Saturday, August 29, 2009
Gathering Place
My husband is reading Melvin R. Gilmore's book Uses of Plants by the Indians of the Missouri River Region. He pointed out in the preface Gilmore's reasons for taking the time to gather this information about the uses of plants. Gilmore states a "potent reason for gathering such information while it may still be obtained, before the death of all the old people who alone possess it, is that it is only in the light of knowledge of physical environments that folklore, ritual, ceremony, custom, song, story, and philosophy can be interpreted intelligently. The intellectual and spiritual life of a people is reflected from their material life. The more fully and clearly the physical environment of a people is known the more accurately can all their cultural expressions be interpreted." This passage is a powerful message about the importance of physical place and the role it plays in our identity as a culture and an individual. I am curious to explore more about how my place has shaped my past and wonder how place will form my future.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
That quote could not have captured our mission with this class better!
ReplyDeleteYes, indeed, Jenny. That is certainly the mission of this class. There are so many wonderful texts out there that do not have a 'place conscious' subtitle, but they are definitely about place!
ReplyDeleteJennifer,
ReplyDeleteHave you ever read Tending Roses by Lisa Wingate? Your writing immediately made me think of her "voice" and I loved every minute of reading your blog. I love the towns in and around O'Neill. Our new Methodist minister just moved from there and we have dear friends who live in Atkinson. I visited ONeill's museum and the wonderful downtown stores a few years ago. Great memories!
Two things: I find it really cool that you and your husband are sharing these thoughts, these ideas. Also, what a perfect articulation of what we are all hoping to understand. Being a non-Nebraskan, I feel ill-equipped to analyze this place, but this passage sums up why I should if I'm going to stick around for a while.
ReplyDeleteLovely photos.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed your "I am from" poem, especially your choice of format. It's interesting when you remove the "I am from" from the stanzas. It focuses more on the age then, perhaps even opens the piece. I like this, too.
Your “Gathering Place” post is so apt; the question you pose about how place defines us—no: how it *shapes* us—reverberates; I wonder this with every blog I read and will continue to explore possible “answers” with every post I write. Thank you!
--Michelle M.