Why Land Matters
From an Indigenous perspective, land connections are spiritual connections. Every aspect of the land, the water, the plants, the animals, are all related and are considered sacred beings to be cared for and protected. The land is seen as sacred, so to misuse and misappropriate the land is to break a sacred relationship.
All the original instructions on how to live life in a good way are given to us through the land. It is only in acknowledging all our relations upon the land that we can be brought together as one. In the Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address time is taken to express gratitude to every aspect of creation and at the end of each refrain is stated, “Now our minds are one.”
With the understanding that Indigenous people consider the land to be sacred, read this document Historical Primer by Shauna Johnson. When complete, consider the loss of identity and of rightful place on this land that people who are First Nations Métis, and Inuit have experienced for many generations.
To further your understanding of land as sacred, see:
