Monday, February 18, 2008
Noah Ryan, thesis for research project
I am having a great deal of trouble deciding on a topic for my research paper. The best I have come up with is something along the lines of investigating the influence of Western understanding of sacred place/landscape on our understanding of the world and our attitude concerning the environment. Mostly I want to present the idea that our view of ourselves and humans as a species has done great damage to our way of life and to the community of life, and to fix this we would have to change our whole outlook on life. One problem with this is the broadness of the topic, but I suppose I could limit it to the United States or a particular part of the way we view ourselves. I am not sure I will be able to articulate exactly what I want to say in this essay, or that I will be able to tackle the issues that interest me. Probably I'll end up doing some specific place, Colorado for example, and a specific Native American tribes understanding of the landscape compared to the non-native peoples and the differences in how they treat the world around them.
Monday, February 11, 2008
Ben Wiehl: The Place, The Region, And The Commons pg.27-51
In the beginning of this section, Gary Snyder first conveys that he wishes to discuss places as experiences, and give meaning to the phrase "live in place". He goes on to explain how our particular place is part of who we are as individuals, citing the ability to recall upon many years past into your childhood. This is because when you are young, your knowledge of the world about you is very limited. A childs first experiences of the lay of the land around him/her will surely affect them even far into their life journey. Snyder goes on to remark that it is Mother Earth herself who has provided us all that we need, and has actually shaped our being in general. So it is to Mother Earth that we are to pay our ultimate respects to, an argument which seems to be maintained in the section on the Commons. It seems to me that we may not be giving the Wilderness its dues.
We are provided with everything we need, while hardly giving back at all. In this way, I see human kind as a type of parasite to nature. It is hard to imagine how nature would have developed this world on her own had we not been present. You can be sure that Earth would be quite happy to be left to her own natural processes, as humans are the most manipulative creatures in regard to their surroundings. We mine, deforest, pollute, and expand constantly; continually ravaging the land at a higher rate then we conserve it. Snyder provides many accounts of such practices by humans that have had a detrimental affect on natural systems. I agree whole-heartedly with his insistence that "there is no choice but to call for a 'recovery of the commons'", although with most of these land holdings belonging to Federal agencies, I don't see it happening as easily as one might wish.
We are provided with everything we need, while hardly giving back at all. In this way, I see human kind as a type of parasite to nature. It is hard to imagine how nature would have developed this world on her own had we not been present. You can be sure that Earth would be quite happy to be left to her own natural processes, as humans are the most manipulative creatures in regard to their surroundings. We mine, deforest, pollute, and expand constantly; continually ravaging the land at a higher rate then we conserve it. Snyder provides many accounts of such practices by humans that have had a detrimental affect on natural systems. I agree whole-heartedly with his insistence that "there is no choice but to call for a 'recovery of the commons'", although with most of these land holdings belonging to Federal agencies, I don't see it happening as easily as one might wish.
Sunday, February 3, 2008
Abigail Thomas, in class discussion on 1/23(?)
In class we were asked, how is human communication different from other organism communication, such as the bee wagging to its fellow bees the direct of sweets. Not subjective but objective are the bees. I could not help having a question after class, am I not different from a bee? Or am I so far gone as far as others may tell, that I am a cold objective person of science enwrapping myself in scientific method? I am genetically instinctual, isn’t all I do react by my disposition and experience to when I laugh with people who do I get not get along with, my preferences and objections,...or is it possible to accept more jectives. Ohhh yeah abstraction whoops.
Abigail Thomas, The Practice of the Wild
Pgs. 3-25 The Etiquette of Freedom
(The Compact)
The first story of Louie, who is one of three people who can speak Nisenan, but won’t meet up with one of his fellow few Nisenan speakers because of social concerns between the families, strikes one of my cords.
This cord is of compulsive tendencies (I think) where if something is very few, endangered, and extinction overshadows its future, I feel this frustration and impatience that I don’t want to accept a legacy but want to preserve, replenish and aid in not losing. Well in this case it’s perhaps not extinction but the loss of people with particular specialty that comes with perspective and personal experiences that are alive with the very people that have them. Not to say that Nisenan will die and disappear and with them their language and culture, but a language of three people perhaps is not going to be spoken once the people are gone. I’m not trying to convey, either, that these few people need to start a Nisenan school, but only just out of my compulsion, I wonder why they can’t overlook the family obstacle and revel together in their language as the few. But at last I concede that Mr. Snyder is right in that the language of culture and values overrides the Nisenan communication language, and so instead these two Nisenan speakers are indeed reveling just with their culture language rather than their speaking language.
This also shows that I had before assumed speaking language as an icon or poster face of a culture or a people...
