I have my own Secrets
Photo by: Katherine Davis
The last word in ignorance is the man who says of an animal or plant, “What good is it?” If the
land mechanism as a whole is good, then every part is good, whether we understand it or not. If
the biota, in the course of eons, has built something we like but do not understand, then who but
a fool would discard seemingly useless parts? To keep every cog and wheel is the first
precaution of intelligent tinkering. Journals of Aldo Leopold, 1953
As I observe the decision making of Agencies in our American culture and the perspectives of those who have long held onto the behavior of control and kill, Leopold’s words strike a compelling insight.
And that insight speaks of our human perspectives toward an individual species in the Wild Nations that live among us…….NAMELY COYOTE. Our Native Peoples respected and revered our Native Wild Dog, though they might not have understood everything about Coyote’s incredible evolution and their vital role in the Earth’s ecosystems of North America.
However, the European perspectives they brought along with them profoundly have affected our present culture. So my question is: Is it the Earth’s wisdom over the eons or YOUR perspectives of Coyote that decides “What good is it?”
And finally even our science: “As Tolstoy said, there are questions “put only in order that they may remain forever questions.” Putting on the spectacles of science in expectation of finding the answer to everything looked at signifies inner blindness.” Frank Dobie in The Voice of the Coyote
