Quiet Time in Nature

        I enjoyed last week's readings and class discussion in comparing the works from Meriwether Lewis and Luther Standing Bear in the Nature Writing, as they allowed me to better understand the Whites' vs. Native Americans' views towards nature, and the potential implications of those views. I believe these differences were best described through Standing Bear's writings, which is understandable as his works were written to help the White audience better understand Native Americans. "It was good for the skin to touch the earth and the old people liked to remove their moccasins and walk with bare feet on the sacred earth" (327). This quote from Standing Bear stood out to me because it demonstrates how important the land is to Native Americans, and it made me wonder how this impacted Whites, as at this time they were stealing land and relocating Native Americans. Clearly it was not beneficial enough since these actions continued to occur, but reading Standing Bear's section made me wonder if Whites began to understand, at any level, how important land and connection with nature was to Native Americans, as well as if they had any remorse for their actions after reading works like this one. Additionally, Standing Bear describes that the fundamental difference between the Whites' and Native Americans' views comes down to their childhood instruction, with whites spending a lot of time fooling around outside whereas the Native Americans are alert and observant of their surrounding (329). But, I did find it important that we also acknowledged in class that the Native Americans were not perfect environmentalists, such as the story of them running hundreds of buffalos off a cliff in Lewis' writings, as it helped us remain unbiased and understand that both sides had room for improvement. 

        Beyond comparing their differing viewpoints, I also found these readings to be amazing as they described the earth in its truest form, before it became commercialized and damaged as I see it today. For example, Lewis states "The hills and river Clifts which we passed today exhibit a most romantic appearance... they are formed of remarkable white sandstone which is sufficiently soft to give way readily to the impression of water" (100). While reading descriptions like this, I could not help but think how incredible it would be if this journal had photographs corresponding with these descriptions. Obviously, that was not possible during Lewis and Clark's journal, but this realization gave me a greater understanding of the reasoning behind including photos in these nature journals. 

        Standing Bear states "the Indian and the white man sense things differently because the white man has put distance between himself and nature; and assuming a lofty place in the scheme of order of things has lost for him both reverence and understanding" (330). Upon reflecting on these readings and class, this quote in particular resonated with me because it remains true in people today, at least for myself. I live with distance between myself and nature, as I live in developed suburbs and do not often spend designated time in nature with the sole purpose of observing and appreciating it like the Native Americans do. Therefore, I decided that this weekend I would be purposeful in removing the distance between myself and nature by simply sitting outside and observing it. To do so, I decided to go sit in a nature-filled area on campus for about an hour with no distractions, instead simply focusing on the nature surrounding me. I found this green-filled community area on the academic side of campus filled with grass, sitting, and garden areas, and decided to sit here for my time (see the area in pictures 1 and 2). 

Picture 1: My Sitting Spot

Picture 2: Overview of the community area

        While sitting here, I was amazed at how much beauty and excitement that was around me that I otherwise would have missed. I saw and heard birds flying and chirping in the sky, and also heard crickets and even saw one jumping around beside me before he flew away. I also saw a couple people playing with their dogs in the grass-space, which was exciting, and I liked seeing how the dogs interacted with the nature around them. Additionally, I looked at all the unique aspects of the trees and plants. I usually would simply think these were all the same types of plants and trees, but by taking the time to look at them, I was able to see all their unique differences, such as one tree having sharp thorns on its branches (see picture 3). The space also had a water installment, which is obviously man-made, but I felt it worked in extenuating the natural beauty of the area as it almost blended into the space (see picture 4).

Picture 3: Thorne filled tree branch

Picture 4: Water Installment

        Overall, I really enjoyed this time I spent in nature, as I found it relaxing to sit and appreciate what was around me without any external distractions. It also felt like I was meditating to an extent, and I felt rejuvenated when I went home. Going forwards, I hope to spend time like this at the end of all my walks, even if it is just for 5 minutes, as it provides a positive experience with nature and is beneficial for my mental health.

Thank you for reading,

Emily