“We also see that we must try to live without causing unnecessary harm, not just to fellow human beings but to all beings. We must try not to be stingy, or to exploit others. There will be enough pain in the world as it is.”
I just didn’t want this quote to be ignored in this entry as I have –truth-something to respect and aspire to achieve honesty in...last sentence is a straightforward truth to me and the whole thing is sooo good...Interesting that he mentions this after appreciating some aspects of ecology and evolution (4 Snyder)
Basically Snyder seems to sum up that everything is natural and wild describes the condition of certain things from our perspective (He also goes on, to detail that wild is also where people have not taken away from the potential of all the living forms that could otherwise live/ exist in the area; like people cities).
It’s interesting that he mentions that people developing towards towns, cities, even just being on land that had been cleared off of many communities of species for space in agriculture, had also been developing more disassociated with what was and it’s once full potential and distance was created from people to their environment. He goes into a cyclic history as man develops for himself and ho the relationship between himself and environment change (12-3 Snyder).
He points out that the wild can invade a city and other such humanly developed places just as the human developed places invade the wild (14-5 Snyder). Like grass and moss penetrating the cracks of sidewalks.
“Please don’t repeat this to the uninitiated” is a good antidote for people who would I guess otherwise tell others shortly that they can be wild without also explaining to the others what is meant by wild (24 Snyder). I just like this statement in a humorous way, it was funny, I laughed.
(The Compact)
The first story of Louie, who is one of three people who can speak Nisenan, but won’t meet up with one of his fellow few Nisenan speakers because of social concerns between the families, strikes one of my cords.
This cord is of compulsive tendencies (I think) where if something is very few, endangered, and extinction overshadows its future, I feel this frustration and impatience that I don’t want to accept a legacy but want to preserve, replenish and aid in not losing. Well in this case it’s perhaps not extinction but the loss of people with particular specialty that comes with perspective and personal experiences that are alive with the very people that have them. Not to say that Nisenan will die and disappear and with them their language and culture, but a language of three people perhaps is not going to be spoken once the people are gone. I’m not trying to convey, either, that these few people need to start a Nisenan school, but only just out of my compulsion, I wonder why they can’t overlook the family obstacle and revel together in their language as the few. But at last I concede that Mr. Snyder is right in that the language of culture and values overrides the Nisenan communication language, and so instead these two Nisenan speakers are indeed reveling just with their culture language rather than their speaking language.
This also shows that I had before assumed speaking language as an icon or poster face of a culture or a people...
“We also see that we must try to live without causing unnecessary harm, not just to fellow human beings but to all beings. We must try not to be stingy, or to exploit others. There will be enough pain in the world as it is.”
I just didn’t want this quote to be ignored in this entry as I have –truth-something to respect and aspire to achieve honesty in...last sentence is a straightforward truth to me and the whole thing is sooo good...Interesting that he mentions this after appreciating some aspects of ecology and evolution (4 Snyder)
Basically Snyder seems to sum up that everything is natural and wild describes the condition of certain things from our perspective (He also goes on, to detail that wild is also where people have not taken away from the potential of all the living forms that could otherwise live/ exist in the area; like people cities).
It’s interesting that he mentions that people developing towards towns, cities, even just being on land that had been cleared off of many communities of species for space in agriculture, had also been developing more disassociated with what was and it’s once full potential and distance was created from people to their environment. He goes into a cyclic history as man develops for himself and ho the relationship between himself and environment change (12-3 Snyder).
He points out that the wild can invade a city and other such humanly developed places just as the human developed places invade the wild (14-5 Snyder). Like grass and moss penetrating the cracks of sidewalks.
“Please don’t repeat this to the uninitiated” is a good antidote for people who would I guess otherwise tell others shortly that they can be wild without also explaining to the others what is meant by wild (24 Snyder). I just like this statement in a humorous way, it was funny, I laughed.
Abigail Thomas, The Writing Life by Anne Dilliard
“How many gifts do we open from which the writer neglected to remove the price tag?” (552 Dilliard)
She mentions “price tags” and “uncut umbilical cord” by writers as the work someone puts into something (552 Dilliard). By chapter 2 she too is delving into the price tag of her own writing and writing life. To me as an outside observer in the reading of her book her price tag seems so expensive for a writer’s life. Not unlike other people who pay high prices for say a rather useless diamond ring, her life seems not worth it, to me, for such a high price. Her high price as she describes is like secluding herself to Spartan-small places so she can rely as much as possible on her imagination, which I guess is a reasonable theory. She also describes not taking much care for herself like poor sleep and it doesn’t sound like she eats well. It seems so much for so little return to me.
