An Invitation To Reflect

A good friend and member from Vernal, Steve Meier, sent along an Indian prayer a couple of months ago, wondering if it would be a good addition to the LYNX. For a long time we have considered initiating a discussion in the pages of the LYNX that focuses on what seems to be inherently important in the discussion of wildness--spirit. To some folks this becomes a discussion of religion. To others, it encourages an exploration of the meaning of wildness-- is it to protect biodiversity, naturalness or personal values?

We have hesitated for two reasons. First, we have no interest in a debate on whose church best meets wildness/wilderness values or who is right, the non-believer or believer. Second, not enough member participation. We have no interest in going to various community leaders to define these issues; we want to hear from you because it is your voice that sings the song of wildness.

So, we will start by printing two “prayers”-- one from Steve and the other a favorite of Dick Carter’s, which he found as a wilderness ranger over three decades ago and to this day still murmurs when in the backcountry (Indian Tales.)
From you we hope to get similar short “prayers” of any sort that fit within the context of the above discussion. Everything must be fully documented and able to be corroborated easily! As you can see, we are defining prayer in a personal way. It need not be from a religious book or tradition; it may be your statement or an observation or something that serves you in some fashion. If you don’t want to send a prayer or don’t like the idea of prayer, send a short essay-- a few hundred, well-thought, concise words on why wildness/wilderness is important to you.

We publish the LYNX six times a year, early December, February, April, June, August, October, so we need to have your submission by the first of that month. We will print your responses for as long as we get them via our contact page or email address (info"at"hupc.org). If we don’t get anything and the discussion does not get off the ground and onto the page, so to speak, well, this will be it!

Then Bear called, Good Night, Mountains, you must protect us tonight. We are strangers but we are good people. We don’t mean harm to anybody. Good night Mister Pine Tree. We are camping under you. You must protect us tonight. Good night Mister Owl. I guess this is your home where we are camped. We are good people, we are not looking for trouble, we are just traveling. Good night, Chief Rattlesnake. Good night everyone. Good night Grass People, we have spread our bed right on top of you. Good night, Ground, we are lying right on your face. You must take care of us, we want to live a long time.
Indian Tales. Jaime De Angulo. Hill
and Wang, Inc. 1953.

This is credited to Sioux Indian children of Red Cloud Indian School in South Dakota
http://wolves.maryosborne.net/anindianprayer.htm