Our Mother Earth and Native American Love for Nature

Our Mother Earth and Native American Love for Nature

By: Rachel Rudolph 8

(Iroquois myth and Joshua Isham)

In Native American literature, Native Americans express their respect and love for nature in a strong emotion. In the Iroquois myth, “The World on a Turtle’s Back”, the Native Americans described the world as starting from a tree root and how nature helped the woman survive through food and shelter. The Native Americans respected nature because they depended on nature and wildlife to help them survive and grow. Native Americans also believed in spirits and that the spirits were present in everything that is around them. They prayed to the spirits in nature for good well-being and success since nature provided life for the Native Americans. In a short poem called “Our Mother Earth” by Joshua Isham, he describes the world and nature as life-givers and emphasizes greatly about how we should respect nature. He also writes that humans have polluted the earth with wastes and strife and that Mother Earth should not be treated in this way, instead she should be treated with respect, the same perspective the Native Americans have for nature. In my opinion, I believe that the Native Americans and author Joshua Isham both have the same belief for nature and they would both agree to the idea that nature deserves the proper care that we should give.

Family, Friend Poems. Family Friend Poems, n.d. Web. 11 Sept. 2012. http://www.familyfriendpoems.com/poem/our-mother-earth

 

The Language of Literature. N.p.: Iroquois myth, n.d. Print. "The World on a Turtle's Back" (general theme)