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We Can Learn From Others' Customs

Have you ever imagined what your town or neighborhood looked like before the arrival of European explorers and settlers? I wonder about the tribes and families, the rituals and ceremonies that might have taken place on the land that I now inhabit.

Recently, I attended a presentation by the director of the Schingoethe Center of Aurora University about native peoples of Illinois. This museum features special exhibits and programs along with ongoing displays depicting the history, art and artifacts of the early inhabitants of our state and country. I learned a bit about the Illini, the Fox and Pottawatomi, the prairie and woodland tribes of the Midwest, but my knowledge is basic at best.

When I lived in Australia and commuted on the Sydney Harbour, I used to narrow my eyes and try and visualize it as it was centuries ago. On several occasions when I was attending a conference, political or cultural event there, the organizers began with a “Welcome to Country” ceremony. An elder from the local Aboriginal tribe shared some of their history through a talk or performance.

Many Australian organizations and institutions have actually developed protocols to ensure that the traditional custodians of the land these groups now occupy are consulted and acknowledged. I think that we in the U.S. could learn and benefit from such a practice.

Land, like all our natural resources, has become a commodity. The idea that land cannot be owned is unfathomable in our world, yet Crazy Horse’s words ultimately ring true to me: “One does not sell the earth upon which people walk.”

I'm Paula Garrett, and that's my perspective.

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