The Animals

Toxic Substances

Scientists from around the world are puzzled by the alarming decline in amphibian populations. Fossil records suggest that frogs and toads have existed on our Mother Earth for at least 150 million years, which indicates that they are very adaptable to change. However, within the last ten years, the world’s frogs and toads have been disappearing, even in protected parks and wildlife reserves. In some cases, a direct cause can be identified, such as the loss of a wetland or alterations in water availability. In other cases, pollutants including pesticides, industrial by-products, acid rain, and ozone depletion are suspected to be the cause. Like scientists, we should all be concerned about the loss of amphibians and reptiles. Remember, after all, it is a reptile, the turtle, who is holding up our Mother Earth. They may be the first to suggest that the world’s environmental health is deteriorating rapidly. When we think about it, if a species that has adapted for the last 150 million years cannot survive on our polluted planet, then perhaps this is an indication that few other species will also be able to survive. As some Haudenosaunee communities such as Akwesasne have learned, contamination of reptiles such as snapping turtles provides a stern warning of what is to come. Chemical poisons are now weakening our life support system. Many industrial pollutants are known to interfere with hormones that are critical to reproduction. This should cause all of us to be greatly alarmed, since these compounds have the potential to completely disrupt the cycles of Creation.

Road Mortality

Urbanization has resulted in increased road mortality as amphibians, reptiles, and other creatures try desperately to move from one location to another or to seek heat on the warm surface of the road. When we look at our roads today, they look more and more like animal graveyards. Millions of dogs, cats, frogs, turtles, deer, raccoons, skunks, songbirds, and even eagles, hawks, bear, and moose are killed every year on our roads. The situation now is so different from the way Haudenosaunee have, in the past, shown their respect for the animals that they killed. Today, we carelessly run them down on our roads without giving it a second thought.

Introduction of Alien Species

Animals have also been impacted by the introduction of foreign species of plants and animals. Some introduced species have no natural predators which allow them to upset the balance of entire ecosystems. For example, wild African bees were imported into the Americas to increase honey production. Known as “killer bees,” these aggressive and unpredictable animals have killed thousands of domesticated animals and hundreds of people. By introducing a parasite that is deadly to our native bees, they have also caused the number of honey bees to plummet. This, combined with the effects of air pollutants that also kill bees, has taken a toll on not only our honey production, but also our overall food production. We rely heavily on insects, such as bees, to pollinate several species of plants, including squash, sunflowers, and fruit trees. Without honey bees, pollination drops and we get smaller and fewer fruits. Eventually, we may end up with no fruit at all.

Other examples of alien species that have caused havoc in Haudenosaunee commu­nities include purple loosestrife and phragmites, two European plants that have taken over many of our wetlands. These two plants, which are not edible to wildlife, have replaced many native plant species such as cattails which serve as critical food supplies for many fur bearing animals. Without a food supply, these important species can no longer survive in our terri­tories.

The Pet Industry

Another problem that is impacting animal species is the pet industry. Approximately 25 million United States households have a bird, amphibian, or reptile as a pet. Some of these are endangered species that are sold illegally. Most are captured under atrocious conditions which result in the mortality of many animals. It is estimated that for every bird that reaches the pet shop, as many as ten others die during capture or transport. Similar conditions exist for fish, reptiles, and amphibians that are sold as pets. Often, owners do not have the knowledge and skills to meet the nutritional and habitat requirements of these animals. Those that live long enough to be sold, typically die shortly after they are purchased. It is heartbreaking to see what these animals have to go through in order to “entertain” human beings. The pet industry is a striking reminder that citizens in most industrialized countries lack an environ­mental ethic that requires respect and appreciation for wild animals living in their natural habitats.

At the same time, we have allowed the population of pet dogs and cats to get so out of balance that they too are causing severe disruption of many natural ecosystems. Packs of dogs are responsible for killing countless number of deer, rabbits, and fur bearing animals as well as cattle, sheep, and goats. Cats are responsible for killing millions of songbirds every year, including species that are endangered and threatened with extinction. We do not demonstrate much respect for the natural world when we allow our pets to run wild and reproduce without restraint.

