PLIGHT OF MALOLOTJA

Madam,

Once upon a time, there was a beautiful, pristine place. Waterfalls cascaded and flowed into swirling pools. Blesbok ran in abundance on the grass plains.

Away from the busyness of our daily lives, the traffic, the malls, the people, monkeys chattered, zebras brayed, and wild bush pigs snorted. And you and I would visit, breathe in the fresh air and beauty, and feel alive again. Oh, to be able to breathe freely again! To smile from simply feeling better. The sound of bird calls, the clear starry skies at night, the shining rock and the rolling hills. Feeling at peace and connected to everything around us. One day, along came some men with strange implements and machines. They started banging and drilling the rock. The valley echoed with the sound, causing immediate fright and dis-ease. The animals scattered. Vegetation died and was stained with foreign compounds. The river water became coloured, thickened and stagnant. The landscape transformed, forever.

Communities

Who heard our cries? Our communities could no longer grow food. The soil became depleted and the water contaminated. What will we do? Who will hear our plea for the next generation? What have we done? Once you recognise that we are not separate from nature, it becomes clear that there is a psychological connection in the way we care for and value ourselves and the way we will care for and value all of nature. As such, when we damage nature, we inherently damage ourselves. The wounds go deep into the earth, and the consequences spread to all surrounding life. Water is life. Air is life. How can we live well and thrive without these? Does it not make more sense to work together with nature so that we all benefit long-term and always? Let us operate in an ethical manner.

Let us respect all that we have been blessed with in this special place: Fresh air, fresh water, and healthy plants and animals. “This we know: The earth does not belong to man; man belongs to the earth. All things are connected like the blood that unites us all… One thing we know: Our God is also your God. The earth is precious to Him, and to harm the earth is to heap contempt on its Creator.” – Chief Seattle, 1854.

Chief Seattle was a leader of the Duwamish and Suquamish peoples. A leading figure among his people, he pursued a path of accommodation to white settlers, forming a personal relationship with Doc Maynard. The city of Seattle, in the U.S. State of Washington, was named after him. A widely publicised speech arguing in favour of ecological responsibility and respect for Native Americans' land rights had been attributed to him.

Frances Aron
Educator

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