Imagine being an indigenous person of the North American continent. Ok, now imagine living in the year 1000 CE. How do you imagine life? Did you imagine that you would be trading with Vikings like Leif Erickson? Well, there is proof that you would have traded with Leif and his clan.
Now let’s continue this mental exercise. Imagine you fall asleep for 492 years and wake up. Now you are about to trade with Christopher Columbus. What is different about this trading? Well the Europeans trading is different than that with those from Iceland. The Europeans want more, they want gold, your food and the land that you are standing on.
Ok two more thought exercises and we are done. Imagine that you fall asleep for 134 years. It is now 1626 and the vikings are gone they now longer trade with you but the Europeans stuck around because they saw possibility in the land that you live on. The land they are interested in right now is an island towards the north of the continent the island will be named Manhattan. The Europeans offer you money to buy the island and the water around the island. This concept is strange to you because the land is not owned by anyone it is for everyone and must be cared for or it will not help everyone. You do not acquiesce and the Europeans come and began to destroy the land your homes and your people.
Last jump for you is 397 years. You escape the European barbarians fall asleep for 397 years and awake in 2023 CE. The world has changed almost everywhere. The land is not hospitable for live as it once was. There is no room to roam, and the large animals do not lie on the island anymore. Growing crops seem impossible and there are places that are not cave that have no sunlight. The Eurpeans have taken paradise and made it hell.
Iceland is number 2 in countries that are considered the best stewards of the planet. The United States ranked 173 in taking care of the planet. I can’t help but think that the reason the United States is doing such a poor job with caring for the planet stems from the way this country was founded or better put stolen.
Iceland home of Leif Erickson has a different relationship with people and land. In Iceland there is the right to roam. The right to roam does not exist in the United States. The people of Iceland from all the way back in 1000 ce seem to understand that land is not something to be bought sold and destroyed but something to respect share and cultivate.
Iceland ranks 4 for strong community and happiness, The United States ranks 15th in happiness.
Priorities in the United States must shift away from the self destructive ones that they were founded in and currently are isf we ever want to be a happy healthy good society.
We must collectively prioritize; community, land stewardship, people , family and equality, over a desire to become “wealthy”. We have become a country that is rich in dollars but poor in sense.
The Corrigan Encore 