Cyndy Baskin describes a land-based spirituality, from Indigenous perspectives; and describes the aspects or dimensions of such a spirituality. Lyla June discusses the hard-won lessons of Indigenous people that led to humility, beauty & kinship. What were these lessons? Can they apply to today’s modern world and the ecological and social problems we face today? Lyla shares examples of human beings functioning as “keystone species” in the world. What is a keystone species? While we may or may not currently have the knowledge to directly and deliberately become a keystone species in the technical way she is specifying, in what ways might we become – at a minimum – nurturers of our planet? What would we have to give up? Are there Indigenous or more broadly contemplative qualities or values we might have to bring forth in our culture or our lives to do so?
Week 5 Discussion: Land-Based Ethics and Spirituality
Cyndy Baskin through this article tries to address land-based spirituality from the Indigenous perspectives. Moreover, this article mainly relies upon concentrating on the Indigenous and the non-Indigenous people to get into the core of the Indigenous life structure and also to learn about their societies on a global platform. This study mainly helps to define the inclusive understanding of the Indigenous people. They believe in the significance of nature and its existence. Therefore, on spirituality, the indigenous people define the diverse disciplines that worked out to define religious activities along with an integrated cultural system, the institutions, the modes of experiences, or the artistic expressions that can be related to the people who can perceive the transcendent.
It is discussed by Lyla June as well as by Cyndy Baskin, who gave a proper description of Indigenous spirituality which is land-based spirituality, as they have been teaching about the spiritual embodiment based on the interconnectedness and interrelationship within life. Therefore, this view permeates which is related to the entire Indigenous vision, of their life, land, and their vision of the Universe. Thus, through this article, this can be articulated that the Indigenous people have both worldviews, with that of spirituality, as there is no separation between people and land. As stated by Baskin, (2016), the true end of the physical environment acts like a place that directly influences one’s culture, education, relationship, and other spiritual beliefs. Therefore, Earth can be often referred to by the Indigenous people, because Mother Earth gave birth to us, and has been providing all that we require. On the other hand, Baskin (2016), also stated that the indigenous people think that they can keep us calm and can help us to restore, as well as we can be inspired with all our creativity. This article, mainly protects that this land is our home, while this land is “our”. As was pointed out by Lyla June about the Indigenous people, moreover, in this modern world, this can be applied if we keep on depending upon nature as the Indigenous people do. As they respect nature, like Mother.
Thus, I found it expensive when Lyla shared about human functioning being the “keystone species”. While ecologists have helped to identify, several keystone species, it is defined as an organism that is outsized with its ecological biomass. Human beings are based on the higher order to drive the complex interactive chain which can affect other keystone factors across the different habitats. Compared to this idea of Baskin (2016), keystone species are those organisms that help to identify and define an entire ecosystem. Relatively, without the keystone species, the ecosystem might remain dramatically different or they can cease to exist altogether.
The Indigenous people have contemplative qualities to bring forth the culture, based on the spirit which according to the Indigenous people, who are influences their mind, body, and other emotions and can simply make one’s mind understand and bring social justice to humanity. Thus, Indigenous people have been contemplating their spiritual responsibility, which involves resisting the world of evil, while developing good forms of values to bring forth our culture, and lives.
As a result, this article helps to gather vital information to get hold of the role of all the strongest leaders in history, which is often practiced about spirituality, regularly. Thus, in the case of the Indigenous people, they have been focusing on the spirits of their tradition and culture, which can lead to a social justice movement to bring love. Thus, both Cyndy Baskin and Lyla June, have discussed the movement of the Indigenous people, who continue to rejuvenate Mother Earth, while humans continue to destroy them. They have been comparing one’s skin color or have been targeting only to get money out of everything because they are not honest.
Reference
Baskin, C. (2016). Spirituality: The core of healing and social justice from an Indigenous perspective. New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, 2016(152), 51-60.
