Voice of The Inanimate.
Last night, I pressed Our Grandmother from Eddie Two Hawks. In my comments, I mentioned Wendell Berry and the way I understand place in his writing. Wendell Berry’s work is used by the deep ecology movement which in many ways is not a movement. It is a way of life. For years, I critiqued the environmental movement as a corporate movement with many of the same characteristics of the business they criticized. Wendell Berry, similar to all good farmers, values the land. He speaks about as if it were living. It is not separate from us, but a part of us. When I think about this, it makes local and community environmental work incredibly important. It decries the corporate pillaging that goes on both sides of the equation.
Wendell Berry speaks of the land as a living and animate thing. This makes sense. The plants we grow happen in the healthy, which comes from the same root as whole, ecosystem. When we see ourselves embedded in this ecosystem and not overloads, it changes our relationship with nature. Alex commented the word nature comes from a word meaning birth. When certain parts of the ecosystem are damaged made, unwhole and unhealthy, the birth itself cannot be healthy.
Each contribution we make adds something to the world we live in. It is when we see ourselves as part of the world and nature that we make the greatest contributions to community. We are stewards, serving the world in loving ways. This is another analogy for the thinking of the world as grandmother. We treat our grandmothers with love.
About ivonprefontaine
In keeping with bell hooks and Noam Chomsky, I consider myself a public and dissident intellectual. Part of my work is to move beyond (transcend) institutional dogmas that bind me to defend freedom, raising my voice to be heard on behalf of those who seek equity and justice in all their forms.
I completed my PhD in Philosophy of Leadership Studies at Gonzaga University, Spokane, WA. My dissertation and research was how teachers experience becoming teachers and their role as leaders.
I focus on leading, communicating, and innovating in organizations. This includes mindfuful servant-leadership, World Cafe events, Appreciative Inquiry, and expressing one's self through creativity. I offer retreats, workshops, and presentations that can be tailored to your organzations specific needs.
I published peer reviewed articles about schools as learning organizations, currere as an ethical pursuit, and hope as an essential element of adult eductaion. I published three poems and am currently preparing my poetry to publish as an anthology of poetry.
I present on mindful leadership, servant leadership, schools as learning organizations, how teachers experience becoming teachers, assessement, and critical thinking. I facilitate mindfulness, hospitality retreats. and World Cafe Events using Appreciative Inquiry.
I am writing and researching about various forms of leadership, how teachers inform and form their identity as a particular teacher, schools as learning organizations, hope and its anticipatory relationship with the future, and hope as an essential element in learning.
Teacher as Transformer 
Native American religion sees animate and inanimate all the same which leads to reverence for all things of the earth. Seems a lot more sensible than all the rest of the religions.
It does Carl. We can learn much from each other.
It seems important blog to learn from, I enjoyed reading it!!
Thank you.
Beautifully put Ivon. I love the idea (and action) of stewardship.
… Our grandmothers also love us back unconditionally.
They do. Thank you Val.
Reblogged this on James' World 2.
“When certain parts of the ecosystem are damaged made, unwhole and unhealthy, the birth itself cannot be healthy.”
Well described Ivon.
Than you Alex.
Earth IS a living thing. T know this, just look around. Then go someplace where the earth has been killed by overuse and poisons. The difference is astounding. We must be gentle with Her.
She is most definitely a living phenomenon and contributes directly to the living of the rest of the phenomena. Well said Emilie.
That’s why I try so hard to get people interested in nature. If they find something interesting and beautiful they’re less likely to do it harm.
I agree. The more we live in nature and see ourselves as part of it without boundaries the more we will serve nature’s needs and our needs.
Although not a prerequisite, being a vegetarian most of my life has helped me embrace this wonderful post! Thank you!
You are welcome. Your embrace makes sense. The soil, sun, water give your food life. They are critical to the life of the world.
A thought-full post. We are farmers and stewardship of the land we hold is actually what all those calling themselves farmers should be. Unfortunately… One does their small part with hope others will do theirs that our grandmothers are at peace.
Thank you for a wonderful (wonder filled) comment.
I always enjoyed Wendell Berry’s poetry, simple yet full of that earthy wisdom only a farmer can relate in such elegance of thought.
My love for his work extends to his many essays and short stories. You are so right about the way farmers care for the land in a particular way that is a tribute to their local geography.
Reblogged this on By the Mighty Mumford and commented:
LISTEN..SEE WHAT YOU HEAR ABOUT LOVE!
Love is sensual.
It is!