Sacred Lands, Sacred Species, Sacred Ceremony
Thomas Berry, Theologian
THE HISTORIC MISSION OF OUR TIME
By Thomas Berry.
The historic mission of our times is to reinvent the human— at the species level, with critical reflection, within the community of life systems, in a time-developmental context, by means of story, and shared dream experience.
*Thomas Berry, The Great Work (New York: Bell Tower, 1999), 159
Stephen W Emerick Ph.D., M. Div.
I met a Holy one upon the upper stone road –
adhering to its practices, being respectful of its Code.
I was a bit bewildered – they asked if I wanted to stay.
Then invited me into the sheltering dome the four directions call home.
That night the medicine wheel illuminated bright with starlight
As they showed me things with the spiritual sight. They said:
You were made to be wilder and less bewildered.
No road has a backwards and only forward do we roam –
That which lies ahead desires your love. Not your dread.
All paths follow the four directions. Each lies straight ahead.
Now grounded in my heart and less inside my head,
I will find the safest place – a place to make my bed.
As the mist in the glen was clearing,
I pulled back the veil of the lodge,
thanking them for feeding my hungers and thirst,
remembering sacred hospitality always must come first.
As I bid my relatives farewell, I knew
what I had to teach my children, and teach their children as well.
Now I understand why the wise ones ask the heart to guide –
There is a star-lit compass residing inside.
I vowed in my heart to follow the arc of their guiding star -.
It has been my companion my guide and my blessing thus far.
No matter the direction we call it, medicine wheel, guiding star,
illuminated heart – is the direction where we should abide.
What matters is the love we share
in every direction of the globe,
from the moment of our birth
until the day we drop our robe.
Come follow the Holy one, upon the upper stone road.
Song: Misty Mountain
PRESS RELEASE | Landmark ruling: The Peruvian Court of Nauta recognizes the rights of the Marañón River and the Indigenous communities as its guardians
NEWSMARCH 19, 2024
In a historic milestone for the protection of the Marañón River, led by indigenous Kukama women of Peru, the Peruvian Mixed Court in Nauta ruled to protect the rights of the Marañón River
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 19, 2024
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Isadora Armani, International Rivers, iarmani@internationalrivers.org (English, Spanish, Portuguese)
Alexis Revollé, Instituto de Defensa Legal (IDL), arevolle@idl.org.pe (Spanish)
Peru – In a landmark decision in favor of rivers in Peru, the Mixed Court in the City of Nauta ruled that the Marañón River, one of the country’s most significant rivers and water sources and the first source of the Amazon, has an intrinsic value and it is recognized as a Subject of Rights codifying a series of inherent rights. The triumph marks the culmination of efforts led by the Huaynakana Kamatahuara Kana Federation, an Indigenous Kukama women’s group rooted in the Parinari district of the Loreto province and region. Since 2021, they have spearheaded a legal battle against the State and Peruvian authorities, demanding protection for the Marañón River from the constant oil spills from the Norperuvian oil pipeline operated by Petroperu. The communities that make up this federation are still dealing with the aftermath of the Saramuro oil spill in 2010.