Amber and I acknowledge that we are terrible at keeping up with those we care about. It’s not a reflection of our love for our family and friends, but rather a reflection of our schedules.
Amber thinks blogging is lame, I’m undecided. Our hope is that by using this forum, it will make it easier to keep in touch with you and who knows, maybe you’ll start a blog too so we can see what you’re doing.
Many Native American groups, especially in the Eastern part of the nation, traditionally viewed North America as an island. Various groups told different creation stories of how the land they inhabited came into existance. The phrase "Turtle Island" is a rough translation of the name several northeastern groups gave to the land. They believed that the earth was a large island which rested on the back of a turtle's shell and that the shell was suspended from the sky vault on four huge ropes.
For many people, "Turtle Island" now represents a more complex message. It is a way of naming the soil which supports us in a way that acknowledges the occupants which resided here long before European conquests. "America" is a title which ignores the rich history, and culture, of the people who called the Island home for centuries before Ericson or Columbus. "Turtle Island" honors the traditions of an ancient civilization, while still recognizing the ever changing naure and merging cultures of the people who call this particular piece of the earth home.
By choosing to refer to our homeland as "Turtle Island" we recognize the root of our nation's culture, the history of our families, and the ever evolving nature of our own lives. As we make our place in the world, and move from location to location, we know the Island will continue to nurture and support us in the same manner it supported our ancestors as they built their own homes and families.
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