I live on land that belongs to the Lenni-Lenape. They were willing to share it, but we took it anyway.
Long before Abraham's covenant with the same God worshipped by the same folks who brought us napalm and ICBMs, the people here had their own Creator, Kishelemukong, who "creates us by his thoughts."
A Great Turtle plays a role in the creation story, and we evolved from trees.
In the midst of Hobbesian turmoil, I try to remember this. The Lenape survived here for 8,000 years, give or take a thousand, on the same lands we've made uninhabitable.
Come May, I will again kayak in the Hackensack ("Ackingsack") Meadows. This time I'm offering a prayer to Kishelemukong.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
Well said.
Post a Comment