permaculture

[Cory Brennan <cory8570@yahoo.com>]

And thank you Ren for your thoughtful response. I hear you!  

I've read all the responses to this post and appreciate all of them, thank 
you for sharing.  I am on dial-up, verrryyy slow, at the rez, and limited 
time on it, so forgve me for not responding individually or more at length...

Cory

--- On Wed, 9/22/10, Ren.Reeder@cem.com <Ren.Reeder@cem.com> wrote:

> From: Ren.Reeder@cem.com <Ren.Reeder@cem.com>
> Subject: Re: [permaculture] Lakota wisdom, invisible structures
> To: "permaculture" <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
> Date: Wednesday, September 22, 2010, 4:42 AM
> Thank you for this post. I admit it!!
> I have been a lurker, gleaning what 
> I could about permaculture, something I have only recently
> found out 
> about, in the last year or so. I was becoming disheartened
> about the 
> "guard discussion" earlier, since I see validity in both
> sides. But, Cory 
> has explained it in a way that makes it a positive learning
> experience, 
> instead of me merely thinking of it as division. I can see
> it now as 
> legitimate discourse, although flogging a dead horse might
> have 
> accomplished more, since both camps seemed locked in their
> own boundaries. 
> I see the good that can come from taking a moment to
> understand where the 
> other party is coming from, and then to chew it over and
> formulate a 
> response. The permaculture way of observation, thinking and
> then action 
> could suit here in our conversations.  I have learned
> so much from this 
> list, and this might be the most important if we are going
> to come 
> together as a human people and fix the problems that we
> have allowed/ made 
> to happen. Great post Cory. Thank you very much.
> 
> Ren
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> From:
> Cory Brennan <cory8570@yahoo.com>
> To:
> permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org
> Date:
> 09/21/2010 08:14 PM
> Subject:
> [permaculture] Lakota wisdom, invisible structures
> Sent by:
> permaculture-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org
> 
> 
> 
> There are certain things about the Lakota culture and
> people that I really 
> treasure and love; working with Lakota has given me some
> really valuable 
> insights into applying permaculture principles. 
> 
> A couple of nights ago at Pine Ridge on a chilly fall
> night, we shared 
> tobacco and heart-speech around a fire, Lakota fashion. 
> 
> Each person was given a chance to speak from his or her
> heart, for as long 
> as we wanted to, and say whatever we wanted to say, while
> everyone else 
> gave full attention, respect and honor to that person. What
> a healing 
> action that was for our project! 
> 
> When I first arrived at Pine Ridge in 2005, a Lakota
> explained to me that 
> in their culture, they often pause before responding to
> someone's comment, 
> and this is often misinterpreted as "being slow or
> dull."  In fact, it is 
> a deep sign of respect for the other person - an indication
> that you are 
> truly listening - and not just listening, but taking the
> time to actually 
> consider what the other person said and their viewpoint on
> things, 
> thoughtfully, before responding. 
> 
> A form of thoughtful and protracted observation...
> 
> I am a fast talker from Los Angeles; at first, this manner
> of speaking was 
> quite disconcerting to me and even jarring. I was
> continually interrupting 
> the person I spoke with or finishing their sentence. 
> I still find myself 
> going off half cocked at times, but I've learned something
> from the Lakota 
> way. When I do use this form of communication, it almost
> always results in 
> deeper understanding and better relations. 
> 
> To Lakota, listening to and understanding others is
> important. That is not 
> something that is much valued in this culture - we put far
> more emphasis 
> on communicating our own viewpoints and convincing others
> of them. 
> 
> One Lakota friend said jokingly, "sometimes it takes us a
> week or month to 
> respond to someone's comment."  But it wasn't really a
> joke. I've actually 
> seen Lakota do that with each other, and it is totally
> understood when it 
> happens. 
> 
> I realized that sometimes it takes all of us that long to
> truly process 
> certain things that happen to us, or that are said to us.
> Or even years! 
> What a luxury, in a way, to be able to wait that long to
> respond, and have 
> the other person understand and appreciate that you are
> being thoughtful 
> about it :-) 
> 
> I have incorporated the "talking stick" or "sharing
> tobacco" into all of 
> my community efforts. It is one of the most powerful
> invisible structure 
> tools I know of for building compassion and understanding
> and therefore, a 
> stronger community. 
> 
> It's harder via email - I've tried it one on one with
> wonderful results, 
> but never in a group.  But perhaps it is something we
> would want to try 
> here....There really is no reason it wouldn't work, now
> that I think about 
> it.
> 
> I realized after the tobacco sharing that I have a modus
> operandi on the 
> internet, especially when debate is raging, of going into
> persuasion essay 
> mode, which doesn't usually entail careful listening and
> understanding. 
> 
> I am going to hand over the talking stick to whoever wishes
> to hold it and 
> speak their heart with respect and honor. I pledge to
> listen thoughtfully, 
> and to strive to understand your heart. 
> 
> Love, Cory
> 
> 
>  
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