In Native Environmental Care, Water, Forests, and Wildlife.
Water, forests, and wildlife are very important in the Indigenous environmental care systems. These components are not considered as distinct resources to be handled individually but are components of a living system whose inability to operate sustains all life. According to indigenous worldview, water, trees, animals and people are in a relationship of reciprocal existence.
The Indigenous worldview tends to regard water as the source of life. Rivers, lakes, springs, and rainfall are given the highest respect since they support the ecosystems, agriculture and livelihood. A lot of Indigenous teachings explain that water has its spirit and should not be harmed.Imagine changing your life overnight win a million dollars Enter now!One chance can make you the next big winner. Water usage practices are based on cleanliness, moderation and respect. Pollution of water is perceived as a moral wrong as well as destruction of the environment. The aboriginal people had established water cycle, seasonal flows and watershed behavior knowledge due to generations of observations. This knowledge helped them to utilize water without abusing it so that the ecosystems are maintained in good health though addressing the needs of the people.
Forests are perceived as living communities and not as timber. Trees not only serve as a source of food, medicine and materials but they also control climate, soil protection, and wildlife. Forest stewardship among the indigenous people means harvesting to ensure that destruction is not made pointless. Selective harvesting is widely used as alternatives to mass clearing in order to maintain the forest structure and biodiversity. Even forests are learning and religious places. A great number of teachings, rites and tales are embedded in forests, and this support of the reverence towards these areas as the place of life and knowledge.
Wildlife plays an ecological as well as cultural role in Indigenous environmental care. Animals are perceived as family or educators, but not objects. Respect and gratitude dictate the hunting practices. The killing of an animal is not an easy task. Through long-term observation, indigenous communities get to know the behavior of animals, their migration patterns and the dynamic of their populations. This understanding guides the hunting behavior that does not exceed the harvesting level and safeguard the future generations.
In the Indigenous environmental practices, seasonal awareness is vital to the practice. Planting, harvesting, fishing, and hunting activities are in line with the natural cycles. The timing of this will not put ecosystems under stress.
Forests, water and wildlife are not independent issues. They are the fibers of one web of life. According to indigenous environmental care, by preserving this web, humanity itself is being preserved.