by Peter Twitchell
I have to reflect back when I was a youngster growing up… our Elders loved to steam together and tell stories of the day’s successful hunts and laugh. They lived to be Elders long before medicine came along. They lived clean lives respecting all living things and each other.
Respect is something we have lost along our life’s journey. This was brought on by the disease of alcohol, drugs, and greed today.
I look back to remember my dad who taught me everything about the gun – how to use it, properly clean it, and most importantly how to use it and shoot it. Dad taught me how to hunt, trap, and snare wild game.
Everything I did out in the wild was a lesson. To respect and honor it was of utmost importance as it provided for my every need.
The great outdoors was my shelter and provider and we were taught always to honor it and keep it pristine, clean, and never trash it with diapers or plastic bags and cans.
Once as a young man I was out on the pristine tundra miles from civilization, walking and enjoying nature when I saw a rusted Shasta pop soda can lying on the tundra. Then a bag of trash. I wondered, how did this trash get here?
I was baffled for a few seconds, then shocked, then I thought of the snowmachine or dog team that could have brought my fellow man to trash our tundra. I felt the sadness coming over me. This man-made garbage on our pristine tundra was put here by someone. That very act was disrespecting our pristine tundra and Mother Earth.
All of a sudden I felt there was no more respect, something our elders had left us to remember.