NEGLECT

Perhaps the greatest threat to animal populations is neglect on the part of human beings. As Haudenosaunee, we have been told that all of Creation has a desire to be appreciated. If we fail to show proper respect, we are told that the animals and birds will leave us. The consequences of neglect are rather profound. Yet, we find that most people in the western world pay little attention to the current state of the natural world. Most people live their lives without ever seeing or under­standing the way the natural world works. In the fast paced world of modern society, most people know little about the cycles of Creation and few have the patience or desire to learn. Some environmental groups have worked hard to focus the public’s attention on a few of the more attractive species, such as whales, wolves, and elephants. However, few have been able to draw attention to the extinction of countless species of plants, insects, fishes, amphibians, and reptiles that are either too homely or considered too unimportant for consid­eration. This is true especially when correcting the situation requires sacrifice on the part of human beings. We have to wonder if it is even possible to build an environmental ethic that is inclusive of all species in the natural world.

Protecting the Life that Sustains Us:

What Can We Do for the Animal Life?

To make changes, we must not only have the desire but also the education, resources, and political will to take action. We must also be willing to make some sacrifices to ensure the survival of the other species with whom we share Mother Earth. Much of the human population has forgotten that our very survival is fundamentally tied to the survival of the other species on our planet. Without an underlying ethic to build upon, protecting plant and animal populations will not be an easy task. As people have moved farther and farther away from Mother Earth, they have become more and more oblivious to the problems at hand. If we do not notice the problems, then we cannot possibly correct them or make amends.

Western societies have only recently turned to other cultures for answers to our current environmental dilemmas. Many Indigenous Peoples have not forgotten fundamental environmental principles, and as a result, try their best to practice an ethic that demands a deep respect for life. All too often, they understand the consequences of the destruction of other species because they too have suffered great cultural losses every time a species is impacted.

The Thanksgiving Address which opened this chapter is the Haudenosaunee way of expressing our thanks and appreciation for all of Creation. These are more than just words. Our culture is a living culture. Our words are merely attempts to express a way of life that integrate these concepts into our daily activities. The best way that we can show our appreciation for the natural world is by actually doing something to support the plant and animal life that has been adversely affected. It is only through our actions that we can send a clear message to all of Creation that we want the species of plants and animals to remain with us on the earth. We need to prove that we wish to continue to have a relationship with them. If we do not fulfill our responsibilities, we have been warned that they will leave us and return to their original home the Sky World. The consequences of inaction are grave.

The following is a list of actions that can be implemented to help our animal relatives. This list is by no means all inclusive. We challenge people in Haudenosaunee communities and around the world to use the creativity, values, and resources to come up with additional action items:

For the Haudenosaunee, we must continue to follow our original instructions. Our responsibilities include being able to recognize, acknowledge, and greet our Animal relatives. They also include limiting activities that negatively impact the ability of the Animal life to survive and reproduce. We must live carefully and sustainably if we are to ensure the survival of not only our culture but the natural world upon which our culture is based.

We must know the Ohen:ton Karihwatehkwen in our own language so that we can properly greet all of our relatives in the natural world. Ideally, we should be saying our Thanksgiving with our families every morning and every evening. That is the only way our future generations will learn our culture and the importance of respecting all of Creation.

We need to support better educational programs for our future generations so they will understand the importance of the Animal life. Recent studies indicate that children get most of their information about the natural world in their own communities. This is true for students all over the world. Educators and parents should set a goal of transforming all of our young people (Native and non-Native) into caretakers of the natural world. To do this, we must support outdoor activ­ities and environmentally based, culturally appropriate programs and curricula for youth. If your school does not offer such programs, then

work with other parents to demand that culturally based education take place. Offer to teach students after school or in summer programs.

We need to spend time with our families outside in the natural world. We should learn to identify the plants, animals, birds, fish, and insects in our forests, fields, wetlands, mountains, and rivers and know their names in our own languages. We also need to be knowledgeable about their character­istics, ecology, and habitat by identi­fying features and behaviors. If you don’t already know these things, go to your local library and get a book. Start a local group and invite knowledgeable elders to make presentations. Take a course at your local college or university. We all need to be familiar with our local environment so that we will know when something is wrong.

Continued next week