clouds,  landscape,  natural areas,  Pineridge Natural Area,  sunrises

A Unified Whole

This morning’s sunrise

“We must also take active steps to live in harmony with the rest of creation. This means that we cannot adopt attitudes or beliefs that place us above the natural world. We cannot see ourselves as having dominion over the land, the water, or the animals. We can’t even see ourselves as being stewards of the Earth. We are only keepers of a way of life that is in harmony with the Earth. Every day, we must act in ways that acknowledge that we are part of one living system, a unified whole.”

Sherri Mitchell

In case you do not know Sherri Mitchell is an Indigenous Rights attorney and the executive director of the Land Peace Foundation, an organization dedicated to the protection of Indigenous land and water rights and the Indigenous way of life. Mitchell has been actively involved with Indigenous rights in the U.S., Canada and abroad for more than 25 years. I had not heard of her before until I read this quote.

This image is an envisioned scene I’ve had for a couple of weeks. This morning nature pulled together the elements so I could have this scene. I tried something similar back on April 19th but clouds did not allow it to happen. Happy Friday!

Retired. Having fun with photography. Journal daily. Meditate daily. Learning haiku. Have a love for fountain pens.

4 Comments

  • Earl

    Lots of “meat” in this quote, and thank you for the background on Sherri Mitchell. We think we’re so smart, too smart for our own good.

    A gorgeous photo, Monte. A big shout out to Mother Nature for arranging this for you! It makes me feel peaceful and, in a good way, insignificant to the wonders of this world.

    • Monte Stevens

      I knew nothing about her until I say this quote. I’m impressed by the people who venture into these arenas of conflict. My personality wants to stay out of them.

      The more time I spend in Mother Nature the more comfortable she is with me and then shows me a gift once in awhile. 😍 Wanting to spend more time with her.

  • Mark

    A bit late to the game in commenting Monte – playing catchup but wanted to leave some kudos on the photo. Great photo. I came across a quote recently while researching waste management – basically, that nature produces no waste. Just a short few words that really pack a lot.