But even as she questions her own self as to why would she live this life, I consent that her own doings are nothing to give her grief for, as I assume someone reading about me, who’s interests differing greatly from me, would think maybe my life isn’t worth living, in such the way that I do.
I also liked how she describes two boys, Brad and Brian coming to her house and them explaining that they liked a story of hers about a moth flying into a candle (583-4 Dilliard). Their appreciation gave me some evidence for her compensation.
Writer is careful of what he reads because that is what he will write and the what he learns because that is what he will know (590 Dilliard).
I think Anne Dilliard identified with the stunt pilot Rahm after she too experienced the sensation of the rolls he did. She talked about her realization that he was just as exposed pressures that were to be overcome by the discipline and blank; the struggles as a writer as to the g forces of a pilot (Chap 7 Dilliard).
I do feel a writer’s affinity with her as she describes writing and writing and writing but tomorrow most of it she’ll have to delete.
She mentions “price tags” and “uncut umbilical cord” by writers as the work someone puts into something (552 Dilliard). By chapter 2 she too is delving into the price tag of her own writing and writing life. To me as an outside observer in the reading of her book her price tag seems so expensive for a writer’s life. Not unlike other people who pay high prices for say a rather useless diamond ring, her life seems not worth it, to me, for such a high price. Her high price as she describes is like secluding herself to Spartan-small places so she can rely as much as possible on her imagination, which I guess is a reasonable theory. She also describes not taking much care for herself like poor sleep and it doesn’t sound like she eats well. It seems so much for so little return to me.
But even as she questions her own self as to why would she live this life, I consent that her own doings are nothing to give her grief for, as I assume someone reading about me, who’s interests differing greatly from me, would think maybe my life isn’t worth living, in such the way that I do.
I also liked how she describes two boys, Brad and Brian coming to her house and them explaining that they liked a story of hers about a moth flying into a candle (583-4 Dilliard). Their appreciation gave me some evidence for her compensation.
Writer is careful of what he reads because that is what he will write and the what he learns because that is what he will know (590 Dilliard).
I think Anne Dilliard identified with the stunt pilot Rahm after she too experienced the sensation of the rolls he did. She talked about her realization that he was just as exposed pressures that were to be overcome by the discipline and blank; the struggles as a writer as to the g forces of a pilot (Chap 7 Dilliard).
I do feel a writer’s affinity with her as she describes writing and writing and writing but tomorrow most of it she’ll have to delete.
Saturday, February 2, 2008
Chris Scott Likings and Love for the Sub-Human
In this chapter of The Four Loves, Lewis mentions how the 'mood' or 'spirit' of places causes people to fall in love with nature. I believe that these moods and spirits are also partly responsible for why people perceive certain places as being sacred. There are elements and characteristics about places that put people in certain moods, which in turn causes them to feel a particular spirit. This spirit causes people to feel as if certain places deserve their respect and therefore are sacred.
For example, lake Titicaca in South America is considered sacred for religious reasons--it is considered the site of the birth of Viracoca, the creator god, according to the Inca Empire. However, the lake also puts people in a humble mood, because standing at the edge of the highest navigable lake in the world, and looking across at it's vast expanses, instills in people the feeling that there is something greater than they are. It is almost as if the lake demands respect as it captivates people's attention with it's beautiful, deep blue color while lying within the boundaries of massive snow-capped mountains. This awe-inspiring landscape creates an appreciative spirit within people, and this spirit adds to the sacredness of the place.
That being said, I think that it is interesting to note how important the landscape can be to the sacredness of places. Typically, sacredness is focused around religious aspects, but the landscape is part of what makes people feel in touch with certain places. It connects to people's emotions, whether it be because of it's beauty, size or some other natural characteristic that people appreciate. Mood, spirit, and landscape all cause people to associate sacredness with places.
For example, lake Titicaca in South America is considered sacred for religious reasons--it is considered the site of the birth of Viracoca, the creator god, according to the Inca Empire. However, the lake also puts people in a humble mood, because standing at the edge of the highest navigable lake in the world, and looking across at it's vast expanses, instills in people the feeling that there is something greater than they are. It is almost as if the lake demands respect as it captivates people's attention with it's beautiful, deep blue color while lying within the boundaries of massive snow-capped mountains. This awe-inspiring landscape creates an appreciative spirit within people, and this spirit adds to the sacredness of the place.
That being said, I think that it is interesting to note how important the landscape can be to the sacredness of places. Typically, sacredness is focused around religious aspects, but the landscape is part of what makes people feel in touch with certain places. It connects to people's emotions, whether it be because of it's beauty, size or some other natural characteristic that people appreciate. Mood, spirit, and landscape all cause people to associate sacredness with places.
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