Spiritual Game Management -- Jessica Schwier

Gary Snyder discusses spiritual game management in his chapter entitled "Good, Wild, Sacred." It talks of how the animals enjoy the human entertainments while being eaten by the humans. If they did not enjoy the music the humans play, they would not return to the river to be caught, for example. Snyder talks about how once they are eaten by humans, they return to their friends and talk of what a wonderful time they had with the humans, so that their friends will want to be caught and eaten as well. He also discusses how we must maintain our music and manners as humans so that the food will want to continuously return. If we fail to provide them entertainment, or are not polite while eating them, they will not return and we will not have anything to eat. I think this is very interesting, the way he looks at the relationship between the food and the humans. Although one would not find killing an animal polite, Snyder understands it is necessary for life. So, as long as music and manners are in the picture, the food actually enjoys being a part of human life. The humans and the food have a reciprocating relationship. The humans provide the entertainment and the animals provides the food. This was an interesting concept to think about, and a necessary part of life.