It is the power to destroy, and it is yours." (The Bison Hunt, Black Elk Speaks).
Now he had a bow in his hands. "Take this," he said. "It is the power to destroy, and it is yours." (The Bison Hunt, Black Elk Speaks).
I thought it was very interesting how he was given both the power to sustain and destroy, give life and give death. Why would he be given the ability to deal out death if death if all killing is wrong? To a certain extent, I think you can argue that all humans have powers to give life, and to give death. We are creatures of action, but at the same time we are capable of reason. It would be intolerably selfish of us to employ our reason only in situations that benefit us. In other words, don't shoot frogs just to make yourself feel better. We are stewards of this world, not guests. By popular definition, a steward seeks the well being of whatever it is that he is looking after.
In detail, here is what I am talking about:"For it is like a man going on a journey, who summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them. To one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. The one who had received five talents went off right away and put his money to work and gained five more. In the same way, the one who had two gained two more. 18 But the one who had received one talent went out and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money in it. After a long time, the master of those slaves came and settled his accounts with them. The one who had received the five talents came and brought five more, saying, ‘Sir, you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.’ His master answered, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave! You have been faithful in a few things. I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master.’ The one with the two talents also came and said, ‘Sir, you entrusted two talents to me. See, I have gained two more.’ His master answered, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave! You have been faithful with a few things. I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master.’ Then the one who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Sir, I knew that you were a hard man, harvesting where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.’ But his master answered, ‘Evil and lazy slave! So you knew that I harvest where I didn’t sow and gather where I didn’t scatter? Then you should have deposited my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received my money back with interest! Therefore take the talent from him and give it to the one who has ten. For the one who has will be given more, and he will have more than enough. But the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. And throw that worthless slave into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth'" (Matthew 25:13-30)
When you stop to think about it, taking care of our environment benefits not only our world and those around us, but it also benefits us. We learn to live healthier more enjoyable lives. In addition, we won' be thrown out into the dark to weep and gnash our teeth, haha.
Cheers!
