Old Indian Cedar Bog | Clear-cut forest
Map
Map
Story & Experience
Act of Beauty: We created a bird image from bog grasses and a wild strawberry flower (for the eye), atop an old cedar stump.
Experience
Larry: Saw the tenacity of life; the place was cut, and destroyed a millennia-old gathering place, and yet no matter what we do, life goes on in a good way. Heard Native American drums and children playing. Thought about the freedom of wild places and wishes he could’ve been raised that way and, in turn, raised his daughter that way with the freedoms and peace of outdoor places, away from the whole notion of “don’t touch!”. Had feelings of joy, beauty, peace.
Jennifer: At first had a very visual experience, just looking around and noticing the cottonwoods, willow and wildflowers. Noticed how soft the misty rain was that came intermittently. Then it shifted to an auditory experience, noticing the birdsong, wind in the trees; this is when the real feeling of the place came. Got the sense that it was well-used by Native American people, then readily cut/destroyed/used up. Didn’t want to polarize against the people who destroyed it or glorify/polarize the Indian uses. Just noticed the process of humans doing what we do; trying to withhold judgment. In the end, it brought calm, soothing, beauty inside by seeing regeneration and beauty outside.
Act of Beauty: We created a bird image from bog grasses and a wild strawberry flower (for the eye), atop an old cedar stump.
Experience
Larry: Saw the tenacity of life; the place was cut, and destroyed a millennia-old gathering place, and yet no matter what we do, life goes on in a good way. Heard Native American drums and children playing. Thought about the freedom of wild places and wishes he could’ve been raised that way and, in turn, raised his daughter that way with the freedoms and peace of outdoor places, away from the whole notion of “don’t touch!”. Had feelings of joy, beauty, peace.
Jennifer: At first had a very visual experience, just looking around and noticing the cottonwoods, willow and wildflowers. Noticed how soft the misty rain was that came intermittently. Then it shifted to an auditory experience, noticing the birdsong, wind in the trees; this is when the real feeling of the place came. Got the sense that it was well-used by Native American people, then readily cut/destroyed/used up. Didn’t want to polarize against the people who destroyed it or glorify/polarize the Indian uses. Just noticed the process of humans doing what we do; trying to withhold judgment. In the end, it brought calm, soothing, beauty inside by seeing regeneration and beauty outside.
RECENT STORIES
Regeneration at the Buffalo River
For our second year, our Global Earth Exchange brought together members of Lynda’s longstanding Active Hope group and family and friends inspired by Radical Joy’s ethos and practice, to observe the Summer Solstice with new[...]
Listening to the Sawkill
Solstice Saturday, June 21, in Woodstock, NY, eight of us gathered in the woods along the banks of the stream where we were headed a shortways upstream to the site of an ancient handbuilt dam[...]
Earth is sacred, whatever its state
The "Earth Matters" ministry of Irvine United Congregational Church hosted this event early on Sunday morning. It was new and we were pleased that four of us showed up. We had originally planned to have[...]