Bee yan ilti’, shima’. You have spoken, my mother. That you, the Earth, above and below, are the embodiment of us all. As with the beat of the drum, you breathe life into us all. From the soil came the trees and the animals, and from the soil you have made us, the people. Each of our tribes are different, with beliefs and lifestyles that differ from one another. And in this difference we are also the same, one person, one voice, giving thanks to a mother that has raised us out of the kindness of her heart.
Your excellence is your generosity and compassion which reflect your love and loyality to us all. You are the sustainer of life, the bringer of the seasons. Your gifts for us are bountiful and many. We are now, as in the past generations of humankind, forever thankful to you for all that you have done for us and for our brothers and sisters- the animals and trees.
A mother is giving, not only out of duty to her kin but because she desires to. You too, give of yourself, as a mother does for her child. Your generosity grows from the gifts of our planet. You give to us the fruit that sustains us, from the nutrient-rich soil. You give to us of the bounty that is the trees and the flowers and the animals. You give us the cool, wet rain to quench our throats when it is hot and we are tired from work. You give us the sky, filled with clouds, when we are contemplative and seek guidance. When it is dark you bring the night and the stars to provide the stepping stone that brings us back to our houses when we are lost. You are the perfection of generosity, giving without the want or need of recognition. You give all these things and more in the love for us, your children.
Compassion is shown through your admiration for us, the people, and our brothers and sisters- the animals. You walk with us as we journey down the trails of life, as we grow and learn about the world that you have provided us. You are with us in the last reserves of the wild. Not only are you beside us as we walk in the forests and the plains of the planet, but you are also with us in the paved trails of the villages that we call cities. But, you are the most prominent in the peoples faces that I can see with the eyes that you have given me.
You are there to support us in the times when we seek solitude away from the companionship of others. From the sounds of the birds as they sing the answers to our questions to the sounds of the wind rustling in the trees, you provide companionship in any direction that we go. Just knowing that you are beside me always, gives me strength. You show us the happiness that life has to offer and you show us the sorrow that comes when one departs from your heart. Our comfort can be found in the roots that lie deep within the soil, deep within our connection to your soul.
From every mountain peak to the very depths of the seas, our mother, the Earth is home. You are the home to the thousands of species of animals, birds and plants. You are the home to all the colors of the tribes. More importantly you are the first thing that comes to my mind when I think of home. You are giving. You are the sustenance of the delicate life on the planet, and you are the purveyor of our inspiration. You are love and compassion. You share in the spirit of us all, our triumphs and our failures. You share in the joy of the song and in the greif for those who are forgotten. In the words of our brothers, the Navajo: Ya’ at’ eeh shima. Ya’ at’ eeh. It is good, my mother. It is good.