Reader Views reviews Honor the Earth by Phil Bellfy

Reviewed by Megan Weiss for Reader Views (06/2022)

Phil Bellfy has collected together numerous insightful, instructive, and magnificently written essays in “Honor the Earth: Indigenous Response to Environmental Degradation in the Great Lakes.” This collection serves multiple purposes: 1. To call direct attention to how western capitalist initiatives have been dooming our planet from the early days of colonization and 2. To highlight how by collaborating with other cultures, populations and entering into constructive discussions about these environmental problems is the only way to come back from the brink of environmental disaster.

Honor the Earth” has a wide variety of essays covering a range of topics, such as Traditional Knowledge, Indigenous Responsibility, the threats of mining, capitalist schemes, and much more. One powerful aspect of this book is its power. As a non-Native reader, I know I will never be able to truly comprehend how destructive Western colonization and capitalist incentives have been to Native communities, throughout the country, throughout the history of the “New World.” It is not a secret that we are finding ourselves at a dangerous precipice in terms of climate change and environmental health, and we only have ourselves to blame. It was quite eye-opening, and revealing, how this collection of essays managed to both convey the trials and endeavors of Native and rural populations in the Great Lakes Basin and also explain in understandable terms just how and why various choices made by U.S. leaders have had so many consequences.

I think one of the most disturbing, stark realities revealed in “Honor the Earth,” was the effect of mining and pollution of lake waters on surrounding communities. I had never heard of having limits on how much fish someone, such as a pregnant woman or a woman who wished to bear children in the future, could consume as a result of the dangerous toxins that those fish were exposed to, and therefore ingested and became contaminated with. The idea that these communities cannot go through daily life without clean, safe food and even water, in this day and age, is a slapping reminder of how those of more privileged status seem to continually write off the struggles and dangers that those in lower economic classes are being forced to face.

One of the recurring themes throughout the essays in “Honor the Earth” was that despite the fact these Native and rural communities are the ones forced to suffer the consequences of environmental degradation at the hands of greedy capitalist regimes, they are often left out of discussions on how to actually help that same environment. For example, the fact that Native voices only made up a marginal percent of voices allowed to contribute at SOLEC conventions.

If we want to truly try and stop the ecological time bomb that we Westerners have set off, then we have to recognize that we cannot do that without involving those who admittedly know more about the land than we ever will. I remember being first angry, then saddened, at the revelation that even when allowed chances to voice their ideas, these ideas were often scoffed at or received outright hostile responses. I was angry, because it seemed so ridiculous that in this day and age the privileged white majority continues to both intentionally and unintentionally exclude other populations from important discussions, and saddened because even after over 400 years of sharing the same country we still have not made much progress in terms of accepting those with different ideas.

Honor the Earth” is a hard pill to swallow as a non-Native, white reader, but it is a necessary pill. I cannot contend to understand the nuances of nature and the land around me like Native populations can, because they have poured their blood, sweat and tears into it for tens of thousands of years longer. We cannot contend to understand the traditional ecological knowledge of the Native populations, but we can be allies. “Honor the Earth” is a powerful collection that would be a great addition to the bookshelves of those interested in ecology, anthropology, cultural studies and indigenous studies.


Phil Bellfy
Ziibi Press (2022)
ISBN 978-1615996254

Up Bow, Down Bow [PB]

978-1-61599-703-9
$23.95
A Child with Down Syndrome and His Journey to Master the Cello
In stock
1
Product Details
UPC: 978-1-61599-703-9
Brand: Modern History Press
Binding: Paperback
Edition: 1st
Author: Nancy M. Schwartz and April E. Beard
Pages: 132
Publication Date: 11/01/2022

When 4th grader Alex Schwartz first met his cello, his eyes lit up with wonder and a smile appeared on his face as bright as the potential his new cello teacher saw within him. The cello positively impacted all aspects of his development including focus, fine motor and gross motor skills.

Through the transformative power of music, Alex's voice sings through his cello in songs of joy, determination and strength. Up Bow Down Bow shares the beauty of his ongoing musical journey and tells of the vital teamwork between a young music teacher with an endless belief in the abilities of her students, and a mother with ceaseless love, support and hope for her son who has Down syndrome, epilepsy and hypotonia.

"Children with varying abilities have much to offer us all. This book speaks to how parents, families and communities can support children with diverse capabilities and the joy we can receive in return" -Barbara Bowman, Irving B. Harris Professor, Erikson Institute

"This is a tale of the triumph of the human spirit: the triumph managed through a parent's love and persistence, a teacher's dedication, a young boy's desire to learn and music's power to transform." -Russ Walsh, Rider University, author of A Parent's Guide to Public Education in the 21st Century

"This collaboration offers a promising and powerful blueprint for educators, parents and caregivers everywhere to collab-orate, teach and love all children within the space of strength-based perspectives." -Kass Minor, Co-Founding Educator and Executive Director, The Minor Collective

Learn more at www.UpNotDownBook.com

From Modern History Press

Save this product for later

 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.