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Shaunna Morgan
Need or Greed? - An Interview with Shaunna Morgan
Written by Bev Geddes
Shaunna Morgan holds a formidable portfolio; trained as a biologist, she completed her Master of Science degree and has worked for over ten years with environmental and ecological issues. Her present position with the Centre for Indigenous Environmental Resources (CIER )has taken her across the country and the world working as a researcher, instructor and workshop facilitator on First Nations issues related to climate change, energy efficiency and renewable energy programs.
Yet, in spite of this impressive knowledge base and experience, she is approachable and genuine. And, I discovered as the interview progressed, very pragmatically spiritual. It was the latter trait that I chose to highlight in the following article. Her words made a deep impact on my reflections regarding personal responsibility for our environment and future.
“I’m going to tell you a story,” Shaunna begins. “It comes from the Mordecai Richler novel, “Solomon Gursky Was Here.”
An odd choice for an interview concerning First Nations response to land protection projects I think, but I’m intrigued and lean forward as she continues.
“ The story is of a man and his grandson, who for a variety of reasons, are living up north on the land in the traditional way. One day the grandfather notices a wolf lurking around the camp. He shoos the creature away but the next day the wolf is back. This continues for several days with the grandfather becoming increasingly alarmed.
“ This wolf is stalking us,” he tells his grandson. “I will teach you how to hunt the hunter.” The grandfather sharpens a machete until the blade is razor sharp. “One touch and you will cut deeply. Too deeply” the old man warns. He then smears the blade with honey and places it, handle buried deep in the snow just a few meters from their door. “Now watch how the hunter is defeated.”
The boy’s face crumples in puzzlement. “Wouldn’t it be better, grandfather, for you to wield the knife? How can a planted blade hope to kill a crafty wolf?”
The grandfather laughs as he sees the wolf nose out of the forest and slink toward the machete. “I do not need to put myself in danger. The wolf will do it all himself. He is drawn to the honey and will begin to lick it from the blade. Soon he will cut his tongue and the taste of his own blood will send him into frenzy. He will want more and more and more. Soon his tongue will be in tatters, the honey gone and that wolf will bleed to death, never having his hunger sated. It is the way of the greedy to take until they destroy all they hunger for. It is the way of the world.”
(Paraphrased with apologies to both Shaunna and Mordecai).
I sit stunned at what I have just heard. The analogy is clear and the implications, frightening.
“This is what we do as a society,” Shaunna says. “We take more than we need, thinking that technology will fix things as we begin to run out. Water purification systems, air filtering systems, created environmental spaces. At some point, technology will not be able to reverse our greedy consumption and we will bleed to death, just as the wolf did.”
“But what can we do? Can one individual really make a difference?”
“There needs to be a change in attitude and that begins one person at a time. We must shift to a simpler way of life. Take only what you need. Do you need a bigger car? Three TV sets? That extra hamburger at supper? No. That is greed, not need. Begin there.”
“Those (boreal forest) tracts of land provide a natural filtering system for our planet and, if we act responsibly to conserve our resources, they will give us what we need to survive.”
“People must start to understand that the land, water, wildlife and people are interconnected; there isn’t one at the top. First Nations people believe that resources are here for us to use but realize that we have a duty to protect and conserve those same resources. This is the key to long term sustainability.”
“How do we take this to the bigger picture, to the need to protect the boreal forest on Lake Winnipeg’s East shore?”
“All those things I mentioned earlier – the water purification systems, the air filtering systems, the created environmental spaces – we already have in the boreal forest. Those tracts of land provide a natural filtering system for our planet and, if we act responsibly to conserve our resources, they will give us what we need to survive.”
I walk away from the interview with much to process, and to consolidate. What consumes my thoughts and will not let go is the Aboriginal spiritual perspective of taking only what I need. Need, not greed. The concept gives me hope. Somehow I think I can manage that. Somehow I think we all can. One person at a time.
Notes:
Richler, Mordecai, “Solomon Gursky Was Here.” Viking Canada, 1989.
May 11th, 2008 at 8:00 am
I MUST HAVE MISSED THIS ONE SOME HOW.I AM TRULY AMAZED ON
HOW TRUE OUR ELDERS STORY TRUNS OUT.I OFTEN WONDER WHAT WILL OUR PEOPLE DO IF MB HYDRO IS CUT!!!OUR DRINKING WATER POISIONED WITH ECOLEI AND OTHER PARASITES,ANIMALS TAINTED FROM CHEMICALS FARMERS SPRAY THERE CROPS WITH,NO WHERE TO GO, LIVE OUT IN THE BUSH HAAA!! WHAT BUSH?? WE KEEP GOING THE WAY WE ARE THERE WILL BE NO BUSH TO RETREAT!!
JUST RUSTING MB HYDRO LINES,DRYED UP ROTING CONCRETE DAMMS,
5 LEGGED ANIMALS LIMBING AROUND!!! YEA OK LETS MAKE ANOTHER DEAL WITH MB HYDRO!! “NOT”
WITH ALL THE SOLAR SOULTIONS OUT THERE LIKE WIND TOWERS
WHO NEEDS DESTROYERS SUCH AS MB HYDRO, LETS STAND UP AMD SAY “NO” WE NEED POWER WE’LL PRODUCE OUR “OWN”!!!!!!
THERE’S SO MUCH MORE OPTIONS THEN GIVING MB HYDRO OUR KEY TO OUR EXSISTENCE.
MEEGWECH
July 6th, 2008 at 5:37 am
AMAZING!.This really shook me.i will try my best!Lets Stand up!