Thanks for the report and info, Max. The prairie dogs reminded of reading a while ago: uranium in the ground attracts lightning so is a key part of the rain cycle... thus all that uranium mining decades ago most likely affected those cycles. I couldn't find the quote but maybe in "Wisdomkeepers: meeting with Native American spiritual elders" edited by Steve Wall and Harvey Arden. If i do find can let you know.
"meddling..." exactly, Max. Another similar gist i heard on First Voices Radio, about how the wild buffalo running, the hooves on the earth helps activate something that brings rain; even if i got that not exact accurate the bigger point is that there are some deeply intricate ways that nature cycles happen and Original Peoples typically know such stuff that others have no clue about. The sad and destructive part is because of those who have no interest in learning or simply don't think any of that stuff possible.
Glad to see the focus on the Olympic Pen, where I live. I just wrote this piece on the massive decline in the Rufous Hummingbird, which goes right to logging - and the Round-up style chemicals they use to prevent "weeds" like wildflowers. https://substack.com/@schampton/p-161967164
Brilliant piece Stephen, thanks for sharing. That's quite a deep dive. Really appreciate your detailed analysis. And I see you're writing about the genocide as well. Thank you. I'm subscribing.
Found the quote and is from book i cited, "Wisdomkeepers" 1990, and from Thomas Banyacya (Hopi), "We don't want these weapons made up of the uranium you take from our land. If you take the uranium the lightning won't come and bring the rains. The uranium attracts the lightning. Take it away and the lightning won't come. You have no right to take the lightning from us!"
Really great piece, Max. Thanks for drawing attention to the water dimension of climate, especially here in the northwest. And I love that you've been reading Alpha Lo's work. I've learned a lot from him You might also enjoy the site: regenesis, by Ali Bin Shaheed, and especially his writings on dams and arctic heating. https://r3genesis.substack.com/p/173-recap-how-northern-dams-became.
a trip through the pnw 5 years ago,brought sadness in the view of all the missing life along the coast. i grew up in washington, the forest is where i spent all my time, and the ocean too. if this turns around soon it will be a long time for restoration......thank you Max for all your help and dedication.....blessings
It's interesting how everything is connected. The Bar tailed Godwit migrates from the North West pacific to the SW pacific each year and a few visit the little estuary we live near. Fewer and fewer unfortunately. Perhaps a few come from the Olympic area.
Logging is a huge concern here as well, Gondwana remnant rainforests still exist but are being encroached upon. The community supports a Great Koala National Park as in less than 200 years extractive colonial capitalism has endangered even the iconic Koala, but never trust politicians of any colour. We were promised the creation of this reserve and voted accordingly, the logging has been increased 5 fold with police escort in and out, in a mad scramble to remove as much as possible before the loggers are excluded. The fight continues.
The struggles are similar all around the world, and deeply interlinked. Australia is, of course, such a huge example of these desertification issues as well. Sending all my best.
Thanks for the report and info, Max. The prairie dogs reminded of reading a while ago: uranium in the ground attracts lightning so is a key part of the rain cycle... thus all that uranium mining decades ago most likely affected those cycles. I couldn't find the quote but maybe in "Wisdomkeepers: meeting with Native American spiritual elders" edited by Steve Wall and Harvey Arden. If i do find can let you know.
Interesting, Mankh. I hadn't heard that, but I'm not surprised. We are meddling in things we do not understand...
"meddling..." exactly, Max. Another similar gist i heard on First Voices Radio, about how the wild buffalo running, the hooves on the earth helps activate something that brings rain; even if i got that not exact accurate the bigger point is that there are some deeply intricate ways that nature cycles happen and Original Peoples typically know such stuff that others have no clue about. The sad and destructive part is because of those who have no interest in learning or simply don't think any of that stuff possible.
Hubris
apt precise word
Glad to see the focus on the Olympic Pen, where I live. I just wrote this piece on the massive decline in the Rufous Hummingbird, which goes right to logging - and the Round-up style chemicals they use to prevent "weeds" like wildflowers. https://substack.com/@schampton/p-161967164
Brilliant piece Stephen, thanks for sharing. That's quite a deep dive. Really appreciate your detailed analysis. And I see you're writing about the genocide as well. Thank you. I'm subscribing.
Found the quote and is from book i cited, "Wisdomkeepers" 1990, and from Thomas Banyacya (Hopi), "We don't want these weapons made up of the uranium you take from our land. If you take the uranium the lightning won't come and bring the rains. The uranium attracts the lightning. Take it away and the lightning won't come. You have no right to take the lightning from us!"
Thank you for sharing that, Mankh.
you're welcome. Max, and makes me wonder how many other such examples. The web of life needs some rewiring (mixed metaphor).
Really great piece, Max. Thanks for drawing attention to the water dimension of climate, especially here in the northwest. And I love that you've been reading Alpha Lo's work. I've learned a lot from him You might also enjoy the site: regenesis, by Ali Bin Shaheed, and especially his writings on dams and arctic heating. https://r3genesis.substack.com/p/173-recap-how-northern-dams-became.
Thanks for sharing! I've read some about those northern dams and the vast warming damage they have done. Shocking.
Great piece very informative, thank you.
a trip through the pnw 5 years ago,brought sadness in the view of all the missing life along the coast. i grew up in washington, the forest is where i spent all my time, and the ocean too. if this turns around soon it will be a long time for restoration......thank you Max for all your help and dedication.....blessings
Thank you Linda, blessings to you as well.
It's interesting how everything is connected. The Bar tailed Godwit migrates from the North West pacific to the SW pacific each year and a few visit the little estuary we live near. Fewer and fewer unfortunately. Perhaps a few come from the Olympic area.
Logging is a huge concern here as well, Gondwana remnant rainforests still exist but are being encroached upon. The community supports a Great Koala National Park as in less than 200 years extractive colonial capitalism has endangered even the iconic Koala, but never trust politicians of any colour. We were promised the creation of this reserve and voted accordingly, the logging has been increased 5 fold with police escort in and out, in a mad scramble to remove as much as possible before the loggers are excluded. The fight continues.
The struggles are similar all around the world, and deeply interlinked. Australia is, of course, such a huge example of these desertification issues as well. Sending all my best.