The earth is a gift from our Creator and it is our 
responsibility to do all we can to protect and defend her for as long as the next seven generations. She gives us every material thing there is. She provides both the products of nature and the elemental ingredients for everything man-made as well. She is the keeper of the sacred medicines—the herbal remedies, fruits and vegetables, grains and spices. Shaken Skunk said that every medicine to cure every single illness of humanity, both known illnesses and unknown illnesses, exists within a two-square-mile area of any mountain slope. The medicine healer knows where, when and how to harvest them. She said that when the harvester is worthy, the medicines they require will be revealed to them. If the harvester is not of “good spiritual heart” the medicines will hide from them. The earth also provides building materials for our homes and furniture and fibers for cloth used to make clothing. The earth provides animals for us to hunt and eat and use the hides for drums, warm clothes, moccasins and the bones for tools. She provides minerals and the elements of fire, water and wind. If we follow the seasons and watch the night sky, we will know when to plant and harvest, rest and work.
Native Americans were the first “environmentalists” and will be the last. We were the first to defend this land and will also be the last. Our stories tell of the mysteries Creator teaches us in the behavior of the animals. We are given the opportunity to interact harmoniously with the earth, the elements, the medicines, the seasons and the interconnectedness of all things. If we live this way we will be happy and grateful. There are physical laws that must not be broken by humanity. If we try to defy these natural laws we create difficulties for ourselves and others. We are taught not to take more than we need and to share when we enjoy abundance and even when we have just a little. Shaken Skunk also said that when we feel lost or confused or wounded by this life, to take off our shoes and walk barefoot on the uneven ground. The natural earth will show us the way back to the Creator. The tender souls of our feet will seek the safest path that is free of stickers and sharp rocks and as we follow the path of the gentle woodlands we will find ourselves and the peace that comes with interacting responsibly with Creation. These are very simple ways that can be understood by a small child but may be too complicated for the sophisticated adult. In this world we seem to search for more complicated solutions to the problems that plague us. We try to think beyond the simplest things because we are creative humans.
Creative energies can be used for other activities besides complicating our lives beyond recognition. We can decorate our baskets and pottery with the colors of our dreams and the passion of the human soul. We can sing to the Creator, the sky and the earth and each other. We can give thanks for the harvest. We can make drums and we can dance to the heartbeat of the mother earth and learn the rhythm of the drum from our own heartbeat. We can do these simple things or we can get caught up in the competitive world of mass commerce and telecommunication. The choices are ours for the making. We can live and let live or entangle ourselves in the negative co-dependence of others. Recovery tells us to let go and let God, and to keep it simple. The old ways are simple. If we use common sense in our choices and separate ourselves from grandiose ideas, we can live happy joyous and free. If we are keepers of the sacred earth we are happy and own deep in our hearts, the knowledge that our grandchildren, great grandchildren and beyond, will have the opportunity to enjoy the gift given so generously to all the keepers of the sacred earth.
